Personal interests and backgrounds will be important factors in assigning students to sections in Social Sciences 136, Paul E. Sigmund, Jr. 6G, head section man in the new course, said yesterday.

Students interested in taking the course, given by David Riesman '31, Henry Ford II Professor of Social Sciences, must fill out a brief questionnaire asking field of concentration, home town, possible career choices, job experience, and other outside interests. The course staff hopes to have a wide variety of interests and backgrounds represented in each section.

The questionnaires will be available starting today at Riesman's office, Emerson 324. They will also be distributed at the first meeting of the course Monday, Feb. 2.

Riesman said last night that as many sections as possible would be held in House seminar rooms or in classrooms in which discussion groups may sit around a central table. There will be about 20 students in each section. There will be no final exams, and grades will be based on a long paper.

Enrollment is limited to 200 students, and preference will be given to Juniors and Seniors. Sigmund emphasized, however, that others, including graduate students, would not be excluded.