Structured Discomfort

Abstract

We know that teaching sociology can be difficult in an era of extreme polarization. By engaging “structured discomfort” as a teaching strategy, we can empower students to think critically about how multiple social institutions interact and interlock to create social inequality. This approach uses three key organizing principles to activate learning on controversial topics: 1) build intentional classroom culture that promotes respect and empathy; 2) cultivate critical thinking by scaffolding sociological studies, multimedia, and other creative works; and 3) use high- and low-stakes assignments, strategic debates, and community interviews to explore a controversial topic from multiple sociological vantage points.