Graduates with their diplomas and confetti raining down

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Overview of the Sociological Literacy Framework

Ferguson and Carbonaro (2016) outlined the Sociological Literacy Framework basing it on areas of agreement among experts in the teaching and learning of sociology. The American Sociological Association endorsed the framework The Sociology Major in the Changing Landscape of Higher Education. In summary, the sociological literacy framework outlines foundational concepts and skills that students studying sociology should gain over the course of their degree. 

The concepts:

  1. The sociological eye
  2. Social structure
  3. Socialization
  4. Stratification
  5. Social change and social reproduction

The skills:

Students should be able to:

  1. Identify and apply sociological theories to understand social phenomena.
  2. Critically evaluate explanations of human behavior and social phenomena.
  3. Apply scientific principles to understand the social world.
  4. Evaluate the quality of social scientific data.
  5. Rigorously analyze social scientific data.
  6. Use sociological knowledge to inform policy debates and promote public understanding.

Publications on the Sociological Literacy Framework

  1. Ferguson, S. J. (2016). The Center Does Hold: The Sociological Literacy Framework. Teaching Sociology, 44(3), 163-176. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X16651478
  2. Ferguson S. J., & Carbonaro, W. (2016). “Measuring College Learning in Sociology.” Social Science Research Council. Retrieved November 8, 2022. http://highered.ssrc.org/wp-content/uploads/MCL-in-Sociology.pdf.
  3. Howard, J., & Butler, J. (2018). The Sociology Literacy Framework and Students’ Views of Learning in Introductory Sociology. Teaching Sociology, 46(3), 237-246. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X18769710
  4. Rogers, K. B., Nemeroff, A., & Caputo, K. (2020). Strategic Design toward Foundational Learning Goals in Introduction to Sociology. Teaching Sociology, 48(1), 40-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X19872789
  5. Medley-Rath, S. (2022). How Do Sociologists Know What They Know? An Examination of Sociology Textbooks for Evidence of Sociological and Scientific Thinking. Socius, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231221138728
  6. Ferguson, S. J., & Sweet, S. (2023). The core: The sociological literacy framework. In S. A. Cabrera & S. Sweet (Eds.), Handbook of Teaching and Learning. (pp. 1-25). Edward Elgar Publishing.
  7. Medley-Rath, S., Gillespie, M. D., Novosel, N., Combs, S., & Fearnow, D. (2024). Figures and Charts and Tables, Oh My!: A Content Analysis of Textbook Data Visualizations. Teaching Sociology, 52(3), 257-265. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X231214006
  8. Sweet, S., & Ferguson, S. J. (2024). Program Review with the Curriculum Mapping Toolkit for Sociology: Assessment of a Publicly Available Resource for Sociology Departments. Teaching Sociology, 52(3), 232-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X231222275

Resources for the Introduction to Sociology Curriculum from the American Sociological Association

  1. The Sociology Major in the Changing Landscape of Higher Education: Curriculum, Careers, and Online Learning
  2. Curriculum Mapping Toolkit for Sociology

Learning Outcomes for Introduction to Sociology

I co-authored a set of learning outcomes for Introduction to Sociology that can be used freely. These learning outcomes center equity and the sociological literacy framework. You can read the overview of the project by clicking here. You can download the Excel spreadsheet with the overall learning outcome plan for Introduction to Sociology by clicking here.

Introduction to Sociology Course Organized Using the Sociological Literacy Framework

  1. Nurse, Anne. 2023. “Introduction to Sociology: Flipped and Organized by Core Components”. TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, September. Washington DC: American Sociological Association. https://trails.asanet.org/article/view/introduction-tosociology-flipped-and.