The Evolution of a Major

Abstract

This is a case study of the evolution of the sociology major in one department, from which we will draw some conclusions about the process of devising a major and about the major itself. We also will consider our major and its relationship to study in depth, as defined in Integrity in the College Curriculum (Association of American Colleges 1985). When two of us found ourselves in charge of the sociology program at a four-year liberal arts college in the fall of 1972, we inherited a major: an introductory course, electives selected from an array of content areas, and a culminating research methods-theory sequence. Because the organization of this major did not seem inappropriate, we turned our energies to the introductory course as the place to exert some leverage in shaping the program to our understanding of teaching/learning, liberal education, and the discipline of sociology. After considerable thought and discussion during the summer of 1973, we articulated our goals for the introductory course. These goals fell into four major areas (Vaughan and Peterson 1975):