This course will introduce students to the basic concepts and theories of sociology, as well as to the methods utilized in sociological research. The course will address how sociological concepts and theories can be utilized to analyze and interpret our social world, and how profoundly our society and the groups to which students belong influence them. Students will be given the opportunity to challenge their “takenforgranted” or “common sense” understandings about society, social institutions, and social issues. Special attention will also be paid to the intimate connections between their personal lives and the larger structural features of social life. In addition, the implications of social inequalities, such as race/ethnicity, gender, and social class will be central to the course’s examination of social life in the United States.