ATS1365 · Introduction to sociology

Overview

Sociology helps us make sense of the social world and our place within it. In this unit, you will learn to use key sociological concepts and ways of thinking to analyse real issues in contemporary life, examining how social structures and cultural norms shape everyday experience and how factors such as class, gender, age, culture, and religion intersect to produce patterns of diversity, inequality, and social change. In the process you will recognise how personal experiences are connected to broader social forces, use sociological frameworks to interrogate contemporary debates, and critically question taken-for-granted assumptions about how society works. By the end of the unit, you will have developed the capacity to see the world sociologically - to understand power and inequality - and to communicate these sociological insights clearly and persuasively.

Areas of study: Sociology

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Identify and explain the key concepts and perspectives used in sociological analysis;
2. Critically reflect on and analyse the structural factors that influence how people experience everyday life;
3. Locate and evaluate sociological evidence and reliable sociological sources, distinguishing these from misinformation and opinion;
4. Use evidence to construct coherent and organised sociological arguments.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.