Free Sociology Courses
Courses in sociology are available for online study at two leading universities. Some of the concepts covered include social construction, arguments in social science and working in the new economy. Students in these classes have access to downloadable reading materials and many courses also include activity assignments.
Open University
A plethera of courses ranging from introductory to advanced are offered through this university's OpenLearn system. Classes that deal with industry and the economy allow students to explore innovation and how industries evolve, examine the cost of producing an item and how this cost changes with the introduction of new technology and increased sales, determine 'is there really a new economy or is it an industrial revolution?', and understand key issues and debates on how to apply economic theory.
Several courses on social science issues are also offered. Some courses present cultural assumptions that are part of the social sciences along with research methods used in the social sciences and how they are linked to philosophical reasoning. In other courses, students study what social scientists call the 'new economy', examine the positives and negatives of the new economy, gain an understanding of how arguments are presented in the social sciences, and learn about social policy.
A number of courses pertaining to research and analysis are also available for study. In these courses, individuals develop skills in researching using databases, electronic journals and the Internet, participate in discourse analysis, and perform photograph analysis for the purpose of acquiring social data.
- Innovation, Markets and Industrial Change
- Information Technology: A New Era?
- Reading Visual Images
- The Social in Social Science
- Living and Working in the New Economy
- Developing Reading Skills in Relation to the Social Sciences
- How Arguments are Constructed & Used in the Social Sciences
- Social Construction and Social Constructionism
- Note Taking in Relation to the Social Sciences
- Finding Information in Society
- Economics Explains Discrimination in the Labor Market
- Themes in Discourse Research: The Case of Diana
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Online learners at MIT can complete a free course on the study of consumer culture in 20th century America. Students in this class examine various topics, including why Americans love excess and how society defines the 'good life'.
Free Online Sociology (Other) Courses at a Glance
| Course & School | Program Level | Format | Assignments | Quizzes & Exams | Downloadable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation, Markets and Industrial Change course from Open University | Intermediate | Text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Information Technology: A New Era? course from Open University | Intermediate | Text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reading Visual Images course from Open University | Introductory | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| The Social in Social Science course from Open University | Advanced | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| Living and Working in the New Economy course from Open University | Intermediate | Text | No | Yes | Yes |
| Developing Reading Skills in Relation to the Social Sciences course from Open University | Intermediate | Text, Audio | Yes | No | Yes |
| How Arguments are Constructed & Used in the Social Sciences course from Open University | Intermediate | Text, Audio | Yes | No | Yes |
| Social Construction and Social Constructionism course from Open University | Intermediate | Audio | Yes | No | Yes |
| Note Taking in Relation to the Social Sciences course from Open University | Intermediate | Audio | Yes | No | Yes |
| Finding Information in Society course from Open University | Introductory | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| Economics Explains Discrimination in the Labor Market course from Open University | Advanced | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| Themes in Discourse Research: The Case of Diana course from Open University | Advanced | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
| American Consumer Culture course from Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Undergraduate | Text | Yes | No | Yes |
