Undergraduate MUR-SOC134-2021

Introduction to Sociology

Begin to see how gender, class, ideology and society influence the way people behave. Get a bird's eye view of the history of sociological study. Probe religion, family and ethnicity. Ask what tools are available to conduct sociological analysis.

This research-based university in Perth has a strong interdisciplinary focus and a reputation for outstanding teaching and ground-breaking research. With more than 22,000 students and 2,000 staff from over 90 countries, and campuses in Dubai and Singapore, Murdoch embraces free thinking, shared ideas and knowledge to make a difference, and Open Universities Australia is certainly part of that.

QS RANKING 2021

Times Higher Education Ranking 2021

2021

Subject details

What you'll learn

At the completion of this subject students will be able to:

engage creatively with the relationship between the individual, society and the globe, using sociological thinking
understand some tools of sociological analysis
identify some of the thinkers who have influenced the discipline;
recognise the relevance of sociology to everyday questions about contemporary issues in the social world. You will also have gained practical skills to demonstrate:
enhance your research, reading and library skills as means to stimulate and support your sociological understanding;
enhance your communication skills, especially your oral and writing skills;
a capacity to be a self-directed learner and thinker and to study and work independently;
tolerance and mutual respect in team discussions (online and in tutorials).

Topics covered

- What is society?
- The individual, society and the world
- Foundations of sociology
- Studying society
- Ethnicity and identity
- Religion and ideology
- Health and society
- Family and gender
- Deviance, lWA, crime and sexuality
- Theories of power
- Work education and sociology
- Review of unit

Entry requirements

Equivalent subjects

You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

MUR-SOC105 (Not currently available)

Additional requirements

No additional requirements

Description

To what extent are we products of our social environments? How do gender, class, ethnicity, ideology, etc., influence how we think and act? What is power, how is it used, by whom and for what ends? What methods can we use to study society? Examine Australian society, using research and insights from sociological theories on the nature of social institutions, power and inequality and the possibility of social change. Have your assumptions challenged and your understanding of the world stimulated.

This subject aims to introduce students to the richness of sociology by stimulating their curiosity about the relationship between the individual, society and the globe using sociological thinking. This unit will introduce students to the history of sociology and some of the thinkers who have influenced the discipline. It will encourage students to recognise the relevance of sociology to everyday questions about contemporary issues in the social world.

Please Note: All students studying at Murdoch University will need to complete the compulsory unit, Murdoch Academic Passport (MAP100), which only takes 2-3 hours to complete online. Find out more: http://goto.murdoch.edu.au/MurdochAcademicPassport.

Assessments

Poster (20%)
1500 word essay (30%)
Contribution to discussions (15%)
Presentation (35%)

Textbooks