Thinking like a sociologist – van Krieken video clip
New York University Harvey Molotch – sociological imagination video clip
Research methods
Investigative Project (IP)
Checklist for today:
- Open and save IP TEMPLATE to student folder/computer if you haven’t already (emailed to you)
- If you are yet to send interview requests to potential participants and need an idea of what to write in the email click on the following document: EmailTemplate
- Email/contact ALL potential participants by end of lesson (if you are still seeking participants, you need to email Ella to ask for assistance)
- Write 15 questions for interviews – send to Ella if she has not seen already. If you are doing survey, complete this and send to Ella by end of lesson.
- Write ethics brief (What is the study for? What is it about? tip: avoid overly sociological/academic language, anonymity, confidentiality, voluntary participation, right to withdraw…)
- Write introduction (see IP Template for tips) *If you haven’t got 10 or more secondary sources, spend this time seeking additional sources. Email Ella if you are struggling with finding relevant information.
- Write reference list (see IP Template for tips and use University of Sydney APA guide – spare copies in classroom brochure holder)
- Write methods section (see IP Template for tips)
EMAIL ELLA ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE 🙂
Investigative Project (IP) Lesson
Important dates:
Submission for feedback (compulsory): Friday 11 September (evening)
Final due date: Tuesday 22 September (start of lesson)
There are no extensions available unless you apply to TASC at an earlier date with medical certificate.
Task:
Please click on the following document and links and save them to your computer.
Thursday 21 May – Institutions – The Family
Today we will have a short Zoom at 9.30am.
a) Please ensure you have done the work from last lesson (including watching the theories video).
b) Read the changes data below.
c) Download the new reader and read the first two pages of the reader.
Changes – the data
Graph 1
Graph 2
Graph 3
Theory reader:
Part 1 Family, Gender and Intimacy Reader
Part 2 Family, Gender and Intimacy Reader
Part 3 Family, Gender and Intimacy Reader
Part 4 Family, Gender and Intimacy Reader
Please read the first two pages of the reader (in Part 1) and focus particularly on the quote with the * next to it.
Tuesday 18 May – Introduction to new unit: Institutions
We have a Zoom today at 10.30am
Lesson focus:
What is an institution?
Why would Sociologists be interested in institutions?
How would you define ‘family’?
Is the family in decline in contemporary Australian society?
Family forms
Changes to the family
Tasks:
Please answer the following questions in your exercise book
a) Use the resource below to explain how family has changed in Australia:
Australian Institute of Family Studies
b) Why do you think these changes have occurred?
c) How do you fit into this picture?
- What type of family are you in? (e.g. Nuclear, Single-parent ..)
- Do you want to get married? Why/why not?
- At what age would you consider marriage?
- Do you want to have children? How many?
- At what age would you consider having your first child? (Explain)
- How do you think having a child(ren) would affect your work life?
- What’s more important to you: flexibility, romance, freedom OR stability, companionship and commitment?
d) Watch this video I made for my 2017 Sociology class that presents a introduction to the theories about the institution of family. Take dot point notes on each theory.
Thursday 14 May – Essay
Good morning!
Your essay is due at 10.00am today. Please submit it to CANVAS (see info about this in previous post)
Essay question:
Explain and evaluate alternative sociological theories as to why some young people are more likely to be involved in criminal behaviour in contemporary Australian society. Use the stimulus material and information from the course to support your argument.
Stimulus:
Tuesday 12 May – Deviance essay preparation
Hello, dear students
Please spend today working on your essay, so that you are ready to write it on Thursday morning. I am available via Zoom, phone or email if you have any questions/want to clarify anything. Send me an email to organise a time to chat, and we can make it happen.
You can use a half A4 cheat sheet.
You will receive the stimulus via email (it will also be posted to the blog) on Thursday morning at 8.25am.
Please submit your essay to the assignments section on CANVAS. Take clear photos of your handwritten essay and submit it as one PDF. See instructions below on how to do this:
Instructions:
When submitting work it is best to combine your photos into a single pdf file. This will make uploading, downloading, marking and receiving feedback much easier. You can use the Microsoft Office Lens App (iOS (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) or android (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)) to do this. Here is a step-by-step guide using the Office Lens App.
Xodo (https://www.xodo.com/app/#/ (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)) is another good app to use.
Our android and apple phones can do this kind of thing without an app!
Check out the built in scanners for Androids & iOS (Apple):
Android devices – Google Drive app feature (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
iPhones / iPads – Notes app feature (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
Whatever you use, submitting a single pdf is the way to go!
Thursday 7 May – Deviance
We will do our first sociological essay on Thursday 14 May (next Thurs).
You can read about the essay by clicking below:
Click here to watch a video where I try to explain how to write an introduction and the key ingredients of a body paragraph for this essay (*Warning* – you may need to make yourself a snack to get through this bad boy)
Traditional theories (theories that don’t acknowledge relativity and instead follow an absolute definition of deviance…they also tend to blame the individual):
Durkheim, Sutherland, Merton (Merton kind of does see society as partly to blame, but doesn’t recognise relativity), A. Cohen, Hirschi, New Right.
Contemporary theories/interactionist theories (theories that acknowledge relativity of deviance, and tend to blame society):
S.Cohen, Lemert, Becker, Garfinkel, Marxist, New Left.
For the rest of the lesson, read about the Marxist perspective of deviance and Left Realism (pg. 6 to 7). ****If you are overwhelmed and tired, then leave these last two theories for end of year.
Have a good day. Everything will be OK.
Tuesday 5 May – Deviance
What are we doing today?
Revising and learning theories of deviance
Evidence of engagement:
- Presence at the Zoom meeting
- Contribution to discussion board
What is this leading to?
Deviance essay (end of week 3)
Lesson plan
Hirschi’s (1969) Control theory
If you were unable to attend the Zoom session, or you would like to further clarify your understanding of Hirschi’s Control theory, read pg 13 to 15 of your deviance reader and takes notes on this theory.
Labelling theory
Video explaining Labelling theory
Please take notes on this theory. If you would like to go beyond the video, you can go to page 5, 6, 15 and 16 of the deviance reader to add further detail. (Your notes should include the theorists Lemert, Becker and Garfinkel)
TASK:
Read the following extract from the van Krieken et al (2017) textbook about indigenous people and crime:
Watch this episode of ABC’s Australian Story on AFL player Marlion Pickett
Using each of the theories below, explain how the theory would attempt to explain Marlion’s situation. Write these explanations in your book.
New Right theory
Hirschi’s (1969) Control theory
Labelling theory (including Lemert, Becker and Garfinkel)
Once you have completed all three, choose one of your theory explanations to post to this discussion board.
KEARNEY SOCIOLOGY 