Comment by Tom Sparhawk on January 27, 2010 at 11:19am

Went to the University of Amsterdam's site and looked attheir list of subjects (http://www.sociosite.net/topics/) as a way to start coming up with a taxonomy. With 172 subjects probably a bit too narrowly defined.

I would think the best approach is to go with general topics (theory, Institutions, Speciality areas, methods, etc.) then have subheadings within each as more materials become available. I assume this is possible anyhow.

As a starting point I would suggest we look at, as was suggested, the chapters in an introductory text. Here are the 21 chapters in the text I'm using:

Chapter One - THE NATURE AND USES OF SOCIOLOGY
Chapter Two - THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
Chapter Three - METHODS OF STUDYING SOCIETY
Chapter Four - CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Chapter Five - SOCIAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL GROUPS, AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS
Chapter Six - SOCIALIZATION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
Chapter Seven - DEVIANCE AND SOCIAL CONTROL
Chapter Eight - SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION AND STRATIFICATION
Chapter Nine - RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIFFERENTIATION
Chapter Ten - GENDER DIFFERENTIATION
Chapter Eleven - AGE DIFFERENTIATION AND THE AGED
Chapter Twelve - FAMILY GROUPS AND SYSTEMS
Chapter Thirteen - RELIGIOUS GROUPS AND SYSTEMS
Chapter Fourteen - EDUCATIONAL GROUPS AND SYSTEMS
Chapter Fifteen - POLITICAL GROUPS AND SYSTEMS
Chapter Sixteen - ECONOMICS GROUPS AND SYSTEMS
Chapter Seventeen - HEALTH-CARE GROUPS AND SYSTEMS
Chapter Eighteen - COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Chapter Nineteen - POPULATION AND ECOLOGY
Chapter Twenty - THE CHANGING COMMUNITY
Chapter Twenty One - THE NATURE OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Perhaps we need to assess exactly what people will be looking for when they come to Merlot.

Anyhow, my initial thoughts.

Comment by Lynn Ritchey on January 27, 2010 at 12:29pm

We could look more broadly at the "Parts" in the Intro Texts that the charpters are subdivided into --
Part 1: Foundations of Sociology (theoretical perspectives; methodology)
Part 2: Foundations of Society (Social Structure, Social Interaction, Social Order/Social Control, Deviance)
Part 3: Inequalities (Social Power; Stratification, Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Aging)
Part 4: Institutions (Family....)
Part 5: Social Change (population, urbanization, environment; collective behavior...)

I will also look at the ASA site.

Lynn

Comment by Lynn Ritchey on January 27, 2010 at 12:31pm

Here are the ASA Sections:
Aging and the Life Course
Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco
Animals and Society
Asia and Asian America
Body and Embodiment

Children and Youth
Collective Behavior & Social Movements

Communication and Information Technologies
Community and Urban Sociology
Comparative and Historical Sociology
Crime, Law, and Deviance
Culture
Economic Sociology
Education
Emotions
Environment and Technology
Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis
Evolution, Biology and Society
Family
History of Sociology
Human Rights
International Migration
Labor and Labor Movements
Latino/a Sociology
Law
Marxist Sociology
Mathematical Sociology
Medical Sociology
Mental Health
Methodology
Organizations, Occupations, and Work
Peace, War, and Social Conflict
Political Economy of the World-System
Political Sociology
Population
Race, Gender, and Class
Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Rationality and Society
Religion
Science, Knowledge, and Technology
Sex and Gender
Sexualities
Social Psychology
Sociological Practice and Public Sociology
Teaching and Learning
Theory

Comment by Cathy Swift on January 27, 2010 at 12:31pm

Good comments, Lynn and Tom. We like to start with about ten as the major sub-headings. Then, as the need arises, we can add other sub-sub headings. Of course, that then means that they have to be moved.

Comment by Tom Sparhawk on January 27, 2010 at 2:02pm

I think Lynn's five part suggestion is a good starting point. Let's see if we can fit the existing materials into those categories and maybe something else will suggest itself.

How should we break up the existing stuff?

Comment by Cathy Swift on January 27, 2010 at 2:07pm

Can't break up the "existing stuff" until we have buy-in from all the members of the Taskforce regarding the sub-categories. That's "Job 1" as they used to say when I worked at Ford. Top priority.

Comment by Tom Sparhawk on January 27, 2010 at 3:20pm

Sorry - I meant to break it up for review to see what categories they might fit into, or what other categories may be needed. I've looked at some of the material and while some fits neatly into the five groupings, other are more... problematic.

Comment by Lois Easterday on January 28, 2010 at 9:17am

I like Lynn's five big topics, but I think 10 or 12 is probably a better number. I do think we also have allow room for other topics that aren't necessarily covered in introductory sociology. Maybe those five plus topics like globalization, social problems, popular culture.

Comment by Lynn Ritchey on January 28, 2010 at 9:45am

May have the first 4 areas and then expand to:
How about:
Perspectives: Theoretical
Methodology
Foundations of Society -- Social Structure, Social Interaction, Social Order
Deviance/Social Control
Institutions
Inequalities
Social Change
Population and Urbanization
Global

That would bring us to 9 categories.

Comment by Lois Easterday on February 2, 2010 at 11:46am

I think Lynn's most recent list is a great place to start. I can see where things might come up that wouldn't fit any of them, but I think these categories could get us going.

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