ems at a time when "industrial
and social progress is bringing the modern community face to face with
social questions of the greatest magnitude, the solution of which will
demand the best scientific study and the most honest practical
endeavor," must provide facilities for bringing university study into
connection with practical work. In 1901 definite practical courses
shared honors of first place with the elementary or general course in
college announcements. The situation was practically the same ten
years later. Still more recently Professor Blackmar, one of the
veterans in sociology teaching, worked out rather an elaborate program
of what he called a "reasonable department of sociology for colleges
and universities." In spite of the fact that theoretical, biological,
anthropological, and psychological aspects of the subject were
emphasized, his conclusion was that "the whole aim is to ground
sociology in general utility and social service. It is a preparation
for social efficiency."

=(c) Determined by the social character of the community=

The principle of adaptation to environment comes into play also in the
choice of teaching methods. An urban department can send its students
directly into the field for first-hand observation of industry,
housing, sanitation, congestion, playgrounds, immigration, etc., and
may encourage "supervised field work" as fulfilling course
requirements. But the country or small town department far removed
from large cities must emphasize rural social study, or get its urban
data second hand through print, charts, photographs, or lantern
slides. A semester excursion to the city or to some state charitable
institution adds such a touch of vividness to the routine class work.
But "slumming parties" are to be ruthlessly tabooed, particularly when
featured in the newspapers. Social science is not called upon to make
experimental guinea pigs of the poor simply because of their poverty
and inability to protect themselves.

=The introductory course the vital point of contact between student and
the department=

For many reasons the most serious problems of teaching sociology
center about the elementary or introductory course. Advanced
undergraduate and graduate courses usually stand or fall by the
inherent appeal of their content as organized by the peculiar genius
of the instructor. If the student has been able to weather the storms
of his "Introduction," he will usually have gained enoug