SOCI 2009 - Sociological Theory in Action

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2021

This course introduces students to the ways that social scientists explain (theorise) the social world. We use a range of contemporary critical social theories to understand and explain current local and global issues (for example, urban graffiti, youth suicide, childhood obesity, politics of space and place, and commodification of sex). The teaching environment uses fieldtrips, interactive problem based activities and e-learning strategies to ground theoretical concepts in everyday life. This course attracts students from different disciplinary backgrounds and builds knowledge, skill development and professional practice.

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Course Details

Course Code	SOCI 2009
Course	Sociological Theory in Action
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
Prerequisites	At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study
Incompatible	GSSA 2020
Assessment	2 x 1000 word Fieldwork assignments 15% each, Small group activities ? online and in class 30%, 1500 word take home paper 40%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Nathan Manning

Course Timetable

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

Course Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1	Understand social theory, critical reading and analytical writing
2	Be able to locate, access and evaluate a range of resources available to support critical research and writing
3	Apply social theory to critical discussions relating to society on a local and global scale
4	Be able to confidently engage with social theory in the real world
5	Demonstrate a critical approach to ethical issues in the context of public discourses about contemporary issues and debates
6	Be able to prepare and deliver coherent and logically argued written texts

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)	1,3,4,5
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	1,2,6
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	4,5,6
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	2
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	4,5
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	3,4

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Readings can be accessed electronically through MyUni.

Recommended Resources

Other Useful Books and Resources:

Anderson, N. & Schlunke, K. (2008) Cultural theory in Everyday Practice Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Best, S. (2003) A Beginner’s Guide to Social Theory, London: Sage
Connell, R. (2007) Southern Theory: The Global Dynamics of Knowledge in Social Science. Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Germov, J & Poole, M. (2007). eds.Public sociology: An introduction to Australian society. Allen & Unwin.
Jones P, Bradbury L and S Boutillier (2011) Introducing Social Theory (2nd Ed). Cambridge: Polity
Inglis D (2012) An Invitation to Social Theory Cambridge: Polity.
Seidman, S. (2008) Contested Knowledge: Social Theory Today Fourth Edition Oxford: Blackwell.
Sim S,Van Loon S & D Cryan (2009) Introducing Critical Theory : A Graphic Guide London: Icon Books. Avaialble on-line:
Elliot, A. (2009) Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction. London: Routledge.
Turner, B. (2000) The New Blackwell Companion to Social Theory. Oxford: Wiley: Blackwell.
Crotty,M. (2003) The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. St Leonards, NSW : Allen & Unwin [available as e-link via the BSL]
Harrington, A. (2005) Modern Social Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.

Online Learning

Lecture podcasts, handouts, essay questions, links and updates about contemporary issues and further reading will be posted to the MyUni course site available via the MyUni link on University Web page at www.adelaide.edu.au.

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course is designed to develop a student-centred approach to the learning environment and create a critical thinking ethos. You will see this style of learning in the presentation of material, the ways in which you are asked to read and engage with spaces, and most importantly, your own engagement with the development of your assignments. This may sound overwhelming at first, as it is quite different to being given set essay questions. We have three field trips in this course which will create opportunities for you to connect with and make sense of your learning. Your fieldwork experiences work as the basis for developing understandings of conceptual and theoretical issues, and you will develop these into theoretical essays. We provide guidance with how to plan and structure your assignments, but the content and application of theory is in your hands. We believe that this personal integration of knowledge and its connection with broader social theory frameworks allows you to drive the analysis, and is at the heart of the best assessment practices.

Working collaboratively is also an important part of this course and it is expected that you will have read and taken notes on the set texts, and prepared for weekly tasks. We have in-class exercises that will help you understand the readings, and provide spaces and opportunities for you to discuss ideas, raise questions and learn from each other.

As social theory can sometimes seem ‘abstract’ we will also have the familiar lectures and seminars to facilitate your learning. Lectures will introduce new theoretical ideas in historical and contemporary contexts, highlighting the uses and relevance of social theory to contemporary issues of understanding social structures, relations and praxis. We will emphasize critical dialogue, problem-posing and the sociological imagination.

Workload

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

1 x 3-hour seminar (or equivalent) per week	36 hours per semester
3 x 3-hour fieldwork excursions	9 hours per semester
5 hours reading per week	60 hours per semester
2 hours research per week	24 hours per semester
2 hours assignment preparation per week	24 hours per semester
1 x 3-hour take home paper	3 hours per semester
TOTAL WORKLOAD	156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

Introduction to the course

Agency and structure

Gender

Field trip

Disciplinary society – Foucault meets Jamie Oliver

The modern city, space and gender

Field trip

Risk culture and everyday resistance

Theorising consumption and cosmopolitan desire Field trip

Preparing for take-home paper

Small Group Discovery Experience

Group activities will take place in workshop time.

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	Learning Outcome
Small group activities (online and in class)	Formative and Summative	30%	1-7
2 x 1000 word fieldwork assignments	Formative and Summative	30%	1-7
1500 word take home paper	Formative and Summative	40%	1-7

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, modified arrangements have been made to assessments to facilitate remote learning and teaching. Assessment details provided here reflect recent updates.
Assignment 1 - Application of theory report 1000 words 15%.
Assignment 2 - Application of theory report 1000 words 15%.
Assignment 3 - Poster, script & ongoing individual and group activities 30%.
Participation - Weekly posts and replies/discussion within MyUni groups 10%.
Assignment 4 - final assignment 1000 words 30%.

Assessment Related Requirements

All students are required to complete all assessment tasks to be eligible to pass this course.

Assessment Detail

Conduct of Classes The following principles of conduct for staff and students have been adopted by the Gender Studies and Social Analysis discipline.

Active and appropriate participation; based on preparation for the lectures and seminars. You should try to make your own contributions succinct and pertinent to the seminar activities for that week; try to speak neither too much or not at all (the 'object is dialogue not monologue'); try to build on and/or respond to the contributions of others.

Valuing diversity of experiences and contribution of other students – listening attentively to the contributions of others, considering how you frame your own responses, especially if they are critical (comment on aspects of the argument and do not criticise the characteristics of the person), and employ self-critique (use the contributions of others to ask questions about your own perspectives and assumptions).

Consultative decision-making, particularly in relation to changes in subject content and assessment from those described in the study guide.

Submission

Your assignments in this course must be submitted ONLINE via the relevant MyUni course site (under the Assignment tab).

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 .

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.

In 2019 83% of students were overall satisfied with the quality of this course. Students particularly liked the cutting edge content and the breadth of material covered. The application of ideas in the field trips was also appreciated. Some students enjoyed the 3 hour lecture/seminar/workshop design of this course, while others noted it was taxing. In the future, further efforts will be made to break up lecture content with other interactive activities.
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.

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

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