SOCI 3001 - Key Thinkers in Sociology

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2017

In this capstone course for the Sociology Major we will examine the main strands of sociological thought and identify the key thinkers in the development of sociological theory. Hence the course will focus on the writings of leading social theorists and sociologists, their contribution to the development of a distinctly sociological theory, and their continuing impact on current theoretical debates in sociology. Each week will focus on different key thinkers including Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Goffman, Foucault, Baudrillard and Bauman.

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Course Details

Course Code	SOCI 3001
Course	Key Thinkers in Sociology
Coordinating Unit	Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 15 units of Sociology major courses
Assessment	Book review (2,500 words) 30%, Group presentation 20%, Critical essay (3,500 words) 40%, Participation in online discussion 10%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Dee Michell

Course Timetable

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

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Understand and critique the foremost arguments of key sociological thinkers.
Describe a range of key concepts and theoretical approaches within sociology
Demonstrate a sociological understanding of the nature of social relationships, diverse groups and institutions as discussed in key sociological texts.
Drawing upon key sociologists be able to critically reflect upon the processes that underpin social change and social stability

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

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Harrington, A. (2005) Modern Social Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Stones, R. (2008) Key Sociological Thinkers. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Recommended Resources

Reading lists, web-links, library resources, essay writing guides, study guides, referencing, IT support and TURNITIN will be available

Online Learning

The MyUni site will contain some additional resources and materials. Each week after the lecture, the lecture slides and lecture recording will be uploaded. Announcements and a discussion board are activated for student queries and the passing on of course information.

Learning & Teaching Modes

Lectures provide key information about a particular sociologist. This information is then supplemented and supported by work in seminars.

In each seminar students will work in groups of up to 6 students, to complete small group discussion exercises that require collecting information (from course materials and other sources), analysing problems, debating issues and making recommendations. They will share the results of their discussion with the rest of the class. The tutor will be available for assistance on request, and will work closely with at least one small group each week to provide further expertise, encouragement and guidance.

Workload

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

1x1 hour lecture per week 12 hours per semester
1x2 hour seminarl per week 24 hours per semester
2 hour online discussion and posting per week 24 hours per semester
9 hours reading per week 84 hours per semester
9 hours research per week 84 hours per semester

Total: 312 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

Week 1	Introduction
Week 2	Marx
Week 3	Durkheim
Week 4	Goffman
Week 6	Garfinkel
Week 7	Western Marxism
Week 8	Foucault
Week 9	Lyotard
Weekl 10	Baudrillard
Week 11	Bauman
Week 12	Concluding Thoughts

Small Group Discovery Experience

In each seminar students will work in groups of up to 6 students, to complete small group discussion exercises that require collecting information (from course materials and other sources), analysing problems, debating issues and making recommendations. They will share the results of their discussion with the rest of the class. The tutor will be available for assistance on request, and will work closely with at least one small group each week to provide further expertise, encouragement and guidance.

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)
2500 word book review	Formative and Summative	30	1, 2, 4
Group presentation	Formative and Summative	20	1,2
3500 critical essay	Summative	40	1,3,4
Participation in online discussion	Formative and Summative	10	1,2,3,4

Assessment Detail

2500 word book review: students will be given a choice of key sociological texts and will be required to write a review encompassing key arguments and critical reflections on the limitations - 30% weighting.
Group Presentation: Students will be allocated a tutorial topic to present (in small groups) in the tutorial -20% weighting.
3500 word critical essay: Students will be required to write a research essay chosen from topics to be circulated in week 6 - 40% weighting.
Participation in online discussion -10% weighting.

Submission

The two written assignments are to be submitted electronically via MyUni.

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.
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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