Introduction to Sociology and Social Life Course

The free online course Introduction to Sociology and Social Life is the first in a series of four courses that describes in detail the concepts of societies and cultures, and the types of processes that produce them. The course introduces you to sociology by giving an overview of the three main theories - Structural-Functionalism, Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interactionism. It then covers the history of how sociology evolved from from its founding by Auguste Comte in the nineteenth century right through to the modern theorists. The course reviews social inequality, its causes and impacts, the way people are socialized and how different cultural socialization can cause social division. It also reviews why groups form and how they function. You will learn more about culture and how it is defined, its mores and norms, what differentiates cultures and what is common to all cultures. You will also learn how population and the environment are linked and the impact this can have on society. This course will be of great interest to professionals working in areas as diverse as medicine, politics, law, urban organization and marketing, and any learner who would like to know more about how cultures and societies evolve and change.