Professor Sexton's class is one that is fundamentally fascinating and is one that is appealing for not only sociology majors or adherents, but of anyone one whom desires the history and realities that surround religion and its impacts throughout time.

I was very satisfied with the course and my favourite part was the research paper of which was an ethnographic paper of a religion of our choice in relation to sustainability. That in itself was an interesting correlation of topics and made one choose something they may have already had knowledge of or allowed one to gain knowledge of.

In overall class structure, it was a very broad and this was shown with the differing topics of every week, differing three books throughout the quarter, and with the numerous guest speakers that came to class on significant bases.

Nevertheless, this course was one that is fascinating and should be good for a person that indeed enjoys theology in its many vast forms. But, it is a course that does require individual motive towards reading and its topics, however with the professor and the TA's; such should be of no problem as they were all very accommodating and involved in my personal experience throughout the whole quarter and that in itself makes the professor a rare as well as exceptional character whom really is striving for his students academic, professional , and even personal successes.

Professor Sexton has been one of the best professors I have had here at UCLA. He is very clear in what he wants from you and will help you with anything as long as you reach out to him and show your concerns. I took his crime class as well and they were both structured the same and had a quarter long research problem that gave you the chance to research something of your interest and dig deeper into the subject and learn a lot about it. For me I long wine so I did my project on how viticulture affects the environment, so it was cool to research something I was passionate about and learn more about it. The work load for the class is a decent about because you have to research a lot in the end for your essay, but in the end I believe it is worth it in what you get in return. I recommend taking this class or any classes with Sexton because in the end if you put in the work you learn a lot.

I took this class as a graduating senior, and it ended up being one of my favorite classes at UCLA, though it did not seem like that during the course.

The workload is A LOT (if you are trying to actually do it all). Each week, there are hefty readings to which you then do a one-page single-spaced response to. Discussions and lectures are mandatory, but a "word of the day" is used in lectures and recordings are posted, so you can get around this if you have a friend in the class. Throughout the quarter, there are deadlines for the final research paper, which examines an entity's (organization or city in the LA region) relationship to the sustainability - social and environmental. There's also a 1-min presentation on your paper findings to the class. You have to buy a couple books for the readings. There is a written essay final (choose from a couple pre-revealed prompts).

I was frequently complaining about the class to my friends, and the majority of my effort for the quarter went to the course (definitely would not recommend taking with other heavy classes). Yet I realized at the end, this was one of the most interesting and engaging courses I have ever taken. If you do not like mundane classwork and not-applicable-to-real-life content, I would recommend this course. It actually challenged me to think about "real life" concepts relating to the environment, social issues, and politics, and I learned a lot and enhanced my critical analysis skills. The first book was one of my favorite reads ever, because it discussed the things that I stay up at night thinking about - that type of interesting and challenging.

As far as Dr.Sexton, he is definitely a cool person. His lecturing, however, is a challenge. The way he speaks can be really difficult to 1) hear and 2) comprehend; a lot of "big", uncommon words are used, and he often speaks in broken sentences and phrases, that mumble off. I found myself getting lost in lecture a lot. While I kept up and comprehended the readings, I felt that I got nothing from the lectures, until I actually went back over the recordings before the final. Going over the lecture recordings, I suddenly understood and had even a deep comprehension of everything said, was able to connect all the class concepts, and was able to do really well on the final. I actually feel like I'm walking away with something from the course - which I only felt from one other class at UCLA.

All this being said, I think it's a great class and would encourage everyone to take it to engage in important social and environmental topics and "learn beyond the classroom", but be warned, it is A LOT of work.

This is a really awesome professor who offers a unique insight to the Sociology department. Some of his assigned readings were a bit lengthy and dense, but the professor and T.A. helped me in understanding the material. The class consisted of two written exams (mid-term and final), weekly question and answer homework, and one research paper.
The pandemic did begin at the end of this class which disrupted everything. However, the professor was very considerate and lenient. Definitely would take a class with this professor again!!

Prison Religion was one of the most meaningful classes I've taken at UCLA. Professor Sexton’s lectures are always grounded, honest, and deeply connected to real-world issues. He teaches with genuine care and respect for the people and communities we studied, which made the course feel like much more than just an academic class. It’s one of the reasons I’ve come to love sociology --- his classes gave me the opportunity to explore my own religion more deeply in a thoughtful way. I also appreciate how interactive his classes are, especially in encouraging us to seek knowledge beyond the classroom. I’m truly grateful to have been taught by someone so passionate and dedicated.

I’ve taken three courses with Professor Sexton --- Sociology of Religion, Prison Religion, and currently Environmental Sociology --- and he’s hands down one of the most thoughtful and understanding professors at UCLA. His lectures are super engaging, and he’s genuinely funny. The workload in his classes is very manageable, and he offers office hours and PTE codes when needed. He allows group projects for the research paper and supports us throughout the entire quarter to make sure we have a clear idea of what to write. He never pressures anyone to speak in class, which I found very considerate. He’s generous with extra credit opportunities and incredibly easy to talk to. I’ve never been afraid to ask him a question --- he never judges, he just helps! If I weren’t in my last quarter at UCLA, I would absolutely take another class with him. He’s by far my favorite professor here.

This class is very interesting and Sexton is a great professor. There is a research based paper due at the end of the quarter but it is easy to complete with a few visits to a local religious institution. Overall great class

This was my second time taking a class with Dr. Sexton, and I have to say, I genuinely think he’s my favorite professor I’ve had at UCLA. This is a big statement considering I’m not the biggest fan of school as a whole. While his courses may not be the easiest, he makes the learning experience genuinely enjoyable and meaningful. Even though I couldn’t attend every lecture, the ones I did go to were always engaging—he really knows how to engage with students. He is very personable and understanding. This may not mean much to others, but for him to recognize and remember me just goes to show how genuine he is.

What sets Dr. Sexton apart is how much he truly cares about his students and their growth. There were no exams besides the final, which reflects his belief that education should be more than just testing. He emphasized that the real value of the course lies in the research and hands-on experience we gain. One highlight was our quarter-long research project at a religious institution—a much more enriching experience than taking midterms, in my opinion.

It’s worth noting that there are several books to read throughout the course. Some of them can be a bit challenging, but they’re still genuinely interesting and thought-provoking reads that add a lot of depth to the material. And it’s worth nothing that all courses shouldn’t be super easy if you genuinely value learning.

He also offered extra credit opportunities that were tied to real learning experiences, rather than just busy work. Overall, I’d highly recommend Dr. Sexton to anyone who is looking to actually learn and grow.

I really enjoyed this class. I find the lectures to be not super structured but very engaging. The final isn't too bad if you attend lectures. The reading workload is pretty heavy but I found the readings to be so impactful and relevant. The research project is a lot of work but there's a lot of freedom with it. I recommend picking a topic you're interested in because that makes it more enjoyable. I also recommend going to office hours. He is a very supportive and understanding professor. Overall, I'm very grateful for his classes. It has was pretty difficult for me on a spiritual and emotional level (I have a very negative experience with religion) but it provided me the opportunity to work through a lot and that meant a lot to me. I also took his soc of crime class in the fall and I am taking environmental soc in the spring. His classes haven't been easy but they've definitely been worth it. They get me thinking and I feel like I have learned a lot. The more you put in, the more you'll get out. If you're here to learn and are spiritually tapped in, I highly recommend his classes.

I took Soc 121 with Professor Sexton, and while he was nice and engaged in good conversations during office hours, the class structure and grading process were incredibly frustrating. There is no rubric or clear grading criteria—TAs grade based on how they feel rather than effort or completion. I lost random points on every assignment without any explanation, even after emailing both the professor and TA. I also met with the professor twice in office hours to clarify what I was missing, but I never received clear feedback or reassurance.

The biggest part of the class is an 8-week ethnographic project (40% of your grade), which can be a paper or a video and can be done with a partner. You're expected to do multiple visits to a congregation and submit two sets of field notes, but again, there's no grading rubric, so you have no idea how you’ll be graded. The final was also unpredictable—we were given six questions a week before and had to answer one at random in person, with only one minute to respond. No rubric, no expectations, just vibes.

The workload is manageable—you read three books and write 800-word summaries (again, with no grading criteria). Lectures are boring but not unbearable. Overall, the class isn’t the worst, but the lack of transparency in grading makes it really frustrating. I wouldn’t recommend this as a random sociology elective unless you’re okay with uncertainty and arbitrary grading.