Faculty of Sciences, Engineering & Health
SOCL11055
Introduction to Sociology
What is this course about?
Students should be able to research current issues by focusing on the social structures
and social processes which lie at the heart of many of the problems and challenges
facing the modern world. In this introductory course, students should be able to learn
how to think more critically about themselves and their society, questioning
commonsense assumptions about the world. Students should be able to look critically at
social inequalities and why they emerge, and to learn different ways of seeing the world.
Sociology is a discipline which draws on key research and analytical skills in
understanding contemporary issues like globalisation, terrorism and climate change. On
completion of this course students should be able to see how sociology complements the
more technical aspects of other disciplines with a social focus, a focus which is more
and more seen by governments, business leaders and many others as crucial.
What are the expected
outcomes of the course?
On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic features of a sociological perspective, and
apply this perspective to the world around them
2. Situate apparently individual actions or events within a broader historical, cultural and
social-structural context
3. Use sociological methods and perspectives to uncover and analyse the major forms of
social inequality in the contemporary world, such as ethnicity, gender and class
4. Use sociological frameworks, ideas and evidence to critically evaluate current social
problems, and to suggest better ways of dealing with these problems
When is it offered?
2009 Term Three
Where is it offered?
Flexible Learning
How is it assessed?
Approved assessment for this course is:
Examination 0%
Other
100%
Assessment 1 20% Annotated bibliography
Assessment 2 40% Research Report
Assessment 3 40% Multiple Choice Quiz
What textbooks do I need
to obtain?
ALL
ALL
ALL
Prescribed
● Matthewman, S, West-Newman, CL and Curtis, B (eds) 2007, Being sociological,
Palgrave Macmillan, Houndmills.
Note: This book comes packaged with the Scott text, also listed on this course at a
cost saving to students.
● Scott, John (ed) 2006, Sociology--the key concepts, Routledge, London.
Note: This book comes packaged with the Mathewman text, also listed on this
course at a cost saving to students.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 1
Who do I contact?
Coordinator:
Email:
Phone:
Aminul Faraizi
a.faraizi@cqu.edu.au
(07) 49309402
Additional contact details may be found at:
http://lecturer.cqu.edu.au/lecturer.jsp?term=2093&course=SOCL11055
Copyright CQUniversity
Information for Students for this Offering
Study Schedule
Week
Begin Date
Module/Topic
Chapter
Week 1
02 Nov 09
MODULE ONE--DOING SOCIOLOGY
Week 1
02 Nov 09
Introduction
Introduction
Week 2
09 Nov 09
Doing research
1
Week 3
16 Nov 09
Modernising
2; plus
Diamond 1997
Week 4
23 Nov 09
MODULE TWO--SOCIOLOGY OF THE
ECONOMY
Events and
submissions
Assessment item 1
All Students
Annotated
bibliography
Due: 27 Nov 09
Week 4
23 Nov 09
Working
3; plus Beder
2001
Assessment item 1
All Students
Annotated
bibliography
Due: 27 Nov 09
Week 5
30 Nov 09
Consuming
4; plus Langer
2002
Week 6
14 Dec 09
Trading
5; plus
Hawthorne
2001
Week 7
21 Dec 09
MODULE THREE--DOING INEQUALITY
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 2
Week 7
21 Dec 09
Governing--power
7
Week 8
04 Jan 10
Stratifying--class
6
Week 9
11 Jan 10
Gendering
9
Assessment item 2
All Students
Research Report
Due: 11 Jan 10
Week 10
18 Jan 10
Racialising
8
Week 11
25 Jan 10
Sexualising
10
Week 12
01 Feb 10
Finishing
20; plus Willis
2004
Assessment item 3
All Students
Multiple Choice Quiz
Due: 05 Feb 10
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 3
Assessment Submission
Students are required to familiarise themselves with the policies and procedures of the University & Faculty, such as:
Referencing Style
● http://facultysite.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=3949
Copyright Guidelines
http://copyright.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?site=302
Applying for Extension (Assessment of Coursework Policy)
●
● http://policy.cqu.edu.au/Policy/policy.jsp?policyid=701
Assessment and examinations (Assessment of Coursework Policy)
http://policy.cqu.edu.au/Policy/policy.jsp?policyid=701
Plagiarism (Policy & Appendices)
●
http://policy.cqu.edu.au/Policy/policy.jsp?policyid=198
http://policy.cqu.edu.au/Policy/policy.jsp?policyid=608
Please refer to the Faculty Guide for Students for general assessment information pertaining to Faculty courses.
●
●
Faculty Guide
Students are required to familiarise themselves with the various requirements outlined in the annual Faculty Guide.
This includes matters relating to assignment preparation, presentation, submission and grading.
● http://fseh.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/getFile.do?id=17754
This and other guidelines and documentation for Faculty students may also be found at
●
http://fseh.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do;?page=2154
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 4
Assessment
To pass this course, you must complete and submit all pieces of assessment and achieve an
aggregate mark of 50% or better.
Assignment submission
The two assignments for this course—the annotated bibliography and the research report-must be submitted in print using the Division of Teaching and Learning assignment
submission system. Both assignments will need a cover sheet, which can be generated
through CQUcentral. Instructions for generating cover sheets can be found via the following
link: http://dtls.cqu.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=344. The cover sheet will also contain
the address to which you send the assignment.
The multiple choice quiz will be in electronic form, and will be made available at the
appropriate time through the course website. It can be completed using any computer that has
Internet access.
Policies and procedures for assessment
As well as the general University and Faculty policies referred to above, students must
familiarise themselves with the Assignment Presentation Guidelines for Sociology Students,
available on the course website.
Assessment details for all students
There are three assessment items for all students:
(1) Assessment Item 1: Annotated bibliography
(2) Assessment Item 2: Research Report
(3) Assessment Item 3: Multiple Choice Quiz
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 5
Assessment Item 1—Annotated Bibliography
Due date:
Friday 27 November (end of Week 4)
Weighting:
20%
Length:
900 words
ASSESSMENT
1
Details
This assignment is your first step in doing sociological research, and lays the foundation for
the second assignment, the research report (due in Week 9). It requires you to choose and
refine your research topic and to find six references that will provide you with the necessary
resources to complete your report. For each of these six references, you will need to write a
100-word annotation explaining how this resource will help you to address your chosen topic
—for example, by providing essential data, or a review of the relevant literature, or the
findings of previous research on this topic. Your references must include at least three journal
articles or books from the sociological research literature.
The best sources to use are articles from sociological journals, or sociological research
published in book form. A great range of journal articles is available through the various
electronic databases held by the CQUniversity Library, in particular SocIndex (available via
EBSCOhost), Infotrac and ProQuest Direct. These articles are of many different kinds, but
will often contain relevant data as well as sociological analysis of these data. Other good
sources of data include the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Australian Institute of Health
and Welfare, the Australian Institute of Criminology, and the Centre for Aboriginal Economic
Policy Research, all of which have a lot of research available online.
Other kinds of sources can be used as appropriate, but only as supplementary resources—the
report must be based primarily around relevant sociological literature. Be especially careful
about using material straight from the Internet, as in many cases this material has not been
subject to any kind of critical scrutiny or editing. Another trap to avoid is relying solely on
introductory textbooks—e.g. having six different textbooks and nothing else. Your textbook
is a valuable resource and you should use it to the fullest extent possible; it may also be useful
to consult other textbooks to get a different perspective or some useful data. Nonetheless
textbooks are only an introduction to the discipline and a review of some of the most
important research. You need to use the textbook but also to go beyond it, and to begin
tapping into the original research literature.
You will also need to include a 300-word outline of what you intend to research, which
should be placed at the front of your assignment. As you can see below, the research topics
are quite broad and will need to be narrowed down so that you can adequately address them
within the relevant time frame and word length. The outline should specify the scale of the
project (local, regional, national, international); your main data sources; the time frame
covered by your report; and the main form(s) of social inequality relevant to the problem. So
for example instead of focusing simply on unemployment, which would be too broad, a better
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 6
focus would be unemployment in Queensland over the period 1990-2008, using data from the
Australian Bureau of Statistics, with particular reference to age inequalities.
Topics
Water issues
Asylum seekers
Poverty
Suicide
Unemployment
Homelessness
Climate change
Domestic violence
Health
Indigenous issues
Terrorism
You need to focus on the social aspects of the problem involved, particularly with issues such
as climate change, and to use relevant sociological concepts and perspectives (for example,
how do social inequalities between nations contribute to climate change?).
If you have a particular interest in a different topic, you need to talk to your lecturer or to the
course coordinator to seek approval for this topic.
See further details in the next section. Keep an eye on the discussion boards and the
assessment section of the course website for further guidance on the annotated bibliography
and the research report.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 7
Assessment Item 2—Research Report
Due date:
Monday 11 January (start of Week 9)
Weighting:
40%
Length
1,500 words
ASSESSMENT
2
Details (see also above, under Assessment Item 1)
This assessment item will require you to implement the plan you put forward in Assessment
Item 1. It requires you to write a short research report documenting and analysing a
particular social problem, and making recommendations about how we might better address
this problem. The report must contain the following sections:
Title page
Introduction
Results
Discussion
Recommendations
Reference List
Further information on the requirements for each section can be found in the Assignment
Presentation Guidelines for Sociology Students, available on the course website.
In your report, you need to go beyond simply giving opinions or making judgements. Your
findings and recommendations must be based on appropriate, relevant and convincing
evidence drawn from the sociological research literature. This can be a daunting prospect, and
given that this may well be your first exposure to sociology we are only asking you to take the
first steps in this process. You can and should use your textbook to provide some of the
essential tools for writing your report, but you should also begin to develop your skills in
locating relevant research findings from the sociological literature. These skills are essential
whether you are studying sociology or any other discipline.
Check with your lecturer if you are unsure about what kinds of evidence are relevant to your
topic, or about how to incorporate this evidence into your report.
Social problems are complex and multifaceted—there are rarely simple, cut-and-dried
answers or solutions, and you should be sceptical about anyone claiming to provide such
simple answers. In addition, there are some problems which will almost certainly never be
solved in a total or absolute way—for example, it is very unlikely that there ever has been or
ever will be a society without deviance or crime—it is more a matter of minimising the
problem or dealing with it more effectively. Your report needs to demonstrate an awareness
of the complexities involved with the problem you have chosen to focus on, and to frame
recommendations that recognise these complexities. Within these limits, you need at least to
suggest improved ways of addressing the problem, if not doing away with it altogether. You
need to make the link between thinking sociologically about social issues and providing
real solutions (ideas and methods) to bring about social change necessary to improve the
world.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 8
One of the major complexities involved with any social problem is the influence of social
inequality. Your report must include as a significant component one or more of the major
forms of social inequality, and how this social inequality enters into the problem and possible
solutions to this problem. Sociologists sometimes use the acronym CAGES as a shorthand
way of referring to these major forms. This acronym refers to class, age, gender, ethnicity and
sexuality.
It is also important to have a critical awareness of how the problem is framed—sometimes it
is the framing or definition of the problem that is itself the stumbling block. For example,
defining violence within the family as something private which outsiders have no right to
intervene in may lead to very serious cases of abuse and torture going unrecognised and
unreported. In the same vein, how one defines ‘the family’ is a matter of intense and ongoing
debate within our society, and this leads to very different conclusions about what does or does
not constitute a social problem (for example homosexual marriage, de facto relationships,
illegitimate births).
Doing sociological research involves a good knowledge of sociological research methods and
theoretical perspectives. There are also many ethical issues involved—sociological research,
like many other kinds, requires ethical clearance from the relevant university or other
sponsoring body. A good research project takes a significant amount of time to prepare, to
conduct and to write up. For these reasons, and given that you are new to the discipline and
probably to university work in general, it is recommended that you rely primarily on the
published literature for your findings, rather than attempting to do your own original research.
If you do wish to conduct some interviews or do some other original research, you should
discuss it with your lecturer or the course coordinator beforehand.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 9
Assessment Criteria Sheet for Research Report
Student Name: ________________________________
Poor
Fair
Good
Very Good Outstanding
Content
Presentation of main argument/approach to the
topic
Use of key sociological concepts relevant to the
topic
Breadth of reading
Use of supporting evidence
Analysis of major findings
Coming to a final position on the topic
Presentation
Legibility: line spacing, font, margins, etc.
Spelling
Grammar, including paragraph structure
Correct in-text referencing and reference list
Word length (within 10% of word limit)
Submitted on time (5% per day penalty)
Guide to Assessment Criteria for Research Report
The following criteria will be used to grade your research report.
Content
Presentation of main argument/approach to the issue
You are expected to develop a coherent and logically-based analysis of the social
problem you have chosen to focus on. Your general approach to the topic should be
outlined in the introduction.
Use of key sociological concepts relevant to topic
You need not only to describe the problem you are investigating, but also to begin to
analyse it from a sociological perspective. This means using relevant sociological
concepts and perspectives. Key concepts should be defined in your introduction, and used
in a meaningful fashion throughout your report.
Breadth of reading
The report must be based on informative and relevant sources. You must have at least the
six references discussed in your annotated bibliography, but you may need more. Your
depth of reading will, in general terms, be based upon the number of relevant sources you
have incorporated into your report and what sociological sense you have made of them.
Use of supporting evidence
You must back up your arguments with appropriate and reliable evidence, rather than just
giving opinions or passing judgement. The nature of this evidence will vary depending on
the topic, but in most cases will include at least some statistical material. A summary of
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 10
the evidence you have gathered should be presented in the results section of your report.
In some cases, it may be appropriate to include more detailed evidence as an appendix.
Analysis of major findings
Sociology is a critical discipline in that it relies upon testing everyday assumptions about
the world, and often finds them to be wanting. The concepts and theories developed by
scholars are being constantly criticised and re-worked to improve our understanding of
society. You are expected to move beyond descriptive accounts of social life and to begin
to analyse things from a sociological point of view. We anticipate that you will try to
make sense of the patterns you discover in the information you provide, using the
theories and concepts you have learned.
Coming to a final position on the topic
Your reading and consideration of a variety of points of view should bring you to your
own conclusion on the topic raised. This is your contribution to thinking on the issue – a
reasoned summing up of the weight of evidence. Your recommendations should be
solidly based on the evidence you have presented and your analysis of this evidence.
Presentation
Legibility: line spacing, font, margins, etc.
The presentation of your essay, including its components such as title page, introduction,
discussion and reference list are important. We hope to read a clear text, in comfortablysized font. Well spaced rows (double, for most text; single-indented for long quotes) also
make what you have written clearer. Most word-processing programmes take instructions
on these issues.
Spelling
Most word-processing programmes will designate words that are spelled incorrectly. You
should still proofread your work before submission though.
Grammar, including paragraph structure
It is essential that you employ correct English – poor use of grammar may make it
difficult for the marker to follow your reasoning. Paragraphs are intended to convey one
clear thought in each paragraph, with enough elaboration to make that thought clear.
Often a bridging sentence may be necessary at paragraph's end to lead the reader from
this paragraph (thought) to the next. Readability refers to the clarity of expression – the
way your phrases and sentences are structured and the way they link to form the basis of
your claims and arguments.
Correct in-text referencing and reference list
One of the main failings of students is to ignore the conventions of academic writing. All
ideas which are borrowed from other people (not just quotations or paraphrases) must
carry a reference or references. Harsh penalties will be incurred when you employ other
people’s ideas without proper acknowledgment (this is regarded as plagiarism). Please
employ the Harvard system of referencing for both in-text referencing and for the
reference list. It is always better to have too many references than too few (although if
you do have a very large number, you might examine your writing style and establish
whether you are uncritically and unreflectively reproducing ideas, rather than, as you
should be, interpreting them). Works of leading scholars are better consulted in the
original, but textbook and elaborating articles are better for this than websites.
Word length (within 10% of word limit)
You cannot expect to receive good marks for poorly structured or rambling work or for
work which does not adhere to the word limit.
Submitted on time (5% per day penalty)
Your colleagues have mostly submitted on time; fairness dictates that we should not
reward those who 'crib' extra time to do the same work. If you have a genuine reason for
lateness, make an arrangement with the course coordinator; and doing this before the due
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 11
date (except in emergency circumstances) has a greater likelihood of success than just
sending your work in and 'hoping for the best'.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 12
Assessment item 3—Multiple choice quiz
Due date:
Friday 5 February (end of Week 12)
Weighting:
40%
Length
40 questions in 40 minutes
ASSESSMENT
2
Objectives
The quiz is set to test your understanding of fundamental concepts, methods, perspectives
and facts covered by the course readings and lectures. It covers the whole term’s work.
Details
This is a timed online quiz that must be sat on the due date between the hours of 6am
and 10pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time). It will be delivered through the
‘Assessment’ section of the course website, and will only become available on the due date.
Students will need to have access to a computer with Internet connection in order to
complete the quiz. It is your responsibility to make time to sit the quiz on the due date, and
to arrange for a reliable Internet connection. Before you take the quiz, make sure that you
are ready (i.e. a proper revision has been done) and choose a time and computer/place with
minimum distraction to sit for the quiz (i.e. do not have external disturbances from people,
pets, etc). Be conscious of the time limit while taking the quiz—make sure you have a
clock in front of you, and note down your starting time.
There will be 40 multiple choice questions to answer in 40 minutes. There will be only one
correct or best answer to each question, and you need to select the option corresponding to
this answer. There are no penalties for incorrect answers. While you will be able to refer to
the textbook or other resources while you are taking the quiz, you cannot afford to do this
for every question because of the time limit. You need to have a good understanding of the
course content before taking the quiz. Each student will receive a customised quiz, chosen
in random fashion, so that collusion will not be possible.
The presentation of questions is one at a time. You must answer the current question before
you go on to the next one.
Example Q. Which theorist developed ‘power elite’ theory?
a. Robert Merton
b. Emile Durkheim
c. Erving Goffman
d. C. Wright Mills *
The correct answer is d, C. Wright Mills—this is the one you need to tick.
Students who may have special difficulties in undertaking the quiz need to contact the
course coordinator early in the term to make the necessary arrangements.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 13
Further instructions on taking the quiz will be made available after the start of term. There
will also be a mock quiz early in the term for you to gain some practice.
Course Profile for: SOCL11055, 2009 Term Three - Page 14