1.01 Welcome, Introductions and Mindfulness

  

WELCOME SOCIOLOGY SCHOLARS!

Please create a Menti.com account and add the code for today's lesson.

If you did not have a chance yet, please complete these tasks (linked at https://sociologysal.blogspot.com/ also linked in sakai, but worth bookmarking for this semester):

Student Demographics Survey 

I want to get to know each of you better as an individual, so please answer this demographic survey.  Please know that all of the information is private and only for me to see so share as much info as you are comfortable sharing.

Syllabus

Please read the syllabus.

Sakai Gradebook

Please upload a picture to Sakai so that I can see your picture in the gradebook.

Let's begin

As the first day began, I said, "Let's get started."

Then, we sat in silence.  Sitting in silence was awkward and unusual for most of us. Some students felt the need to fill the silence with a comment or a joke.  Clearly, this is not the way most of us are used to beginning a class, especially the first one of the semester.

What’s happening here? What are all of the thoughts that came to mind as I sat here in silence?

Sociology of silence
I like beginning the semester like this for two reasons.  First, I use this to show that most students already think sociologically, albeit in a simplified manner.  Sociologists analyze groups of people and how the people are shaped by the groups of which they are a part.  You have been a part of dozens of classes over the years.  You have seen firsthand how these classes begin every semester.  Nearly every class you have been in has started with the teacher standing in front of you and saying this is what you should or shouldn't do, etc... From participating in all of these first classes, you have begun to expect certain things from them. That is, loosely, what sociologists do; analyze people in groups and look for patterns of behavior and then analyze how those patterns affect people.

Unlearning what you have learned
Secondly, the silence is also a critique of modern education.  Education is a social institution.  Sociologists study institutions and how they affect people.  This critique of education came to me from Bernard McGrane's Book The Un-TV and the 10MPH Car. McGrane makes the case that students have been trained to follow and become good at school - but not at learning. Their curiosity and excitement for learning has been squashed by a system that rewards docility and conformity. Rather than taking initiative for their own learning, students expect the teacher to provide them with exactly what they need - "Just tell me what to do," is the attitude.
My class will ask students to engage in the learning; take part in the process. Our class will also ask students to share their own experiences and relate them to sociology.  We all learn from each other. We are all both teacher and student.
Keep a beginner's mind, an empty cup.


A meditation on silence.


Other impacts of silence.
What are the other ways we have learned to be silent and passive?

Checkout teacher Clint Smith speaking at a TED Talk about silence.  It is often our own silences that speak louder than our words.  This is especially true in a culture that teaches you to be a follower; to sit down and shut up and conform.  Watch that video.  
Think about the speaker's message.  I want you to find your voice.  To learn who you are as a person and to learn to speak up for what you believe in in an educated and meaningful way.

Start of class meditation - meditation number one

Be Present: Mindfulness

Mindfulness is an awareness. To start each class, I use a mindfulness meditation.  I will ring a bell to signal that we are starting class. This is a reminder to center your thoughts and limit distractions. This present moment is a gift (that's why it's called the present!) I want you to be in this moment. I will also give you a thought to meditate on and help you develop your own personal mindfulness.

Mindfulness and Learning

Being mindful means having an appreciation and a focus for the present moment. In this case, we are in class, together. Be present. I value your presence and I feel that each of you can be a teacher for all of us - we are all students and teachers of each other! There is a lot of evidence that electronic devices and social media are a distraction for not only you but for those around you. One study calls social media the second-hand smoke of learning. So, please be mindful of your presence in class.

Introducing...The Class

 

Syllabus 

Importance of college syllabus in general

Syllabus

What questions do you need answered to be confident that you can do well in the class?

Fired Up? [Ready to Go!] come to class each day fired up and ready to go. 

Today's lesson:

I had you fill out the survey above because I wanted to get to know you as an individual.  My question now is, are you, in fact, an individual?  What makes you an individual? 

Introducing You...

Introduce yourself to one or two of your peers.  Please say your name and where you are from and then share:

1.  Do you think you are an individual?  Why or why not?  What makes you unique?

2.  What do you think it means to be an individual?

If you are absent from class, the Google Form for this lesson is here.  Absent students must fill out the Google form to even be considered for participation credit.  If you are present in class, you do not have to do the Google Form.

Big Group Discussion:  Are you an individual?  

At first glance, it might seem like you are unique.  In my case, I am a Loyola University graduate, a professor and a Chicagoan;  I like basketball, the Cubs, skiing, mountain biking, golfing, gardening, and cooking.  I am a husband and I have three daughters.  All of this might make me sound unique, but all of it also is a result of my connection to others and at the same time, it connects me to others.  We are intimately shaped by other people and society at large, but our culture's fascination with individuality often hides this connection.  Sociology will help us explore this reality.

3.  Now think about how you arrived at this moment in this class.  How did you get here?  Who are all the people that helped you get here today?

3.2 After you answer that, think even more creatively about who those people are that have made it possible for you to be here today.

Introduce yourself to one or two different peers.  Please say your name and where you are from and then share:

Small groups:  Share the people that you came up with. What was one answer that someone said that you had not thought of?

Thanks A Thousand

A J Jacobs explores the idea of mindfulness and connection in his book, Thanks a Thousand.  The book details Jacobs' global quest to thank every person involved in the production of his morning cup of coffee, revealing the intricate network of people and global resources behind seemingly simple everyday items and demonstrating how gratitude can lead to increased happiness, kindness, and connection. The book explores the interconnectedness of society by showcasing individuals in various roles, from coffee farmers in Colombia to steelworkers and baristas, and highlights the benefits of a gratitude-focused mindset in combating negative thought patterns.

4. What are the most important groups in your life? What Groups shape you or define your identity?

Mindfulness and Sociology

How many different people did you come up with? Did you think of your parents? Probably.  How about your grandparents or great-grandparents?  How about the people who built the roads or the engineers who designed them? The architects who built the building you are sitting in?  The doctors who helped you stay healthy until you reached this age or the dozens of teachers who have taught you over the years. There are so many people who have affected your ability to be here and now.  Sociology will make us aware of our connections to other people. 

READ this excerpt from the first chapter of Michael Schwalbe’s book, The Sociologically Examined Life. Schwalbe explains that an awareness of our connection to others is "Sociological Mindfulness."  Throughout our class, you will see that sociological mindfulness is woven into the lessons and assessments.  

Sociological Mindfulness is also all of the people that we influence in society. We are both products and agents of society.

Conclusion (What you should be able to do/explain after this lesson and what the final assignment will ask you to do):

• Why is the syllabus important?
• What do sociologists study?
• What is sociological mindfulness?
• Why does sociological mindfulness matter?