Most people feel that they know something about the social world in which they live. But Sociology is a distinctive way of knowing and it is this unique way of thinking and doing that we will explore in this introductory unit. We will gain a sense of the forms of thought and practice that are foundational to the discipline – the theories and methods that sociologists have developed to enable them to understand, and perhaps intervene in, the issues of their time. Approaching these histories critically will be a key objective of this introductory unit. How have the preoccupations, but also prejudices, of the sociological tradition translated into sociological theories and methods? Students will also leave with a sense of some of the pressing problems that animate sociologists today – from the impact of technology on human sociality, to the legacy of colonialism, the changing character of 'the social' and the urgent need to rethink our relationship to the environment.  

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. gain an understanding of the foundations of the discipline of Sociology;
2. evaluate the foundations of the discipline critically and in the context of decolonisation processes;
3. evaluate the theories encountered in the course and assess their contemporary relevance;
4. communicate evidence-based arguments that connect theoretical insights to empirical experiences; and
5. discuss key themes, concepts and theories with your peers.

Research-Led Teaching

While the course is an introductory unit that covers foundational areas of sociological enquiry, it is also informed by my interest in the changing place of art in contemporary culture, black studies and research into the changing shape of power and resistance.

Field Trips

N/A

Additional Course Costs

N/A

Examination Material or equipment

No materials will be allowed into the room for the mid-semester examination

Required Resources

All material will be available to students via Wattle

Recommended Resources

In your search for relevant references to further your understanding or to complete assessment tasks, the following are some useful places to try:

- Databases, which can be accessed via the ANU library homepage – click on ‘E-Resources and Databases’ to access a range of useful databases. In particular, the ‘Arts and Humanities Citation Index’ (web science) and the ‘International Bibliography of the Social Sciences’ should provide relevant material, which you can then seek to access through our library

- Google Scholar

- Journal browsing – you can often find specific articles and get a sense of relevant debates by simply browsing the tables of contents of journals and following up anything that looks interesting. The following journals would be especially relevant: Sociology; Journal of Sociology; British Journal of Sociology; Theory, Culture and Society; Body and Society; Sociological Review; Sociological Theory; American Journal of Sociology; Social Analysis.

- Browsing the bibliographies of any especially relevant articles that you find – who has the author read to inform their argument?

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups and individuals

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Please refer to the following regarding the use of Generative AI: ChatGPT and other forms of generative AI

If you feel unsure about anything, are having difficulties or are otherwise in need of support - please don't hesitate to get in touch, we are here to help! If you have a practical question relating to the course, please post it within the discussion forum so that clarification can be provided to everyone. If you have a more personal matter to discuss, please raise with your tutor or email me directly at maria.hynes@anu.edu.au

The information published in this Class Summary may be subject to change, any changes in assessments or other course details will be communicated via Wattle and during the first week of the Semester. Any questions or concerns should be raised with the course convenor/lecturer as soon as possible.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Students will be introduced to some of the central tenets of Sociology. What is a 'social fact?' And what does it mean to exercise a 'sociological imagination'? More critically, how have sociological ideas about the 'self' and 'society' been implicated with practices of colonialism?	No reading required prior to the first tutorial, which will be introductory in nature
2	The theme of this lecture is Work. We consider the difference between the more industrial context that preoccupied early sociological enquiry and contemporary forms of work.	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
3	Under the theme of Embodiment, we get a sense of the ways that Sociology has responded to the materiality of bodies and we explore bodies as sites of desire, power and freedom.	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
4	The theme of Power has been at the heart of Sociology since Marx's analysis of class society. With the changing character of power relations, sociologists have had to develop and deploy new theories of power, as we explore this week.	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
5	This week explores the theme ofTechnology , with an emphasis on the challenge it presents to human-centred paradigms. We look at the claim that technology is more than a tool used by human beings but, rather, changes the very meaning of what it is to be human.	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
6	At a time of anthropogenic climate change, the relationship between human and non-human nature presents new challenges, not simply to the way we do things but to the way we think about ourselves in the world. We explore this under the theme of Rethinking Nature.	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
7	Mid-Semester Examination.	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
8	Problem Based Learning I	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
9	Problem Based Learning II	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
10	Problem Based Learning III	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
11	Problem Based Learning IV	Read required readings prior to the scheduled tutorial hour (available on Wattle)
12	We will pull the course together this week, discussing where we have come as well as considering what Sociology can offer to an analysis of our present.	This tutorial will be focused on the final piece of assessment. No prior reading is required

Tutorial Registration

Tutorial/seminar registration via course Wattle page.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Sociological Observation Exercise	20 %	10/03/2025	25/03/2025	1,2
Mid-Semester Examination	40 %	15/04/2025	29/04/2025	1,2,3,4
Group Video Project	30 %	10/06/2025	24/06/2025	1,2,3,4,5
Participation	10 %	*	*	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Tutorials and seminars are an absolutely integral part of the course and this assessment item assesses the extent and depth of your participation in them. You need to attend a minimum of 80% of tutorials and seminars. Participating involves reading required readings, which will inform your contribution to class discussion. Tutorials and seminars will involve a mixture of formats (small & large discussion, diverse activities) to involve all students to participate in them fairly. Students have diverse needs and learning styles and you are asked to be sensitive to this in your interactions with others in class. You are welcome to ask your tutor for verbal feedback on your tutorial participation at any time.

Examination(s)

The mid-semester examination will be an in-person examination, held in the usual lecture time in Week 7

Assessment Task 1

Sociological Observation Exercise

750-800 words in total (20%). Learning Outcomes 1 & 2

The Sociological Observation Exercise has two parts:

 

Part 1 is a short (600 word) Sociological Observation, which will give you practice in thinking sociologically and will assess your sense of what is distinct about sociological ways of thinking, knowing and doing. You will, firstly, need to choose an aspect of your contemporary world that you find sociologically interesting. It can be anything – just something you have seen or noticed that you think sociology can help us to analyse. You will then undertake to observe your chosen phenomenon in a sociological manner. You will not be expected to know what ‘sociological observation’ is prior to the first block of the course, but the early lectures and tutorials will give you the tools to engage in this kind of observation. We will discuss the exercise in some detail in the early tutorials. You will be assessed on your ability to present a sustained, if brief, argument that demonstrates an understanding of what it means to think and practice sociologically. You will also be assessed on your capacity to express and organise your ideas, to enable them to come across as clearly as possible. Apart from presenting an informed and polished paper, you should think critically about the claims you make and encounter.

 

Part 2 involves making a Padlet (bulletin board post) that you will share with the rest of the class. Your post will include an image that represents or evokes the phenomenon that you analysed in Part 1. You will also provide a brief summary (100 - 150 words) of your sociological observation – this does not need to cover all its aspects but should indicate the kinds of questions you sought to raise in your observation. The post will be anonymised so that you can read each other’s posts without authors being identifiable. We will also discuss this task at length in tutorials.

Please reference using the Harvard Referencing Style as per information at  https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/academic-integrity/referencing/harvard

Rubric

Observation	Sociological Observation	Critical Analysis	Presentation	Acknowledgment
Demonstrates an enquiring mind and an attempt to enquire into that which might otherwise be taken for granted	Demonstrates an understanding of specifically sociological forms and practices of observation	Demonstrates skills of enquiry, including critical forms of questioning and ways of challenging commonsense	Parts 1 & 2 demonstrate efforts to achieve clarity of expression and to present ideas in a logical manner. Part 2 demonstrates striving for brevity & the ability to relate the chosen image to textual content	Demonstrates an understanding of the conventions of scholarly referencing

Assessment Task 2

Mid-Semester Examination

In person examination (40%); Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4

This in person examination assesses students’ command of the knowledge presented in the first 6 weeks of the course. The examination involves responding to questions and prompts, with responses that range from 200 to 800 words, as indicated in the instructions. The idea is not simply to parrot the ideas presented in lectures, but to demonstrate your understanding in your own words. We know that your thinking will be informed by lectures and tutorials so you do not need to reference these in the examination.

The examination will be held on campus in the lecture period in Week 7. Please note, students are strongly advised NOT to book holidays or otherwise commit themselves on the scheduled date for the examination. You will not be able to pass SOCY1002 without taking this examination.

Rubric

Participation	Understanding	Informed Thinking	Critical Thinking	Expression	Presentation
Demonstrates consistent participation and engagement in the first 6 weeks of the course	Demonstrates an understanding of key themes and ideas covered in SOCY1002	Demonstrates that thinking has been informed by lectures and readings used in the course	Demonstrates an ability to think critically and to move beyond commonsense ways of thinking	Demonstrates an ability to write in clear language	Demonstrates an ability to organise ideas logically within the constraints of the examination format

Assessment Task 3

Group Video Project

5 minute video (30%). Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5

For the video project, students will be presented with the opportunity to think sociologically and creatively about ideas encountered in the course. In groups of three, students will collaboratively produce a 5-minute video that provides insight into an aspect of contemporary social life by drawing on ideas, theories and materials from the course.

Although creativity is encouraged, please remember that you will be assessed on your level of engagement with, and understanding of, the ideas you consider as well as the use of peer-reviewed academic sources. In other words, you must incorporate appropriate academic theories and concepts, show evidence of research, and reference ideas that are not your own according to academic convention. Please reference using the Harvard Referencing Style as per information at  https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/academic-integrity/referencing/harvard

 

We will discuss this assessment task in detail in the seminars and I strongly encourage you to discuss your group's ideas for the video with your tutor. Time will be put aside to work on this task in the seminars in weeks 8 to 12. You will also need to work together outside class time and should allow a minimum of an hour a week to do this. You will receive further instructions during the semester via wattle and we will do exercises during seminars that will help guide you through the process and keep you on track.

Rubric

Collaboration	Research Skills	Argumentation	Critical Analysis	Expression & Organisation	Acknowledgment
Demonstrates an ability to work generously and productively with others	Demonstrates an ability to find scholarly sources relevant to chosen topic	Demonstrates an ability to present an argument that is informed by research and careful reading of scholarly texts	Demonstrates a critical approach to the claims made by the authors cited and by the group itself	Demonstrates effort to communicate ideas with maximum clarity and creativity	Demonstrates an understanding of, and commitment to, scholarly practices of acknowledging the sources of ideas

Assessment Task 4

Participation

Tutorial and Seminar Participation (10%). Learning Outcomes 1,2,3,4,5

Tutorials and seminars are an absolutely integral part of the course and this assessment item assesses the extent and depth of your participation in them. Participating involves reading required readings, which will inform your contribution to class discussion. Tutorials and seminars will involve a mixture of formats (small & large discussion, diverse activities) to involve all students to participate in them fairly. You must attend a minimum of 80% of tutorials and seminars.

Rubric

Reading	Engagement	Participation	Awareness
Demonstrates evidence of having read assigned material	Demonstrates evidence of having engaged with prescribed reading material	Demonstrates efforts to contribute to class discussion appropriate to specific needs & learning styles	Demonstrates sensitivity to the dynamics of the classroom and the needs of other students

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned via Wattle with feedback provided, as indicated by student preference.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students