Focuses on the specific interface between the individual’s experience of contemporary society and the theoretical concepts of post-modernism and post-structuralism.
SOCI 403 is intended as the logical conclusion of the micro-sociology stream. The
paper will build on ideas presented in SOCI 213 and SOCI 313, but is also intended
as a stand-alone paper for students who have not completed those earlier papers. The
theoretical approach in this paper will focus on the specific interface between the
individual's experience of contemporary society on the one hand and the theoretical
concepts of post-modernism/post-structuralism on the other hand. By situating SOCI
403 at this interface, it is intended that students will question the degree of agency
individuals can experience in the face of forces for social conformity. With this
in mind, the theory introduced will concentrate on the degree to which agency might
be possible given the forces ranged against it.
Virtual worlds will be used
as cases to analyse an apparent paradoxical adherence to both individuality and conformity
to socially generated ideals. To facilitate the development of thoroughgoing critical
analysis, students will examine these ideas within specific socio-cultural contexts.
Students will explore virtual reality/virtual world contexts with the intention of
using these as a window to contemporary social issues surrounding agency and identity.
The theoretical content of SOCI 403 will be taught using three themes, each
of which provides a different perspective on self and identity. The themes are: subaltern
identity/identities, the self vs ideology and hegemony, and gendered subjectivity/subjectivities
in cyberspace and out of it. In the second half of the year student seminars will
develop these three themes and address the application of the theoretical perspectives
to the students' chosen case studies.
| Paper title | Micro-Sociology |
|---|---|
| Paper code | SOCI403 |
| Subject | Sociology |
| EFTS | 0.1667 |
| Points | 20 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 1 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $1,206.91 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 72 300-level SOCI points
- Notes
- Students who have not passed the normal prerequisite may be admitted with approval from the Head of Department.
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminologys website
- Teaching staff
Course Co-ordinator: Dr Lesley Procter
- Paper Structure
- This paper is 100% internally assessed.
- Textbooks
- Textbooks are not required for this paper.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Information literacy.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Students who successfully complete the paper will have achieved the following learning
outcomes:
- A critical analysis of the tensions between society and the individual
- An awareness of the specific and varied socio-cultural features of contemporary society
- An understanding of the experiential consequences of Western society's adherence to notions of free will and discourses of conformity
- An ability to situate socio-cultural phenomena within an appropriate range of contexts
- A willingness to integrate theoretical constructs and personal experience of the socio-cultural milieu in which one is situated
- Habits of independent, versatile thought
- Critical thinking skills
- The ability to communicate information and concepts effectively both orally and in written forms
- Research skills in both traditional and technological contexts
