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Introduction to Sociology: OER Resources

This guide will help sociology students find resources and information on sociology topics, issues, and perspectives.

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Courses

Introduction to Sociology Course Content 

The Introduction to Sociology Course was developed through the Ohio Department of Higher Education OER Innovation Grant. This work was completed and the course was posted in September 2018. The course is part of the Ohio Transfer Module and is also named OSS021

 

Introduction to Sociology 

This is a free online course offered by the Saylor Foundation.

 

Foundations of Modern Social Theory  -Yale

This course provides an overview of major works of social thought from the beginning of the modern era through the 1920s. Attention is paid to social and intellectual contexts, conceptual frameworks and methods, and contributions to contemporary social analysis. Writers include Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Adam Smith, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim.  -Yale

Online Journals

THE SOCJOURN The Sociological Web Space of Mike Sosteric 

This is an online journal of sociological articles.

 

Socius

Open access journal from ASA.

 

Sociological Science

Open access journal

 

Electronic Journals Library - Sociology

Research OER

A Quick Guide to Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences

This resource is intended as an easy-to-use guide for anyone who needs some quick and simple advice on quantitative aspects of research in social sciences, covering subjects such as education, sociology, business, nursing. 

Scientific Inquiry in Social Work

As an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project.

 

Soc ArXiv / SocOpen

open archive of the social sciences, provides a free, non-profit, open access platform for social scientists to upload working papers, preprints, and published papers, with the option to link data and code.

OER Textbooks

Introduction to Sociology 3e 

The new edition is focused on driving meaningful and memorable learning experiences related to critical thinking about society and culture.

Introduction to Sociology 

Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, which are supported by a wealth of engaging learning materials.

Social Problems 

Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic and motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book’s subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.

Introduction to Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World 

The founders of sociology in the United States wanted to make a difference. A central aim of the sociologists of the Chicago school was to use sociological knowledge to achieve social reform. A related aim of sociologists like Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett and others since was to use sociological knowledge to understand and alleviate gender, racial, and class inequality.

Social Problems: Continuity and Change 

Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book’s subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.

Classical Sociological Theory and Foundations of American Sociology 

Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World 

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World presents a sociological understanding of society but also a sociological perspective on how to change society, while maintaining the structure and contents of the best mainstream texts.

Introduction to Sociology 2e 

Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories.

Rothschild's Introduction to Sociology 

An adaptation of OpenStax's Introduction to Sociology 2e

Author: Teal Rothschild

Introduction to Sociology 2e

From OpenStax, this sociology text "offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories."

Principles of Sociological Inquiry – Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

From Open Textbook Library, this is an introductory text to qualitative and quantitative research for undergraduate students.

Sociological Landscape: Theories, Realities and Trends
More than the usual academic textbook, the present volume presents sociology as terrain that one can virtually traverse and experience. 

Introduction to Sociology 

textbook

Sociology (Boundless) 

Open textbook

Boundless Sociology 

'The Boundless Sociology textbook is a college-level, introductory textbook that covers the compelling and complex subject of Sociology.

Sociology 

This is a textbook that was developed for an entry level Sociology class. The authors used One Drive to present the book, and each chapter is a separate PDF document. One can also download it as a Word document.

Introduction to Sociology 2e 

Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories.

Introduction to SOCIOLOGY by Ron Hammond, Paul Cheney, Raewyn Pearsey 

The book is designed and written to be interesting to you. It provides a basic understanding of the science, theory, and research methods of the profession.

Sociology (Barkan) 

This book was designed for a basic course in Sociology.

Sociology of the Family 

This book builds upon the 80 plus years of sociology of the family research and teaching that has made the discipline a leader in the field of family studies. In this book you will find examples of scientific methods and statistics used by sociologist, combined with the powerful and insightful sociological theories which open new worlds of discovery and understanding to you about the family.

Intro to Sociology 

This is a free, online textbook that was developed by the author to engage his students in the course. The text is complete with diagrams and photographs. There is even a place where faculty members can request test banks that the authors have developed.

Beyond Race: Cultural Influences on Human Social Life 

The book is an open educational resource (OER) that provides sociological terms, concepts, theories, and research in the study of culture. The book contains five modules with sociological applications on: 1) Culture and Meaning, 2) Culture as a Social Construct, 3) Cultural Power, 4) Cultural Identity, and 5) The Multicultural World.

Introduction to Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies Contributors: Kang, Lessard, Heston, and Nordmarken 

This textbook introduces key feminist concepts and analytical frameworks used in the interdisciplinary Women, Gender, Sexualities field. It unpacks the social construction of knowledge and categories of difference, processes and structures of power and inequality, with a focus on gendered labor in the global economy, and the historical development of feminist social movements.

Immigrant and Refugee Families - 2nd Ed. 

Immigrant and Refugee Families: Global Perspectives on Displacement and Resettlement Experiences offers an interdisciplinary perspective on immigrant and refugee families' challenges and resilience across multiple domains, including economic, political, health, and human rights. This new edition has been revised and updated from the original 2016 edition.

Together: The Science of Social Psychology 

This textbook presents core concepts common to introductory social psychology courses. The 8 units include 27 modules covering key social psych topics such as research methods, group processes, social influence, and relationships. This book can be modified: feel free to add or remove modules to better suit your specific needs.

Foundations in Sociology I 

One part of a two-part introduction to the discipline of sociology, the study of society. It examines how we come to understand and experience ourselves and the world around us and how we create culture. Students will be introduced to the study of culture, socialization, social interaction, identity formation and self-fashioning, the social construction of class, gender and race, age, deviance, and other social phenomena.

Introduction to Sociology 

Wikibook

Sociological Inquiry Principles: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Creative Commons Textbook

Sociological Landscape 

Theories, Realities and Trends

A Career in Sociology 

Login account required. A Career in Sociology was written for introductory undergraduate courses on sociological practice. The book was designed for faculty and students searching for an open educational resource (OER) that provides sociological terms, concepts, and theories in the study of sociological practice.

Measuring Gender Equality 

“Posadas, Josefina; Paci, Pierella; Sajaia, Zurab; Lokshin, Michael. 2017. Measuring Gender Equality. Streamlined Analysis with ADePT Software. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/26308 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”

The Art of Being Human: A Textbook for Cultural Anthropology

Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places.

Speaking of Culture

“Speaking of Culture” is a collection of instructor-authored background readings intended to accompany other activities, discussions, experiences, projects, and readings for IELI 2470 – Cross-Cultural Perspectives, a course offered by faculty in the Intensive English Language Institute at Utah State University. Its main purpose is to define culture and other concepts often associated with it.

Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology

2nd ed. The first peer-reviewed open access textbook for cultural anthropology courses. Produced by the Society for Anthropology in Community Colleges and available free of charge for use in any setting.

Sociology: Comprehensive Edition
Full Text

Sociology: Brief Edition
Full Text

Global Women's Issues: Women in the World Today, extended version

A Primer on Social Problems
Full Text

An Introduction to Research Methods in Sociology

Social Problems

NSCC Introduction to Sociology

Introduction to Social Network Methods

Introduction to Diversity Studies

Speaking of Culture

Minority Studies: A Brief Sociological Text

Introduction to Sociology & Social Change

Padilla's Introduction to Sociology

Global Sociology

Derived from Introduction to Sociology by OpenStax

American Society: How It Actually Works