Introduction to Sociology and Environmental Sociology through the UN SDGs

three people sitting at a table with the one in the middle working on her laptop while one watches and the other one is staring off in the distance

Project Goals

Dr. Brown’s goal was to spend time in the Summer of 2024 revising two of her syllabi to center the UN SDGs. As it is an institute-wide commitment to raise awareness to the SDGs and encourage their realization, sociology as a discipline is well-positioned to assist in this effort. Since the subject matter of sociology often centers issues of inequality — and environmental sociology focuses on the human side of sustainability — she decided that these two courses in her regular rotation would be a good place to teach the SDGs.

Project Activities

Dr. Brown states that she did not make any changes to the original plan. Sociology already engaged knowledge related to the SDGs, so centering them seemed fairly natural. The only change she elected to make was that she chose not to include any environmental SDGs in her intro class, despite the fact that she used to teach a section on environmental sociology. After adding Health and Well-Being, she no longer had time for environmental sociology in Intro. However, since she was also revising her Environmental Sociology syllabus, she put the remaining SDGs there.

Student Impact

Dr. Brown states that she did not make any changes to the original plan. Sociology already engaged knowledge related to the SDGs, so centering them seemed fairly natural. The only change she elected to make was that she chose not to include any environmental SDGs in her intro class, despite the fact that she used to teach a section on environmental sociology. After adding Health and Well-Being, she no longer had time for environmental sociology in Intro. However, since she was also revising her Environmental Sociology syllabus, she put the remaining SDGs there.

Project Dissemination

N/A

College

Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

Course Name

SOC 1101: Introduction to Sociology/HTS 2017: Environmental Sociology

Faculty Cohort

Teaching with the UNSDGs

Katie Brown

Headshot of Katie Brown

I think that centering the SDGs in Introduction to Sociology and Environmental Sociology helped streamline the flow of the course. It also gives students a sense of practical relevance for what is otherwise abstract material.