Students

SOCI2040 – Economic Life, Inequality and Society

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

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
40cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

We engage in economic activities on a daily basis. We work to earn money, buy groceries, pay rent or mortgages, save for a holiday. In often invisible ways, these everyday activities of production and consumption are underpinned by social structures, cultures and ideologies. You will learn about the workings of the economy, labour markets and finance, and how economic activity is embedded in social relationships. You will be able to understand and address important issues of our time, such as the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, and unequal access to power and resources based on intersecting questions of gender, race and class.

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 key concepts in economic sociology and political economy
  • ULO2: Identify important historical developments in the interplay of civil society, the economy and politics
  • ULO3: Communicate ideas through effective listening and speaking, constructive debates with peers and personal reflection.
  • ULO4: Write coherently, logically and succinctly, while following appropriate academic and stylistic conventions.
  • ULO5: Recognise and contribute to sociological and economic arguments used in public and civic debates

General Assessment Information

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-time 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
Infographic 50% No week12, 31/10/2025
Quiz 30% No opens 16/9/2025, closes 21/9/2025
Class Participation 20% No weekly (starting week 2)

Infographic

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: week12, 31/10/2025
Weighting: 50%

 

One page infographic plus a one page topic statement, up to 500 words.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in economic sociology and political economy
  • Identify important historical developments in the interplay of civil society, the economy and politics
  • Recognise and contribute to sociological and economic arguments used in public and civic debates

Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 42 hours
Due: opens 16/9/2025, closes 21/9/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

Based on readings from the course, students will have to complete several quizzes.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in economic sociology and political economy
  • Identify important historical developments in the interplay of civil society, the economy and politics
  • Communicate ideas through effective listening and speaking, constructive debates with peers and personal reflection.
  • Write coherently, logically and succinctly, while following appropriate academic and stylistic conventions.
  • Recognise and contribute to sociological and economic arguments used in public and civic debates

Class Participation

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

 

Participate in class activities to learn to explain key concepts, analyse relevant issues and communicate insights to others.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in economic sociology and political economy
  • Identify important historical developments in the interplay of civil society, the economy and politics
  • Communicate ideas through effective listening and speaking, constructive debates with peers and personal reflection.
  • Recognise and contribute to sociological and economic arguments used in public and civic debates

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 unit contents can be accessed via iLearn including lecture recordings, readings and other study material. To ensure a successful outcome of your studies, it is best if you regularly attend lectures and tutorials weekly.

Unit Schedule

Weekly lecture time: Tuesdays 1 - 3pm

Location: 14SCO T3 Lecture Theatre

Policies and Procedures

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 connect.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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

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

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2025.02 of the Handbook