CQUniversity Unit Profile
SOCL11055 Sociology of Australian Society
Sociology of Australian Society
All details in this unit profile for SOCL11055 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Sociology is a distinctive way of critically understanding the social forces that shape the self, Australia and the world - whatever professional paths you take. This unit will enable you to start thinking critically about Australian society, your place in it as part of an increasingly diverse and globalising world. It will help you to develop a deeper understanding of the underlying social forces that shape social inequality and individual autonomy using critical thinking and reflective practice

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 1
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

There are no requisites for this unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 3 - 2018

Distance

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 25%
2. Written Assessment
Weighting: 50%
3. Online Quiz(zes)
Weighting: 25%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from 'Have your say' button

Feedback

Students gave textbook mixed review feeling it was too advanced and too US-centric.

Recommendation

Has set an Australian textbook which is more readable and less detailed.

Feedback from 'Have your say' button

Feedback

Overall students said the unit was too difficult and key concepts needed more explanation

Recommendation

The new textbook will address this

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Explain the interactions between self and Australian society in a broad historical, cultural and social-structural context.
  2. Apply sociological frameworks to major forms of social inequality in Australia in global context, such as class, race and gender.
  3. Define basic sociological concepts.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25%
2 - Written Assessment - 25%
3 - Written Assessment - 50%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 25%
2 - Written Assessment - 25%
3 - Written Assessment - 50%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

The Sociological Quest

Edition: Any (2011)
Authors: Evan Willis
A&U Academic
St Leonards St Leonards , NSW , Australia
Binding: Paperback

Additional Textbook Information


IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Shane Hopkinson Unit Coordinator
s.hopkinson@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 05 Nov 2018

Module/Topic

Sociology, Human services, systems and social innovation

Chapter

Textbook: Willis (2011) Ch. 1 Introduction & Ch. 2 Nature of Sociological Explanations

Hopkinson (2007) 'WTF is Sociology?'

Events and Submissions/Topic

Complete ichange module

Week 2 Begin Date: 12 Nov 2018

Module/Topic

Is Sociology a Science? Challenging appearances & the ideology of "common sense"

Chapter

Textbook: Willis (2011) Ch. 3 Sociology's place in the Academy

Babakiueria (Kanopy) (URL)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Complete Practice Quiz

Week 3 Begin Date: 19 Nov 2018

Module/Topic

The Sociological Imagination 1: History and Cultural Factors - roles & norms in capitalist society




Chapter

Textbook: Willis (2011) Ch. 4 Sociological Imagination 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 26 Nov 2018

Module/Topic

The Sociological Imagination 2: Structure of Capitalist Society & Critique

Chapter

Textbook: Willis (2011) Ch 5 Structure and critique


Events and Submissions/Topic

 


Two Timed Online Quizzes Due: Week 4 Friday (30 Nov 2018) 11:45 pm AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 03 Dec 2018

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 5 Begin Date: 10 Dec 2018

Module/Topic

Social Structures 1: State Ideology & Neo-liberal Politics


Chapter

Political Compass

Wallerstein (2001) Ch. 1 The French Revolution as world-historical event

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 17 Dec 2018

Module/Topic

Biology as ideology - it it really in your DNA?

Chapter

Textbook: Willis (2011) Ch. 6 The Social and the Biological


Events and Submissions/Topic

Understanding the sociological imagination in human service work Due: Week 6 Friday (21 Dec 2018) 12:00 pm AEST
Christmas Break Begin Date: 24 Dec 2018

Module/Topic

Social Structures 2: Class Structure & Capitalist Globalisation

Chapter

Textbook: Willis (2011) Ch.7 Theory & Method Ch. 8 Doing Sociology

Walter & Saggers (2007) Poverty & Social Class (CRO)


Events and Submissions/Topic

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS

Week 7 Begin Date: 02 Jan 2019

Module/Topic

Social Structures 3:  Class & Cultural Norms



Chapter

Germov (2013) Imagining Health Problems as Social Issues (CRO)

:

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 07 Jan 2019

Module/Topic

Social Structures 4 : The Gender Order & Families 
 

Chapter

Bessant & Watts (2007) Ourselves in Families (CRO)
Torres (2000) Indigenous Australian Women (CRO)
Transgender Basics [Youtube clip]

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 14 Jan 2019

Module/Topic

Social Structures 5:  Nation-state and "race": An imaginary community  

Chapter

Craven & Price (2011) Misconceptions, stereotypes & racism (CRO)

Thompson (1994) The cult of disremembering (CRO)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 21 Jan 2019

Module/Topic

Cultural Norms: Moral panics: Sex, drugs & deviance 

Chapter

Hari Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong (URL)

Freij & Germov (2015) Sociology of licit and illicit drugs (CRO)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 11 Begin Date: 28 Jan 2019

Module/Topic

Intersectionality 

Chapter

Lerner (1997) Rethinking the paradigm: race & class (CRO)

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Understanding a social issue using the sociological imagination Due: Week 11 Friday (1 Feb 2019) 12:00 pm AEST
Week 12 Begin Date: 04 Feb 2019

Module/Topic

 Revision

Chapter

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Two Timed Online Quizzes No. 2 Due Week 12 Friday (8th Feb 2019) 6am-10pm AEST

 

Exam Week Begin Date: 11 Feb 2019

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Understanding the sociological imagination in human service work

Task Description

Having an understanding of the sociological imagination is an important component of working in human services (e.g. social work, psychology) or social innovation. For this assessment, you are asked to write a 1000 word essay describing the sociological imagination and why it is important in understanding contemporary society and its relevance to your future profession.


Assessment Due Date

Week 6 Friday (21 Dec 2018) 12:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Week 9 Monday (14 Jan 2019)

Assessment items will be returned on Monday 2 weeks after submission


Weighting
25%

Minimum mark or grade
Must submit – you must submit all items to achieve a passing grade

Assessment Criteria

Structure (20%)
Academic essay conventions apply

Sociological Content (60%)

IntroductionBriefly explain how the sociological imagination connects private troubles with public issues.

Discussion
History
: How does an understanding of history inform human service work?
Structure: In what ways do an understanding of class, race and gender impact on human service work?
Socio-Cultural norms: How does understanding the role of social norms in constructing cultural 'commonsense' help human service workers understand power relations?

Conclusion Critique: How useful do you think a sociological way of seeing will be in your future career?

Presentation (20%)

It is expected that students will present their work in a professional manner - it should be clear and easy to read. It should follow the marking rubric available on Moodle and be properly referenced and formatted.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Explain the interactions between self and Australian society in a broad historical, cultural and social-structural context.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy

2 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Understanding a social issue using the sociological imagination

Task Description

You are asked to write a 1500 word essay focusing on a current social issue using the sociological imagination template. Some current social issues you may like to choose from include drug use, sexual assault, Aboriginal recognition, or refugees. Please contact the Unit Coordinator if you would like choose a different social issue.

Please, to ensure your own self-care, it is advised to choose a social issue that you do not have personal experience with. Do not interview people for this assessment, use the sociological literature and other sources to present the issue starting from an Indigenous perspective.


Assessment Due Date

Week 11 Friday (1 Feb 2019) 12:00 pm AEST


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (15 Feb 2019)

Assessment items will be returned on the Monday following 2 weeks after submission


Weighting
50%

Minimum mark or grade
Must submit – you must submit all items to achieve a passing grade

Assessment Criteria

Structure (20%)
Academic essay conventions apply

Sociological Content (60%)

Introduction: Briefly outline the issue and how the sociological imagination addresses it.

Discussion
History
: How does an understanding of history inform your understanding of the issue?
Structure: In what ways do an understanding of class, race and gender shape the social issue?
Socio-Cultural norms: How does the cultural 'commonsense' frame the isseu? How does a sociological 'way of seeing' differ?

Conclusion Critique: Sum up the argument and explain how your perspective on the issue has changed as a result of your research

Presentation (20%)

It is expected that students will present their work in a professional manner - it should be clear and easy to read. It should follow the marking rubric available on Moodle and be properly referenced and formatted.

 


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Apply sociological frameworks to major forms of social inequality in Australia in global context, such as class, race and gender.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy

3 Online Quiz(zes)

Assessment Title
Two Timed Online Quizzes

Task Description

There will be two quizzes with a total of 50 questions. You will be given one minute per question and each question is worth 0.5 mark.

QUIZ 1 20 Questions in 20 minutes - at the end of Week 4
QUIZ 2 30 Questions in 30 minutes - at the end of Week 12 (BEFORE the exam period)


Number of Quizzes

0


Frequency of Quizzes

Other


Assessment Due Date

Week 4 Friday (30 Nov 2018) 11:45 pm AEST

Quizzes will be available on Friday of Week 4 and Week 12 between 6am and 10pm


Return Date to Students

The online quiz is graded as it is completed. The results will be available when the overall quiz closes (ie the following day).


Weighting
25%

Minimum mark or grade
Must submit – you must submit all items to achieve a passing grade

Assessment Criteria

Objectives
The quizzes are set to test your understanding of fundamental concepts, methods, perspectives and facts covered by the textbooks and lectures. Each covers the whole term’s work up to that point.

Details
These are a timed online quizzes that must be sat on the due date between the hours of 6 AM and 10 PM (Australian Eastern Standard Time). If there are timezone issues for you please contact me well in advance.

They will be delivered through the ‘Assessment’ section of the course Moodle site, and will only become available on the due date. Students will need to have access to an 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. Do not wait until the last minute to complete the quiz as it will time out once the time limit is reached (i.e. at 10PM the quiz will close regardless of your start time).

There will be 2 quizzes with a total of 50 multiple choice questions. The first quiz will have 20 questions in 20 minutes and the second will have 30 questions in 30 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 from the test bank, so that collusion will not be possible.

The presentation of questions is one page at a time with 5 questions per page. You must complete each page before you go on to the next one. Attempts to backtrack to previous pages are not allowed.

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.There will also be a mock quiz early in the term for you to gain some practice. Students who may have special difficulties in undertaking the quiz need to contact the course coordinator as early as possible to make the necessary arrangements.

NB These are quizzes and not EXAMS so they are not sat in exam period.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Define basic sociological concepts.


Graduate Attributes
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Technology Competence

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?