Dropping the Study in Depth Charge at the University Level

The American Association of Colleges has a goal for sociology: to make advanced courses build on prior knowledge with the ultimate aim of a coherent major. There are a number of structural constraints on this goal, including 1) a lack of agreement on the proper content of the introductory courses, 2) the way we currently teach introductory sociology, 3) pressure from the University to service as many students as possible, 4) the popularity of sociology courses as upper-division electives, and 5) our willingness to allow professors to teach whatever they wish. Further, although arguably the core of sociology is to do research, this is the skill least taught. A number of suggestions are made here, ranging from implementing research across the curriculum to teaching the introductory course only as a second course.