SOC(X)866 / SOCI705 is structured around weekly key topics related addressing fundamental questions and issues around work and employment. Every lecture will cover a particular angle or approach. Together with the readings, this will link directly to the four assessment tasks. The four tasks build on each other.

Participation has a clear purpose: Based on the lecture material and the reading(s), the on campus class for internals and the online discussion board for externals and OUA students is the space where you can discuss topics and examples related to the week, ask questions, clarify concepts or ideas from the lecture or the readings. By discussion exactly that, you automatically repeat and learn the course contents.

For external and OUA students participation requires discussions on iLearn and we encourage you to share and discuss with others what you think about the topic of the week.

For internal students it requires class attendance on campus.

Participation - online as well as on campus - means to think and discuss the weekly material on a particular topic with others. Your contribution will be assessed on the basis of your familiarity and understanding of the weekly course contents from the lecture and the reading(s). Discussion means further that you are required to engage with others. The focus is not so much the quantity, but the quality of your contributions.

The tutorials will provide you with clear guidance on how to approach your assessments, what the key points are you need to include and define. This way, you automatically repeat, discuss and learn the course contents.

The assessments in this course are linked and build on each other. The reflection task build on the class discussions, but goes a little bit further. The purpose is for you to learn how to articulate in writing the essence of a weekly topic.

The point of the reflection task is that you engage in depth with ONE of the weekly topics (from week 2-5) that has been covered before the due date.

The most important points to consider are:

a) identify the key question / topic of the chosen week and give a short basic answer which you then explain in more detail.

b) clearly name, define and explain in your own words the key concepts of the chosen week.

c) refer to and reference the reading(s) of the chosen week to back up your key points and demonstrate your understanding of the reading

What you are NOT supposed to do:

a) Do NOT exceed 1500 words.

b) Do NOT reference the lecturer or the lecture slides! 

c) Do NOT copy the quotes used in the lecture from the reading into your assignment, but find your own.

d) Do NOT use readings or other materials other than the ones provided by the course.

The writing task is not an essay. It does not require an introduction or a conclusion. Focus on the key question / topic of the week.

Think of the proposal as a further elaboration of your reflection task. The proposal builds on the reflection task and is the next step towards your final assignment, the "sociological analysis".

You once again choose a weekly topic that has been covered up to here or the same week as you have chosen for your reflection task and articulate in writing what the essence of the weekly topic is in your own words. With the reflection task you have essentially worked out the core, the fundamentals for a topic, approach or concept relating to work and employment.

What you need to do for the proposal is to add (propose) where this can be applied and how you will elaborate it in a focused way in your final assignment. This can be based on an article, a policy (or extract of one), some specific stats from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for example), a newspaper article, a news clip or any other accessible material. The link to the topic needs to be clearly articulated. In short, find a real world example and propose how you will analyse it in your final assessment.

The main points to consider are:

• clearly identify the topic of a particular week (based on reflection task or new topic that has been covered so far; it is ok to change topics even after the proposal) for your final assignment if you wish to do so).
• identify a suitable application/example
• articulate in 500 words how the core idea and the application / example are linked and how you will elaborate it in your final assignment.

The final assignment builds on your reflection task and your proposal. It puts the two assignment together. You can stick with the topic you have covered before or choose a new one However, if you choose a new one you have to go through the steps of the reflection task and the proposal again for yourself to fulfill the requirements for the final assignment Following the instructions for the reflection task and the proposal your sociological analysis will have three parts:

a) a clear articulation of a weekly topic;

b) a clear description of an example / application / policy

c) the sociological analysis, elaboration and discussion linking a) and b)