Course Overview
This course explores the intersection between the social world and the individual life by raising sociological thinking. Sociological thinking allows us to understand how social, economic, and cultural forces exist to shape individual identities, how social inequalities are produced, reproduced, and challenged, and how the social world is constructed and individuals live in it by making meanings, interacting with other individuals, families, communities, and the wider society, whereby shaping the world.
Toward this end, the course focuses on social structures of class, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, that produce differences as social categories. The course will examine not only the social structures of differences but also processes, institutions, and individual behaviors, roles, and relationships that translate differences into social inequality.
Throughout the course, students will develop and apply sociological imagination:
“The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society… [T]hat imagination is the capacity to shift from one perspective to another… It is the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote transformations to the most intimate features of the human self – and to see the relations between the two” (C. W. Mills).
Students will learn about fundamental sociological concepts, theories, and apply those to analyze the social world, and locate our own self in the world.
All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University credit transcript.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing the course, students will be able to:
- Explore why and how sociologists study the world and human behaviors by making connections between individual lives and social structures of history, political economy, and cultures.
- Explore why and how sociologists study the world and human behaviors by making connections between individual lives and social structures of history, political economy, and cultures.
- Understand why and how sociological knowledge is important to problematize social issues for social change.
- Engage with major sociological concepts and approaches to understand the academic literature about human behavior.
- Identify specific areas of study in sociology to acquire sociological perspectives on major social issues.
- Analyze sociological research with skills in critical reading and in-class discussions.
- Perform academic writing with critical analyses.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: SOC 101
Format: On Campus (at Syracuse University)
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school junior or senior status – or a 2025 high school graduate.
Credit: 3 credits
Grading: A-F
- Residential: $4,895
- Commuter: $3,919
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College – On Campus: Experience what college is really like: take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals with friends in a dining hall, and participate in activities and events on campus.
“Syracuse University Summer College provides an excellent opportunity to prepare for college and experience college-level courses. I took Sociology 101 and loved how the subject matter was presented in an engaging and interesting way. The workload was manageable while also being adequately challenging and complex; the boundaries of my abilities as a student were pushed but never overwhelmed.”
—Sara H., Summer College – Online Sociology Student, 2020
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Synchronous Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College – On Campus | 2-Week Session I: Sunday, July 6 – Friday, July 18, 2025 | MTWThF; 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. | 3 Credits |
To see if this course is ‘open,’ refer to the full course catalog.
Course Requirements
Required Textbook
Please know that any supply purchases are not included in the overall tuition fee. Students will need to budget for additional course supplies, textbooks, supply kits, etc.
Below is the required textbook for Summer 2024. Textbook requirements are subject to change for Summer 2025.
- You May Ask Yourself” 7th edition, by Dalton Conley. ISBN for e-book is 978-0-393-53776-5
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
A typical day is lecture and discussion, with some video research mixed in. Students must attend class Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
When class is over, and on weekends, students can look forward to various Summer College – On Campus activities to meet and connect with other students! Check out our On Campus Experience page for more information!
Faculty Bios
Jacob Bartholomew
Jacob Bartholomew is a PhD Candidate in the Sociology department at Syracuse University. His areas of study include race and racism, social justice, education, and the sociology of sport. As an avid sports fan, Bartholomew believes that when understanding larger links between social systems and the sports we love, we become more informed sports fans. In his spare time, he enjoys watching baseball, traveling and spending time with his family.