OER @ CUNY
- Introduction to Sociology
This textbook was created by Amy Traver at Queensborough Community College. It “provides students with a brief introduction to: the definition and history of sociology; sociological research methods; the sociological paradigms; the sociological imagination; culture and socialization; social structure; social stratification; and social inequality.” - Sociology101
This wiki was organized by Jessie Daniels at Hunter College. Including a syllabus, readings, assignments, and other resources, the wiki is intended for Sociology 101 faculty and students at Hunter as well as “for anyone teaching a beginning sociology course.” - Sociology of the Family
This textbook was created by Amy Traver at Queensborough Community College. It “provides students with a brief introduction to: the perspective, methods, and theories that constitute the sociology of the family; research on patterns and processes of dating/mating, cohabitation/marriage, parenting. divorce/remarriage, and family stressors/strengths in the United States.”
Open Books
- Classical Sociological Theory and Foundations of American Sociology
This text includes selections from Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber as well as a section on early American sociological theory. - Connected Sociologies
In this open-access book, the author, Gurmider K. Bhambra, “takes up the classical concerns of sociology and social theory and shows how they are being rethought through an engagement with postcolonial studies, one of the most distinctive critical approaches of the past two decades. She also discusses the significance of the research programme surrounding coloniality and modernity that has emerged recently from Latin America.” Also see the related Connected Sociologies Curriculum Project (below). - Doing Research
Informed by the Association of College and Research Library’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, this introductory guide to doing research is useful for students in any subject area. - Foundations in Sociology: Social Construction of Everyday Life
This first part of a two-part introduction to sociology “examines how we come to understand and experience ourselves and the world around us and how we create culture.” - Foundations in Sociology: Society Structure Process
This second part of a two-part introduction to sociology “examines theories and methods for studying changes to the nature and organization of society from pre-modern, to modern and post-modern.” - Introduction to Sociology 2e (OpenStax)
“Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories.” - Introduction to Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World
“The founders of sociology in the United States wanted to make a difference. A central aim of the sociologists of the Chicago school was to use sociological knowledge to achieve social reform. A related aim of sociologists like Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett and others since was to use sociological knowledge to understand and alleviate gender, racial, and class inequality.” - Radical Social Theory: An Appraisal, A Critique, and an Overcoming
“Our focus is the history of social thought in the West, studied through a decolonial critique. Most of the readings assigned are primary sources, texts written by people who were living and writing at the time of the events addressed. The ideas expressed in these readings are the result of thinkers analyzing complex social processes, allowing for people to contemplate and create new ways of living that pushed the world into unchartered territories.” - Urban Literacy: Learning to Read the City Around You
“The purpose of this book is to provide you with the background you need so you can read the stories in the city around you. This book is designed to introduce you to some basic concepts and theories about how cities function and develop. The book is organized into thematic chapters that highlight different aspects of urban life, from the environment to culture to housing.”
Additional OER
- Connected Sociologies Curriculum Project
These modules support “the rethinking of sociological concepts, categories, and topics that will enable us to make better sense of the worlds we inhabit.” Note that many of the lectures discuss themes in the context of British society, and also note that the materials are licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 and so cannot be revised or remixed. The director of this project, Gurdimer K. Bhambra, is the author of a book titled Connected Sociologies; see above. - Foundations of Modern Social Theory Course (Open Yale)
“This course provides an overview of major works of social thought from the beginning of the modern era through the 1920s. Attention is paid to social and intellectual contexts, conceptual frameworks and methods, and contributions to contemporary social analysis. Writers include Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Adam Smith, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim.” - Global Social Theory
“This site is intended as a free resource for students, teachers, academics, and others interested in social theory and wishing to understand it in global perspective. It emerges from a long-standing concern with the parochiality of standard perspectives on social theory and seeks to provide an introduction to a variety of theorists and theories from around the world.” The site provides overviews of concepts, thinkers, and topics in sociology as well as resources on decolonizing the university. Note that the materials are licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 and so cannot be revised or remixed.
Zero-Cost Resources
- Books in Sociology (Project Gutenberg)
- Racial Equity Tools
“Racial Equity Tools is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. It offers tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level—in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large.” Most of the materials included at the site are freely accessibly online to users, but not all of them are openly licensed.
