Teaching then and Now: Transitions in Sociological Pedagogy

Sociology is pedagogically unique. It is a discipline of which the teaching is influenced not merely by the constraints of society, but more so by the movements and progressions of society itself. Each development in the social world presents new opportunities and challenges for the sociology teacher, as they strive to deliver meaningful education in a discipline where the source material changes every day. Major disruptions in the social world therefore create major disruptions in the teaching of sociology, arguably more so than other disciplines in which teaching practices must evolve to deliver relatively stable content. This session allows for reflections on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed, shaped, developed, or threatened, the teaching of sociology.

The pandemic has exposed a deeply unequal and precarious social world, inspiring new generations of sociologists and reinvigorating public intrigue in how society works. The challenges of teaching sociology during and after the pandemic, and imagining new and radical ways of doing so, have been met by a global movement of forward-thinking educators. This session invites contributions from teachers and lecturers of sociology to share and celebrate practices they developed to transition pre-pandemic curricula, teaching practices, assessment, and pastoral care, for the post-pandemic era. We welcome both pedagogical research and open reflections on experiences of teaching sociology during and after the pandemic, with particular welcome extended to research and reflections focused on curriculum auditing practices, authentic assessment, digital delivery, or supporting student research projects during the pandemic.