Module review for SC1101E: Making Sense of Society

Taken AY2014/2015 Semester 1


SC1101E: Making Sense of Society

This module consists of many topics— being sociology, it naturally covers all aspects of society and is very broad and general, which is why some people consider it GP, sociologically explained. There were two lecturers; one of them made better slides and explained issues in greater depth, while the other was more relaxed, focused less on the details and gave more room for you to explore and form your own interpretations. Both of them were clear, so no complains there.

The module might start off dry and boring, given that the first 2 lectures were devoted to introducing various sociologists and understanding the art of conducting sociological experiments and collecting reliable data. The content became more interesting thereafter, with topics such as gender, family, culture, deviance, to name a few.

The amount of content might seem heavy at first, but it’s not. The major sociological theories/perspectives used to explain each topic were generally the same, and should not be a problem as long as you understand them. Although empirical examples are a must when writing essays, I would say that there’s not much point memorizing them. What’s most important is that you can apply those theories to your personal observations, and perhaps invent your own examples.

The textbook (A Sociological Compass, by Brym and Lie) is rather informative, but contains of mostly American case studies (which I don’t know, might not be so applicable). However, the readings provided aren’t very useful. They seemed to cover the not-so-important (I could be wrong) stuff and I didn’t read most of them. That being said, the readings are still enjoyable, especially if you have a taste for intriguing and sometimes quirky/weird happenings around the world, like body rituals.

Assessment:
10%: tutorial attendance and participation (5% attendance, 5% participation)
15%: short assignment
25%: midterms
50%: finals

The tutorials consist of small group discussions, and questions are given out beforehand, so be sure to read up and attempt them if you want to contribute.
The short assignment required us to apply the ‘sociological imagination’ to a phenomenon we observe in our society. There was a word limit of 500 words, and shouldn’t be too difficult, as long as you can apply the basic theories.

For the midterms, we had to write 1 essay in an hour, and for the finals, 2 essays in 2 hours. There should be sufficient time for you to write a decent essay— just make sure to provide clear and concise explanations, and link your arguments to the theories, and most importantly, the question itself.

Workload:
The workload for this module is moderate. The short assignment shouldn’t take too much time, and all you have to do is study for the midterms and finals.

(Intended major: Political Science)

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