SCY3480

Political sociology

Chris Chamberlain

8 points
* 2 hours per week
* Second semester
* Clayton

Objectives This subject will enable students to examine political behaviour and institutions from a variety of sociological perspectives; think critically and reflexively about the dilemmas involved in building a sociological analysis of politics; examine in depth the distribution of power in modern society, and the link between class analysis and the contemporary political process; examine a number of other substantive areas (the distribution of wealth, voting behaviour, political culture, male and female involvement in politics etc.), and to make links between disparate approaches and apparently unrelated research findings.

Synopsis This subject examines political behaviour and institutions from a variety of sociological perspectives. Topics to be discussed include the distribution of power in industrial society; the political culture of contemporary Australia; variations in male and female political perspectives; competing explanations of social order; and voting behaviour.

Assessment Essay (4000 words): 67%
* Seminar presentation (2000 words): 33%

Prescribed text

Reading list available at enrolment