Great Professor, easy-ish class, i didnt read barely attended lecture, still got a B. Midterm and one 8-10 page paper, as long as u understand main sociological concepts and attend some lectures you'll understand the material and what he is looking for. must give 2 presentation on one reading- but its not bad or hard.

This professor is amazing he is really good don't listen to people whom say he is intimidating he takes time to help you anyway he can. he is wonderful, those individuals were simply lazy. by far best professor i have had. trust me try him

Lipsitz is without a doubt one of the best lecturers I've had at UCSB. He is an expert in his field & has had many interviews & experiences to back it up. However, he is also very intimidating and somewhat pompous. The class material is pretty easy to master...a lot of your grade will depend on your TA. Lecture is mandatory but very interesting.

He is flippin' amazing!!! He doesn't expect yor want you to think like him! He wants you to think on your own and try to interpret the history of the Civil Rights Movement in your own way. He loves to hear different perspectives! Class is mandatory, but he is so interesting it doesnt matter!!! PS, talk the first day in class, he gives free cds

I took this class first quarter frosh year, and I'm now a Soc major despite this man. This was the worst prof. to take for intro to soc because he never actually introduces sociology as an interdisciplinary field. I feel like I'm missing a foundation in sociology that an intro course should have provided. Sociology is awesome, he's not.

Definitely an amazing class and an amazing professor. He really changed they way I look at life in America, and I'm now considering minoring in black studies. It's a hard class; you're going to have to put A LOT of thought into it. If you don't do the reading, forget about it. He's helpful, but you have to ask.

Terrible professor. Wants you to regurgitate what he says back to him on his quizzes, not the actual information, which he shows little concern for. My TA was surly and unhelpful, and the professor seemed to care more about his interpretation of events and his catchy little metaphors. Avoid like the plague.

He is one of the best professors at UCSB, and this class will change you.it is a difficult class!He challenges you and wants you to think.However if you do the readings you should be fine. Attendence in lecture is mandatory b/c their are quizzes and he takes role.GO TO HIS OFFICE HOURS! He will clarify all questions and will proof read your paper

Great teacher, really passionate about the material. You really got to keep up with the reading, and beware of the tests and quizes. He's got some really good insights, knows the material exaustivily.

the course itself might have been interesting, but he has a very specific view, and there is really no room for individual interpretation. I would not take this course again. It's bias

take him for black studies, not sociology. very passionate. attendance is mandatory, paper isn't very difficult because he REPEATS key terms and definitions over and over. doesn't use slides, old fashion lecturer, so attend class and pay attention! i personally did not read any of the texts and attended most classes and got an A-.

Excellent Professor, makes you want to come to class ( you better though because he takes roll). Makes awesome connections and stirs interest in the subject of Black Studies.

best professor ever!! related all information to present day events and tied all lectures together every few weeks. no other class compares

He was horrible. He focused on the most random thing and was just a pain

very good prof, but he needs to find new teaching methods, very confusing guy in terms of what he wants u to learn for the test

Very interesting. Lipsitz has a great passion for the subject matter and it's very evident in his lectures. Lectures are without notes, powerpoint, etc. I took about 6 pages of notes each lecture. Pop quizzes are impossible to pass, have to memorize his exact words. Aside from the difficulty, this class will change your view of life!

This class was no introduction at all. Sociology does not only study buses. Also, white people are not the spawn of satan. I think this class was ridiculously biased. I would look for a different professor for intro to soc. He's a nice person though.

Not the professor 4 every1, but very passionate a/b BlSt. Must get USED 2 his lecture style. Tests=ID's & essay format. Good TA=crucial. Use terms when writing the paper. There are A LOT of terms, make sure u understand! Hated this class coming in, but had a change of heart. LOTS OF READING!! I didn't read & got an A- but not every1 can do that.

Class is mandatory and the lectures are somewhat interesting. The quizzes are way to difficult and there is a lot of reading involved. Professor Lipsitz has extensive knowledge on the Civil Rights Movement and class would have been more enjoyable if the prospect of failing one of his difficult quizzes worried you all the time.

Avoid this man! he should not be teaching. His class is not about learning, but of memorizing terms. Just acts as if he is passionate about what he teaches. T.A. was the worst ever too. :(

death. dont take it. period. you will read for the rest of your life and youll still be behind.

I absolutely LOVE Lipsitz! He is so passionate and caring about the subject matter. I really recommend this class to anyone who is interested in the Civil Rights Movement. Two papers and a final- high expectations. He is very helpful in office hours!

Ok, this guy is interesting, but didn't really appeal to me, as I don't know if I would take him again. My TA was moronic, so that didn't help, and although Lipsitz gave real life examples that were linked to the readings, I didn't really enjoy his lectures. Movies were cool. Mandatory attendance. Hated how lectures didnt do a damn thing for ya.

he is sooooo repetitive and this whole class could be summed up in one sentence. i thought it was going to be my favorite class here at UCSB and it turned out to be the one i hated most. don't take it if you actually want to learn about jazz