18 Resources for PPI in A Sociology Course (2025)
Rebecca Zeller
The following are resources that I use each quarter in Sociology 101:
After defining and discussing different types of racism, we discuss white privilege. I provide students with handouts of Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. to complete. For those who are open to sharing, we then discuss our responses. In other words, we “unpack the unpacking”. Generally, students are responsive and interested in this activity. It’s done past the halfway point of the quarter after students have built relationships and each other and feel comfortable in our learning community.
Drawing from our text’s chapter on gender and sexuality, students explore historical inequities faced by transgender people, including through the article: “Stonewall Riots: The History of the ‘Three-Article Rule’.” After reading, students complete a brief written reflection on the article’s themes. They are asked what surprised or stood out to them from the article and how this history shapes their understanding of current struggles for transgender rights.
I also incorporate the Human Dignity Trust organization to help students analyze systemic oppression of LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide. In small groups students research different countries and report on the ways LGBTQ+ people are criminalized. After their initial summaries, students are invited to examine the specific penal codes that target LGBTQ+ behaviors. It tends to be a powerful and eye-opening activity.
