This four-week flex class will meet on your flexible time frame.  Over the course of four weeks, the Learner will become familiar with the three sociological perspectives.  There is no prior knowledge or skills required for this course.  This course will introduce the following perspectives:  functional theory, conflict theory, and interactionist theory.  A detailed class schedule is below.

My class is structured as a Learner-based class.  I will interact with students through the classroom feed, email, and video.  We will have discussions, comments, and questions and answers throughout the class.  I will encourage each Learner to not only interact with me but also to interact with their classmates in the classroom chat.  I ask that each Learner have respect for their classmates.  

Learner's do not have to participate verbally in class if they are not comfortable doing so.  I ask that you message me before class with any specific information I may need about your Learner.  This information will help assure that I make every Learner feel comfortable in class.  My goal is by the end of class session one, every Learner is comfortable and interacting.  Keep in mind, if a Learner wants to upload a video of themselves in the classroom feed, this is perfectly fine.  However, if they do not want to do this, they can communicate directly with me, in a private manner.  Participation is encouraged but not required.

Homework will be given each week.  This homework will consist of a question(s) about the lesson covered that day.  This homework assignment will take anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on your Learner.  The homework will be discussed in the Classroom Feed.  Please note, that you may directly email me the assignments if you do not want to post them in the Classroom Feed.  My ultimate goal is to have each Leaner feel comfortable while learning without pressure.

The end of class or final project will be covered in detail through a PowerPoint on the Classroom Feed and a video.  The Learner will have the entire length of class to complete this project.  It will be a 3-5 page essay.  This essay will be due on or before the last day of class.

There will be a PowerPoint presentation for each session of the course.  I will also post videos of myself discussing the lesson.  I actively participate in the Classroom Thread.

Keep in mind, even though this is a Flex Class, we as a class can still participate in Icebreaker activities and other fun ways to get to know one another.

Week 1:  
*Teacher Introduction
*Learner Introduction
*Icebreaker
*PowerPoint: Functional Theory
  -Auguste Comte
  -Herbert Spencer
  -Emile Durkheim
  -manifest functions
  -latent functions
*Homework Assignment
*Social Science Scavenger Hunt

Week 2:  
*Discussion of Homework Assignment
*PowerPoint:  Conflict Theory
  -Karl Marx
  -ideology
  -false consciousness
*Homework Assignment
*Social Sceince Bingo

Week 3:  
*Discussion of Homework Assignment
*PowerPoint:  Interactionist Theory
  -symbolic interaction
  -Thomas theorem
*Social Science Monopoly
*Assessment:  PDF uploaded to Classroom Thread

I am including extra information about sociology and why this class is beneficial to your Learner.

Additional information on sociology as a soft science.

What is sociology and what is a soft science?  Sociology is the study of human behavior in groups.  It is similar to psychology which studies individual behavior.  There are two types of science: hard and soft.  An example of a hard science is biology, chemistry, or physics and an example of a soft science is sociology and psychology.  So, what is the difference?  A soft science relates to human relationships, unlike hard sciences that do not tend to rely on any human relationship.   To answer your question, yes sociology is a science.  It may not be very well-known as a science or a discipline but it is a part of the science community.

My goal as a social scientist is to expose Learners to new information that they may have never heard of before.  I find human behavior to be intriguing and fascinating and want to share my passion of science with you.