SOCI 1003 - Introduction to Sociology

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2019

This introductory course provides students with the skills to analyse society from a sociological perspective. It examines a number of pressing social problems within contemporary Australian society and offers a comprehensive introduction to the discipline of sociology and its foundational theories. It aims to provide students with the skills to understand examine and explain broad social trends and their impact on the individual. Key sociological concepts covered include class/socioeconomic status, gender, youth, ethnicity, family, work, consumption and location.

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Course Details

Course Code	SOCI 1003
Course	Introduction to Sociology
Coordinating Unit	Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	GWSI 1001, GWSI 1001EX, GSSA 1001, GSSA 1001EX
Assessment	Tutorial participation 15%, Short critical assignment (750 words) 25%, Essay (1,500 words) 45%, Multiple-answer test (online) 15%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Pam Papadelos

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

1	Understand the role the social sciences play in critical discussions relating to Australian society specifically and more broadly on a global scale;
2	Identify the characteristics of social science research, critical reading and analytical reading;
3	Be able to locate, access and evaluate a range of resources available to support critical research and writing;
4	Demonstrate a critical approach to ethical issues in the context of public discourses about contemporary issues and debates;
5	Be able to confidently engage with unfamiliar texts;
6	Be able to prepare and deliver coherent and logically argued written texts;
7	Demonstrate productive and respectful engagement with their peers in group work

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,3
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3,4,6,7
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	7
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1,3,4,6
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	4,7
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1,4,7

Learning Resources

Required Resources

An e-reader will be available online via MyUni (Canvas)

Recommended Resources

All material for the course will be available through MyUni throughout the semester

Online Learning

Resources for this course are available on Canvas (e-reader, lecture notes and recording , assessment and aditional material as required).

Learning & Teaching Modes

Throughout the semester students will be required to attend a 2 hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial each week.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

WORKLOAD

WORK REQUIRED	HOURS
1 x 2-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week	24 hours
1 x 1-hour tutorial (or equivalent) per week	12 hours
6 hours reading per week	72 hours
2 hours research per week	24 hours
2 hours assignment preparation per week	24 hours
TOTAL HOURS	156 hours

Learning Activities Summary

WEEK	LECTURE TOPIC
1	What is sociology?
2	No Lecture or tutorial
3	Sociological Foundations
4	Social Stratification: Class Inequality
5	Weber and Organisation Theory
6	Gender & Sexualities
7	Identity & Consumption
8	Aboriginality and Australia’s Indigenous Peoples
9	Culture, Ethnicity and Migration
10	Power/Knowledge

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

ASSESSMENT TASK	TASK TYPE	WEIGHTING	COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
Tutorial participation	Formative and Summative	10%	1, 4, 6
Short Quiz	Formative and Summative	5%	2,3
800 word short critical assignment	Formative and Summative	20%	1-6
1500 word essay	Formative and Summative	45%	1-6
Multiple-answer test (online)	Formative and Summative	20%	1-6

Assessment Detail

Tutorial participation 10%
Facilitating discussion in one tutorial:
For each of the topics, students will be assigned to lead a tutorial discussion through answering the set tutorial questions based on the readings. No presentation is required for this, it is simply a matter of being prepared for the class, being willing to speak first and encouraging others to contribute.

Completion of tutorial exercises:
Each week you are asked to complete additional preparation for the tutorial, for example locating a newspaper article or completing an exercise before you come to the tutorial. There is no make-up alternative to this exercise.

Online Quiz 5%
Multiple Choice Questions to be completed on-line within stated period.

Small Written assignment 20%
Respond to a set question in essay format - 800 words.

Essay 45%
Develop skills in producing, sustaining, and coherently presenting a written and persuasive argument, using evidence from academic and other sources. Essay questions will be posted on MyUni.

Online Quiz 20%
Multiple Choice Questions to be completed on-line within stated period.

Submission

Online submission of all assignments

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Students in the previous cohort provided the following feedback in the course SELTs. Student feedback is always highly valued and we do our best to act upon it. 59 students participated in the SELTs which constituted 24% of the class. I have made some refinements to the course/my teaching based on the feedback. I have summarised the areas of particular strength in both the Likert Scale and open-ended questions below as well as areas for improvement along with my responses to your colleagues’ feedback.

There was a broad agreement of 88% to question 1 - Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of this course (mean score of 6 out of 7). The students noted that the best aspects of the course were the tutorials ("interactive") and the lectures ("engaging"). Some students found the theoretical component of this course challenging. I have incorportated more examples that link theoretical material to 'real life' situations to hopefully demonstrate its applicability.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

Students in the previous cohort provided the following feedback in the course SELTs. Student feedback is always highly valued and we do our best to act upon it. 9 students participated in the SELTs which constituted 26% of the class. I have made some refinements to the course/my teaching based on the feedback. I have summarised the areas of particular strength in both the Likert Scale and open-ended questions below as well as areas for improvement along with my responses to your colleagues’ feedback.

There was a broad agreement of 100% to question 1 - Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of this course (mean score of 6 out of 7). The students noted that the best aspect of the course was the lectures. While no specific improvements were noted in the SELTs the teaching team is constantly looking for ways of improving the course.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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