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Subject descriptions
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 explores 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 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 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.
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.
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 Sociological Research Strategies, must be completed as one of the core subjects.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 166-130 Sociology 1A: Society and Self Identity | 1 | |
| 166-131 Sociology 1B: Introduction to Sociology and Social Research | 2 | |
The prerequisite for entry to honours in Sociology is the completion of all requirements for the BA with a major in Sociology with at least an H2A grade average across the major.
| Pure Honours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students undertaking Pure Sociology Honours are required to complete: | Semester | |
| 166-484 Sociology 4A Advanced sociological theory | 1 | |
| 166-485 Sociology 4B Advanced Sociological Research Strategies | 1 | |
| 166-486 Sociology Honours Thesis | All year | |
| and: | ||
| two of the following subjects: | ||
| 121-403 Advanced Coursework in Economic Geography | 1 | |
| 121-405 Advanced Coursework in Social and Cultural Geography | 1 | |
| 136-447 Reading Texts in Social Theory | 1 | |
| 136-454 Theories of Modernity | n/a | |
| 166-481 Configurations of Prosperity: Political Economy and Culture | 1 | |
| 166-483 The Australian Welfare State in International Perspective | 2 | |
| 166-448 Globalisation and Workplace Change in Australia | n/a | |
| 191-422 Women, Gender and Crime | 2 | |
| 191-417 Corporate and White-Collar Crime | 2 | |
| 191-434 Victims | Mid-year break and second | |
| Combined Honours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Students undertaking Combined Honours in Sociology must complete: | Semester | |
| 166-486 Sociology Honours Thesis | All year | |
| or the thesis in the combining department, and; | ||
| 166-485 Sociology 4B Advanced Sociological Research Strategies | 1 | |
| (unless student can demonstrate that they are undertaking an equivalent research strategies/methods subject), and; | ||
| one 16.7 point Sociology Honours subject chosen from the Pure Honours subject list above, and | ||
| subjects from the combining department according to the requirements of that department. | ||
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.
166-130 Sociology 1A: Society and Self Identity
166-131 Sociology 1B: Introduction to Sociology and Social Research
121-208 Society and Environments
136-251 Theoretical Foundations of Sociology
166-246 Work and Society: Australian Experiences in a Global Context
166-250 Sociology of Youth and Youth Policy
166-255 Sociology of Urban Experience
166-256 Dilemmas of industrial societies: sociological explorations
166-257 Sociology of Social Movements and Action
166-258 Sociological Research Strategies
166-265 Sociology Internship Research Project
166-266 Comparative Families and Life Courses
166-267 Sociology of health and illness
166-209 Transforming Australian Culture: State, Society and the Australian Way of Life
166-239 Sexual Politics
166-244 The Development of Social and Political Theory
136-209 Critical Theories
136-259 Social Theory and Political Analysis
136-272 Ethnic Nationalism and the Modern World
136-277 Power, Ideology and Inequality
191-202 Crime and Public Policy
191-206 Law Enforcement
191-210 Sociology of Crime and Deviance
191-415 Youth, Crime and Society
191-417 Corporate and White-Collar Crime
191-422 Women, Gender and Crime
121-204 Development and the Third World
121-207 Landscapes of Power: New Cultural Geographies
121-218 Australia and the Pacific Rim in a Global Economy
121-235 The Emergence of East Asia
166-484 Sociology 4A Advanced sociological theory
166-485 Sociology 4B Advanced Sociological Research Strategies
166-486 Sociology Honours Thesis
121-403 Advanced Coursework in Economic Geography
121-405 Advanced Coursework in Social and Cultural Geography
136-447 Reading Texts in Social Theory
136-454 Theories of Modernity
166-481 Configurations of Prosperity: Political Economy and Culture
166-483 The Australian Welfare State in International Perspective
166-448 Globalisation and Workplace Change in Australia
191-434 Victims
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