I loved 152A which is why I'm disappointed in 142. His "positive sociologist" approach completely disregards any social/racial/economic inequality & his lectures felt more like life coaching/parenting classes. I learned absolutely nothing & his tests were roughly graded & unclear. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND SOC142!!

3rd class with John. Again, he's amazing. 2 MT, 1 final, short essay format. Reading for this class was life changing, highly recommend

if you like spending weeks on certain topics then being tested about materials not discussed then this is your class. Unclear with his midterms

Took 152A with him, but this class was not as great. He is very picky with what he puts on his tests, and the material is not that interesting.

One of my favorite classes at UCSB. All about how to make the most out of your life from a social-science perspective. 3 midterms each worth 20% and one final worth 40%. Test questions come from both reading and lectures, so make sure you are attentive to both. John is an enthusiastic professor and makes this class applicable to everyday life.

John is the man. Tough, but the man. 3 midterms, 1 final, A's aren't hard to get, as long as you do the reading and study lecture notes, which there is a lot of. Study hard, study well, and enjoy. He changed the way I see life.

Everything is clear in the syllabus. His lectures for this class was amazing and pretty life changing. I liked the way he taught because he didn't leave students bored. You were always thinking about one topic to the other, and he also used visual representations to teach which was very helpful.

He is an amazing lecturer I was engaged and nodding along to everything he would say That being said you are required to know the littlest details from lectures and readings One of the questions was from a small word he had scribbled down in class

John is an amazing prof. This class is pretty basic, however its a great great class. He is passionate, has a zeal for life and he spreads that to his students in his content and lecture. Take any and all classes by the Baldwins. A must!

This was the most interesting class I have ever taken. His optimism makes lecture worth going to. But unless you need this class or you're doing pass/no pass then don't take him. His exams are ridiculous. You have to make sure to take good notes during lecture and do the reading because he asks questions that are barely covered in the reading.

John is by far my favorite professor! He is so knowledgable, not only about what he is teaching, but life in general. This class opened my EYES to a bigger, brighter world! If you take one class in Soc, TAKE THIS ONE! (also took 15A, 152B, 185P - A's in all - and all worth the hard work!)

The material you have to memorize is ridiculous. Getting an A took more effort than usual. If your not a Soc major take it P/NP, if you are just cram,cram, cram! One good thing about this class is you are tested on what you know, can cross out one short answer out of six. A score of 25 out 30 is an A per each of the four exams.

Didn't find the class too interesting personally but John is a great teacher. He's super stoked about the topic and the class is pretty easy as long as you study the materials for the tests. Weekly reading as homework and attendance isn't required. Just a couple of tests and the final.

Wonderful, passionate professor. His lectures aren't mandatory but you'll want to be there just to listen. Tests are detailed, and you'll have to work to get an A, but it is definitely attainable. All in all one of the most charismatic, knowledgeable professors I've had the pleasure of taking in my four years at UCSB. HE is what teaching is about.

One of the most passionate teacher I've met in my four years of staying at UCSB! However, his test are really hard and there is alot of materials. But its definitely a class and professor you cant miss out on!

John is a great teacher! He is passionate about his teaching and always there for his students. I've take 152A, 142, 185P and he's my favorite professor on campus! If you read and take good lecture notes his tests are super straight forwarded and openended. If you go to UC and are a Soc major you have to take one of Baldwin's classes! Life changing

BEST CLASS AT UCSB!!! It is challenging and you must read the book to pass but this class is amazing! The baldwins are interesting and its one of the best classes ive taken so far!

They give you study guides for all of the midterms and the final, but they are SUPER excessive. I spent days filling them out and would be tested on something unrelated or barely mentioned on the study guide. The book is the only helpful thing in the class, you literally don't have to go... the powerpoints are useless and unorganized

take this class! really funny and interesting.I was terrified at first and always felt unprepared but got an A on every midterm(6 multiple choice and pick 3 out of 4 essay ?s) CLAS sections are very helpful! go to class; they dont post powerpoints online and material from lectures will show up on tests. final is cumulative minus a few chapters

The Baldwins are great! There's 3 midterms which are annoying because they every other week for 6 weeks. Exams aren't super easy, but if you study then they are manageable. Final exam was more difficult than I thought it was going to be. Review sessions are a great help

BEST CLASS EVER!!!! Must take class here at UCSB. However, TONS of reading and lots of studying for midterms (there are 3). Final was tough but overall a great class. I learned a lot! Baldwins are interesting people..dont take if you're not going to put the effort into it

Very interesting man. Very passionate about his studies. The book you will buy for this class is one that him and his wife wrote. Topic is interesting. Hard to follow along out of class, like reading. There is a midterm every 2 weeks all essay questions. John is very approachable. I recommend going to office hours!! NO powerpoint!

Could not stand this class or professor. Notes he writes on the board make absolutely no sense, and are hard to follow. His teaching mannerisms are kind of creepy, he is overly passionate. The midterms are all essay questions, and are graded pretty tough. It seems like it would be rhetorical info but harder than it needs to be, not recommended

Class was horrible! 3 midterms which are impossible, you MUST know the textbook, lectures, and readers by heart in order to pass this class with a decent grade that wont hurt your GPA. Take another class!