Sociology

Sociology is offered by the Department of Sociology and Social Policy, which is part of the School of Social and Political Sciences (SSPS).

Program structure and content
Sociology is the study of contemporary society. Its concerns range from the local to the global, from the everyday world we live in to the large-scale questions about global processes and patterns of social life. Sociology provides theoretical and methodological approaches to investigate and analyse social, economic, political and cultural phenomena. The titles of the units we teach reveal the diversity of the fields of study in Sociology and Social Policy. We aim to provide students with strong conceptual and research training. We also emphasise historical and comparative approaches in understanding our world and globalisation.

The study of sociology is a rewarding and stimulating enterprise, both intellectually and in terms of future career prospects in a variety of professional fields. It is also an important addition to related disciplines such as Government, Economics, Philosophy, Education, Psychology, Anthropology and History, and it usefully complements studies in English, Art History and Theory, Languages, Law and Science.

Requirements for a major
For a major in Sociology, students must complete the following:

1. 12 credit points of compulsory junior units in Sociology
2. 12 credit points of compulsory senior units in Sociology selected from the units offered
3. At least 4 units of study (24 credit points) of senior elective units of study selected from the units offered.

Requirements for a double major
Many students undertake majors in both Sociology and Social Policy, allowing for the study of social issues both historically and comparatively in breadth and depth.

For a double major in Sociology and Social Policy, students must complete the following:

1. 12 credit points of compulsory junior units in Sociology
2. 12 credit points of compulsory senior units in Sociology selected from the units offered
3. At least 7 units of study (42 credit points) of senior elective units of study selected from the units offered

Study in Sociology and Social Policy
There are two junior Sociology units and a wide range of senior units. The senior units of study make it possible for students to build on their junior year and focus on particular fields of sociological theory and research. They are grouped under the following themes (some units cut across themes):

1. Social Theory: Sociological Theory, Violence Imaginaries and Symbolic Power; Contemporary Sociological Theory, Law and Social Theory, Global Transformations, Contemporary Cultural Issues, Sociology of Knowledge.
2. Media, Culture and the Self: Social Construction of Difference, Media in Contemporary Society, Crime Media and Culture, Self and Society, Childhood and Youth, Sociology of Sport, Sociology of Religion, Sociology of Friendship, Contemporary Cultural Issues.
3. Social Policy and the Welfare State: Australian Social Policy, Social Movements and Policy-Making, Social Inequality in Australia, The Principles of Social Policy, Welfare States: A Comparative Analysis, Development and Welfare in East Asia, Power, Politics and Society.
4. Social Research: Social Inquiry: Qualitative Methods, Quantitative Methods for Social Science, Sociology of Health and Illness, Social Inequality in Australia, Sociological Theory and Practice, Sociology of Knowledge.
5. Law and Social Change: Social Justice, Law and Society, Social Construction of Difference, Crime, Punishment and Society, Violence, Imaginaries and Symbolic Power, Human Rights and Social Protest, Social Inequality in Australia, Law and Social Theory, Indigenous Social and Legal Justice, Crime Media and Culture.
6. Health, Medicine and Science: Sociology of Health and Illness, Social Inequality in Australia, Social Construction of Difference, Science, Technology and Social Change.
7. Globalisation: Global Transformations, Human Rights and Social Protests, Sociology of Terror, Environmental Sociology, Urban Sociology, Science, Technology and Social Change.

Cross-listing
Up to 12 credit points from the approved cross-list may be counted towards a major in Sociology.

Honours
Students intending to proceed to Sociology IV honours must have completed at least 48 senior credit points of Sociology or Social Policy, including a compulsory honours preparatory unit, and have achieved an average mark of credit or better in those units.

Contact/further information
Department website: sydney.edu.au/arts/sociology_social_policy
Honours Coordinator: Dr Amanda Elliot
Email: