Comte Unplugged

Abstract

Sociology majors learn that sociological theory is foundational to our field; it frames the way we look at the world and provides guiding questions for our social inquiry. But sociology instructors know that teaching theory is a challenge. A number of activities have been created to engage students in sociological theory courses. This note discusses an exercise that adds to these activities and is tied to the learning outcomes of a theory course. The author’s students are given a challenge: For 72 hours back-to-back, avoid checking or communicating via Facebook or MySpace; making calls from cell phones, unless it is an emergency; and texting or e-mailing from cell phones and handheld devices. The author found that this Technology Fast Challenge helped students foster a sociological perspective and allowed them to engage the ideas and questions of major social theorists. The author discusses the format of the challenge, the outcomes, and applications to other courses.