This article discusses some of the challenges departments face as they embark on curriculum development. The interpersonal dynamics of a department are often the first and most difficult obstacle to overcome but are often overlooked. The author suggests some strategies for how to address these issues as they arise.

One of the benefits of using films in sociology class is the opportunity media representations give students to "experience" situations that are uncommon in their daily lives. In this note the authors outline research in education that demonstrates the role of imagery and experiential learning in fostering a deeper understanding of…

Professional journals serve the vital scientific function of disseminating knowledge to colleagues. In so doing, journals become the "face" and "voice" of the professional disciplines they represent. Journal content shows the major topics of interest, the scope, and the boundaries of the profession. It shows the techniques and methods of research…

Erving Goffman is one of the most important sociologists of the 20th century. Popular textbooks in sociology (e.g., Giddens, Duneier, and Appelbaum 2005; Macionis 2007) and social psychology (e.g., Aronson, Wilson, and Akert 2006; Cahill 2007; DeLamater and Myers 2007) devote large sections and entire chapters to Goffman's ideas concerning the…

The introductory social psychology course, as taught by sociologists, varies widely in content and in its pedagogical concepts. This variation is due to the institutional setting and to the instructor's notion of the academic status of social psychology. Typical course contents answering to various course concepts are described. (Author/RM)

Social psychology has separate sociological and psychological approaches that must be bridged in undergraduate courses. One possible course format is to cover a variety of theories, then their substantive applications. Two texts, detailed handouts, and demonstrations, including simulations and field problems, help students to understand and…

Presents ideas for stimulating students' interest in college level sociology courses by involving students in individual v group decision making, nonverbal communication, romantic love, and ethnic stereotypes. Tips for organizing classroom demonstrations around these topics are presented. (Author/DB)

Applies principles of group process and development to the college classroom. Offers 15 principles for better instruction. Among them are: (1) when people feel psychologically safe in a group, their participation will increase and (2) early "ice-breaking" will generate higher participation levels. Examples of how these principles operate are…

Describes a social psychology course on the college level which was based on a 17 episode television series, "The Prisoner". Evaluation of the course indicated that student interest was high and that many students used the television series and course content as a means for self-counseling. (Author/DB)

Four teaching devices designed to demonstrate the social process of labeling mental illness were used in different teaching settings. (Author/ND)

Describes a teaching technique which provides variety for Human Sexuality classes by incorporating in class discussion community experts and guests who deal with various social and psychological aspects of human sexuality on a daily basis. Contains discussions presented by these experts and indicates that this technique provides students with…

Explores the utility of a multicultural approach to teaching an undergraduate social psychology course. Discusses institutional context and the transformation of the course by infusing multicultural content. Uses survey data and student performance on the first examination before and after the class transformation to evaluate the multicultural…

In this paper, I use principles of civic education and social psychology to identify four main classroom contributors to students' pessimistic appraisals of their ability to improve social problems: authoritarian teaching methods, a culture of "doom and gloom," little attention to solutions to social problems, and no linkage of social problems to…

A course of study in social psychology should progress from the personal to the social. It should be organized around the study of four topics: (1) the boundaries of the self; (2) the relation between individuals; (3) communication between individuals; and (4) leadership and social power. (Author/RM)

Describes a social psychology experiment at the University of New Hampshire involving the use of skits to demonstrate concepts. Findings indicate that students in the experimental group perceived the skits as valuable and interesting. Results are compared with the original hypotheses. (Author/DB)