USING A COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH IN TEACHING SOCIAL-STRATIFICATION

Stratification lies at the core of sociology; yet many students find t he concepts and methods alien and difficult. This may be due to the in dividualistic emphasis of our society; to limited exposure to other li fe situations and issues, especially beyond American political debates ; and to limited background in theory and methods. These problems can be addressed with a course design that uses a collaborative problem-so lving approach. Students grapple with the results of their own fieldwo rk, and that of their classmates, in an attempt to answer important qu estions about inequality They see the utility of theory as they attemp t to synthesize and make sense of their answers. Such an approach requ ires a different style of instruction emphasizing community-based expe rience and interaction among students, but demands few specialized res ources.