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SOCY332 Consumer Society

Updated: 04 July 2011
Credit Points 6
Offering Not offered in 2012
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is a UNE Supervised Examination held at the end of the teaching period in which you are enrolled.
Pre-requisites 12cp at 100 level in Sociology or Marketing and Management or Communication Studies
Co-requisites None
Restrictions SOCY232
Notes None
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) Peter Corrigan (pcorriga@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

Historically, sociology has tended to stress issues related to production and consequently to downplay the study of consumption. This unit proposes to redress the balance, and to treat seriously a topic that is becoming of increasing importance in post-industrial societies. With an ever greater number of goods and services available, more and more opportunities are available for consumers to create social versions of who they are. Students explore topics such as theories of consumer society, objects, shops and shopping, advertising, the home, food and drink, tourism, the body, clothing and fashion.
Materials Text information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. understand historical and theoretical approaches to the analysis of consumer society;
  2. apply these approaches to concrete instances; and
  3. understand a wide range of specific consumer practices.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
This unit deals with fundamental questions of social life in the context of consumer society, and thus deals with core issues of the discipline. It is taught in lectures, study notes and readings, practised in class and on the online discussion board and assessed via the essay and the exam. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
Communication skills are developed through discussions in class and on the discussion board, the essay and the examination. This is assessed in all assessment tasks. 		True True
3 Global Perspectives
This unit aims to have students develop their understanding of consumption in general, and offers the opportunity of considering consumption in various historical settings and across various cultures. This is assessed in all assessment tasks. 		True True True
4 Information Literacy
Information literacy is developed through the essay and lectures and through learning how to find appropriate readings in appropriate places. It is assessed in all assessment tasks. 		True True True
5 Life-Long Learning
Life-long learning is promoted implicitly through the acquisition of theoretical and analytical skills appropriate to the area that are also extendable beyond it. 		True
6 Problem Solving
Problem solving is embedded in the essay and examination tasks, as well as in discussions exploring problems in relevant topics. It is assessed in all assessment tasks. 		True True True
7 Social Responsibility
While social responsibilities are much debated, this unit addresses them through assisting students to better understand how social, political, economic, ideological and cultural imperatives are constructed and act on people in different contexts. 		True True
8 Team Work
Team work is practised through group work for internals and made possible through discussion boards for externals. 		True
   

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