SOC 3470

I'm gonna echo the "lol wtf is this class" comment. This is the easiest class I've ever taken or heard of at UVA, bar none. I think I did one reading all semester, and I finished with an A. Blumberg has been teaching this class for YEARS and has the content memorized, which means that she repeats the most important information about 10 times. She prints out her slides, which cover everything you need to know from the readings. Her lectures are repetitive and dry (except when she tells stories from her own life), but you show up, she gives you the most important information and you get out of doing the readings. The exams are multiple choice, and her expectations for essays are low, so any effort at all will yield a good grade. That being said, I actually loved this class. Blumberg has lived a fascinating life, and she's extremely smart even though she seems like a rambling old lady sometimes. It was also my first sociology class, and I feel like it is a good one to take if you want an introductory taste of sociology. The course studies the 5 bases of human society, from hunters and gatherers to industrialism. It was interesting to look back on the patterns of history and understand where we currently stand from a neutral, sociological perspective. Blumberg has also worked all over the world in development, and she applies the sociological patterns of human history to current reality to propose solutions to issues present in developing countries. I recommend this class. The lectures are going to be boring, but if you stick it out, you'll learn in the long run and get a good grade as well.