First, since the instruction is in English, it provides a basis for the major’s new English language requirements. Second, in Invitation to Sociology students learn to develop a sociological understanding of the world in which they live – not just the “world of Korea,” but the “world of the world”! Students also gain an appreciation of the many benefits they can get from developing this sociological understanding, not only practical benefits but also intellectual ones.
Third, Invitation to Sociology conveys the various ways in which sociologists think about the world, and the ways in which they go about studying it. This gives students a preview of what they will encounter in future courses in the major. Fourth, students enjoy a little taste of some interesting topics from a sociological perspective. In the past, the current teacher of the course (Dr. Gulick) has touched on subjects such as the sociology of culture, the sociology of class and racial inequality, the sociology of advertising, media, and public relations (a student favorite!), and the sociology of global interdependence and environmental problems.
Finally, as the sociology undergraduate program increasingly integrates information society themes and Web 2.0 and other information technologies into its approach, Invitation to Sociology will change accordingly. In the semesters and years to come, IT interfaces and tools will be used more and more in the teaching and learning process, and questions about information society (some of them critical!) will be addressed more and more in the course content.
