Courses

Sociology of Family curated and designed by Silvia K. Bartolic (CC BY 4.0).

This course is an introduction to a sociological examination of contemporary family forms and relations in North American society. Topics include: theories and methods for understanding families; formation of intimate relationships; mate selection processes; marriage and parenting; families over the life course; gender issues and transitions in families. The course layout is aligned with the textbook: Families Across the Life Course (2nd Ed.) by Silvia K. Bartolic, Todd F. Martin, and James M. White. Course materials include introductory resources and guidelines for the first week followed by an instructor’s manual, testbank, and answer key for each of the remaining 12 weeks.

Textbooks

Beyond Race: Cultural Influences on Human Social Life by Vera Kennedy (CC BY-NC-SA).

Beyond Race: Cultural Influences on Human Social Life is a text for introductory courses on cultural sociology. 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.

A Career in Sociology  by Vera Kennedy (CC BY-NC-SA).

An introductory level textbook that provides sociological terms, concepts, and theories in the study of sociological practice. The book contains five modules with sociological applications on: 1) Careers in Sociology, 2) Theoretical Approaches in Practice, 3) Sociological Interventions, 4) Working with Diverse Groups, and 5) Preparing for a Career in Sociology.

Classical Sociological Theory and Foundations of American Sociology by Allison L. Hurst (CC BY-SA).

There are a few features unique to this particular selection of texts. First, when not originally published in English, they have been freshly translated for the 21^st century student. Another unique feature of this volume is the inclusion of a section on early American sociological theory.

Foundations in Sociology I: Social Construction of Everyday Life by Susan Robertson (CC BY).

This textbook 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.

Individual and Family Development, Health, and Well-being by Diana Lang (CC BY-SA).

This book provides an overview of lifespan developmental tasks (physical, cognitive, language, social, emotional) examined from individual and family theoretical perspectives. It covers topics related to families, diversity, individual and family health and well-being, and reciprocal relationships as affected by external factors.

Introduction to Sociology – 2nd Canadian Edition by William Little (CC-BY).

This textbook adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical introductory sociology course. In addition to comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories, we have incorporated section reviews with engaging questions, discussions that help students apply the sociological imagination, and features that draw learners into the discipline in meaningful ways.

Introduction to Sociology 3e by senior editors Tonja R. Conerly, Kathleen Holmes,  and Asha Lal Tamang (CC-BY).

Introduction to Sociology 3e aligns to the topics and objectives of many introductory sociology courses. It is arranged in a manner that provides foundational sociological theories and contexts, then progresses through various aspects of human and societal interactions. The new edition is focused on driving meaningful and memorable learning experiences related to critical thinking about society and culture. The text includes comprehensive coverage of core concepts, discussions and data relevant to a diverse audience, and features that draw learners into the discipline in powerful and personal ways. Included an option for an audiobook.

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World by [author removed at request of original publisher] (CC BY-NC-SA).

This book 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. As of January, 2024, this resource has had 1.6 million page views, 920,000 visitors and 13,000 downloads.

Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World adapted by The Saylor Foundation (CC BY-NC-SA).

The book includes the most recent data in the following categories, so your students have access to the latest sociological trends: crime and victimization, income and poverty, life expectancy and aging, employment, marriage and divorce, education, medical care and health disparities, and fertility and population change.

Understanding Homelessness in Canada by Kristy Buccieri; James Davy; Cyndi Gilmer; and Nicole Whitmore (CC BY-NC-ND).

Have you ever wondered about why homelessness exists in Canada? This book brings together lived experience representation and the most recent research to explore homelessness in Canada, from a range of different perspectives. Readers are challenged to think about homelessness from various academic viewpoints, including the fields of Indigenous and Canadian Studies, Mental Health and Public Health Studies, Population Studies, Social Sciences, and Health Sciences. The authors pose seemingly simple questions and then, through the use of real life scenarios, embedded interview videos, artwork, and interactive activities, demonstrate how the answers are actually rather complex.

Videos

Sociology Vibes by Romana Pires and others (CC-BY-NC)

A collection of 50 OER sociology explainer videos covering common introductory concepts and theories are now available on YouTube. This was part of a recent sabbatical project, and I plan to continue uploading more videos regularly to the following YouTube channel and Playlists found at: @SociologyVibes. The videos contain closed captioning for accessibility, and three reflection questions are included in the video descriptions to engage students.

Media Attributions

• Canada Map Icon by Icons8 (CC BY-ND).
• Sask map by Wikimedia Commons (public domain)