SOCI9002 Shaping the Future: Social Change in the New Century

2016

4.5

1 x 50-minute lecture weekly
1 x 50-minute tutorial weekly

SOCI2009 has been successfully completed

How can we understand the complexity of culture in the new millennium? The rise in consumption, leisure, youth culture, multiculturalism, media, new social movements, nostalgia and history wars have all made the task of understanding culture more difficult than at any time in the past. This topic examines such contemporary cultural 'products' while assessing the extent to which common culture is essential to the unity and integrity of societies. The topic subscribes to a learner-centred learning approach which allows students to obtain 'deep' knowledge in a collaborative, reflexive and systematic fashion.

This topic aims to:

• Critically understand contemporary social forces, particularly in the area of popular and leisure based activities
• Develop an understanding of the relationship between myths and messages about social identity
• Introduce students to a range of theoretical perspectives on culture and the economy in contemporary society
• Introduce students to the basic principles of learner-centred learning (LCL)

On successful completion of this topic, students should be able to:

• understand contemporary social forces, particularly in the area of popular and leisure based acitivities
• assess the relationship between myths and messages about social identity
• show knowledge of theoretical perspectives on culture and the economy in contemporary society
• show familiarity with basic principles of learner-centred learning (LCL).