Unit Outline

Perspectives on the Social World provides students with an understanding of the concepts and approaches developed by sociologists to explain major social changes in Western democracies from the end of the 18th century to the present. The unit is divided into three parts: the first examines the contribution of the classical social theorists – Marx, Weber and Durkheim – to understanding the emergence of industrial society; the second part considers the diverse perspectives, including symbolic interactionism and feminism, that remain influential for twenty-first century social theory; and the third part explores the relevance of contemporary social theory for understanding and addressing significant issues for society – neoliberalism, new technology, and climate change. Through learning experiences and assessment tasks focused on applying theory to real-world issues and problems, the unit equips students with the knowledge and skills to think critically about the world around them and to use different perspectives in their decision-making and planning.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

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


1.	Explain key theories and debates in sociology.
2.	Apply sociological theories to contemporary social issues and problems.
3.	Assess the contribution of different theorists and theories in making sense of contemporary social issues and problems.
4.	Produce written work and/or oral work that communicates your ideas clearly, conforms to academic standards, and accurately acknowledges the work of others.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points at Introductory level or higher

Alterations as a result of student feedback

In response to the feedback from previous student cohort, changes have been made including some adjustment to assessment weightings and alignment of some of the timelines. As always, the teaching team will greatly appreciate your feedback both informally during the delivery of the unit in 2024, and formally through the University of Tasmania’s eVALUate surveys following your completion of the unit.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Theoretical application task	Week 5	10 %	LO1
Assessment Task 2:	Essay	Week 8	40 %	LO1
Assessment Task 3:	Discussion board and/or online tutorial participation	Refer to Assessment Description	10 %	LO1
Assessment Task 4:	Take-home exam	Exam Period	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Theoretical application task

Task Description:

Theoretical application task

First assignment.

Task Length:

500 words

Due Date:

Week 5 (25/Mar/2024)

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	X	LO1

Assessment Task 2: Essay

Task Description:

Essay

Major essay

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 8 (22/Apr/2024)

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	X	LO1

Assessment Task 3: Discussion board and/or online tutorial participation

Task Description:

Discussion board and/or online tutorial participation

Task Length:

Due Date:

Refer to Assessment Description

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	X	LO1

Assessment Task 4: Take-home exam

Task Description:

Final exam to be completed as a take-home task over a 5-day period.

Task Length:

2,000 words

Due Date:

Exam Period

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	X	LO1
2	20 X	LO2
3	30 X	LO3
4	40 X	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.