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Welcome Message from Dr. Nkosi

Dear Soc Scholars,

I’m honored to be a part of your educational journey, and I’m thrilled you decided to take a sociology course! Sociology provides us with practical tools to understand our own lives in relation to larger social forces. Everything in life operates on a spectrum, including your educational and sociological experience. This means that what you put into this course, what you're open to, and what you desire from this class will drive the outcomes.

Sociology will challenge your current worldview and push you to look beyond the surface to understand why you think and act the way you do and why the world is the way it is. This will be a challenging but rewarding experience. I believe education should be experiential & transformational. My role is to facilitate our learning this semester. I strive to create a safe and engaging environment where everyone feels comfortable finding and expressing voice.

The photo on the top right is of the Nkosi squad--my wonderful life partner Shaheed, me, our daughter Beautiful, and our son Asante. I love my family with every ounce of my being. My children are a major source of motivation and inspiration for me to put my sociology into practice and help create a more just, equitable, peaceful, and loving world. The photo on the bottom right is of my students and I holding class in the community at Saint Rest Baptist Church in West Fresno. We are debriefing after participating in deep canvassing and a press conference on voting rights.

I look forward to a great semester!

Dr. Nkosi

Family photo of Dr. Nkosi with her husband Shaheed and their two children Jennifer and Asante. Sitting on a couch at AGBO Films in Hollywood where Jennifer works.

A photo of Dr. Nkosi's class sitting in a circle at Saint Rest Baptist Church in West Fresno debriefing after participating in deep canvassing and a press conference on criminal justice reforms.

Getting Started in SOC 1S

Please read everything in this section. The format for this class is entirely on-line even the service-learning ("S") component. If you're just finding out that this class has service-learning, please read over the service-learning section on the Syllabus tab to find out what the "S" in "SOC 1S" is all about.

It is very important that you read the information below about the basic format for this class and then READ the SYLLABUS. The syllabus is a VERY IMPORTANT tool that you MUST READ in order to be successful in this class.

Basic Format for this Course is as Follows

Each week students will complete one module, which is located under the Modules tab on Canvas (see links on the left side of this page).
Each module contains most of the course materials that need to be completed for the week.
Every Friday by 12 PM I will open a new module.
Modules must be completed the following Thursday by 11:59 PM.

Each weekly module contains the following

Overview of the weekly topic (read this, it will give you a snapshot of what's happening that week)
Checklist of what to complete that week
Readings
Video links (if applicable)
Website links (if applicable)
Weekly reflection/application/discussion (RAD) post
Social media post
Sociological Autobiography slide (starting in week #3)

This diagram provides a visual of the basic structure for SOC 1S. Each week students will complete one module, which includes readings, videos, online activities, a RAD post, and social media posts. Students will also engage in virtual service-learning, create a sociological autobiography, and write one paper. There are no standardized quizzes or exams.

Diagram of class structure. There are three major components for the class, including weekly modules, service learning, and a culminating project.

Figure 1. The diagram above offers a visual representation of the basic components of this course.

Module #1 Getting Started in SOC 1S

The first module "Getting Started in SOC 1S" is open and available under the "Modules" tab on Canvas. After you're done reading the information on this page, review this week's module. The first module is due by Thursday, August 27th by 11:59 pm.