Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Synopsis All contemporary societies face change and experience uncertainty about where that change is heading. This subject explores these issues in a selection of societies, including our own. It looks at these problems in society and culture from the perspective of long-term comparative sociology and introduces students to some of the central debates in the literature. It raises basic issues about the nature of intellectual inquiry in sociology and anthropology. Some of these issues are conceptual, particularly debates about the analysis of social change, or the ways in which we account for social and cultural diversity in the modern world. Others are concerned with debates about how to compare and interpret major contemporary trends linking changes in work, lifestyle and culture with the processes of rapid industrial growth, economic integration and restructuring in the Asia-Pacific region.
Assessment Written (4000 words): 70% + Examination (2 hours): 30%