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A Quarterly Publication of
The American Sociological Association

ABSTRACTS--Volume 31, Number 3, July 2003

ARTICLES

NOTES

EXPLORING CRITICAL FEMINIST PEDAGOGY: INFUSING DIALOGUE, PARTICIPATION, AND EXPERIENCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
(Esther Ngan-Ling Chow, Chadwick Fleck, Gang-Hua Fan, Joshua Joseph, and Deanna M. Lyter)

Derived from the intellectual traditions of critical literacy and feminist pedagogies, this paper explores the nature, dynamics, and implications of the Dialogic, Participatory, and Experiential (DPE) approach to teaching and learning. These three dimensions are separated analytically, but are interrelated in theory and practice. They are highly fluid and context-specific, pertaining to a variety of classroom characteristics and institutional settings. Our insights and observations of the teaching and learning process emerged out of the practice and experience of a graduate-level course on focus groups in cross-cultural research in which the DPE approach was used. The specific aims of the paper are to (1) explore the meaning and value of dialogic, participatory, and experiential practices in transforming students from passive knowledge-consumers into empowered knowledge-producers; (2) discuss how this shift provides spaces for the emancipation of both teachers and students; and (3) address the challenges and risks that are encountered in the classroom when experimenting with non-traditional pedagogies.

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USING AND EVALUATING RESAMPLING SIMULATIONS IN SPSS AND EXCEL
(Brad Smith)

The power of computing technology has increased at an astounding rate in the last decade. Today, the personal computer plays a key role in most introductory statistics courses, freeing students from "computational drudgery" as well as enabling a sharper instructional focus on data analysis and the interpretation of statistical results. Computers have also come to play an important role in teaching statistical concepts through simulations. Despite the increased popularity of computer-based statistical simulations, there have been few empirical evaluations of their effectiveness. In this paper, I describe and evaluate three computer-assisted simulations developed for use with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The simulations are designed to reinforce and enhance students' understanding of sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and significance tests. Results of the evaluation reveal that these simulations can help improve students' comprehension of some of the most difficult material they encounter in the introductory social statistics course.

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GOFFMAN'S DRAMATURGICAL SOCIOLOGY: DEVELOPING A MEANINGFUL THEORETICAL CONTEXT AND EXERCISE INVOLVING "EMBARRASSMENT AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION"
(David K. Brown)

The power of computing technology has increased at an astounding rate in the last decade. Today, the personal computer plays a key role in most introductory statistics courses, freeing students from "computational drudgery" as well as enabling a sharper instructional focus on data analysis and the interpretation of statistical results. Computers have also come to play an important role in teaching statistical concepts through simulations. Despite the increased popularity of computer-based statistical simulations, there have been few empirical evaluations of their effectiveness. In this paper, I describe and evaluate three computer-assisted simulations developed for use with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. The simulations are designed to reinforce and enhance students' understanding of sampling distributions, confidence intervals, and significance tests. Results of the evaluation reveal that these simulations can help improve students' comprehension of some of the most difficult material they encounter in the introductory social statistics course.

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CONTENT ANALYSIS AND GENDER STEREOTYPES IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS
(Frank Taylor)

This article deals with gender stereotypes in popular children’s books. I propose an exercise in which students use content analysis to uncover latent gender stereotypes present in such popular books as those by Dr. Seuss. Using a coding frame based on traditional gender-role stereotypes, I assign students to small groups who then undertake a close analysis of selected children’s books to see whether or not traditional gender-role stereotypes are apparent. Students examine the text, symbols, characters, use of color, and major themes in each book. In this article, I briefly review the theoretical underpinnings of the exercise, offer a brief summary of content analysis, and outline the delivery of the exercise, its learning goals, and major discussion points. Through a take-home assignment, students are asked to articulate the manner in which gender stereotypes may be perpetuated by the media. Additionally, students are encouraged to think about the ways in which their own gender identities have been shaped by the media. Actual student comments are used throughout to highlight the major discussion points.

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BARRIERS TO COLLECTIVE ACTION: A CLASSROOM SIMULATION
(Brian Obach)

Collective action problems are a central concern of social movement study. Rational choice theorists suggest that rational, self-interested individuals will "free ride" on the efforts of others and refrain from participation in efforts to secure public goods. Critics of this perspective charge that other factors such as social solidarity and identity allow for collective mobilization despite its seeming irrationality. In this simulation, a group puzzle-solving exercise is used to demonstrate the problem of collective action. Students confront choices regarding group participation in efforts to secure collective benefits or the pursuit of individual advantage. This exercise provides students with a tangible experience that can serve as a stimulating starting point for discussions about collective action and social movement participation. Issues of rationality, self interest, social solidarity, identity, among others, are brought forth in a way in which students actually experience these phenomena.

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"THE STIGMATIZERS AND THE STIGMATIZED": ENACTING THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF DIFFERENCE AND DISCRIMINATION
(Diane M. Rodgers)

The concept of social construction can be difficult to teach students. Active learning and group work have been found to be helpful in making this concept meaningful in the classroom. The following exercise uses both of these techniques to engage students in the social construction of stigma. Students choose an imaginary stigma and then divide into two groups: stigmatizers and stigmatized. These groups are then subdivided into smaller groups: medical, legal, public relations, media and new professions. The groups enact the social construction of stigma by creating campaigns which include disorders, laws, legal rights, clinics, specialists, rallies and public service announcements. The students' involvement in this exercise brings to life the social construction of difference and discrimination. The exercise has wide applicability for deviance, social movements/social change, inequality and introductory sociology classes

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THE REVERSE JIGSAW: A PROCESS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING AND DISCUSSION
(Timothy Hedeen)

This note briefly reviews the Jigsaw classroom technique before moving to a description of a related process called the Reverse Jigsaw. The Reverse Jigsaw has been developed through teaching experiences in college classrooms and professional development seminars, and has broad applications in terms of content and audience. Grounded in the principles of cooperative learning, democratic classroom models, and adult education, the process creates an environment where students are accorded both respect and responsibility. Classes in the social sciences benefit from the process, as it promotes critical thinking and dialogue through a structure useful for the discussion of complex and contentious topics.

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    SIGNED VERSUS NSIGNED STUDENT EVALUATIONS OF TEACHING
    (Christopher J. Fries and R. James McNinch)

This study uses data from 769 student evaluations of teaching (SETS) collected in undergraduate sociology courses to examine implications of having students sign SETS. Signature withheld evaluations and unsigned evaluations are compared against signed evaluations. Results suggest that students who did not sign their forms tended to rate their instructors lower than those who signed; asking students to sign the evaluation forms leads to more positive ratings. Students using unsigned forms are more likely to provide additional written comments, but there is no difference in the nature or quality of comments. Years of teaching experience do appear to have an impact on the evaluations students make of their instructors. In addition, students rated female instructors consistently higher on signed forms than on unsigned forms. Further qualitative research is required to explore student attitudes towards SETS and why they answer specific items the way they do.

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Lessons on social stratification present challenges for both sociology teachers and students. As students tend to be acquainted primarily with the lifestyle to which they have been raised, they often have little understanding of the widespread effects of social inequality. The exercise described in this article attempts to expose students to some of these effects. To accomplish this, the professor creates a stratified classroom by distributing crayon packs of various sizes. Students then use the crayons that they have been allotted to draw a picture. As students realize that the quality of the picture depends to a great extent upon the crayons that they received, they gain an appreciation for the ramifications of social inequality. In addition to gaining experiential knowledge about the basis of social inequality, students who take part in the exercise express significantly more satisfaction with the method of instruction than do those taught by more traditional methods.

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