This plan is only available to students commencing from 2009

Sociology and Anthropology are disciplines for students with a special interest in the interaction of the individual, society and culture; and the multiplicity of interactive cooperation, conflict and communication which constitutes any society. Both Sociology and Anthropology explore the social and cultural realities of human life. Societies and cultures have become so linked, through migration, communications, mass consumerism and capital flows, that the borders of social and cultural life have been radically changed.

Aims of the Major
• An understanding of key concepts and theoretical approaches that have developed and are developing within and between Sociology and Anthropology.
• An understanding of the nature and extent of diversity and commonality as seen from a variety of perspectives, for example, social, cultural, biological, ecological.
• An understanding of the value of analyses that consider relations between different times, different places and different cultures.
• An understanding of the social nature of the relationship between individuals, groups and social institutions.
• An understanding of the nature and appropriate use of research strategies and methods in gaining sociological knowledge
• An appreciation of the relationship between local, social and global forms, and global processes and broader temporal developments, with particular reference to Australia’s place in the world.
• An appreciation of the complexity of human experience, social situations and events, and an ability to assess the merits of competing explanations.
• An ability to question cultural assumptions, and think critically, imaginatively and creatively.
• An ability to undertake independent study.
• An ability to identify the ethical issues in social research.
• An ability to undertake and present scholarly work that values reasoned and open-minded discussion and debate.
• An ability to examine the relevance of sociological and anthropological work to issues in the community.

A student who wishes to gain a major sequence in Sociology and Anthropology must complete 48 uoc including 12 uoc at Level 1, 18 uoc at Level 2 and 18 uoc at Level 3, including the capstone course.

Level 3 courses cover some of the key issues and debates in Sociology and Anthropology, including; human development, migration and multiculturalism, health, risk and trust, forensic sociology, tourism, Oceanic societies and quality of life in Australia.