This is one of the kindest professors I have met on the campus. If you have taken AP Psychology, youll find materials familiar(but not exact same). His lectures are interesting, but if you want an easy A, better not take any of his classes. Exams are derived from readings and lectures. Catch the key terms, youll be good.

You won't get good grades unless you attend every lecture and write every single random thing John says down. The curves help because we all did so bad on the midterm and final, but it never feels good walking out of a test thinking you guessed on everything. You won't learn anything either, just random outdated theories about socialization.

Overall, this course is pretty easy if you keep up with the assigned readings. This is a 0 homework/extra credit class! :) However, you'll need to read the material to pass! ALL of the exam questions are pulled from the reading questions at the end of each chapter, so use those answers as a study guide! His lectures are insightful & entertaining.

Doesnt matter how hard you try or how much you try to memorize. The final exam was the hardest test Ive ever taken. 12 short answers (you pick 10)and half of them were asking you to quote johns examples from lectures or the most unimportant information from the course. You will learn absolutely nothing!!

He is very passionate and eccentric about what he teaches. Lectures can be chaotic, yet I enjoyed the lecture material. Beware of midterms & finals, he makes you study everything and asks pretty specific questions. Doesn't take attendance, but you need the lecture notes for the midterms, since he doesn't upload or record his lectures.

I took SOC 142 Socialization last winter with Baldwin and loved the class, I got a A- . I just took the final for SOC15A & no idea how I did in this class.I went to all of the study review sessions the TAs did, first two were extremely helpful. It feels like the TAs grade hard af for no reason, material is simple but the questions are very specific

Literally the worst class I've taken in the SOC department. He really needs to stop teaching. I thought 142 would help me as a future teacher or parent, but all I've learned is random theories John has on socialization (with no evidence.) He writes on the chalkboard, draws diagrams, and the tests literally ask you to quote him from "Lecture 1 on.."

I really had so much fun in 152A, I thought the same level of engagement and exciting material would be in other Baldwin courses. Soc 142 is nothing like you would expect, the data he used is all so outdated, I thought it would be about kids but somehow its been about monkeys and cell assemblies. Three midterms on reading and random stuff

Unorganized and barely gives any feedback on how to improve on future tests. He gives a study guide and more than half the things on the study guide dont end up on the test. The answers he's looking for on tests are extremely specific and there's no partial credit given, it's graded on an all or nothing basis. Not worth taking

Baldwin is very passionate and teaches in a unique, enthusiastic way. His class however is hard to follow because the grading criteria is unclear and is VERY test heavy (3 midterms 20% each and 1 final 40%). As long as you take good notes and watch lecture, you'll be fine! Take this class if you're passionate about how humans/monkeys socialize.

I took soc152a last year and it wasn't bad but it was also pre covid. Taking his class now is a nightmare. He wastes so much time writing on the DRY ERASE BOARD! like why use a dry erase board? it just makes lectures unnecessarily wrong for no reason. He posts 40-minute lectures MWF as if it were regular class. DONT TAKE DURING COVID TRUST ME

Awful teacher, he is the author of his own textbook and makes it mandatory so there's that.. Extremely harsh grader and requires extremely specific answers on his tests. Took his class in 2019 and it was not worth it. Never gives feedback and is a very boring lecture. Do not take this teacher and then regret it like I did. Im warning you now

Took this class cause I just needed upper division units and it turned out easy. Attendance is mandatory and there is a lot of reading. 3 midterms and a cumulative final, but if you show up youll pass.

If you do not show up to lecture or you take crappy notes, you will not do well. If you don't read or read last minute, you will not do well. Common sense. I highly recommend taking reading notes! It sucks but it's how I became number one in the class. If you do all of this and start to study a week prior you will do fantastic! 3 tests and 1 final.

3 tests & 1 final exam. Teaching is boring & he wrote the textbook that the class is required to use. Many of his teachings are completely made up like 'the greater upper force' you search that up on the internet & nothing will show up. harsh grader & lecture heavy class. Would've been alright if he taught real material instead of his made up stuff

John is a wonderful professor! He makes it obvious what he is looking for on tests. I appreciate the review sessions before exams. He talks fast in lecture and does not post the slides, but his lectures are always very interesting and he makes it fun.

I attended every class and found the way he taught to be difficult to understand. I understood the readings and everything in the lecture, but when I would take the test, I'd write paragraphs and still not do well. I would talk to him and he would say thats what he said in lecture. I've talked to others who had similar experiences

Baldwin is by far the best professor I have had ever. He loves what he does, knows what he is talking about, is extremely engaging, and wants you to succeed. If you show up to lecture and do the readings, you will do great in the class. This is a class I look forward to going to--his lectures are so informative. Highly recommend to anyone!!

He is very enthusiastic and clearly loves HIS lectures and concepts. All his lectures are clearly opinionated. A lot of the concepts he talks about do not exist. Google it, you won't find it. This class is psychology based not sociology based so don't get fooled. Myself and many other classmates are disappointed. Ridiculous. Do not take this class.

People love him and I don't get it. Ok he is nice but I got all As and Bs and UCSB other than in this class. I read the material and studied but kept failing his tests which made no sense to me. I took socialization at community college and got an A. This class ruined my gpa. Also there is no such thing as the great upper force but it's on test.

would not recommend if you have a radical perspective on globalization and capitalism. Baldwin's perspective is highly skewed and honestly ridiculous imo. He raves all quarter about capitalism and is completely naive to the exploitation of it. it's really frustrating to listen to his flawed/ignorant reasoning and have to agree with it for tests

Don't do it fam.

One of the hardest Soc classes I've taken at ucsb. Really enjoyed his 152 class so I decided to take 142 but it was a huge mistake. I studied 24/7 for this class and it took a lot of time away from my other classes. Heavy reading and you are expected to know everything from all readings and lectures to do well on the tests. Ruined my gpa BEWARE.

Class is more psychology based. In all honesty, it's not difficult but you need to READ like crazy. He assigns 5/6 questions that will be based on 40 + paragraph length questions per each exam. The graders want microscopic detail & his lectures are very crude & disorganized. I regret taking him. Don't take him unless you don't mind your GPA dropped