Professor Erwin Expository

Professor Erwin Expository was a gifted lecturer. It was his favorite way of teaching. It is three
weeks into his Sociology course on campus. His topic for the day was the debate over whether
sociologists should confine themselves to the practice of objective research and scholarship or
become actively involved in solving social problems. He had a large class—60 adult students,
varying in ages from 19 to 40 years old—and a 75-minute class period. He wanted to inform the
students on this dilemma, but knowing students would have strong opinions on this issue, he also
wanted active student involvement. Professor Expository decided to begin with 15 minute
lecture to frame the context, followed by a 2 minute summary of section 1 of the assigned
textbook, Our Social World. Only then did he open up the class to group discussion:
Professor Expository began the group discussion by asking students for their opinions about
research and sociology. The usual five students (three women: ages 19, 25, and 40, and two men:
ages 19 and 20) answered the question, but defended their position with emotional reasoning.
The topics of racism, poverty, and feminist issues were discussed among these five students as
emotions arose. To deflate the emotional exchange, Professor Expository asked other students
what they thought about research and sociology. A few more students chimed in, but did not
elaborate on their answers. The rest of the students were either on their phones, doodling, or
working on their homework from other classes.
Professor Expository then asked what students thought about sociologists becoming actively
involved in solving social problems. The usual five students immediately began their emotional
discussion about racism, poverty, and feminist issues, but did not provide any viable solutions
defended with fact. Professor Expository then turned to another group of ten students and asked
them about their thoughts. One male student, age 28, used epistemic reasoning to defend his
answers about solutions to poverty, but the usual five students interrupted his answer with their
emotional arguments.
After the 60-minute group discussion was completed and students gathered their belongings to
leave the class, Professor Expository deduced that only 10% of the class had actively participated
in the discussion and most of those students had relied on emotional reasoning to defend their
claims.
The mid-term exam for his class will cover these two topics and will take place in less than two
months.