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.
Took both 185P and 152A, and loved them both! They were a lot of reading, but the material was always so interesting and you can tell that John and Janice are really passionate about what they do. 185P was honestly confusing at times because of the abstract concepts but the exams weren't bad at all as long as you really study. Excited for 152B!!!
Took all 3 (185,142,152 Easiest to hardest) tests based off lecture and some readings. Graders look for specifics. Lectures are interesting but found in 185 a lot of the material was unrealistic and misleading. Memorize specifics and you be straight.
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.
MUST TAKE. this was one of my favorite classes I have taken at UCSB so far. I had 2 midterms (6 multiple choice, and 3 short answer essay questions) and a final though the Baldwins (John & Janis) usually would give three midterms but the quarter i took it was cut short. There's ALOT of reading, but I didnt . GO TO LECTURE & REVIEW SESSIONS!!
I took this class thinking it was going to be easy but beware, it ended up being my hardest class of the quarter. From learning anatomy, disorders, STI's, contraception, it's a lot of reading and memorization. However, this class is something I would recommend EVERYONE to take, so much useful information. Just don't expect it to be super easy
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
This class is all based on memorization so if youre on top of memorizing everything, youll get an A. There is a ton of info you need to know though. There is 3 midterms and one final. It sounds like a lot but the material is interesting and the professors are engaging. The TAs dont grade that hard so thats a plus. U HAVE to read the book(its ALOT)
Had Baldwin for 152ABC, and now 142. He's very kind and passionate about Soc. Sometimes concepts in lecture are very abstract and lowkey pseudoscientific. Tests are built on textbook/lecture, and are all essay/short-response format. You must read and go to class to do well. Go to office hours for extra credit/if you have concerns.
I took John and Janice's human sexuality class and It inspired me to change my major to Sociology. They are amazing! Their lectures are very entertaining and they make it very easy to succeed. Read the textbook and takes notes in lecture and you'll get an A.
Had John and Janice for SOC152B, and loved the class. Felt that I learned a lot from reading the textbook and conversing with other students, and got helpful tips for my final paper. Sometimes John didn't know answers to specific questions, but he is still very knowledgeable and kind. Excited to be in SOC152C!
I loved John and Janice in both SOC 152 A & B. Very kind and funny. I never lost interest in the class and their grading is lenient. Kind of a lot of reading but it is all interesting and not too overbearing. Highly recommend these classes.
Lectures were dull so it made it difficult to attend BUT there is both lecture and reading materiel on test so attendance is recommended. Not an easy class, you will need to put in some effort.
The most interesting class I have taken so far at UCSB! I recommend these professors so much. This is one of the only classes that I have read ALL the assigned readings for, which wasn't that bad because the material was engaging. Know the box materials, keep up with the readings, and know the study guide, and you'll do fine.
I have taken three courses from Professor Baldwin! He is an incredible teacher and his outlook on life is inspiring. TAKE ANY AND ALL CLASSES HE OFFERS! Do the readings and show up to class and you will get a good grade in the course. Your grade is made up of 3 exams and a final ( For SOC152A & SOC142).For (SOC185P)you have 2 exams and a final.
Professor Baldwins were really nice funny and gave interesting lectures. You can tell that they genuinely loved each other and they were willing to share their experiences with their students and life skills, sexuality, world issues, STDs, psychology, biology, and sociology. Grade is 3 Mrs and 1 final, easy to study for/fun readings.
Loved this class and couple dynamic. Class teaches relevant info that will be useful for the rest of your life. As long as you fill out the study guide and know that information well and read & know the boxes from the textbook you can get an A. 3 midterms and final. For the tests you write everything you know & don't get marked down for wrong info.
Very important class to take! Goes into way more than high school sex-ed and will give you a lot of practical real world knowledge. Class can get weird at times but overall a good class. Grade is 3 midterms and a final. Getting an A is do-able, just gotta work hard.
I have had John in three of my classes now. He is honestly a profoundly intelligent professor. The courses he teaches with his wife are awesome especially if you get into the honor class you become really close with the rest of the students which I have never done before in a college class. His socialization course have three midterms and one test.
Eh. The lectures are pretty boring, but they don't post the slides online and some of the material is on the exams so attendance is necessary. There's a lot of material to study and only bits and pieces are on the tests, so you're screwed if you don't study everything in anticipation of it being on the exam.
worst class I've taken at UCSB. Was warned to not take this course by other students at UCSB but thought I would at least try it out and failed miserably. Approached him outside of class on a couple occasions and he basically told me I didn't know how to study and sent me off with nothing but 2 points e.c. that he offers. DON'T TAKE THIS