ATAR, Category A, Board Developed Course
2 Units in each of Preliminary and HSC
What will I be doing in this course?
Society and Culture develops knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes essential to an appreciation of the social world. How the interaction of persons, society, culture, environment and time shape human behaviour is a central theme of study. Students develop an understanding of research methodologies and undertake research in an area of particular interest to them.
A requirement of the course is that the research findings are presented for external assessment in Year 12, in the Personal Interest Project (PIP).
The Preliminary course covers:
- The Social and Cultural World – the interaction between aspects of society and cultures
- Personal and Social Identity – socialisation & coming of age in a variety of social and cultural settings.
- Intercultural Communication – how people in different cultures interact and communicate.
The HSC course covers a core:
- Social and Cultural Continuity and Change – research and study of the nature, continuity and change of a selected country
- The Personal Interest Project – an individual research project.
Two depth studies to be chosen from:
- Popular Culture – the interconnection between individuals and popular culture
- Belief Systems – role of belief systems in societies, cultures and personal life
- Equality and Difference – the nature of equality and difference in societies and cultures
- Work and Leisure – the nature and role of work and leisure in society.
What should I be able to do at the end of the course?
- Demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes essential to achieving social and cultural literacy via the examination of the interactions between persons, societies, cultures and environment across time
- Understand and utilise a range of research methodologies (interviews, questionnaires, surveys etc) to understand their social research.
How will this course help me in the future?
Society and Culture prepares students for immediate transition to work or tertiary study. Students learn to analyse issues, to write reports, to work in teams, to conduct individual research, to communicate with a variety of people in many ways and to understand their place in the global community. The course is relevant for students now and in their future. Society and Culture would be particularly valuable to students who wish to undertake further study in the humanities, social sciences, behavioural sciences, communication, business and law, but would also provide useful skills for any university or TAFE NSW course.