§-Society and Culture syllabus

NSW · NESA← Society and Culture

Society and Culture syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the NSW Society and Culture syllabus, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Core: Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

Module overview →

How do tradition, modernisation and Westernisation interact in a society undergoing change?

Distinguish tradition, modernisation and Westernisation and analyse their interaction in a studied country and in Australia

How do the fundamental and additional concepts give Society and Culture its shared language for analysis?

Apply the fundamental concepts of persons, society, culture, environment, time, power, authority, gender, technology and globalisation across the course

How do I study one country other than Australia in depth to reveal continuity and change?

Conduct an in-depth study of one selected country other than Australia, examining continuity and change across its institutions, groups and everyday life

How do social and cultural researchers choose, combine and evaluate methods to investigate the social world?

Select, justify and evaluate qualitative and quantitative social research methods and apply ethical principles to investigation

How do major social theories explain why societies stay the same and why they change?

Apply functionalist, conflict, interactionist, feminist and postmodern perspectives to explain social and cultural continuity and change

How do cooperation and conflict act together as engines of social and cultural continuity and change?

Analyse cooperation and conflict as interacting forces that produce continuity and change within and between societies and cultures

How and why do societies and cultures experience continuity and change over time?

Examine the nature of continuity and change, and the dialectical relationship between persistence and transformation in a chosen country

How do power, authority and globalisation drive and resist social and cultural change?

Analyse the impact of power, authority, technology and globalisation as agents of continuity and change in a studied country

Depth Study: Social Conformity and Nonconformity

Module overview →

What is the nature of conformity and nonconformity and why do people conform?

Define conformity and nonconformity and explain the psychological and social reasons people conform or resist

What is the nature of social inclusion and exclusion, and what are socially valued resources?

Define social inclusion and exclusion and explain socially valued resources and full participation in society

What is the nature of belief systems and ideologies and how do they differ?

Define and distinguish belief systems and ideologies, including religious and secular types, and their characteristics

How do I study one group in depth to reveal conformity and nonconformity in action?

Conduct an in-depth focus study of one group exhibiting conformity or nonconformity, analysing its norms, control and influence

How do I study one excluded group in depth to reveal the dynamics of exclusion?

Conduct an in-depth focus study of one group experiencing social exclusion, analysing causes, experiences and implications

What is the nature of a chosen popular culture and how did it develop over time?

Investigate the nature and historical development of a chosen popular culture, distinguishing it from high and folk culture

How does a chosen popular culture develop, spread and reflect continuity and change in society?

Investigate the nature, development, control and consumption of a chosen popular culture and its relationship to social and cultural change

How do belief systems and ideologies shape personal and collective identity and worldview?

Analyse how belief systems and ideologies shape individual and group identity, worldview and behaviour

How do belief systems and ideologies exercise power, ethics and social control?

Analyse how belief systems and ideologies shape ethics, exercise authority and act as agents of social control

How do belief systems and ideologies both unite and divide societies?

Analyse the role of belief systems and ideologies in producing social cohesion and social conflict

How do belief systems and ideologies shape identity, culture and social and cultural change?

Examine the nature of belief systems and ideologies and their role in continuity, change, cohesion and conflict in societies

What are the implications of social exclusion for individuals, groups and society?

Analyse the implications of social exclusion, including the cycle of disadvantage and reduced life chances and social mobility

How do belief systems and ideologies persist and transform over time?

Analyse continuity and change in belief systems and ideologies, including secularisation, reform and revival

What is deviance, how is it defined, and how do societies respond to it?

Analyse the social construction of deviance, how it is defined and labelled, and how societies respond to it

How do consumers engage with, reshape and resist a chosen popular culture?

Analyse the consumption of a chosen popular culture and the active role of consumers in shaping and resisting it

What factors and processes of social differentiation cause exclusion?

Analyse the factors and processes of social differentiation that cause social exclusion of individuals and groups

How do conformity and nonconformity shape attitudes, behaviour and social and cultural change?

Examine the nature, causes and consequences of conformity and nonconformity and their influence on attitudes and behaviour

How and why are individuals and groups included in or excluded from societies and cultures?

Analyse the nature, causes and consequences of social inclusion and exclusion for individuals and groups in Australian society

How do agencies of socialisation and social control shape conformity?

Analyse how agencies of socialisation and social control shape conformity and respond to nonconformity

Who creates, controls and disseminates a popular culture, and with what consequences?

Analyse the creation, ownership, control and dissemination of a chosen popular culture and the power relations involved

How do official and unofficial censorship shape the development of a chosen popular culture?

Analyse the role of official and unofficial censorship in the development and evolution of a chosen popular culture

How does nonconformity drive social and cultural change?

Evaluate nonconformity as a driver of social and cultural change through subcultures and social movements

How does a chosen popular culture express contemporary values and contribute to social and cultural change?

Evaluate how a chosen popular culture expresses contemporary values and acts as an agent of social and cultural continuity and change

What responses and strategies promote social inclusion and reduce exclusion?

Evaluate the responses and strategies that governments, organisations and communities use to promote social inclusion

The Personal Interest Project (PIP)

Module overview →

How do I structure, write and present my Personal Interest Project to meet NESA's requirements?

Structure, write and present the Personal Interest Project clearly within the required components, format and word limit

How do I build a genuine cross-cultural component into my Personal Interest Project?

Develop and sustain a cross-cultural perspective across the Personal Interest Project as a central marking discriminator

How do I design, document and ethically conduct the research for my Personal Interest Project?

Design and document an integrated, ethical PIP methodology and maintain a reflective log of research decisions

How do I plan, research, write and present a rigorous Personal Interest Project that meets NESA's criteria?

Design and conduct an ethical, methodologically sound Personal Interest Project that applies social and cultural research and a cross-cultural perspective