This is huge. In a state system, where budgets are tight, this will effectively shrink sociology departments in Florida's higher ed system. You lose students taking soc classes for gen ed, but then downstream majors because they don't get exposed to the discipline.
The Board of Governors in Florida just removed an intro sociology course that mentioned race and gender as a social science option for their gen ed requirements. The vote came after faculty and students on the board objected
State higher-education officials on Thursday moved toward making changes to 'general education core courses' at state universities
This is interesting, I did not know about this to begin with. I do not think many places in Europe ever had sociology as part of general secondary programs. I know only for sure this has been in Sweden, but even there sociology has only been a selective (and even there not too long time yet)
As I read this, It doesn't reduce the number of students in sociology classes, it just removes this class from the gened sociology requirement. They still have to take a sociology class, just can't take this one.
As a sociology professor who teaches gen ed courses, I understand this decision. I no longer use sociology textbooks because they are littered with politically slanted mumbo-jumbo (instead of interesting and relevant social science), as described in this honest account of our troubled discipline.
The GOP (I was going to say MAGA, but let's face it, most of the GOP is MAGA now) are determined to make everyone as sociopathic as they are. Anything that might teach a hint of empathy is to be destroyed. It's sick.