Problems of studying the social role of transport in a sociology course

Abstract

The article analyses the experience of the Department of Social Studies and Management at Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University (MADI), aimed to introduce the issues relating to sociology of transport into the cycle of humanities and social sciences. The present paper was designed with regard for the modern needs considering the transition of the higher school to new educational technologies using the principles of trans disciplinarity and integrated learning. It has been proved that transport sociology issues enable the teacher to rise to a higher theoretical level in the analysis of social reality and to present this subject area in class in a way accessible to students. The areas where theoretical and practical aspects of transport development are combined, those arousing students’ keen interest, are highlighted. Such areas include: the changing time factor notion; people’s behavior relating to transport; functioning of transport in the context of the pandemic coronavirus infection, etc. The educational component of efficient transport policy, if properly presented, is viewed as well as an argument to prove the importance of integrating the issues pertaining to the social role of transport into such academic disciplines as sociology, public administration theory, business communication, time management, etc.