2.5

Howard Winant

Sociology - University of California Santa Barbara

2.5
Quality
2.6
Difficulty
47%
Would Retake
143
Reviews
2.5
Quality
2.6
Difficulty
2.6
Helpful
2.5
Clarity

47%

Would Retake

143

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

15

4

22

3

38

2

36

1

32

What Students Say

Every lecture is sign in

SOC1 - 1.0 rating

Pretty bad lecturer, but funny nonetheless

SOC1 - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

90%

Textbook Required

33%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 32 grades
Most common grades:
A (16)
Not sure yet (6)
A- (5)
Grade Distribution
A(19)B(4)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(8)
Based on 39 reported grades
A: 16
Not sure yet: 6
A-: 5
B: 4
Common Tags
Get ready to read (20)
Clear grading criteria (8)
Skip class? You won't pass. (7)
Caring (5)
LECTURE HEAVY (4)
Hilarious (3)
Participation matters (3)
SO MANY PAPERS (2)
Rating Trend

Stable

+0.10 avg change
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Feb
Mar
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

SOC151

5.0

(2)

SOC46888

5.0

(1)

SOC185A

4.0

(4)

SOC139

4.0

(1)

SOC131

4.0

(1)
+10 more courses
Difficulty by Course

SOC

5.0

47662

4.0

SOC128

4.0

SOCIOLOGY

3.0

SOCIOLOGY1

3.0

Reviews (143)
1.0
3.0
SOCIOLOGY
Feb 9, 2004

Horrible teacher but easy to get good grade

1.0
3.0
SOCIOLOGY
Feb 24, 2004

I feel sorry for the old guy. He tries really hard and puts forth a lot of effort, but it's hard to understand him and doesn't really teach anything in lecture.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 5, 2004

Perhaps the worst professor I've had at UCSB. He is entirely uninformative, beyond boring, and somewhat offensive. Whatever you do, try to avoid him.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Mar 8, 2004

He is a very smart guy but he dos not explain very well. Easy to get a good grade though. I liek the guy but he does not teach very well.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 8, 2004

His powerpoints aren't helpful at all. Lecture isn't helpful either since his tests are basically questions from the textbook website. Warning to all Republicans, he is extremely liberal and uses his class as a soapbox.

2.0
1.0
SOC1
Mar 12, 2004

WOW. This guy thinks socialism and sociology are the same thing. He is offensive and abuses his power as a professor to further his political values.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: B
Mar 18, 2004

Oh professor Winant, you tried so hard to recruit more socialists into our world. I honestly liked this man for some odd reason, but I won't lie the class was pretty dumb, but at least easy.

1.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 29, 2004

Worst prof ever!!! He uses his authority to push his political agenda. He punishes you for thinking differently. He cusses in class and is offensive to many political, moral, religious beliefs. He teaches nothing and lecture is pointless.

4.0
3.0
SOC1
Apr 1, 2004

Although lecture doesn't follow the course material, he says a lot of interesting stuff. He get's pretty political, and regarless of your beleifs, you have to give him credit for not being afraid to be honest and express himself. Nice guy, good prof.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Apr 9, 2004

No Comments

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Apr 15, 2004

As long as you do ALL of the reading, you should be good to go. The lectures are pretty much pointless but he'll try to help you if u swing by office hours. Very political and cusses in class but I admire that he's got a different teaching style. :)

1.0
4.0
SOC1
May 12, 2004

He is horribly boring. He lectures but has no point. Lecture is pointless and everything on the tests is out of the book, he is sooooo bad.

1.0
2.0
SOC1
May 13, 2004

this guy sucks! terrible teacher who ruined what could have been an interesting class by pushing his far-left political views instead of teaching. lectures had nothing to do with the class and were really biased. damn you winant!

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Jun 1, 2004

this is the worst prof ever but the fact that he was a socialist was the only thing that made this class cool !!!! dont let these dumb ppl tell u being a socialist is wrong !!! way to go

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Jun 4, 2004

Winant is not a good professor by any means. He tries really hard to express his socialist ideas. I am left wing myself, but i have to admit this professor is awful. If you want to have an awesome prof w/left wing ideas, take Poli Sci 7 w/ aaron belkin.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Jun 25, 2004

Out-the-window to the left, and acts as if he has the one right way of seeing things. Beware!

4.0
3.0
SOC1
Aug 18, 2004

While some students didn't like him, he is animated and he knows how to entertain a class while teaching the material. I don't even like Sociology and I didn't mind going to his class. He isn't afraid to stand behind his opinions or beliefs either.

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Oct 19, 2004

I like Winant. He's a little bit weird, but his lectures are entertaining. He gives good examples and ideas that are seperate from the book. The people who say he's the worst ever are exaggerating, and heated over his political views, which I haven't found overbearing.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Oct 25, 2004

I dropped this class because his lectures were unbareable. He does not challenge you to think, just merely gives a comedy routine. People think he is a crazy leftist, but in my opinion he failed at even expressing that. Don't take this class. Soc 1 has no value unless you are a soc major.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Oct 28, 2004

He went on so many tangents in class that he didn't even cover half the material. Unless u get a good TA you won't be able to figure out whats going on. Don't take this class w/ him. Take it with taylor.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Nov 1, 2004

He tests on what the book says and the lectures are pointless. If he didn't take attendence, half the lecture hall wouldn't show up. Too many tangents to advance his political adgenda and not enough material that adaquatly supplements the subject.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2004

Apparently, the Iraqi war is about China. According to Winant. But, his voice is entertaining-like a suffocating rat

2.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 9, 2004

What a waste of time! his voice is annoying as well as his inability to stimulate his sutdents attention span for longer than like 3 minutes. If it had not been for him taking attendance in lecture, there would be no point in going to class. Study the entire book... only way to get a good grade.

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 13, 2004

His lectures were entertaining, relatively pointless though, the tests were based on the reading, but often on the obscure details. Easy material, tricky tests.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 17, 2004

VERY LIBERAL, but sometimes it was quite amusing to listen to his ramblings. Lectures have practically NO point whatsoever, go cause you get points for attending lecture. Reading is interesting and there isn't a whole lot. Slept through all the lectures, got a B.

5.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 17, 2004

Winant is the man. You get the most out of lecture if youre open minded and can make inferences about what hes saying. Ignorant people tend not to like him. Its an easy course if youre a smart person.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 20, 2004

horrible

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 22, 2004

He turned a class with great potential into a total bore and waste of time. The lectures were entirely pointless and used as an ineffective way to overwheml students with his ideaological and political platform. Worst Professor I've had so far.

5.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 28, 2004

Winant is an awesome professor. The fact that there were so many freshmen in the class who didnt care really made the class less enjoyable. A lot of people don't like him because they say he just spouts off liberal crap. But if you keep an open mind the class is interesting.

2.0
1.0
SOC1
Jan 6, 2005

Pointless class. Winant is not a good lecturer. Take this class for gpa purposes ONLY. People who are so ignorant that they don't know their ignorat tend to like this class.

2.0
3.0
SOC1
Jan 23, 2005

Not the best class. Winant tried to make it interesting but was mostly incoherent. His lectures were often off-topic and not helpful.

1.0
2.0
SOC1
Feb 7, 2005

This was the worst professor I've ever had.

4.0
3.0
SOC1
Feb 9, 2005

Here's the deal : Winant is an awesome professor - he really knows a lot and cool to talk to if you keep an open mind. The class however, wasn't all too great; the tests were tricky and I ended up hating a subject that I previously had no opinions on.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Feb 11, 2005

Funny guy and very into his job, but he's very close-minded and his midterm and final were ridiculous...they were unclear and unfair. Class would be excellent with another professor.

4.0
3.0
SOCIOLOGY1
Feb 14, 2005

dr. winant knows his material really well, however his lectures are kind of boring. Soc. 1 is a fairly easy class with okay midterm and finals, read the book!! TAs were very helpful..essay topics were fun to work on.

3.0
4.0
SOC1
Feb 23, 2005

His tests weren't that easy and my TA sucked. The papers weren't that interesting and overall just not a good class.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Mar 10, 2005

Lectures and assignments were useless and boring. I hated this class.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Mar 30, 2005

UGH... He is so unclear and so hard to understand. He just goes off and talks about irrelevant things and doesn't know how to work powerpoint. The test questions were so weird- - RANDOM if you take Soc 1 try a different Professor

1.0
5.0
SOC1
Apr 23, 2005

Howard Winant is easily the worst teacher I have ever had. He doesn't teach, he preaches his opinions, and I'm liberal and still thought he sucked. Anti-fascist in thought but completely fascist in his teaching methods, you'll learn absolutely nothing but what he thinks. And he doesn't know jack abo

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Aug 3, 2005

Personally, I liked his class and enjoyed it. He's generally nice person to talk to as well. Though I wish that I had a slightly better grade than what I got.

3.0
5.0
SOC
Aug 24, 2005

He should be restricted to teaching grad students - come on!

4.0
1.0
SOC1
Aug 26, 2005

The class was easy, but a little boring.

5.0
3.0
SOC1
Oct 9, 2005

No Comments

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A-
Oct 21, 2005

boriiiiiiiing

5.0
3.0
SOC1
Oct 23, 2005

I think Prof. Winant is great! Who cares if he expresses his views, this is college! Also, he's an extremely intelligent guy who is more published and accomplished than I could ever hope to be! Awesome class!

3.0
3.0
SOCIOLOGY1
Nov 8, 2005

thinks he is a black teenage boy. and is a dirty old man.

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A+
Nov 8, 2005

he means well, but he pretty much PREACHES his opinons...some of which don't have to do with the class material. the class is pretty interesting, and he's entertaining, but it can get boring. he is just WAY too opinonated.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Nov 17, 2005

Today he talked about masturbation...yup that was the highlight of the quarter

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Dec 3, 2005

umm... he basically preaches liberalism for an hour and a half... lectures have NOTHING to do with the testsand are pointless, but he still makes you go... interesting subject, but not a great teacher

3.0
1.0
SOC1
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Dec 8, 2005

he is INTERESTING. his lectures have nothing to do with the actual course. but luckily, the course is easy. it's mostly just memorizing terms since it's an intro course. the paper is easy and you get to put in your own views. i suggest not going to lecture, but he takes roll. plus, he says a lot of funny things that make it worth going...sometimes

1.0
4.0
SOC1
Dec 9, 2005

Lectures are pointless. Midterms and the final was multiple choice, but it was hard. There is a lot of reading for the class. I would never take this course with this professor again. I would recommend this course with a different professor.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 15, 2005

Possibly the worst professor you will have at UCSB his lectures are pointless and by far the most boring I've ever attended, they aren't worth coming to except he takes attendence. The tests are based on obscure facts barley covered in lecture or quickly mentioned in the book. In short save yourself a horrible 10 weeks and wait for another teacher.

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 16, 2005

I actually enjoyed lecture but simply because I liked hearing him talk; he's got some fascinating things to say, but these things have nothing to do with the tests. It was a huge amount of reading and while the subject was interesting, it was almost impossible to grasp everything he wanted you to know in 10 weeks.

3.0
3.0
SOCIOLOGY1
Dec 18, 2005

There is really no point in attending lecture unless you want to hear Professor Winant's political opinion. I didn't realize that sociology was a class about socialism. Winant makes lecture attendance mandatory probably because no one would go otherwise. Despite this, the course material itself is pretty interesting.

4.0
1.0
SOC1
Jan 9, 2006

I actually liked the class. My grade wasn't the best but I didn't really do any of the reading. He doesn't preach as much as others have said. If he is unable to hide his political views its because of frustration with the current situation. Plus, there was a disclaimer that he repeated about how sociology can get political so the whiners can stfu

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Feb 6, 2006

Class was kind of pointless, but book reading is a must. Although his lectures were not very effective, he did have some good stuff to say about politics and social issues. A cool guy, but a boring class. Pretty easy though.

2.0
3.0
SOC1
Feb 8, 2006

its all about the reading, class...pretty pointless.

4.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 16, 2006

He's really amazing!

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Apr 4, 2006

the papers and tests seem to be about the readings. lecture can be confusing. as a person he is a pretty interesting guy.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Jun 10, 2006

Awful professor!!! I learned absolutely nothing by attending lecture because all he talked about were his socialist/communist political views. It's pointless to attend lecture---just read the book and you'll do fine.

5.0
3.0
SOC1
Jun 11, 2006

He may be a bit bias at times, as some people complain, but he gives a very compelling argument and mainly sticks to the facts. A very very intelligent man.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Apr 5, 2007

He is probably the weirdest teacher I have ever had. Pretty off the wall and random. I did poorly on his tests but got a great essay grade. After this class I was not interested in any further studies in Sociology.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Jun 22, 2007

I found this professor useless. His lecture was not helpful and he took attendance at lecture because they were useless. I did not enjoy lecture at all and I found the topic interesting before I had the class. My TA was the only thing that made this class worth while.

2.0
1.0
SOC122
Oct 3, 2007

His class is so easy I completely missed the final exam and still passed. This professor is painful to listen to. He loves to "trip out" and go off on tangents not related to any assigned reading. He also relies heavily on the TAs to teach us the material in section rather than in lecture.

4.0
3.0
SOC1
Nov 4, 2007

Very funny guy. Great professor. Lectures are somewhat useful but youd be better off learning the key points from the textbook.

3.0
4.0
SOC1
Dec 6, 2007

lectures are pretty pointless, hard to know what he's talking about because he goes off on a lot of tangents. reading is a must, and the TAs make everything worth while. interesting subject, but boring professor

5.0
1.0
SOC1
Dec 7, 2007

It is not that he is a bad teacher, he just teaches like a high school teacher. He gets off topic to have fun, and he makes it easy enough so that you dont stress over his class. I reccommend taking this class when you have a difficult quarter and dont want to overload yourself.

3.0
3.0
SOCIO1
Dec 12, 2007

His lectures are interesting if you want to hear about his life and enjoy the random tangents he tends to go on. I kinda got a kick out of it but he takes attendance so you kinda have to sit threw the hour and fifteen minutes if you want the points. Very little information can be learned from him it's all out of the book which is easy to understand

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 14, 2007

The lectures were interesting, but not relevant to the tests. The tests were tough. Also, He makes his political views known, and if you disagree, prepare to be very annoyed! My TA, Rachel, was very helpful and always available. She also graded the essays very fairly.

4.0
2.0
SOC185A
Dec 17, 2007

boring but i went to class cause he takes attendance. i never paid attention ever and still did okay. Theres 2 take home essays(3-4 pages)& a take home final(8 pages). He gives you the topics in the beginning of the quarter. I barely did any work for this class & wrote the essays last minute & got a B- on both. so it'd be prety easy to do well

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 17, 2007

Lectures ar completly pointless but he takes attendence which is a bummmer so you kinda have to go if you want the points. Tests were a bit difficult just because some questions were very random or worded weird. TAs were helpful though mine, Kelli, graded papers hard. Easy enough class, all from the book. Winant is a loon.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 18, 2007

Section and lectures were mandatory which kind of sucked. I was really excited to take this class but was a little dissapointed. His lectures were very generalized and repetitive but I like how he played music while walking into class. I didn't read textbook and got a B but I would definitely do the other readings and study vocab for sure!!

4.0
1.0
SOC1
Feb 11, 2008

I took this class, studied half an hour for the final, rarely took notes at lecture, and read less than a fourth of the readings/text and got a B. Winant is a character, not very useful lectures, takes test Q's nearly word-for-word from the textbook samples. Very passable class, and if you ACTUALLY do the work, you should get an easy A.

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Feb 29, 2008

Overall I enjoyed the class and I would recommend it. Make sure to keep up with the reading and memorize the vocab. I passed the class without trying that hard. My TA (NAT) was amazing so it made it interesting.

1.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 23, 2008

Very very boring teacher. Didn't learn anything, but if you do the readings and study the vocab it is an easy class. However, it is painful to sit through so take someone else if you are interested in Soc at all.

3.0
2.0
SOC122
Mar 30, 2010

Pretty easy, don't really have to do the reading. Attendance sign in is passed around each class but I don't think it really counts for that much. Final and midterm and both take home papers. If you answer the prompt, includes quotes, spend a decent amount of time on them you should be good.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Oct 27, 2010

The guy is more often than not spewing his own agenda as opposed to actually teaching anything. He seems like a nice guy, but he rambles on way too much to be taken seriously. The text was interesting, but not much of a necessity to pass. The class is pretty easy - just skim your reading and go to class, even if you end up falling asleep...

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Dec 4, 2010

He is a really funny person and if you go to his office hours and get to know him, you will like him and understand more. Also it will help since it will show you're interested and motivated. However, his lectures are the most useless things ever since all he ever does is regurgitate the readings and drones on and on. Ta's were helpful though.

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 23, 2010

Good material, horrible teacher. Boring, could barely understand him, and despite my attendence at every lecture, I still had to teach myself. Thankfully it was an easy book to read.

3.0
4.0
SOC1
Jan 1, 2011

All Professor Winant Does is stand up on the stage and pontificate about life. Lectures are completely pointless, but he takes attendance which is ridiculous. You have to teach yourself the whole book because he asks obscure questions on the midterm and final. Papers are easy, and TA's were helpful, but good luck learning anything from Winant.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Jan 1, 2011

This professor can go on some pretty horrible tangents that have nothing to do with lecture material, and then takes FOREVER to get back on topic. I wasn't interested at all in his lectures just because they were soooo boring. The final is worth 40% so make sure you read the material, because none of his lecture material, is on the test.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Feb 3, 2011

Lectures were basically pointless besides attendence. Two annoying papers and really obscure questions on the midterms. make sure your TA gives you a study sheet for the tests

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Feb 3, 2011

Ugh Winant is horrible. Always ranting and being creepy. Voices his super liberal opinions constantly. Takes attendance in lectures + sections which is ridiculous. Never talks about anything relevant. To get an A, just study the book! Memorize definitions/concepts and you'll do fine. But avoid this class with him if possible.

4.0
3.0
SOC185A
Feb 8, 2011

Can't imagine a better professor to teach social theory, keeps lectre interesting. Papers are somewhat difficult, but thats based on the material. Otherwise a funny guy, helpful, but speak up because he's a bit hard of hearing.

3.0
4.0
SOC185A
Mar 16, 2011

Winant is hilarious and entertaining, but the class can be pretty boring at times. Tons of reading, 3 papers make up the entire grade (no tests) along with attendance. The papers can be challenging, but they are definitely manageable.

2.0
4.0
SOC128
Oct 26, 2011

I do not recommend this professor. He talks soooo slow and you can barely understand what he says unless you watch his lips. Grading on papers is pretty hard. He also goes off on his super liberal tangents that get very annoying and have no relevance to the class whatsoever! Definitely will not take another class by him!

4.0
2.0
SOC139
Dec 14, 2011

Professor Winant's reputation among students is undeserved. He is a nice guy who tries to be entertaining and informative. The papers are easy if you do the readings and integrate them into the papers. In section, make sure to contribute to the discussion. If you do this you should be fine in the class.

2.0
4.0
SOC1
Jan 17, 2013

Goes on tangents in class all the time. Clearly liberal as he proves through his slides and tangents. No political balance at all. The lecture is very slow paced, and I didn't feel like I was learning anything. Self-taught.

2.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 1, 2013

If you are Republican, do not take this class. All his lectures consist of are his own political views and his opinion on very controversial topics. Attendance is mandatory, otherwise nobody would show up. It's an 8 am so everyone sleeps. TAs are super helpful though so the class is not hard, just tedious.

2.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 13, 2013

I'm not saying this class was difficult, but for an Intro to Soc course it was just way too much work. Two papers that account for almost none of the grade but are 5-7 pages, a midterm and final that is 100% out of the textbook, yet he doesn't go over the text at all. Really frustrating that the makes you come to lecture to listen to his opinions.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 14, 2013

Professor Winant is not given enough credit for teaching a class at 8 AM. The majority of students complained, but he did a great job at explaining concepts using his own political perspectives. He is a really nice guy, super friendly, and willing to help you in anything. The class was fairly simple if you did the reading. Definitely recommend.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 21, 2013

Papers were easy but he really ruins this course. His lectures are extremely off topic from the book, which makes it impossible to study for his exams. His exams are difficult in that they focus on details rather than conceptual understanding. DO. NOT. TAKE. HIM.

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 26, 2013

READ THE TEXTBOOK!!!! Pretty much most of the test material are from the book! He takes attendance,so definitely go to the class.

3.0
3.0
SOC01
Jun 14, 2013

Winant is a legend in the sociology of race and is well respected in the profession. If you think he's so boring and goes off on tangents then try to make the class more interesting and break tangents by asking meaningful questions based on the readings and/or stuff you've read in the past. Get the most out of your education.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Dec 30, 2013

Most boring professor ever. His lectures are such a drag and not relevant to the tests or essays. Essays are easy. He makes his lectures 10% of your grade because he knows other wise no one would attend. Go to class even though its boring because those 10%could be the determinant between a B or an A. Never took notes not necessary just go and sleep

5.0
1.0
SOC185A
Feb 6, 2015

I loved this class. I was really surprised by the rating other students gave him. If you actually pay attention in class he makes really funny jokes, which keeps the class really entertaining. He's a really nice guy and is always willing to help.

1.0
2.0
SOC1
Feb 24, 2015

If you can take this class with another professor, do. You need to write two essays, which you don't need to do with other Soc 1 professors. Winant just gets on stage and talks about his opinions from 75 minutes, and doesn't talk about anything from the textbook. Plus he doesn't always speak in coherent sentences and makes no sense half of the time

1.0
4.0
47662
Grade: B
Mar 3, 2015

I really, really, really recommend you don't take this class if you want an engaging and interesting professor. His lectures are so ridiculously boring he makes it mandatory you sign in to lecture(manually, with your T.A...) and makes it account for 20% of your grade. You're expecting to read two chapters of the book weekly or you'll fail.

2.0
5.0
SOC1
Mar 16, 2015

I neglected checking rate my professor and I feel like I should have he's a horrible lecturer. All he does is talk about his opinions on subjects and makes ridiculous jokes. He makes you do two papers and this class has no writing requirement fulfillment. You better be present because he makes the TA's take attendance and he needs to do that.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 17, 2015

Very average. Not hard, not easy, show up, do the reading, and you should be fine. Midterm and final are based almost entirely on the textbook (vocab and examples). Lectures are boring, doesn't lecture on anything you read, tangents galore. You'll with minimal effort

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 17, 2015

Winant makes valid point, it may just take him like 50 minutes to get there. He is a great person but not a good lecturer. I liked the book he provided and he had some moments that were great. Attendance is mandatory, tests are fairly easy if you read the text because 90% of the questions comes from it.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 18, 2015

Going to lecture is the biggest waste of time especially when all he does is lecture about his opinions and hardly touches the class material. Every lecture is sign in. 90% of the test material comes from the book. Tests are somewhat straightforward. 2 essays that are only worth 10% each. Got a B and read the night before the midterm and final.

1.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 23, 2015

Very unhelpful professor. The only reason students go to lecture is because attendance is 10% of their grade which could be a grade changer from a B+ to and A-. The midterm and final is straight from the book which is absolutely ridiculous. If i wanted to teach myself, I would have bought the book and not wasted my time with this class.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: B+
May 13, 2015

Attendance makes up 10% of total grade which resulted in me not getting an A and ending up with a B+. Rather annoying inefficient way of taking attendance, but free points I guess. I'm sure he would be very interesting to converse with, but his lectures feel like an eternity and barely covers material and very opinionated. Keep up with readings.

3.0
1.0
SOC1
Grade: A+
Jun 29, 2015

Passionate guy. His lectures aren't based on the book or the test. Lectures are mostly just political rants- interesting but could be offensive. I really enjoyed section and the content in the book. This class is an easy A and id take it again!

5.0
2.0
SOC151
Grade: A
Sep 30, 2015

Extremely knowledgeable, supportive, and makes the material understandable

1.0
3.0
185RN
Grade: B
Apr 4, 2016

This class was 3 hours long, and he usually took the whole time to lecture. Going to class is not mandatory because he does not take attendance. As long as you do the reading and grab some quotes to be put in the paper, you will be fine because lectures are all posted on Gauchospace. Winant is not the one actually grading the papers either.

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Jun 8, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Winant tries to be funny in his lectures but he ends up giving me cringe attacks. He tries so hard to relate to the students and it leaves you feeling kind of uncomfortable. The reading are a must as his tests are mostly from the text. His lectures don't really coincide with the book and he takes attendance during lecture so you better be there

4.0
2.0
SOC1
Jun 23, 2016
Would take again

His class is mostly based on two things: your performance on his tests and your attendance. Your performance on the test depends on your reading of the textbook. If you read the book and show up to class you will get an A in his class. He often gets off topic in his lectures but he's extremely interesting and pushes you to think

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Jul 2, 2016
Would take again

He is very passionate! And all of his lectures are mandatory! The midterm and final were mainly based on just the assigned readings. He wasn't too demanding when it came to assignments - just a midterm, final, and two papers. Would take again!

1.0
4.0
SOC1
Grade: A-
Jul 7, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Honestly I just took this class to pick up some units. He requires 2 papers even though this class does not fulfill the writing requirement. Attendance is mandatory despite the fact that the exams are only on the book (oh yeah getting ready to read the WHOLE thing). Class is so boring and irrelevant. Take this class with someone else.

3.0
3.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Oct 14, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Winant is really passionate about sociology and it really shows. He is sometimes hard to understand, he goes off on tangents and lecture attendance is mandatory, but this is a fairly easy and interesting class for GE requirements.

Get ready to read
Caring
LECTURE HEAVY
2.0
3.0
SOC1
Mar 10, 2017
Wouldn't take again

- Lectures are useless but mandatory - Goes way off topic every lecture, then last 15 minutes wants to continue with the important content - Has you write two 1500 word essays, so know that. - On somedays you can leave to grab something to eat, come back and he'll be on the exact same slide.

Get ready to read
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Mar 20, 2017
Would take again

Professor Winant is a real sweetheart and is educated and passionate about sociology. Although the lectures can be a little heavy, he does his best to teach the content. Two essays during the quarter, but both very easy. Not too hard of a class, midterm and final were straightforward and not difficult at all!

Hilarious
Caring
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
1.0
SOC1
Mar 20, 2017
Would take again

Winant is one of the nicest professors you will ever have, he is extremely educated and involved in the subject and his teachings. His lectures don't always cover the test material, but there is always something thought provoking that you can take away. The 2 essays he has you write are straight forward and easy and the midterm and final are too!

3.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Mar 22, 2017
Wouldn't take again

For a start, Winant was not a very good lecturer. He would go off on a tangent about his very liberal political beliefs that were not related in the slightest to the content of the lecture. Attendance, while mandatory, were to lectures of material that did not revolve around the exams. Must read to do well on exams. (I mean 20 chapters!)

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
SO MANY PAPERS
2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A-
Mar 22, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Winant was a nice guy but not a good professor. His lectures were useless and he is very hard to listen to. The only reason to show up is for attendance. Online assignments were irrelevant and a complete waste of time. The exams were both based solely on the book and the papers were very easy. Overall an easy class but the professor is NOT good.

Get ready to read
2.0
3.0
SOC01
Grade: A
Mar 31, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Howie is a good person who is obviously very passionate about the subject, especially racial issues. However, he is a poor lecturer and most of his classes I spent exchanging memes with a friend. Online hwk was bs but do it because it's what he bases the tests on. Put effort into papers & do inquizitive/read the txtbk & you'll be good

Get ready to read
2.0
1.0
SOC01
Grade: B+
Apr 3, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Okay so first of all, you're going to read an entire textbook (700 pages). You can tell he really cares about the material and about his students, but lectures were pretty bad. He goes off on so many tangents and TAs take roll. However, if you read the book and study inquisitive you won't fail the class.

LOTS OF HOMEWORK
Clear grading criteria
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
3.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Apr 6, 2017
Would take again

The key to this class is Inquizitive. DO IT EVERY DAY. It's the equivalent of reading the book. I barely read the book and got an A. Use the book to learn whatever you did not learn through Inquizitive. Also, show up to every lecture and section and participate. Don't be lazy.

3.0
4.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Nov 16, 2017
Would take again

He goes on a lot of tangents in lectures. His class is an easy A if you do all of the reading and the inquizitives, which are pretty easy. His papers are also relatively easy. But his lectures are long and most of the time unnecessary to your success in the class. Super nice guy though!

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
3.0
4.0
SOC1
Grade: B+
Nov 20, 2017
Would take again

Lectures may be boring sometimes since he tends to go off on multiple tangents and a lot of reading and online inquizitve work. Easy A if you do the readings and inquizitive. Assigns about 2 essays which are not hard to complete.

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
1.0
4.0
SOC1
Grade: B
Feb 1, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Midterm and Final that are slightly hard. There are two essays about 1250 words, and does not satisfy a writing requirement. The inquisitive is a large portion of your grade and is 20 chapters that take about 50-90min each (lots of homework). Attendance is mandatory 20% of your grade. Wait till next quarter to take a different Soc 1 Professor.

Skip class? You won't pass.
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
TEST HEAVY
3.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Mar 22, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Winant is a funny guy. Pretty bad lecturer, but funny nonetheless. Lecture is a complete waste of time; Winant will spent the whole class teaching his opinions. He often goes off on tangents that have nothing to do with what is being discussed. Unfortunately lecture is mandatory. Key to an A is Inquizitive and reading the whole textbook.

Get ready to read
Hilarious
5.0
3.0
SOC46888
Grade: A+
Mar 29, 2018
Would take again

He is such a gem!! So sweet and knowledgeable. Attendance is mandatory (worth 10%) but Im going to be honest, you dont need to pay attention. Most people do other homework or do the inquisitive he assigns. Midterm was easy. Final was harder than expected and he didnt post grades, but I got an A+ in the class so I must have done well. Recommended

Respected
Get ready to read
Participation matters
4.0
3.0
SOC1
Grade: A-
Apr 1, 2018
Would take again

Professor Winant was a very sweet and caring professor. While he had some slip ups, not printing out enough midterms for the whole class, he really seemed to enjoy teaching this class. He tried his best to engage students with jokes and different voices. I really enjoyed the class, and I respect him very much. There was two written papers, not bad!

Get ready to read
Hilarious
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
2.0
1.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Apr 9, 2018
Would take again

You must show up to lecture for participation credit. I usually showed up and just worked on InQuizitive the whole time, the lectures are really random and disorganized. Read the textbook and do all the InQuizitive and you should be fine.

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
5.0
3.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Jul 27, 2018
Would take again

The lectures inspired me to THINK and to base my thoughts on both knowledge and values. As a result of Prof. Winant's class, I've decided to major in Sociology.

Inspirational
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
Amazing lectures
1.0
3.0
SOC1
Aug 30, 2018
Wouldn't take again

By far the worst professor I have ever had. He did not even teach sociology; he went on political rants. He marginalized students who did not agree with his opinion. He used his position as a platform to yell at students who disagreed with him and did not even teach us the material we were tested on. I wouldnt have passed without my TA.

Get ready to read
SO MANY PAPERS
LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
3.0
SOC1
Grade: Not sure yet
Jan 31, 2019
Wouldn't take again

He is just not good at lecturing to a large crowd. His lectures weave around with no clear point, and very rarely do they correlate with the textbook or any other reading he assigns. Most of the time he just tells you his political views. Also, he takes attendance BY HAND. If you have the choice, take a different soc1 prof.

Get ready to read
5.0
3.0
SOC1
Grade: Not sure yet
Feb 20, 2019
Would take again

Professor Winants lectures show how passionate he is about Sociology and that passion carries through when you talk to him about the course. He welcomes student interaction and questions, and he gives really good feedback. I had never taken a sociology course before; Winant has done a good job introducing the subject in such a short period of time

Gives good feedback
Accessible outside class
Caring
1.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 1, 2019
Wouldn't take again

takes attendance every lecture but you could always leave, lectures are useless don't expect to learn what you need to know. don't stress too much

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
1.0
1.0
SOC1
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 5, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Prof. Winant is well-respected in his field but I would not recommend taking his classes. His lectures have nothing to do with what's on the test, the only reason you'd need to go to lecture is for attendance. If you read the textbook you'll pass easily. My advice is to do other homework during his lectures, or just read the book.

3.0
1.0
SOC1
Mar 7, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Winant is a sweet old man. You'll probably like this dude, but I don't recommend his class. His lectures are more about his political views than the subject of Sociology. He will tell you straight up that none of the lecture stuff will show up on the test but forces you to come anyway. The class and his papers are easy though so good for an easy A

Participation matters
3.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 16, 2019
Would take again

Makes you sign in manually with TAs beginnning of class. Stated that most lectures have nothing to do with what we will be tested on so a lot of people would check in and then just go home. Only perk of lecture is that he is funny but otherwise boring. Two quizzes a week expected to have read a chapter each quiz. Two papers, and a midterm. Easy A.

Get ready to read
5.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 18, 2019
Would take again

If you're looking for an easy GE course, I recommend taking this class. The textbook was super easy to read/understand and the quizzes for each chapter were straightforward. TA's were helpful when it was time to write the essays and they were open to answer any questions.

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Clear grading criteria
3.0
2.0
SOC1
Mar 18, 2019
Would take again

I can tell that he is a good individual, but he tends to drift off during the lecture. I really wished he could understand that he cannot get that personal with such a huge audience. I would like to take him again, only if the environment is a smaller size class.

Respected
Get ready to read
Clear grading criteria
1.0
4.0
SOC1
Grade: C-
Mar 23, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Honestly, I was pretty exited to take Soc, as it always has interested me. But man, did Winant made me despise it. All Prof. Winant did was rant on religion or government every class and the lectures where useless to me. He also makes you write multi-page essays, even though the class doesn't count as a writing requirement. Avoid him if you can!

Get ready to read
Participation matters
So many papers
2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A-
Apr 3, 2019
Wouldn't take again

I feel bad writing this post because he a sweet guy, but you all must know. I was super disappointed in this class bc soc is such an interesting topic and I feel like I gained nothing from the class. easy class tho so if looking for the GE go for it. if u want to learn anything, don't take it. reading and inquisitive is important. lectures r not

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
Caring
2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
Apr 10, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Not the best professor, but super easy class. You're supposed to sign in with your TA so lecture is "mandatory" but everyone signs in & leaves. The lectures are not helpful at all. Just skim the textbook & the weekly quizzes will be a piece of cake (good grade boost). Midterm & final are easy and the TA's give almost everyone 100s on the 2 essays.

Clear grading criteria
2.0
2.0
SOC1
Grade: A
May 8, 2019
Wouldn't take again

This class is mostly based on textbook readings because he did not teach he lecture. He would just go on rants about things that were somewhat related to the topics in the textbook. Lectures were mandatory, and there were reading quizzes every Tuesday and Thursday. It was a fairly easy class, but I would recommend taking a different professor.

Lots of homework
Get ready to read
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
SOC151
Grade: A
Feb 11, 2020
Would take again

genuine

4.0
2.0
SOC131
Grade: A
Mar 25, 2021
Would take again

Winant is really kind. Some students were rude to him but he handled it well. There's 2 group essays (midterm/final). People complained about the group assignment but it just depends on whether you got a good group or not.

Graded by few things
Group projects
Caring
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

90%

Textbook Required

33%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 32 grades
Most common grades:
A (16)
Not sure yet (6)
A- (5)
Grade Distribution
A(19)B(4)C(1)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(8)
Based on 39 reported grades
A: 16
Not sure yet: 6
A-: 5
B: 4
Common Tags
Get ready to read (20)
Clear grading criteria (8)
Skip class? You won't pass. (7)
Caring (5)
LECTURE HEAVY (4)
Hilarious (3)
Participation matters (3)
SO MANY PAPERS (2)
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5.0

(2)

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4.0

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4.0

(1)

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4.0

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