Teaching Theorizing

This article represents an attempt to draw attention to the practical ways in which you can teach students how to theorize in sociology; and it does so in the form of a personal memoir. By theorizing is approximately meant the actual and practical use of theory in the research process. The purpose of the course in theorizing that I have been teaching since 2010 is to complement traditional courses in theory, in which the students learn the content of theory but not how to use it in a practical way. The article describes how the course in theorizing that I teach is structured. A central message is that exercises represent a powerful method for teaching students how to theorize; and that these should preferably draw on empirical material that the students themselves collect. Given the current lack of literature on how to teach theorizing in sociology, it is hoped that this text can inspire other sociologists to start teaching courses on this topic.