§-Sociology syllabus
VIC · VCAA← Sociology
Sociology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the VIC Sociology syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Unit 3: Culture and ethnicity
Module overview →What are the distinctive features of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures before and since colonisation?
the distinctive features of Australian Indigenous cultures, including connection to Country, kinship, language and spirituality
What is culture and how do sociologists distinguish material from non-material culture?
the sociological concept of culture, including material and non-material culture, and the process of socialisation
What is ethnicity and how does it differ from race, nationality and culture?
the sociological concept of ethnicity, and the distinction between ethnicity, race, nationality and culture
What are ethnocentrism and cultural relativism and why do they matter for studying ethnicity?
the concepts of ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, and their significance for the sociological study of culture and ethnicity
What is the experience of one ethnic group within Australian society?
the experience of one ethnic group in Australia, including migration, settlement, maintaining cultural identity and experiences of prejudice or discrimination
How has colonisation affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and communities?
the impact of colonisation on Australian Indigenous cultures, including dispossession, assimilation, the Stolen Generations and ongoing effects
What are common public misconceptions about Australian Indigenous cultures and how does sociology challenge them?
common public misconceptions about Australian Indigenous cultures, and how a sociological imagination challenges them
What is multiculturalism and how does it shape belonging and inclusion in Australia?
the concept of multiculturalism and its relationship to belonging, inclusion and ethnic diversity in Australia
How do sociologists distinguish prejudice, discrimination and racism, and how do they affect ethnic groups in Australia?
the concepts of prejudice, discrimination, stereotyping and racism, and their impact on ethnic groups in Australia
How is culture transmitted through socialisation and which agents are responsible?
the process of socialisation, including primary and secondary socialisation and the role of agents of socialisation
What is the sociological imagination and how do sociologists use it to study culture?
the sociological imagination as described by C. Wright Mills, and its use in linking personal experience to wider social structures
Unit 4: Community, social movements and social change
Module overview →How did the Aboriginal land rights movement organise and what social change did it achieve?
one social movement in detail, the Aboriginal land rights movement, including its origins, organisation, strategies and outcomes
What is a community and what are its key sociological characteristics?
the sociological concept of community, including types of community and the characteristics that define them
How has the Australian environmental movement organised and what social change has it achieved?
one social movement in detail, the environmental movement, including its origins, organisation, strategies and outcomes
What is a social movement and what are its key features and types?
the sociological concept of social movements, including their characteristics, types and stages of development
How do power, inclusion and exclusion operate within communities?
the role of power, inclusion and exclusion in communities, and the factors that strengthen or weaken community
What are social capital and a sense of belonging, and how do they strengthen community?
the concepts of social capital and sense of belonging, and how they contribute to the strength of a community
How do social movements bring about social change in Australia?
the role of social movements in achieving social change, using Australian examples such as land rights, environmental and marriage equality movements
How does Tonnies explain the way communities have changed from traditional to modern society?
the theory of Ferdinand Tonnies, including Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft, and the way communities change over time
What are the different types of social movements and how do they vary in their aims?
the range of types of social movements, including reform, revolutionary, resistance and new social movements, and how they differ in scope and aim
How has the Australian women's movement organised and what social change has it achieved?
one social movement in detail, the women's movement, including its origins, organisation, strategies and outcomes