Students

SOCX3090 – Contemporary Trends, Patterns and Puzzles

2022 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Norbert Ebert
norbert.ebert@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

Change, some people say, is the only constant in life. This unit provides essential skills and knowledge that enable you to understand trends, patterns and puzzles in contemporary societies. You will explore a variety of topics such as work, identity, relationship, politics, diversity and the private sphere. The unit has a strong focus on practical applications and prepares students to make sense of major social developments, which shape our lives and the world we live in.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: demonstrate an understanding of a range of sociological perspectives on social life from the 19th century to the present.
  • ULO2: apply key sociological concepts to the study of contemporary societies.
  • ULO3: analyse a contemporary social issue using sociological theories
  • ULO4: effectively communicate complex ideas in written form.

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty  

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.    

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Active participation 20% No weekly
Research essay 40% No 08/09/2022
Final essay 40% No 27/10/2022

Active participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: weekly
Weighting: 20%

On the basis of the provided course contents students are expected to actively engage in class discussions with each other including group work.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of a range of sociological perspectives on social life from the 19th century to the present.
  • apply key sociological concepts to the study of contemporary societies.
  • analyse a contemporary social issue using sociological theories
  • effectively communicate complex ideas in written form.

Research essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 26 hours
Due: 08/09/2022
Weighting: 40%

The aim of this assessment task is threefold: (1) to gauge your comprehension of the perspectives and concepts covered thus far; (2) to get you to think about connecting theoretical material to contemporary social issues; (3) to prepare you for your final assessment task.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of a range of sociological perspectives on social life from the 19th century to the present.
  • apply key sociological concepts to the study of contemporary societies.
  • analyse a contemporary social issue using sociological theories
  • effectively communicate complex ideas in written form.

Final essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 13 hours
Due: 27/10/2022
Weighting: 40%

The aim of this assessment task is for you to show your ability to apply the perspectives and concepts we have discussed to a "real-life" issue.

a) pick a sociological concept or approach from one of the weeks and define it clearly.

b) pick and briefly describe a social issue you would like to interpret and analyse.

c) interpret and analyse (b) with (a)

Your example can be sourced from a novel, an article, a video clip, film, etc. The most important point is relevance and a clear connection between the example and the sociological perspective you have chosen.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of a range of sociological perspectives on social life from the 19th century to the present.
  • apply key sociological concepts to the study of contemporary societies.
  • analyse a contemporary social issue using sociological theories
  • effectively communicate complex ideas in written form.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

All course materials will be provided through iLearn.

Unit Schedule

SOCI3090 Contemporary Trends and Puzzles

Wk 1

26/07/2022

 

Wk 2

02/08/2022

 

Wk 3

09/08/2022

 

Wk 4

16/08/2022

 

Wk 5

23/08/2022

 

Wk 6

30/08/2022

 

Wk 7

06/09/2022

 

 

08/09/2022

Written Assessment 1 is due (40%)

 

13/09/2022

Mid-session break

 

20/09/2022

Mid-session break

Wk 8

27/09/2022

 

Wk 9

04/10/2022

 

Wk 10

11/10/2022

 

Wk 11

18/10/2022

 

Wk 12

25/10/2022

 

 

27/10/2022

Written Assessment 2 is due (40%)

Wk 13

01/11/2022

 

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Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

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For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

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Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook