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!

Class had 3 midterms and one final. This class is ridiculous. He will find the smallest sections in the book to test you on. The teacher offers re-grading if you didn't get the grade you think you deserved. Grader NEVER gives full credit unless you memorize the book. Do not take this class.

This class was very interesting. It is almost about common sense but overall very informative class. Be careful with this class though, The midterms and Final are no joke. You are expected to know EVERYTHING both Reading and Notes

most overrated class at ucsb. lectures are terrible. teaching with comics and messy outlines that might as well not be on the screen are irrelevent. too big of a class, inconsistent grading from course assistants. you can never get a clear reason as to why you didnt receive the points you thought you deserved.

Worst class I have ever taken here. 3 midterms, and one final. The midterm is ridiculously graded! You literally have to memorize the lectures because he WILL ask 2-3 questions (in bullet points) that you have to list and explain. Useless class, all common sense.

Baldwin is very enthusiastic and makes lectures interesting and fun. He makes himself very available outside of class, which is very helpful. There are 3 midterms and a final. He tells you exactly what kinds of questions will be on the test and everything is very straight forward.

One of the few professors who actually cares about teaching.

good teacher.

Entertaining, fun, passionate about the subject, and keeps you interested the whole class. Actually cares about his students success. Overall an amazing teacher!!

Amazing course and amazing teachers!! Originally just wanted to take it for fun, but now I'm motivated to strive for the honors course. Highly entertaining, and the professors have great control of attention and amazing public speaking skills. Very valuable course

I had him for Soc 152A and Soc 142. He is an awesome teacher with fun and interesting lectures. The class is NOT easy and requires that you do the reading. There is a lot of memorization involved but as long as you attend lecture you will enjoy the subject and it will make studying a lot easier. Soc 142 was easier than Soc 152A but take both!

SOC MAJORS- take any and all of Baldwins classes! I had him for 152A 142 and 185P and enjoyed all of them. To do well you need to read and attend lecture, the material is interesting and worth the work! His short answer test format allows you to write what you know and get a fair grade. He cares about his students so go to his office hours!

hard midterms and they are graded by students

I have taken 5 classes (152a-b-c, 142, 185) with John. They are all the same format (3 midterms, 1 final, all short answers). If you are taking these classes expecting a GPA booster, don't. If you are interested in actually learning something that will change your life forever, take them all! Must read & attend lectures to get good grade!

John is the best professor at UCSB. Period. Those who do not take at least one of his classes are missing out. Take all of them if you can!

John is the most enthusiastic, inspiring professor I have ever had. I have taken 3 of his classes thus far and I just cannot get enough! If you want to get the most out of your education and actually learn and feel motivated about LIFE then take one of his courses and you won't be disappointed! His lectures and courses are designed for success!

He was teaching the class as he goes because all his old material was outa date. Sick class, with guest lecturers almost every week. They were all interesting. Posts all notes, readings, assignments, and study guides online. Ample opportunity for extra credit. Theres a lot of reading every week, but the assignment that goes along is easy.

This was a great class! There is a lot of reading but its very interesting, enjoyable! There are two exams, one paper, and you have to lead one class discussion....it is a student lead class where we just talk about what we think on issues! Very fun and interesting!

Great class! I did not find it hard at all (I am now in the 152 b class). The professors are great, totally amusing! I want to say there are 5 tests, all have a few mult choice and then like 6 essay questions and you pick 5 questions to answer. Then list everything you know about the topic...not too tuff if you go to lecture/review notes!