Teaching the Abstract: An Evaluation of “Social Structure” in Introductory Textbooks

Abstract

There is general agreement among sociologists that teaching social structure is a core component of a sociological curriculum. Despite this agreement, there are few guides for instructors on how to teach this key concept. Using the sociological literacy framework, this research examines the most popular undergraduate Introduction to Sociology textbooks and their supplemental resources. Most texts offer a basic definition, but beyond that, there were few additional resources for helping to clarify the concept. With this in mind, additional resources for supplementing the textbooks are offered.