Wednesday, January 8, 2025

0.1 An Invitation to Sociology

Hello Sociology Scholars!

I want to welcome you to Sociology 101 and extend an invitation just as famous sociologist Peter Berger did in his book which was titled... An Invitation to Sociology! Berger not only invited his readers to see the world through a sociological lens, but he also warned that "People who like to avoid shocking discoveries...should stay away from sociology." Sociology can be an amazing class that changes your perspective about the world and more importantly about yourself. These insights will hopefully increase your awareness about yourself as an individual, your interaction with others and your society in general. Sociology is excellent preparation for working with diverse people and data. This class will provide you an introduction to sociology that will hopefully and unabashedly pique your interest in the discipline. And even if sociology does not become a focus of your studies, this course will still provide insight to whatever you choose to study whether it is education, medicine, business, or art to name a few. And, more importantly, this course will provide you with a more insightful understanding of your own growth as a person as well as a better understanding of the diverse people you interact with.

Are you fired up? Get ready to go! 😁 

There are two tasks that I would like you to complete before our first class:


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.


Christopher Salituro
Adjunct Faculty
Sociology Department
Loyola University Chicago Alumnus ​1996, 2004
Go forth and set the world on fire!

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

OIG Data Portal

 https://igchicago.org/2025/01/28/socioeconomic-city-data-comparison-dashboard-insights/


Did you know that OIG has a Socioeconomic and City Data comparison dashboard?

With this dashboard, you can look up several different data types such as how poverty levels compare to education levels. For example, in Community Area Riverdale, 13.7% of the population have attained less than a high school education and over 50% of the population live under the poverty level. The comparisons and data are presented to show correlations, not causation, and are intended to prompt conversation. Below is a walkthrough on how you can look this up yourself.

Select Data and Data Filter Options

Each option under Select Data has its own unique set of data filters. Example: Education Levels and Industrial Corridors have their own unique data filter sets.

A screenshot of OIG's Socioeconomic and City Data Comparison Dashboard highlighting the default Select Data and Data Filter options.

1. Select Data

In the Select Data dropdown, choose “Poverty Levels”.

A screenshot highlighting clicking the dropdown menu for Select Data and choosing Poverty Levels

2. Update Data Filters

The data filters have automatically updated based on the “Poverty Levels” data selection.

A screenshot highlighting showing that the data filters have automatically updated based on selecting "Poverty Levels".

 

Under Select Poverty Level, select “Poverty Level or Less”.



A screenshot of Step 2 which is selecting "Poverty Level or Less" under the Select Poverty Level options.


Dual-Map Comparison

Enabling the dual-map comparison feature allows you to do a side-by-side comparison of different data sets.

3. Enable Dual-Map Comparison

Click on the “Show Dual-Map Comparison” button to enable the Dual-Map feature.

A screenshot of Step 3 highlighting the Show Dual-Map Comparison button.

4. Select Data

The second map displays in green and can display data different from the first map. For this example, select “Education Levels” from the dropdown.

A screenshot showcasing the ability to choose a different data set from the Select Data menu.

 

5. Click to highlight Community Area

Clicking on a Community Area will highlight it on both map views.

The example below shows the population of Riverdale has 50.97% at the poverty level or less and 13.74% age 25 and up have attained less than a high school graduation.

A screenshot with red arrows pointing to Riverdale's data selection.


The OIG Socioeconomic and City Data Comparison Dashboard provides the ability to display a side-by-side comparison of different data sets relating to the City of Chicago and the U.S. Census. Check out what you can learn about your Community Area by clicking on the link below!

OIG DATA PORTAL