Sociology A/T
Sociology is the study of how individuals and groups think, feel, and behave. Stu-dents will develop an understanding of themselves and others by exploring the roles and interactions between individuals and society.Students will also develop their knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and perspectives to ex-plain behaviour. They analyse the nature and purpose of Sociology and develop insights into types of behaviour across a range of contexts in society.This course enables students to under-stand how individuals function within different contexts. Such knowledge has the potential to empower and enhance individual abilities and facilitate aware-ness of the human condition, along with tolerance and respect for others.
Units
Unit 1: Identity
In Unit 1, students study the ways people define themselves and their relationships with others. The electives provide students with opportunities to study the myriad ways that society classifies and categorises people at an individual and small group level, and how individuals can be constrained and empowered through their identification with such labels.
Examples of electives:
- Subcultures -This elective explores the concept of sub-cultures. Students studying this elective will learn about how subcultures are formed, what role they play in people’s lives, and how they relate to other aspects of society.
- Race and Ethnicity -This elective explores how race and ethnicity influence societies and their populations. Students studying this unit will learn about sociological approaches to race and ethnicity in the past, present and future context.
Unit 2: Sociology of Social Justice
This unit explores social issues that lend themselves to activism and debate: is-sues of equality, justice and fairness on a social scale. The electives provide students with opportunities to explore all sides of these issues, to develop the skills and acquire the information to make informed decisions about issues that affect them.
Examples of electives:
- Crime and Justice -This elective explores the nature of deviance and theories of criminal behaviour. Students will learn about how certain behaviours are designated as ‘deviant’ or ‘criminal’, theories of why people commit deviant acts, the role of the justice system, and contemporary issues such as crime fighting, the justice system and incarceration.
- Global Development - This elective explores issues of globalisation and international development. Stu-dents studying this unit will learn about the sociological perspectives on the pro-cess of globalisation, global inequality, development of nations, international relations, and global citizenship.
Unit 3: Cultural Icons
This unit explores all levels of culture: the ideas, institutions and practices that de-fine the ways we communicate and inter-act with each other. The electives in this unit provide students with opportunities to study the ways that ideas shape social life.
Examples of electives:
- Popular culture -This elective explores the role that popular culture plays in our lives. Students studying this unit will learn about ways to analyse and critique popular media to better understand how it both reflects and shapes society.
- News Media - This elective explores the role of the news media in a modern society through different sociological lenses. Students studying this unit will learn about the influence of news media, issues with the media’s role in society and the relation-ship the news media has with institutions.
Unit 4: Power & Institutions
This unit explores the superstructure of society: the social institutions and systems that determine the structure of society on a macro level, and in turn influence life on a micro level. The electives in this unit provide students with opportunities to study the ‘big picture’ of society, and explore the ways in which their lives are shaped by forces outside of their control.
Examples of electives:
- Power and Politics - This elective explores concepts of power and the role of the state in society. Stu-dents studying this unit will learn about theories of where power comes from, how it can be used and abused, and the role of the state in distributing and man-aging power.
- Religion - This elective explores the major world religions and the role that religion plays in society. Students studying this unit will learn the core beliefs of the major world religions, how different theories of religion apply to them, and about the impact of religion on the modern world.