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Zombie Sociology
Zombies trying to break through a door
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Keywords

social institutions
social problems
zombie
social structures
critical race theory
intersectionality
graphic novel
comic
movies

How to Cite

Kurisu, Sheri-Lynn. 2025. “Zombie Sociology”. TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, January. Washington DC: American Sociological Association. https://trails.asanet.org/article/view/zombie-sociology.

Abstract

Zombie Sociology invites students to exercise their sociological imaginations by using the lens of a zombie apocalypse to critically examine social institutions and social structures.


In the last decade, zombies have invaded popular culture, evidenced by the success of TV shows, movies, and comics in the zombie genre. This course...

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Details

Subject Area(s):
Criminal Justice, Criminology/Delinquency, Education, Family, Labor and Labor Movements, Law and Society, Medical Sociology, Other, Penology/Corrections, Race, Class and Gender, Sex and Gender, Social Control, Teaching and Learning in Sociology, Work and Labor Markets
Resource Type(s):
Syllabus
Class Level(s):
Any Level, College 400
Class Size(s):
Any

Usage Notes

This upper-division elective serves Sociology majors and minors and is cross-listed with Criminology & Justice Studies and Global Studies. A prerequisite of at least one introductory course in the students’ major is required. The course can be adapted for lower-division students by substituting some readings with introductory-level chapters. I have...

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Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

  1. Develop Sociological Imagination: Students will enhance their sociological imaginations by connecting personal biographies, social structures, and historical contexts to various forms of zombie fiction.
  2. Apply Sociological Theories: Students will apply key sociological theories to analyze and interpret zombie fiction, demonstrating an understanding of how these theories can explain social phenomena within fictional narratives.
  3. Create Educational Materials: Students will produce clear and effective lesson plans that incorporate sociological concepts, aimed at teaching others about the course material. This includes identifying and explaining two to three sociological structures, institutions, or concepts through original lesson plans.
  4. Design Systems of Law and Order: Students will work collaboratively to develop a theoretical system of law and order for a hypothetical zombie apocalypse, using sociological principles to address issues of governance, social control, and community organization.
  5. Evaluate Non-Traditional Pedagogical Tools: Students will describe and evaluate the benefits of using non-traditional pedagogical tools, such as board games, graphic novels, TV shows, and video games in teaching sociological concepts through the lens of zombie fiction.

Goal Assessment(s):

  1. Mastery of course material is primarily assessed through in-class discussions both in small groups and with the class as a whole.
  2. Module Packet assignments which include notes for each assigned resource, one-sentence summaries of key concepts, and discussion questions.
  3. Research projects/presentations in which students design a lesson plan to apply course concepts to a piece of zombie corpus not discussed in class.
  4. Law & Order & Zombies group assignment in which small groups create a charter and basic system of order.
  5. Short reflection papers throughout the semester on use of non-traditional pedagogical tools.

When using resources from TRAILS, please include a clear and legible citation.

Cover Page
Requires Subscription DOCX
Requires Subscription DOCX

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