Abstract
This note discusses a class activity that was developed for first-year bachelor students in sociology to understand homogamy theory. Taught in a “classical” deductive way, this theory proved to be difficult to remember and describe on the examination. Starting from inductive learning, and more specifically, (structured) inquiry-guided learning, the aim of the exercise was to transcend passive learning, making students gradually discover the different components of the theory themselves, practicing their sociological imagination. Overall, students evaluated the exercise positively, and they performed much better on the examination.
Highlights
In the course Sociological Themes at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, first-year bachelor students in sociology gain a more in-depth introduction to different topics sociologists traditionally focus on, such as education, families, gender, religion and secularization, migration, and globalization
One of the sociological theories that are treated in depth is homogamy theory, which explains the tendency of individuals to engage in romantic relationships with
Students should be able to discover theories themselves with less guidance, if they already got acquainted with their sociological imagination from the very beginning of their educational trajectory
Summary
In the first part of the exercise, students were provided with post-its and were asked “What characteristics should your ideal partner preferably have (think about characteristics like age difference, education, ethnicity, income, health, previous relationships, etc.)?” and “In case you have a partner: What characteristics does your partner have?” Students had to individually write down one ideal characteristic of their (ideal) partner per post-it. They could use an unlimited number of post-its, depending on the number of characteristics they personally considered important. During the following—short—classroom discussion, it was clear that students discovered themselves the tendency in the group to report predominantly a
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