sociology assignment help australia

sociology assignment help australia

Exploring Contemporary Sociological Issues in Australia

1. Introduction to Sociology and its Relevance in the Australian Context

Amidst this developing understanding, sociological ideas of necessity neared a critical mass and impinged on education. In schools, sociology could be the teacher’s discipline which enhanced the person of education. Such indeed is the nature and function of teaching sociology within schools. But the purposes of education have expanded and, in turn, the useful delineations of sociology as a school subject have broadened. The student is now the beneficiary of sociology, drawn from a multiplicity of leading commentaries that have enriched the classical ideas. These commentaries have not neglected explorations of previously marginalized topics such as the sociology of the body, dance, or the sociology of science. Dependent on the specific constraints of the educational curriculum, sociological inquiry – often referred to as educational sociology – has reached out to embrace the complex network of relationships holding sway between society and its schooling systems. Furthermore, sociological thought has drawn from a radical heritage to project upon society its vision of equity and justice. Such a vision attests the belief that schools can be transformative agencies. These cognate and overlapping sociological approaches are thus the precious artistic heritage of our school subject’s fabric. These should thus be the definite hallmark of the sociological territories within which our subject matter makes good its claims to uniqueness.

Our physical capabilities subsequently enriched our imagination, and we asked the question: ‘how sociable do we want our society to be?’ Our ability to interpret human behavior complexed our essential values, and we welcomed psychology to the community of scholarly pursuits. In a turmoil of exhilaration, we approached the vision of becoming educated. However, with this capacity for understanding within our grasp, sociology emerged as an academic activity. Its musings – largely reflecting an Enlightenment curiosity about the structural principles of society – weaved an enhanced understanding of the nature of social phenomena.

In theory, all concerned citizens need the tools of the sociologist. Conclusion: The distinctiveness of sociology as a school subject needs to be cultivated if the promise of the opening quotes is to be realized and made manifest in enhancing the status of the subject. The answer to the question posed in my title, “do we really know why that kid failed the exam?” can be resoundingly affirmative if we make explicit the essential characteristics of sociology in the classroom. Fundamentally, sociology is being done in classrooms right now. Although it can only generally exhort that which is noble, it can still address the everydayness of sociological teaching.

Like virtually all of the subjects taught in schools today, sociology is relatively new. In earlier times, long before distinct subject matter was sought in the education process, the learned business of the citizen was modeled on a well-sufficient value system in which virtues and their contentment held a special place. It was the philosopher – and not the academic specialist – who influenced the evolution of such values.

As a practitioner of sociology in Australia, you must experience the heady excitement of engaging with an immensely powerful set of ideas. Embedded within these ideas is a distinct matter-of-factness that propels them from the classroom into the public domain. Here, there exists a dazzling array of sociological ideas which can assist us in making sense of the academic curriculum – for instance, the topics of debating and wrestling, conflict and compliance, class, religion, and racism, crime, social welfare, and the media. Each of these, and many others, represents a significant contemporary social concern. This raises the key question: why is sociology taught in schools in the first place?

2. Key Sociological Theories and Concepts Applied in Australian Society

The chapter sets out some core social theory by reviewing key contributions and issues presented in theoretical approaches including functionalist, conflict, feminist and postmodern approaches, and by reviewing major theorists including Durkheim, Parsons, Merton, Weber, Marx, and modern and postmodern theorists including Giddens and Lyotard. In discussing a wide range of international and national debates inherent in sociological concepts, I draw on topics influential in defining the social, economic and cultural practices of Australians as well as the local and global influences shaping the character of contemporary Australian society. Topics include globalization, economic transition, multiculturalism and inter-ethnic relations, among others. Brief synopses of theoretical discussion as well as contemporaneous Australian examples of sociological debates illustrate the relevance of these themes and issues for understanding contemporary Australian society.

This chapter outlines the key sociological theories and concepts that will be used in subsequent chapters to elaborate on different aspects of the contemporary social fabric of Australian society. Sociological theory provides a set of tools for investigating different social practices and institutions, while sociological concepts enable the elaboration of particular features of contemporary society. This chapter focuses on a broad range of theory and concepts, with the assumption that not all readers will have an established understanding of sociological theories.

3. Case Studies: Sociological Analysis of Current Social Issues in Australia

In the first case study, “Australian men’s health: Mateship and the imagined community”, we explore how men’s health in Australia can be understood concerning the social values attached to the notion of mateship. Using mateship as a sociological concept that suggests men’s friendship is focused around the manual laboring worker and advocating rural values of a close-knit community, we suggest that this imagery has been in part a way to socially conform through exclusionary practices. Key behaviors of masculinity had been embedded in the Australian mateship spirit and enforced by others (including women) that act as a form of social surveillance which promotes and sanctions the desired types of behaviors.

In this chapter, we offer case studies of contemporary social issues in Australia. Each case study represents an issue that highlights the relevance of sociology in helping to interpret social aspects of the modern world and our changing cultural values. The case is made that these diverse and complex social issues cannot be completely analyzed without the use of a sociological imagination – a powerful tool that helps identify and problematize issues often experienced as personal, psychological, and individual-based.

4. The Role of Sociology in Addressing Inequality and Promoting Social Change in Australia

Sociology exhibits the capacity to influence the values of theory and research that, in turn, can influence the implementation of policies designed to affect social change. This is in part why sociology has been regarded as the academic discipline of social change. However, there is a widespread and ongoing argument that sociologists, more widely speaking, are out of the policy loop and do not engage or influence national or global policy agendas to the extent that is possible.

Sociologists are best placed to contribute to promoting social justice by exploring inequality in its multiple forms. This research may produce varied, often innovative ways in managing this inequality, from governmental and social welfare policy, to understanding how individual beliefs and actions reinforce or challenge such inequality. In Australia, the work of many sociologists has contributed to the advancement of social justice for particular groups, such as indigenous populations, the poor, and women, in previously neglected areas of sociological research.