Queering the Introduction to Sociology Course

Introduction to Sociology is a widely enrolled course that gives students both an overview of the field of sociology and tools to view and analyze the social worlds we live in. This course provides students new ways to see and understand themselves and the world around them. This teaching note describes ways to queer the Introduction to Sociology classroom, pedagogy, and canon by intentionally recasting and reexamining dominant messages on sexuality, sex, and gender. The act of deliberately queering the introductory course reframes and resituates knowledges, making space for and centering minoritized voices in the field of study and the classroom. This moves queer experiences from the margins to the center of the conversation and refocuses the study of sociology to better serve all students while also rethinking gender, sexuality, and power in the discipline itself.