The course sociology 121 added depth to my perspective on religion. Specifically on Christianity and its branch in Roman Catholicism (because of the term research paper), their relationship with environmental sustainability, and how that translates at various levels in the United States. Professor Sexton and T.A Batac made my experience rich. Doctor Sexton holds so much knowledge, lectures with passion, and is easy to communicate. T.A Batac's enthusiasm facilitates communicating comments, questions, or concerns on assignments like the book quizzes and the ethnographic research paper.

The books we read like James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time and Robert P. Jone's White Too Long were incredibly eye-opening. Like others we read, these books helped lighten the shade off my glasses and, in my opinion, believe that all should read these two books once in their lifetime. Doctor Sexton has some of the authors of the books we cover come to class and speak about their piece and research, which is always rewarding as they hold much knowledge. It helps grasp the material and opens a line of communication for us to expand our network if it interests us. Doctor Sexton's flexibility for our term paper allowed me to discover and experience a new research method in Dirbagging. I enjoyed the procedure because it allowed me to develop a study on terms that felt right for the occasion, helping create a unique approach to researching the religion we students have the option of selecting.

Thanks to Doctor Sexton, T.A Batac, and my time and effort, I increased my understanding and confidence to hold a critical conversation of Christianity and its branch in Roman Catholicism in the United States with an emphasis on environmental sustainability.

Read, Research, and Participate = A- (I don't do well with timed/multi-option quizzes or else: A :D)

Sociology 147A is one of my favorite course taken so far at UCLA. I would definitely recommend this course to other students who are interest in topics on crime and want to challenge themselves with reading and writing skills. This course is not an easy course to take but you can really expand your knowledge after you have taken this course. This course has three components that I really liked. First is the engaging lectures and course contents. Second is the interesting books and reading materials. Third is the helpfulness of the Professor.
First, I think the lecture and the course contents are very interesting to me because I personally really enjoy learning about deviance and crime , but also Professor Sexton gave very engaging lectures that often relate current events to our lectures. He also would throw out some questions at the end of class, allowing us to engage in discussions.
Second, I really like the books Professor Sexton assigned us to read. There are three books we have to read and do homework on, and every one of them is very interesting. I personally really like "Smile Now Cry Later" by Freddy Negrete. The books are not boring and too academically sound, they are rather interesting but also contains useful knowledge.
Lastly, Professor Sexton is very helpful. Definitely recommend going to his office hour! He is a highly intellectual professor and very approachable. He knows a lot and is always very supportive. The course contains a research project where you get to pick the topic. Professor Sexton is very open to giving advice and resources to students regarding their projects.
Overall, it is a reading and writing dense course, but it is also a course very worth taking!

Professor Sexton is one of the best professors I’ve ever had! He cares about all his students and wants them to succeed. He makes his class really interesting and the workload is manageable. He provides quizzes that are extremely manageable and an ethnographic paper that is actually fun and enjoyable to write! I really enjoyed taking Professor's Sextons class and would recommend anyone to take it as well. I learned so many interesting things in this class about religion that I didn’t know before and I always looked forward to class. We need more professors like Professor Sexton!

Prof. Sexton and his sociology class on crime is one of the most influential classes I have ever taken at UCLA. He not only taught on the subject matter, but also how to critically think on how this subject may relate to other sociological matters. His lecturing skills and ability to connect to an individual student are a welcoming surprise; especially in a class of 300 students. The material he gave the class is knowledge I still use today and has shaped how I perceive the world. I think everyone, despite their major, should attend this class as it opens your perception of the world around you.

Sociology of Crime with Professor Sexton was a fantastic course. The lectures and reading were very interesting and engaging. Professor Sexton is clearly very knowledgable on the topic and cares deeply about his students' learning and engagement with the content. Some of the readings were lengthy (very typical of most Sociology courses at UCLA I'd say) but I found that if I did the reading and showed up to lecture I was very prepared for the tests/other course assignments. Would absolutely take this class (and really any class!) with Professor Sexton again. Easily one of the best Sociology courses I took during my time at UCLA.

Long overdue review but Professor Sexton's SOC147A class is one of my favorite and most memorable classes! I have never been more intrigued by the material required from a class than this one. Professor Sexton is very approachable, open, and willing to answer your questions. He engages the class in a respectful and passionate manner. I actually looked forward to reading the books and materials that were assigned in this class because they were so insightful and brought new perspectives that I found enlightening. The class atmosphere was open and receptive, and every discussion in class was filled with diverse opinions and ideas.

As someone who is NOT a sociology major, I stumbled upon this class by accident as a late add... what a blessing it turned out to be... This class was probably one of the most important classes I have taken at UCLA, and I am about to graduate. Organized, thoughtful lectures, reading materials and willingness to communicate throughout this course make it unique from all other college courses I have taken. The workload is not much, it is super doable if you stay on top of it. I was added 3 weeks late in the class and was able to pull of getting a good grade in the class, that should tell you alot. Professor Sexton is very accommodating and actually LISTENS to his students and takes time to sit and talk with every student about concerns or any other matters (I know, you dont see this alot at a school this big). The class consists of participation, 3 quizzes, a final, and a final project where you study a religion. It seems a lot at first, but trust me, you will have so much fun doing it and it is really hard to not get a good grade because everything you have to do is listed, along with the help from him and TA's every week throughout the quarter. Quizzes are multiple choice, straight up and not meant to deceive you. Overall, a really fun, informative, educational and super interesting and fairly easy class... Take this class, you wont regret it!!

I really enjoyed this class and I think I learned a lot about the sociology of religion from Professor Sexton! I never would have though I would take a religion course as a Sociology major, but I'm glad I did. The readings he provided were also very engaging, however, be warned you will be quizzed on the readings but because they are pretty good reads you should be fine.
This class also featured guest lectures from the authors from some of the readings which really helped give me an insight on what I read and its always nice to interact with an author whose work you've read before.
This class also featured an ethnographic paper on a religion of your choice, which I found to be very fun to do. Although it is a bit of work to schedule and conduct interviews, it was a fun way to conduct your own research.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this class to any Soc major because Professor Sexton is a good professor and if you follow all of the required materials and assignments you should do well!

The highlight of my undergraduate sociology experience! Dr. Sexton is an outstandingly knowledgeable and supportive professor who masterfully guides his students through the course material. His instruction enthuses curiosity and insight as he supports his students in their discovery of what religion is, what it means to be religious, and how complex societal issues can be evaluated through a religious lens. The course provides opportunities for students to engage interactively with course content. Throughout the quarter, students conduct an ethnography project on a religious organization in the Los Angeles area. The project provides hands on sociological research experience beyond the classroom, as well as meaningful community engagement. Along with the ethnographic project there is a final exam and a handful of quizzes on the readings. I found the workload to be comparable to other upper division sociology classes and I used audiobooks to stay on top of the heavier readings. Manageable and rewarding!

I took prison religion with Sexton in Winter 24'. The class isn't listed, honestly, the class was a major waste of time. The topic isn't nuanced enough for 10 weeks and attendance is mandatory. He also will take it very personally if you miss class or don't remember the material. He grades very harshly and is often rude. If you disagree with a grade he gave he simply does not care. If you want to struggle and be unhappy for a whole quarter take this class otherwise don't there are many kinder professors here at UCLA.