Sociological theory and method
BT BB BS DT GA PA BC BP BDT BJ BY
Marion Collis
Subject value of 1.0 (6 points) * 3 hours per week * First semester * Gippsland/Distance * Prerequisites: GSC1201, GSC1202 or equivalents and two upper-level sociology subjects. It is highly recommended that students should have completed GSC2601 (Methods of social research) and GSC2602 (Basic statistics and computing for social research)
The subject will address the following topics: (a) a developmental and comparative analysis of the major sociological perspectives; (b) the issue of fragmentation within the sociological perspective and attempts by recent sociologists at synthesis; (c) the relationship between sociological theories and research strategies; (d) techniques of data gathering and analysis.
Assessment
Assignment one (1500 words): 30% * Research report (1500 words): 35% * Assignment two (2000 words): 35%
Prescribed texts
Silverman D Qualitative methodology and sociology: Describing the social world Gower, 1985
Swingwood A A short history of sociological thought 2nd edn, Macmillan, 1991