Course coordinator
Dr Stefanie Plage
Course overview
- Study period
- Summer Semester, 2024 (25/11/2024 - 08/02/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Social Science School
Drawing upon sociological theories and concepts, this introductory course provides an overview of the processes of change affecting social life in Australia and abroad. Central to many of these trends is globalisation and we examine its impacts upon a range of issues at both the global and local levels. Topics include: class and inequality, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, health and illness, along with media, urban sociology and sociology of the environment.
Welcome to SOCY1050: ‘Introduction to Sociology’. In this course we will encourage you to look at the social world around you in new and exciting ways. The course provides you with an understanding of what sociology is; the role of sociology in understanding social life; and draws on sociological theories and concepts to examine the dimensions and impacts of various changes taking place in Australia and globally. We live in a complex world and sociology provides important insights into the social meanings of natural and cultural phenomena; the social importance of time and space; and the contrasts between tradition and contemporary life.
Course requirements
Assumed background
No direct background is assumed.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
SOCY1010, SOCY1020
Course contact
School enquiries
Student Enquiries School of Social Science
Level 3, Michie Building (09), St Lucia campus, The University of Queensland.
Monday-Friday, 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm.
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Please refer to My Timetable through my.UQ Dashboard (student login required)ﾠfor the most up-to-date timetable information.ﾠ
Please also note that The University of Queensland is closed from Wednesday 25 December 2024 until Thursday 2 January 2025, inclusive. During this period, there will be very limited support available.ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to equip students with an understanding of basic sociological theories and issues. These include topics such as globalisation, social change and social inequality. By studying both the theory and practice of sociology, students should start to develop the important skills of critical thinking, analysis and reasoned argument, which are vital for successful careers once you have left university. For example, the ability to analyse data, evaluate and implement organisational initiatives or social policies and programs, to write research reports, to communicate effectively, and to work independently and in teams are all attributes which can be gained from the study of sociology.
On completion of this course, students should be equipped with the following graduate attributes:
- An awareness of the key drivers of social change in the contemporary world
- An ability to apply basic sociological principles to an examination of these changes
- A demonstrated understanding of Australiaﾒs changing place in a globalised world,
- An appreciation of the value of the sociological enterprise in making sense of the issues facing society
- An understanding of the usefulness of social theory and empirical research in understanding contemporary social life
- A demonstrated capacity for independent thinking, critical reflection and reasoned argument
- An ability to communicate ideas in a clear and logical fashion.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand and apply the sociological imagination to a broad range of social problems including aspects of your own identity.
LO2.
Evaluate social theories and apply them to social situations
LO3.
Critically evaluate and synthesise academic, media and empirical knowledge about social life.
LO4.
Understand and articulate the influence of some of the major social institutions on everyday life
LO5.
Collaborate with peers to identify and evaluate reasons for social problems using your sociological imagination
LO6.
Learn and apply a range of academic skills that will assist you to succeed in this and future university courses.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique, Reflection | Reflective essay | 35% |
16/12/2024 3:00 pm |
| Quiz |
Online Quiz
|
20% |
6/01/2025 - 10/01/2025 |
| Essay/ Critique | Movie-based essay | 45% |
24/01/2025 3:00 pm |
Assessment details
Reflective essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Reflection
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
16/12/2024 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L06
Task description
Word limit: 1500 words (+/- 10%)
The assessment provides you with the opportunity to apply your sociological imagination to the world around you.
You will be required to select a 'real world' scenario. This could be something that you have experienced yourself, something you have read or seen in the news, anything that has happened or exists in the world around you. You will then apply one of three sociological paradigms as a way of interpreting the scenario: structural functionalism, conflict theory, or symbolic interactionism.
In your reflection, you will need to include the following points:
1. Introduce the scenario briefly (approximately 250 words).
2. Describe how the scenario would be interpreted through one of the three sociological paradigms discussed in the course (approximately 750 words)
3. Reflect on the situation and discuss how viewing the scenario through this sociological paradigm aligned with or shifted your original perspective (approximately 500 words)
4. Reference list (not included in the word count)
Please use first person for this assessment. Please use a standard reference style such as APA 7th which relies on in-text citations and a full reference list at the end of your essay.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Use of AI: This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time.
The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.
Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements.
Students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible. Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team.
Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Online Quiz
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Quiz
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
6/01/2025 - 10/01/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
Length: 15 minutes
Students will be assessed on their understanding of the seminar and reading materials through one online quiz, administered through Blackboard in week 6. The quiz will cover all materials introduced in weeks 1 to 5. For the quiz, 20 questions will be drawn from a bank of randomly allocated multiple choice questions related to these course
materials. The quiz will be accessible on Monday, 6 January 2025 at 9am and close on Friday, 10 January 2025 at 3pm. Students may choose when they wish to take the quiz, but once students begin, they must finish the online quiz. In other words, students will only be allowed one attempt. Each question is worth 1 point. Students will have 15 minutes to complete the online quiz. Results will be posted 3 days after all students have completed the online quiz (including any students who have an extension approved because of extreme illness or incapacitation).
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS team via AskUs.
The link to the online quiz will be made available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Use of AI: This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submissions are made online. Please see the Blackboard site for instructions (https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra).
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
You can request a deferred exam if you can provide evidence of unavoidable circumstances that prevented you from sitting your original exam at its scheduled date and time. Your application must include supporting evidence. The request will be assessed based on the evidence you provide when you apply.
An application on the basis of a Student Access Plan (SAP) or Extension Verification Letter (EVL) alone will not be accepted. If you are applying on medical grounds, a medical practitioner must assess your condition and provide a signed medical certificate that covers the day of the examination. You must obtain a medical certificate no later than two business days after the date of the original examination. Further details of acceptable evidence for deferred examination can be found here.
For information on eligibility and application instructions, please view the following page on myUQ: Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Movie-based essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
24/01/2025 3:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L06
Task description
Word limit: 2,500 words (+/- 10%)
In this essay you are required to apply your sociological imagination to the analysis of a movie. You are required to address one essay topic from the essay question list and prepare an answer to it. The essay questions and detailed instructions will be posted on Blackboard by Week 4 of the semester.
Please note that you are not writing a movie review. You are writing a sociological essay using a movie as context to demonstrate your understanding of sociological concepts. You will be required to analyse social relationships and phenomena in the movie as manifestations of the sociological categories and concepts you learn during the course (e.g., class, gender, race, life course, etc.) rather than focussing on the relative merits of the plot or the performances of the actors in the movie. You are expected to take a sociological perspective in answering the question which means that you need to support your argument with sociological literature.
Please use a standard reference style such as APA 7th which relies on in-text citations and a full reference list at the end of your essay.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Use of AI: Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI in each instance. A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time.
The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.
Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements.
Students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible. Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team.
Extensions in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/
UQ Assignment Writing Guide: Steps for writing assignments - my.UQ - University of Queensland
Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.
Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
ﾠ
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (25 Nov - 01 Dec) |
Seminar |
Week 1: The Sociological Imagination This week will introduce you to sociology as a discipline. We will start using our sociological imaginations as we explore the world around us. We will talk about some influential theories and contemporary perspectives in sociology. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 2 (02 Dec - 08 Dec) |
Seminar |
Week 2: Class, gender, and inequality This week we explore how our social identity and status heavily influence the way that society views us, and we view society. We will explore how different social categories such as class, sex, gender and/or sexual orientation are produced and linked to social inequality in different ways. We will introduce some key identity theories and begin to reflect on how our identity (or identities) influence how we see and interact with the social world. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 3 (09 Dec - 15 Dec) |
Seminar |
Week 3: Race, ethnicity, and Critical Indigenous Studies This week we examine how race and ethnicity often impact our life chances and opportunities while culture is a source of strength and resilience. We will also introduce Critical Indigenous Studies, and discuss the role of media (e.g., popular or news media) in framing our ways of thinking and representing social issues. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 4 (16 Dec - 22 Dec) |
Seminar |
Week 4: Sociology of the life course We begin applying our understanding of big social categories such as class, sex/gender and race/ethnicity and the sociological paradigms we have introduced in the course so far to explore social inequality's complex manifestations. This week the focus will be on social institutions and organisations that shape our experiences over the life course, including education. We critically engage with the idea that knowledge is objective and highlight links with in/justice. We will also introduce the concept of intersectionality, and how it is relevant in this context. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Mid Sem break (23 Dec - 29 Dec) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break- No classes |
Week 5 (Mid Sem break ends Wed) (30 Dec - 05 Jan) |
Seminar |
Week 5: Social issues in global perspective In week 5, we continue to apply our sociological imagination to discuss the impacts of globalisation and what this means for a rapidly changing world. Globalisation is a process by which the world is becoming 'smaller' - connecting us all. Yet, life opportunities and experiences are vastly different in various parts of the world. This includes how we live together in cities and other communities, what housing we can afford, our access to clean water, energy and shelter. This week we discuss the winners and losers in this process and the way that globalisation affects our health and our lived environment. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 6 (06 Jan - 12 Jan) |
Seminar |
Week 6: Revision and assessment preparation This week, we revise the topics introduced in weeks 1 to 5, answer any questions and reflect on the overall course content. We will also orient ourselves towards the final assessment piece by discussing the ethics, opportunities and limits of using generative AI for the movie-based essay aiming to come to a collective agreement of conduct. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06 |
Week 7 (13 Jan - 19 Jan) |
Not Timetabled |
Week 7: No classes - self-directed learning There are no classes in Week 7. Please work on your assessments. Learning outcomes: L06 |
Week 8 (20 Jan - 26 Jan) |
Not Timetabled |
Week 8: No classes - self-directed learning There are no classes in Week 8. Please work on your assessments. |
Revision week (27 Jan - 02 Feb) |
Not Timetabled |
Revision Week There are no classes during Revision Week. Please work on your assessments. |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.