Sociology Courses@UWS

What is Sociology?

Broadly speaking sociology is the study of society.  That is, it is the study of social organisations or institutions – such as the family, school, religion, the media and the legal system. As well as studying how these institutions operate and how they are structured, sociologists also examine the ways in which they are influenced by, and influence, individuals. In other words, sociology is the study not just of society as a whole, but of all the intricacies and complexities which it comprises. It is then, a study both of the world and your role – as an individual - in it, and sociology offers a fresh perspective on both. 

Indeed, sociology may provide a window into unfamiliar worlds, or it may involve looking at familiar worlds in new ways.  Either way, the discipline of sociology challenges our familiar or common-sense perspectives and asks us to examine more closely that which is typically taken for granted.  In short, the sociological perspective enables you to gain a new perception of social life.

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What can I do with Sociology?

By providing students with a solid framework from which they can better understand the social world and assisting them to develop skills in written expression, research, analysis, and critical thinking, a major in sociology prepares students for employment in a wide range of areas and/or for further postgraduate study.

While many sociologists work in universities, sharing sociological knowledge with students and conducting research, sociology is much broader than this in its applications.  For instance, applied sociologists may work in a wide variety of areas—from working with disadvantaged community groups to studying government programs and policies.  Indeed, sociology graduates have been known to work with:

• Federal, State and Local Governments
  In social services, teaching, industrial relations, criminal justice work, policy development and implementation, case management, group work with youth or the elderly, urban planning, general administration, migrant and multicultural affairs.
• Community and Non-profit organisations
  In administration, overseas aid & development agencies, social research, policy development, lobbying.
• The business sector
  In consumer/social research, public relations, human resources and personnel work, publishing, training and development, sales and marketing, journalism.
• Tertiary education
  In teaching (University, TAFE or private colleges), administration, research. Graduates may also go on to further study at Honours, Masters and PhD levels.

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If you are interested in undertaking sociology during your degree but want to know more about its diverse applications, you might like to look at Richard W. Stephens Jr’s (2004) book on Careers in Sociology which points to ways that you can make a living with a major in sociology and discusses different career options.  Alternatively, you can have a look at the following website: Sociology at Work (opens in a new window) 

Why Sociology?

Sociology provides a new way of thinking about the world. It provides a broad knowledge base from which you can better understand many of the local and global issues that surround us everyday.

Common sub-disciplinary areas or specialisations within sociology include: environmental sociology, the sociology of the family, health sociology, the sociology of law, the sociology of leisure, sociology of migration, the sociology of religion, sociology of tourism and the sociology of work.

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Studying sociology at UWS

Students studying in the Bachelor of Social Science will undertake a series of Social Science core units, which are designed to provide an introduction to the social sciences (of which, Sociology is but one).  These core units will provide a thorough training in research method and social theory and are complementary to much of the sociology curriculum. The social science units are as follows:

• 101553 Organisations, Communities and Communication
• 101551 Understanding Society
• 101556 Geographies of Social Difference
• 101557 The Individual and Society
• 101555 Ethics in the Social Sciences
• 400337 Social Research Methods
• 101552 Applied Social Research
• 101554 Contemporary Debates in Social Science

In addition, those students interested in specialising in Sociology within their social science degree will need to take all of the following 8 units for a major (or some of them if they wish to undertake sociology as an elective):

• 101608 Inequalities and Difference
• 101612 Identity and Belonging
• 101609 Comparative Studies of Family and Kinship
• 101330 Self and Society
• 101611 Home and Away: Ethnicity and Migration in Australia
• 101610 Health, Illness and Biomedicine: A Sociological Perspective
• 101631 Power, Deviance and Society
• 101359 Sociology of Religion

More information on each of these units can be found in the handbook

Sociology staff team

• Professor Stephen Tomsen
• Assoc Professor Mary Hawkins 
• Assoc Professor Adam Possamai
• Dr Selda Dagistanli
• Dr Jane Durie
• Dr Kate Huppatz
• Dr Erin Kruger
• Dr Amie Matthews
• Dr Helena Onnudottir
• Dr Alphia Possamai-Inesedy
• Dr Michael Salter
• Dr Irena Veljanova
• Denise Weelands
  

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