Penn State University SOC 119
Professor Richards · Penn State University · 13 lectures with notes
Students in this class: ask your lecturer for the class code, and these lectures will already be in your library when you sign up.
Speaking Arabic & Korean for the First Time | 26FA Class #01 Full Lecture
SOC 119 makes learning a participatory experience: students share perspectives, ask open-ended questions, and practice unfamiliar languages.
What Does It Mean To Be a Man Today? | The "Red Pill" Discussion | 26FA Class #02 Full Lecture
Four students examine how online masculinity influencers intersect with cultural expectations, family role models, and women’s equality.
Being a Woman in a 'Red Pill' World | 26FA Class #03 Full Lecture
Students distinguish healthy masculinity and self-improvement from gender hierarchy, and describe equality as partnership shaped by mutual agreement.
70% of the Students at NYC's Top Public High School are Asian | 26FA Class #04 Full Lecture
NYC’s SHSAT debate shows how a common admissions test can coexist with sharply unequal access and outcomes.
Do Guns Actually Keep Us Safe? | 26FA Class #05 Full Lecture
Students weigh the Second Amendment and personal protection against gun access, violence, and sharply different international homicide figures.
Students Cheating with AI: What a College Professor Really Sees | 26FA Class #06 Full Lecture
Cheating may feel minor or justified, but it can undermine learning, personal integrity, and classmates’ opportunities.
Who Has "Privilege"? | Cheating at Life | 26FA Class #07 Full Lecture
Privilege can create a lasting head start even when people across class backgrounds share ambition, integrity, and hard work.
Professor’s Most Powerful Lesson: Learn How to Learn | 26FA Class #08 Full Lecture
The professor’s most important teaching lesson: learn from students, because everyone has something to teach.
Black Americans Don’t Need Reparations?! | Just Acknowledge American History | 26FA Class #9 Lecture
The reparations debate begins with recognizing how centuries of exclusion compounded into present-day wealth disparities.
Why Your Favorite Meal Isn't About Taste | Sociology of Comfort Food | 26FA Class #10 Full Lecture
Comfort food gets its meaning from the memories, routines, and relationships attached to it—not simply from taste.
How Much DEI Do You Want? | 26FA Class #11 Full Lecture
A Penn State classroom debate weighs DEI’s potential to broaden opportunity against tokenism, perceived unfairness, and the challenge of creating genuine belonging.
The End of Privacy: Are We Living in the World of Big Brother? | 26FA Class #12 Full Lecture
Privacy protects autonomy and future freedom even when people have done nothing wrong, especially amid permanent social media and AI-powered surveillance.
Experiencing America | Dialogue with International Students | 26FA Class #13 Full Lecture
Four international students compare American stereotypes with lived experience and explain how cultural difference has changed their perspectives.