SOCG102 to SOCI107

SOCG102 Introduction to Family Studies

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation A variety of formats will be used, including lectures, workshops, seminars and group work.

The unit provides an introduction to the study of the family by looking at (i) some of the social forces which impact upon the family, (ii) the agencies and texts which shape the academic and divergent public perceptions of the family, and (iii) the demographic nature of families in Australia.

SOCG103 Historical Perspectives on the Family

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation A variety of formats will be used, including lectures, workshops, seminars and group work.

This unit will provide students with the opportunity to gain historical insight into the structure and roles of families in England and Australia. It will introduce students to the background and development of family theory within a political, religious and historical context.

SOCG104 Introduction to Social Issues and Policy

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation A variety of formats will be used, including lectures, workshops, seminars, film analysis, visual analysis, group work, and outside visits where appropriate.

The unit provides students with an informed understanding of the classical relationship between the social sciences and social policy development. It focuses on both the history of social policy development (with particular, although not exclusive, reference to Australia) and the nature, and challenges, of contemporary social policy. It foregrounds the ways in which social policies at the global, national, state and local levels are instrumental in shaping people’s lives. In so doing, it familiarises students with key concepts in the study of social policy and encourages them to identify the ideologies that underpin national and international social policies. The unit also introduces students to key themes, issues and debates in the study of social policy and welfare, including the impact of globalisation, new forms of governance, the nature of citizenship and social inclusion, environmental and economic sustainability, economic rationalism and (for some) the looming ‘end of the welfare state’. Throughout the unit, emphasis is given to ways in which social policies have the capacity to redistribute societal resources and enhance social solidarity and social justice, on the one hand, or perpetuate, and even exacerbate, existing social inequalities, on the other hand.

Students will be introduced to the policy-making process, the key players involved, and the intricate processes whereby issues are identified as social policy matters and social policy responses are developed. They will also be encouraged to think creatively about the types of social policy initiatives that might best assist individuals, groups and nation states as they deal with the changes and challenges of life in the 21st century.

SOCG200 Families in Crisis

10 cp
Prerequisites SOCG102 Introduction to Family Studies or SOCG103 Historical Perspectives on the Family
Teaching Organisation A variety of formats will be used, including lectures, workshops, seminars and group work.

This unit will provide students with the opportunity to gain insight into the stresses that confront families today. It will introduce students to relevant family research and the theoretical perspectives on which it is based. It will also explore intervention strategies based on research findings and theoretical approaches.

SOCG201 Families and Major Institutions

The unit focuses on the relationship between families and the major institutions of society. It draws attention to evidence that families make major positive contributions to education, the economy, and mental and physical health. The way this contribution is recognised in policy documents is examined and implications for policy and professional practice are considered.

SOCG202 Family Support Programs

The unit is planned as a practical unit that informs students of the variety of programs that have been developed to assist professionals in a range of agencies to provide practical support for parents and families. The unit requires some field research of the use of programs in practice.

SOCG203 Family and Work

The unit focuses on issues at the interface of family and work. Recent changes to workplace legislation and its impact on families are reviewed and also the impact of feminism, globalisation and economic rationalism on that legislation. The dramatic change in work patterns from full-time and permanent to part-time and casual will also be reviewed. The unit explores key issues for families balancing work and family responsibilities such as changing patterns of women's workforce participation, time pressures on the family, and childcare issues.

SOCG204 Marriage and Relationship Education

The unit focuses on practical training in marriage and relationship education strategies. It begins with a brief history of the development of marriage and relationship education and the varied theoretical approaches that have been developed. Current debates over theoretical approaches to program development and delivery and to evaluation are briefly reviewed. Recent research on cohabitation as a preferred preparation for marriage is reviewed. Students are taught the basics of using pre-marriage inventories and some strategies of leading pre-marriage education groups.

SOCG205 Special Topics in Family Studies

This unit will provide students with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of economic, social and political issues facing contemporary families. In any particular year students will undertake specialised studies in an area of current research and interest within one of four areas: psychology, theology, sociology or social welfare. Students will develop skills in the use of methodologies relevant to that area of family studies.

SOCG211, SOCG212, SOCG213, SOCG214

0 cp
Practical 1, Practical 2, Practical 3, Practical 4

Each of the four mandatory Practical Units of the course is offered to ensure that each student has sufficient exposure to the relevant workplace situation. Students are required to complete 50 hours of satisfactory workplace experience for each Practical Unit, in a workplace which is specifically related to the study award undertaken (Aged Care, Disability Care or Residential Care). These Practical Units are graded on a satisfactory / unsatisfactory basis and formal verification is required from the workplace to ensure that the student performs duties as requested by the workplace and in a satisfactory manner. No formal assessment is required as these units are non-credit point units. The completion of these Practical Units ensures that each student has access to the workplace (either paid or voluntary work) in order to complete required assessment in the other units of the course of study being undertaken.

SOCG232 Recreation and Leisure

10 cp
Prerequisites Introductory units
Teaching Organisation Lectures, discussion of topics in study guide through distance education mode.

This unit is designed to develop a knowledge and awareness of the nature and significance of leisure and recreation in Australia. Attitudes to work and leisure are addressed, together with aspects of personal leisure activities. Through study in this unit, students are encouraged to access personal leisure and recreation activities as a component of a healthy lifestyle. Students are also able to consider the present status of leisure and recreation programs being offered in the workplace with a view to investigating any areas for improvement of these services. The concepts of stress management are also addressed.

SOCG233 Community Networks

10 cp
Prerequisites Introductory units

This unit acknowledges the importance of communication and liaison between the residential environment and the wider community. Students need to have a knowledge of the extent of community liaison (parents, guardians, volunteers, agencies, professionals), and an awareness of appropriate methods of this involvement in residential life.

SOCG234 Development of Community

10 cp
Prerequisites Introductory units
Teaching Organisation Each semester is 12 weeks in length and is taught by distance education.

This unit examines the need for community leisure and recreation programs to enhance the lifestyle of the older person. In developing effective community programs it is necessary to consider community issues and concerns relating to the culture, beliefs and aspirations of any particular community. Students will be provided with the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge in developing program parameters, as well as designing, implementing and evaluating programs to meet the changing needs of the older person in the community.

SOCG235 Family and the Law

10 cp
Prerequisites SOCG102 Introduction to Family Studies or SOCG103 Historical Perspectives on the Family
Teaching Organisation A variety of techniques will be used and include lectures, tutorials, workshops, videos, simulation activities and observations of social agencies dealing with family issues.

This unit concentrates on the institution of the family from both a social and legal perspective. It introduces students to aspects of the law that impact upon families in Australia and Government policies that underpin that law. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the ideologies inherent in law making, interpretation of law and law enforcement. The course is designed to be of practical use to students in assisting clients in their working lives as psychologists or counsellors or social, welfare or youth workers.

SOCG302 Social Science Practicum

10 cp
Prerequisites SOCG104 Introduction to Social Issues and Social Policy, COMM102 Introduction to Communication
Teaching Organisation Attendance at on-campus sessions as well as the 30 hours of fieldwork experience is compulsory. Non attendance without lecturer approval may result in the award of a fail grade being given.

This unit has been designed to provide both theoretical and practical experience for students in the Social Sciences. It links the units of study, especially the core units, together by involving the student in a minimum of 30 hours practicum.
Students will pursue an area of interest in the community sector and organise a placement in an organisation such as a government department, voluntary organisation, parish or research team. This unit is considered to be an essential element in a BSocSc course, providing students with the opportunity to synthesise theory and practice and providing them with valuable links into the workplace. In addition to the 30 hours placement the unit will involve two on campus sessions. The first of these sessions will take place during the semester before students undertake the practicum and will focus on explaining the unit requirements. At the end of this session students will be ready to construct a cv, apply to the organisation in which they want to be placed and to plan the project they will undertake. The second session, scheduled for midway through the semester in which the practicum is taking place. This session will provide students with the opportunity to debrief on their experiences, discuss the links they have been able to draw between theory and practice, and clarify any issues they have in relation to the assessment requirements.

SOCG502 Community and Responsibility

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation Workshops, seminars, field visits.

Community and responsibility: foundations and definitions; support of home and of school; responsibility to whom, from whom and with whom; responsibility to self. Ideologies: dominant and subordinate ideologies; elites, subcultures and counter–cultures; politics of homelessness; educational lobbying; radical theories; life-chances and equality issues. Lifestyles: basic Christian communities and Australian lifestyles; urban potentials; family lifestyles of the future. Working in Australia: patterns of employment; comparison to trends in Western industrial nations; community programs, careers and job training; alternative job creation programs. Professional responsibility and accountability to consumers; consumer evaluation of human services. Reconciliation: concept of reconciliation as a sacrament; ethics and the responsibility of the Christian ethos; pastoral initiatives and programs for the family and in the school community.

SOCI100 Introduction to Sociology

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week of lectures and other formats including lectures, workshops, seminars, film analysis and group work.

This unit is designed to foster a sociological understanding of the social world in general and of Australian society in particular. Students will be introduced to a range of sociological concepts and theories that will facilitate their understanding of the web of relationships that exist between individuals, groups, and the communities – local, national and international – to which they belong. Special emphasis will be given to developing students’ understanding of the major theoretical traditions in sociology and, importantly, of the ways in which each of these traditions tends to foreground a particular vision of social life. One or more contemporary social issues will be identified (i.e., labour market, poverty, disability, sexuality, family life) and used as a vehicle for exploring the differences in approach adopted by the different theoretical paradigms. Attention will also be given to how a commitment to specific theories shapes individual and collective action.

SOCI107 Sociological Research Methods: Qualitative Methods

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil

This unit introduces students to qualitative research methods. The unit will focus on research questions, research design, and research methods for qualitative data collection and analyses. Both structured and unstructured approaches will be examined. Questions of reliability and validity will be explicitly discussed.

Page last updated: 2017-06-28

Short url: https://handbook.acu.edu.au/61630