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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Arts : Sociology
Sociology at the University of Melbourne is a new and innovative program. It engages with central dimensions of social life, from transformations in the life course, contemporary families, gender relations, ethnic and sexual identity, to the urban experience, while engaging with emerging patterns of social inequality and new forms of social problems such as unemployment.
Sociology also explore emerging questions of action and identity - from new social movements, to subcultures to forms of action crisis evident in contemporary social problems such as addiction or social dislocation.
The program aims at ensuring students have a solid grounding in the discipline of sociology, while seeking to engage with social and cultural questions at the centre of contemporary life.
Sociology is defined by its engagement with social actors, so the program emphasises field work skills ranging from interviews, data collection and analysis. It encourages students to make use of other research skill subjects in the Faculty of Arts.
Sociology is currently an Inter-departmental program located in the Department of Political Science. The program has its own staff, and as well offers subjects from Political Science, Criminology, Geography, Education and Social Theory.
Sociologists work in a wide range of areas, in government, private and community sectors. They work on questions such as changing family patterns, changes in ethnic communities, health and employment issues. In the public sector sociologists work in areas such as neighbourhood and community service development, or in social policy in areas dealing with ageing, youth or women's issues or services. They are involved in program implementation and development, in social and environmental impact assessment, and in evaluation in areas from health programs, urban development or housing policies.
Sociologists also work in areas such as the media, public communication and marketing. They are involved in workplace change, employed by union or employer organisations, or working as consultants. They are found in private and public social forecasting organisations. They are involved in community consultations and community relations work, where for example, large organisations such as hospitals have to understand and respond to community concerns or specific groups.
Sociologists are also found in non-government organisations such as social change groups, peak bodies such as the Victorian Council of Social Service, and research and policy organisations such as the Institute of Family Studies.
Sociologists are involved in policy evaluation and program implementation. They are involved in promoting public debate, constructing competing ways of exploring questions facing our society and culture. In a whole range of areas, sociologists are employed in jobs that are part of shaping and making sense of the social and cultural world we live in.
There are no prerequisites for study in Sociology beyond normal university entry requirements. No specific VCE subjects are required as prerequisites.
A major in Sociology requires the completion of five subjects at second and third year level; three core units and two elective units. 166-258/358 Contemporary Sociology: Problems, Paradigms and Strategies, must be completed as one of the core subjects.
The general prerequisite for all second and third year subjects in the ID program in Sociology is 25 points of first year Sociology subjects. Students with a 12.5 point Sociology subject and another first year subject from Anthropology, Criminology, Political Science or Geography may also proceed.
166-130 Sociology 1A: Society and Self Identity 12.5 1st year 166-131 Sociology 1B: Social Structure Action and Analysis 12.5 1st year
Currently there is no Honours Year offered in Sociology, but the introduction of Fourth Year Honours has been foreshadowed as the program develops.
Currently Masters and Doctoral thesis supervision is available, depending on the area of research of the candidate. Currently there are no postgraduate Sociology subjects offered.
Contact:
Dr Kevin McDonald
Sociology Program
Department of Political Science
University of Melbourne
Telephone: (03) 9344 6565
Fax: (03) 9344 7906
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Handbook 1997 : Faculty of Arts : Sociology
Status: OFFICIAL 1997 Last Modified: Wednesday March 12 3:36 pm SGML to HTML Conversion: Information Technology Services Authorised by: Academic Registrar Email Enquiries: Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au
Copyright © University of Melbourne 1997.