LibGuides: Open Educational Resources (OER): Sociology

Open Resources

These textbooks have been created for free use in courses. These resources may be adopted for use as classroom text, modified to create new texts (as licensing allows), or used as a supplemental learning tool to aid in understanding key concepts.

General Sociology

Introduction to Sociology 2e by Jeff Bry; Faye Jones; Heather Griffiths; Nathan Keirns; Eric Strayer; Susan Cody-Rydzewski; Gail Scaramuzzo; Tommy Sadler; Sally Vyain
ISBN: 9781938168413

Publication Date: 2015-03-17

License: CC BY 4.0
Introduction to Sociology 2e adheres to the scope and sequence of a typical, one-semester introductory sociology course. It offers comprehensive coverage of core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories.
Social Problems by University of Minnesota Libraries
ISBN: 9781946135230

Publication Date: 2016-03-25

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Social Problems: Continuity and Change is a realistic but motivating look at the many issues that are facing our society today. As this book’s subtitle, Continuity and Change, implies, social problems are persistent, but they have also improved in the past and can be improved in the present and future, provided that our nation has the wisdom and will to address them.
Sociology by University of Minnesota Libraries
ISBN: 9781946135247

Publication Date: 2016-04-08

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
The founders of sociology in the United States wanted to make a difference. A central aim of the sociologists of the Chicago school was to use sociological knowledge to achieve social reform. A related aim of sociologists like Jane Addams, W.E.B. DuBois, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett and others since was to use sociological knowledge to understand and alleviate gender, racial, and class inequality.

Anthropology and Archaeology

Art of Being Human by Michael Wesch
ISBN: 9781944548131

Publication Date: 2018-08-30

License: CC BY-NC-SA
Anthropology is the study of all humans in all times in all places. But it is so much more than that. "Anthropology requires strength, valor, and courage," Nancy Scheper-Hughes noted. "Pierre Bourdieu called anthropology a combat sport, an extreme sport as well as a tough and rigorous discipline. It teaches students not to be afraid of getting one's hands dirty, to get down in the dirt, and to commit yourself, body and mind. Susan Sontag called anthropology a "heroic" profession." What is the payoff for this heroic journey? You will find ideas that can carry you across rivers of doubt and over mountains of fear to find the the light and life of places forgotten.
Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology by Nina Brown, Thomas McIlwraith, Laura Tubelle de González
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Different from other introductory textbooks, this book is an edited volume with each chapter written by a different author. Each author has written from their experiences working as an anthropologist and that personal touch makes for an accessible introduction to cultural anthropology.

Research Methodology

Principles of Sociological Inquiry – Qualitative and Quantitative Methods by Amy Blackstone
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
A textbook intended to emphasize the relevance of sociological research methods for the everyday lives of its readers, specifically meant for students in undergraduate sociology courses.
Scientific Inquiry in Social Work by Matthew DeCarlo
ISBN: 9781975033729

Publication Date: 2018

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
As an introductory textbook for social work students studying research methods, this book guides students through the process of creating a research project. Students will learn how to discover a researchable topic that is interesting to them, examine scholarly literature, formulate a proper research question, design a quantitative or qualitative study to answer their question, carry out the design, interpret quantitative or qualitative results, and disseminate their findings to a variety of audiences.
Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices by Anol Bhattacherjee
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
An open textbook intended to introduce students to the scientific research process, specifically those students conducting research in the social sciences and related disciplines.

Course Collections

OpenLearn
Open Learn is an initiative of The Open University, UK and offers more than 1000 free online classes. It also provides supplemental materials for educators, including articles, podcasts, videos, games, and much more.
UCI Open
The University of California - Irvine has a large collection of openly licensed courses available for the public to use, licensed under Creative Commons licenses.
Open Yale Courses
Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University.
Saylor Academy
Saylor Academy is a nonprofit initiative that offers free and open online courses.
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Open Courseware
The John Hopkins School of Public Health (JHSPH) provides course materials used in the teaching of actual courses freely and openly available.

Anthropology and Archaeology

eFossils
License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
eFossils is an interactive site from the University of Texas at Austin, and serves as a platform for the publication of data about fossils and archaeological sties.
eLucy
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
eLucy is an interactive site from the University of Texas at Austin. The purpose of the site is to help users learn about 'Lucy,' perhaps the world's most famous fossil of the early human ancestor Australophithecus afarensis. It includes anatomical renderings, student activities, and teacher lessons.
eSkeletons
License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The University of Texas has created a collection of interactive, 3-D models of the skeletons of humans and a variety of other primate species.

Sociology

Sociological Cinema
The Sociological Cinema is an online resource to help sociology instructors incorporate videos into their classes. The centerpiece of the site is a searchable database of video clips. Each clip is tagged with sociological themes, year, and includes a summary of the clip with suggestions of how to use it in the classroom.
The Society Pages
The Society Pages (TSP) is an open-access social science project headquartered in the Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota and supported by individual donors. TSP consists of in-house “TSP HQ” articles, blogs, and podcasts; our “Community Pages”; and content produced by our partners.

Family & Relationships

Parenting and Family Diversity Issues by Diana Lang
License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
This book has been created for students and all individuals who work with children and families (e.g., educators, parents, caregivers, direct support workers, etc.) in diverse contexts. It is imperative to understand how and what factors may influence child outcomes across the lifespan. Therefore, key concepts related to parenting, child-rearing, care-giving, and parenting education are outlined in this textbook to provide historical, theoretical, and practical perspectives across vast settings and developmental domains.

Disclaimer

The content provided in this guide is intended for informational purposes only. The Melvin J. Zahnow Library at SVSU does not make any assurances as to the accuracy of the information contained within linked resources, or as to the licenses and permissions granted for the use of these works. Always be certain to check the permissions for each resource before using the work.

Questions? Contact Tiler Jewell at tbjewell@svsu.edu.