HSC Year 12 Society and Culture Complete Course Notes (2022 - 2024) 1922394939, 9781922394934

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Year 12 Society and Culture Complete Course Notes 2022–2024 Olivia Widjaja

Published by InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd 91a Orrong Cres Caulfield North, Victoria, 3161 Phone (03) 9916 7760 www.atarnotes.com As and when required, content updates and amendments will be published at: atarnotes.com/product-updates Copyright © InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd 2022 ABN: 75 624 188 101 All rights reserved. These notes are protected by copyright owned by InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd and you may not reproduce, disseminate, or communicate to the public the whole or a substantial part thereof except as permitted at law or with the prior written consent of InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation as the traditional owners of the land on which this text was created. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future and acknowledge that this land we work on has, and always will be, Wurundjeri land. Title: Year 12 Society and Culture Complete Course Notes ISBN: 978-1-922394-93-4 Disclaimer No reliance on warranty. These ATAR Notes materials are intended to supplement but are not intended to replace or to be any substitute for your regular school attendance, for referring to prescribed texts or for your own note taking. You are responsible for following the appropriate syllabus, attending school classes and maintaining good study practices. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy of any information, opinions and advice in these materials. Under no circumstance will InStudent Publishing Pty Ltd (“InStudent Publishing”), its officers, agents and employees be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on these materials, including any adverse impact upon your performance or result in any academic subject as a result of your use or reliance on the materials. You accept that all information provided or made available by InStudent Publishing is in the nature of general information and does not constitute advice. It is not guaranteed to be error-free and you should always independently verify any information, including through use of a professional teacher and other reliable resources. To the extent permissible at law InStudent Publishing expressly disclaims all warranties or guarantees of any kind, whether express or implied, including without limitation any warranties concerning the accuracy or content of information provided in these materials or other fitness for purpose. InStudent Publishing shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages of any kind. You agree to indemnify InStudent Publishing, its officers, agents and employees against any loss whatsoever by using these materials. Trademarks "ATAR" is a registered trademark of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (“VTAC”); "HSC" is a registered trademark of the Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (“BOSTES”). VTAC and BOSTES have no involvement in or responsibility for any material appearing in these guides. Nor does BOSTES endorse or make any warranties regarding the material in these books or sold by InStudent Media Pty Ltd. HSC syllabuses and related content can be accessed from the BOSTES website. HSC examination questions and syllabus extracts are reproduced by permission, from NESA (http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au).

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Preface Hi there and welcome to Society & Culture! I’ll be honest, I didn’t plan to keep Society & Culture. In fact, it was one of my “backup subjects” - only picking it up because of timetabling issues. However, I grew to love Society & Culture throughout Year 11 and 12. I loved how the subject gave me room to talk about my personal experiences and interests and develop a new perspective on society. I could also spend time scrolling through social media and find so many contemporary examples that I could include in my responses. Eventually, Society & Culture became one of my best subjects, and I received a Band 6 in the 2018 HSC. I loved completing the Personal Interest Project (PIP). While many students are often scared off by the fact that Society & Culture involves a Major Work, the PIP was a great opportunity for me to put my research skills to the test and focus on a topic I was interested in. Because my PIP related to me on a personal level, it also helped me learn a few things about myself. However, with every Major Work, there are ups and downs – one of them is being able to manage the PIP on top of study. My aim is to help you tackle Society & Culture, covering both the content and the Major Work, as well as tips and tricks on structuring short responses, essays, answering the multiple-choice section (and so much more)! One thing to note is that Society & Culture has four different Depth Studies and each school chooses two out of the four. On top of this, each school chooses a Focus Study. These notes will cover most of the content for the four Depth Studies since the Focus Study will differ. The sample essays included will be for the Depth Studies Belief Systems and Ideologies and Social Inclusion & Exclusion, as those are the Depth Studies I undertook during the HSC. Even if you’re not studying these topics, it can still help you understand how to structure essays and give you an idea on how much detail to include. Furthermore, I’d like to acknowledge that most of my study came from my teacher’s handouts, Kate Thompson’s textbook Society and Culture: Preliminary and HSC (2015 edition) and numerous online resources. At the end of each section, I will include a reference list in case you would like to follow up on any statistic or quote I have referred to. I hope this guide can help you prepare for both the exam and the Major Work. Society & Culture can be challenging but I promise you it will be rewarding in the end. I wish you all the best in your studies! — Olivia Widjaja

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Contents 1

Understanding the Syllabus

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HSC Core: Social & Cultural Continuity & Change

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The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods 1.1 The Features of Primary and Secondary Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Nature of Qualitative and Quantitative Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Features, Strengths, and Weaknesses of Research Methods . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.1 Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.2 Focus Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.3 Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4 Personal Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.5 Secondary Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.6 Content Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.7 Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.8 Participant Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.9 Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.10 Statistical Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4.1 The Nature of Continuity and Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4.2 The Influence of Continuity and Change on the Development of Society 1.4.3 The Impact of Modernisation and Westernisation . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4.4 Theories of Social Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4.5 Key Features of Theories of Social Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Depth Study: Popular Culture

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The Nature of Popular Culture 1.1 Associated with Commercial Products and Paraphernalia 1.2 Develops from a Local to a Global Level . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Achieves Widespread Consumer Success . . . . . . . . 1.4 Constantly Changing and Evolving . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Depth Study: Belief Systems and Ideologies The Nature of Belief Systems and Ideologies 1.1 Similarities/Differences Between Belief Systems and Ideologies . . . 1.2 The Nature and Role of Shared Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Expression of Values and Beliefs at a Micro, Meso, and Macro Level 1.4 Nature and Role of Hierarchy and Internal Power Structures . . . . . 1.5 The Process of Secularisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Depth Study: Social Inclusion and Exclusion The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion 1.1 The Pluralist Nature of Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Similarities and Differences Between Individuals and Groups in Societies and Cultures 1.3 The Concept of ‘Socially Valued Resources’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.1 Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.2 Employment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.3 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.4 Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.5 Healthcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.6 Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 Social Exclusion Within Australia at a Micro, Meso, and Macro Level . . . . . . . . . .

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Depth Study: Social Conformity and Nonconformity

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The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity 1.1 Factors that Influence Conformity and Obedience in Individuals 1.2 Responses to Social Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2.1 Acquiescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2.2 Internalisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2.3 Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Deindividuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 The Impacts of Nonconformity on Boundaries . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Social Costs and Benefits of Nonconformity . . . . . . . . . . 1.6 Impacts of Agenda Setting on Attitudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.1 Agenda Setting Function Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7 Nonconformists Impacting Social Change . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Personal Interest Project PIP 1.1 Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.1 Choosing Your Topic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3.2 Developing a Research Question . . . . . . . . 1.4 Secondary research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4.1 Conducting In-Depth Secondary Research . . . 1.4.2 Annotated Bibliography (Secondary Resources) 1.4.3 Sub-questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Primary research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5.1 Choosing Your Primary Research Method . . . 1.5.2 Annotating Primary Research Methods . . . . . 1.6 Central material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.1 Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.2 Writing Chapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.3 Writing an Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.4 Writing a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.5 Writing a Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6.6 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7 Final touches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7.1 Using Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.7.2 Creating Enticing Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Time Management

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Exam Skills

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Section One 1.1 Understanding the Exam . . . . . . . . 1.2 Approaching Difference Question Types 1.2.1 Multiple Choice . . . . . . . . . 1.2.2 Short Answers (1–2 marks) . . . 1.2.3 Short Answers (4–9 marks) . . .

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Section Two 2.1 Essay Writing . . . . . . 2.1.1 Introduction . . . 2.1.2 Body Paragraphs 2.1.3 Conclusion . . .

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Exam Preparation 3.1 Study Techniques . . . 3.2 Approaching the Exam 3.3 Before the Exam . . . . 3.4 Final Notes . . . . . .

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Understanding the Syllabus

Section 1

Understanding the Syllabus Just like your other subjects, the syllabus is extremely important when studying for Society & Culture. But unlike many of your other subjects, NESA is kind enough to give you all you need to know. The main section you should focus on is the “content” section. Here, you’ll see a few more headings such as “integrated concepts.” This is what the syllabus looks like for the “Social and Cultural Continuity and Change” topic: S YLLABUS :

Content Integrated Concepts The fundamental, additional and related concepts listed below are to be integrated across the study of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change. Fundamental course concepts: Persons Society Culture Environment Time

Additional course concepts: • • • • • •

Power Authority Gender Identity Technologies Globalisation

You have probably encountered these terms in Year 11, so we’ll focus on the related core study concepts. You need to know them – you should be including these terms in your responses. You can always find the definitions for each term in the glossary at the end of the syllabus. Below these concepts are the related core study concepts. These concepts are for the Social and Cultural Continuity and Change topic: S YLLABUS :

Related core study concepts: • • • • • • • •

Continuity and change Modernisation Sustainability Tradition Beliefs and values Empowerment Westernisation Cooperation and conflict

These are specifically important for the Social and Cultural Continuity and Change topic, so again, know your definitions because they will need to be integrated throughout your responses.

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Section 1 – Understanding the Syllabus

• • • • •

Understanding the Syllabus

You should also note that in each topic, there are a set of dot points before the Focus Study section. For example, in the Depth Study Social Inclusion and Exclusion” we have: S YLLABUS :

The nature of social inclusion and exclusion • Students develop an understanding of the nature of social inclusion and exclusion by examining: – The pluralist nature of societies and cultures – An overview of similarities and differences between individuals and groups in societies and cultures – The concept of ‘socially valued resources’ – How individuals and groups experience social exclusion within Australia at a micro, meso, and macro levels This is where you apply related core study concepts in a broader sense, allowing you to get comfortable with some terminology specific to the Depth Study that you need to know for your Focus Study. And then you have your Focus Study. This is where you school will choose a group, country, belief system, or ideology (depending on the Depth Study) and you will need to apply your knowledge. This is where most of your study notes should come from for the short answer and essay questions in Section Two. Section 1 – Understanding the Syllabus

Another aspect of the syllabus is the contemporary context. Essentially, this section just explains how we need to include contemporary examples within our responses. As a result, you need to be on top of the current news. I’ll elaborate on this further in the “How to Study” section, but I don’t already, I strongly encourage you start watching the news. You don’t need to watch the full segment but being aware of what is happening in the world is a great way for you to show how these concepts can link with public knowledge. Another place to get some contemporary examples is on the ATAR Notes forums, where I have created a thread titled “Contemporary Examples on Depth Studies.” You can find the link here: https://atarnotes.me/contemporary-examples

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Part I

HSC Core: Social & Cultural Continuity & Change

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The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

Section 1

The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods This topic will be assessed in the first section of the exam. But don’t worry, this section isn’t too long, and the majority of the content has already been touched on in Year 11. That being said, students can still struggle in the first section of the exam if they don’t revise the Year 11 content – I know this from personal experience. In my Trial exam, I focused so much on my Depth Studies, even managing to get full marks in Section Two! However, I performed poorly in Section One and lost so many easy marks. Definitely wasn’t going to make that mistake again! Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

You’ll notice in the syllabus that there are three sections: the nature of social and cultural research methods, the nature of social and cultural continuity and change, and Focus Study. The multiple-choice will be from the first two sections of the syllabus and the short-answer questions will ask you to refer to the Focus Study. However, the short-answer questions will include aspects from the first two sections. Because it’s easy to lose marks in Section One, I will be focusing on definitions of key terms. While you can find these definitions from the syllabus, these will be summarised. Vocab

Definition

Continuity

Consistent existence of cultural elements in a society across time.

Change

Alteration or modification of cultural elements in a society.

Modernisation

Process of dynamic social change resulting from diffusion and the adoption of characteristics of apparently more advanced societies by other societies that are apparently less advanced.

Sustainability

Required development to meet current human needs without jeopardizing the needs of future generations or the health of planet since all species depend on it for their existence.

Tradition

Body of cultural practices and beliefs, our thinking, language, and behaviour.

Beliefs

Set of opinions or ideas we believe as the truth.

Values

Deeply held ideas and beliefs that guide our thinking, language, and behaviour.

Empowerment

Social process that gives power or authority to people at a micro level, to groups at a meso level, and to institutions at a macro level.

Westernisation

Social process where the values, customs, and practices of Western industrial capitalism are adopted to form the basis of cultural change.

Cooperation

Ability of individual members of a group to work together to achieve a common goal.

Conflict

A perceived incompatibility of goals or actions.

This section focuses on the various research methods used in Society & Culture. You have probbaly encountered these in Year 11, but this section makes sure that you’re comfortable with these research methods, their definitions and their features. You will also find yourself using these methods in your PIP. 4

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1.2 Nature of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

1.1

1.2

The Features of Primary and Secondary Research Primary research

Primary research is when original information or research data is collected first-hand by the researcher. This means primary research can be both qualitative and quantitative, depending on what research method you select.

Secondary research

This is when the researcher collects existing information and synthesises the information. All researchers conduct secondary research. You would have found yourself conducting background research for your PIP before narrowing down your topic.

Nature of Qualitative and Quantitative Research

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Being able to collect a large data sample of respondents Can be easily distributed Anonymous Quantitative data can be collected through closed-ended questions or a scale Comparisons can be made

Qualitative research: when in-depth research is needed, researchers find a way to gather non-qualitative research techniques and data. The collected data can then be analysed and used to answer “why” and “how” questions. Some features include: • • • • •

1.3

Using a smaller sample size Requiring interaction between the researcher and the respondent Direct quotes from the respondent Using to explore subjective experiences Narrative report with a conceptual description of behaviours, beliefs, and values

Features, Strengths, and Weaknesses of Research Methods

You should be using a variety of research methods for your PIP, but it is also important to know the definitions and their features because short-answer questions can ask you to identify features of a research method, or how you can use a research method for a given topic.

1.3.1

Case Study

When an in-depth study is conducted, there should be two or more research methods such as an observation, interviews, and the collection of secondary research. As a result, a case study is qualitative in nature. The main strength of a case study is that you can combine a variety of research methods. Case studies can also be used to explore topics in different ways. However, case studies are prone to bias since researchers can become selective with their evidence and omit other pieces of information. An example where a case study can be used is when a researcher wishes to study a specific cultural group.

1.3.2

Focus Group

A focus group is when the moderator conducts a discussion with a small group, usually four or five people, all of whom are selected by the moderator. As a result, there is a bias in group selection. There can also be conflict during the discussion, as there may be members who have strong, opposing opinions towards the topic. However, a focus group is great for gaining a variety of perspectives. Furthermore, it also makes it easier for the researcher to collect qualitative data without conducting multiple interviews with several people. I personally used a focus group as a research method in my Year 11 mini-PIP, where I gathered four students who had been exposed to Japanese culture and discussed the impact of “kawaii” culture on gender identity and gender roles. Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

Quantitative research: when research data can be measured, counted, and quantified. The data collected can then be tabulated and graphed, allowing the researcher to extrapolate from the data and make predictions. Some features include:

1.3 Features, Strengths, and Weaknesses of Research Methods

1.3.3

Observation

An observation is when the researcher collects and counts the data, thus making it quantitative in nature. Observations can help researchers collect large amounts of data since it mainly involves counting. Because it does not involve interaction, researchers can gain immediate results, and the data is objective. However, this is also a disadvantage, as you can only gain basic information and your results will lack depth. Furthermore, this method is rather time consuming. An example of an observation is counting the number of local businesses that offer reusable containers to find out how sustainability is demonstrated at a meso level.

1.3.4

Personal Reflection

Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

This is when the researcher uses and analyses their personal experiences within the context of the research focus. One of the main advantages of a personal reflection is that it allows researchers to gain a deeper insight into the topic, thus making it qualitative. As a result, this adds value to what they’re researching since it demonstrates the impact of an issue on a micro level. However, a personal reflection is highly subjective as it relies on an individual’s personal experience. While there is bias, a personal reflection can be easily synthesised with primary and secondary research, as you can compare and contrast your own experiences with the experiences of others. This allows you to demonstrate social and cultural literacy, as it allows you to combine personal experience with public knowledge. I used a personal reflection in my PIP, using it to reflect on my own racial identity.

1.3.5

Secondary Research

Secondary research involves accessing existing data on the topic. This can be both qualitative and quantitative. Thus, the variety of existing data can be a positive aspect of secondary research since it allows you to gain a wider perspective on the topic. However, since the data is already summarised and synthesised by the researcher, the data is biased since they select what information is important. Regardless, secondary research is integral to your PIP – you may have already conducted secondary research when narrowing your topic! You will also find yourself synthesising secondary research with primary research when writing your PIP chapters. This goes back to the idea of social and cultural literacy, and combining personal experience with public knowledge.

1.3.6

Content Analysis

This is when the researcher analyses any form of media to interpret themes and ideas. Media can come in the form of films, newspapers, or cultural artefacts. As a result, content analysis is both qualitative and quantitative in nature. This is one of its strengths, because the researcher is able to gain an in-depth understanding.. Furthermore, a content analysis can also show ideas of continuity and/or change since you can take note of common and varied themes throughout a wide array of media. However, the selection of sources may lead to bias, as the original composer can omit information. There are also ethical concerns regarding the use of copyrighted sources. There are many ways a content analysis can be used. In a Year 11 assessment task on the depth study “Personal and Social Identity”, I analysed whether adolescent films are an accurate reflection on the process of socialisation. When analysing the two films Clueless (1995) and The DUFF (2015), I recorded the total screen time of Cher’s interactions with her family and compared it to the total screen time of Bianca’s interactions with her family. I also used a content analysis to take note of some common teen film tropes, such as the cliques illustrated and the “makeover” segment.

1.3.7

Interview

An interview involves the questioning of others through the use of open-ended questions. Interviews can be used to gain an expert’s opinions or understand an individual’s personal experiences, making them qualitative. There are also different types of interviews. • Tightly structured interviews: when the interviewer strictly adheres to the prepared questions. • Unstructured interviews: when the interview does not have any questions prepared – this is more like an everyday conversation. • Semi-structured interviews: are a combination of both tightly structured and unstructured; the interviewer prepares questions in advance but also asks questions they came up with on the spot, usually to ask the interviewee to further elaborate on their point. 6

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1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

Interviews can help the researcher gain an in-depth understanding on an issue, as they may ask the interviewee to further elaborate on a point. Furthermore, interviewees are also given the opportunity to think about their answers. However, the interviewee may not be comfortable answering some of the questions. Interviews are also hard to repeat, and often quite time consuming, as you need to transcribe the recorded interview. An example of an interview being used is interviewing an academic from the gender and cultural studies department of a university when exploring the impacts of fandom culture on identity.

1.3.8

Participant Observation

This is when the researcher is immersed in what they are observing. During the participant observation, the role of the researcher is not known. While participant observation is used to analyse human behaviour, it can also be quantitative by counting specific actions. This allows the researcher to gain a deeper understanding based on their interactions. However, there are ethical concerns regarding this research method, as the participants don’t know that they are being analysed. An example of a participant observation being used is investigating the impact of uniforms on conformity.

1.3.9

Questionnaire

1.3.10

Statistical Analysis

This is when the researcher extrapolates different numerical data and analyses them to create trends and generalisations, making statistical analysis quantitative in nature. The data can then be represented visually through graphs and tables. One of its strengths is that the data can be easily represented. The fact that statistical analysis can be used to find trends is another advantage. However, a statistical analysis cannot be used to identify the reasons behind the data. Moreover, the results are only averages and not specific. A statistical analysis can be seen when comparing the number of male and female smokers from the 1980s to the 2010s.

1.4

The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

We defined change as an alteration or modification of cultural elements in a society. However, we should note that change does not equate to progress. While change is inevitable, calling it progress is a subjective measure. As a result, it depends on the nature of change and the society and culture involved. This makes change a complex and ongoing process.

1.4.1

The Nature of Continuity and Change

Change is a Complex Process The reason why change is described as a complex process is because change is inevitable yet describing it as progress is always a subjective matter. It depends on the nature of change and the society and culture involved. As a result, change is a non-linear process, as there are numerous factors that result in change. An example is the rapid development of technology. On one hand, we can view technology as a positive change because it helps improve our daily life. Moreover, technology can help find new cures or improve living conditions in underdeveloped countries. However, technology could also result in negative change. Technology can be used to develop weaponry, making the world more unsafe. An example of this is the tension between North Korea and the United States during 2017–18, due to North Korea conducting missile and nuclear tests. Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

A questionnaire is when a series of unchangeable questions are sent to a large group of respondents. Questionnaires can be comprised of closed-ended and open-ended questions. Closed ended questions or rating scale questions are used to find trends, thus the results can be quantified. On the other hand, open ended questions are used when researchers want to gather a variety of opinions. Therefore, questionnaires are both qualitative and quantitative. This is one of the main strengths of a questionnaire, as the various types of questions can result in more detailed responses. Questionnaires are also very practical and easy to conduct as they can be easily distributed. However, questions may be misinterpreted, impacting the respondents’ answers. Furthermore, some respondents may not want to answer some of the questions and leave them out, creating gaps within the data. An example of a questionnaire being used is exploring the stereotypes associated with each suburb in Sydney.

1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

Another factor to take into account is the change in values and beliefs, including new perspectives on current issues – this can bring positive change because it allows us to revise current rules and possibly result in a social movement. An example of this is the suffragette movement and how the protests that have occurred throughout history have resulted in big changes, such affording women the right to vote. Evolutionary Change Evolutionary change is when change occurs over an extended period of time. The best way to remember this is to refer to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. We often associate the image of the ape slowly transforming into a human, thus referring to how evolutionary change takes time. In this case, continuity plays a significant role in society. As a result, change can be caused by technology and the spread of Westernisation. Change can also start at a micro level, which eventually escalates to a macro scale.

Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

An example of this is Saudi Arabia’s removal of the ban on female drivers in 2018. In Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism is a law that states that men and women must be kept separate and that every woman needs a male guardian – therefore women didn’t need a license. However, King Salman issued the decree, with Saudi Ambassador Prince Khalid bin Salman stating that “this is the right time to do this change because currently in Saudi Arabia, we have a young, dynamic, open society.” With women’s rights activists pushing for change since the 1990s, this shows how change can take a long time, with Saudi Arabia being the last country to allow women to drive. Transformative Change Transformative change is the opposite of evolutionary change. In other words, change has occurred over a shorter time frame. This can come in the form of rebellions, revolutions, or social movements. Therefore, transformative change aims to challenge the status quo at a micro, meso, and macro level. We’ll cover this in more detail further in this section, but Karl Marx’s Conflict Theory explores the process of transformative change. Examples of transformative change can be seen throughout history: the Russian Revolution, the Chinese Revolution (both the Chinese Communist Revolution and the Chinese Revolution of 1949), the suffragette movement – all of these revolutions and social movements have caused political changes, and we see the impacts of transformative change in contemporary society. This is because those who make transformative change realise that there are important social issues that need to be addressed. An example of this in contemporary society is the 2011 Egypt Revolution where demonstrators from different political backgrounds united against President Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president who ran an autocratic regime for 30 years. This was due to a variety of social and political issues within Egypt, including poverty, unemployment, a lack of freedom of speech, and corruption. After 18 days of violent protesting, Mubarak resigned as president. The Egypt Revolution demonstrates how significant transformative change can be to society, although this does not mean every aspect of society can be immediately changed. Resistance to Change Since change involves modifying an aspect of society that has continued over a significant period of time, almost always, there are going to be some members of society who disagree with it. There are many reasons why some members resist change. A prominent reason is that beliefs and ideologies are often deeply rooted in society. A great example of this is how various religions and political parties have responded to controversial topics such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Another example is the backlash regarding Saudi Arabia lifting the ban on female drivers. Numerous religious leaders argued that women driving would result in promiscuity. Saudi women also faced insults and threats, one woman finding her car burned. K EY P OINT :

One thing to note is that while resistance is inevitable, societies tend to adapt to change, adjusting their beliefs and attitudes.

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1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

1.4.2

The Influence of Continuity and Change on the Development of Society

We saw briefly in the previous section that change can impact at a micro, meso, and macro level. This syllabus dot point asks us to look at the impacts of both continuity and change at a micro, meso, and macro level. Micro Micro refers to individuals as well as their interactions with their family. As a result, we need to look at how various aspects of society impact the way individuals view themselves as well as the way they interact with others (we can definitely use our personal experiences here!). An example of how society has impacted the micro world is the impact of technology. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, desktops or laptop computers were used by 91% of connected households during 2016–17. During the same period, mobile or smart phones were also used by 91% of connected households. This has definitely impacted the way we interact with family. Social media apps such as Skype and FaceTime have also aided in communication with relatives living overseas. Other examples of continuity and change on a micro level include:

Meso Meso refers to how communities react and adapt to change. This involves adjusting to the process of globalisation, integrating goods, services, knowledge, ideas, and culture onto a meso level. An example of this is McDonald’s and their international menu. For example, in India they serve a McCurry Pan, where curried vegetables are served in a bread-bowl. This indicates how the menu has been adapted to suit Hindu values. The example above is known as localisation, where communities respond to globalisation by using these ideas and adapting it to their local context. However, sometimes communities aim to preserve their culture in response to change. Specifically, Indigenous communities have made the effort to maintain the continuity of their culture and values. An example of this is the way Aboriginal communities have protested mining on their land. This is because the land plays an important role in Aboriginal spirituality. Other examples of continuity and change at the meso level include: • Gender ratio in different subjects e.g. STEM subjects having more females (evolutionary change) • Adapting to new structures when transitioning from primary to high school (transformative change) • Communities that follow traditional values (resistance to change) Macro Macro refers to the larger-scale aspects of society. Examples of macro structures are the government, the law, and the media. As a result, changes in the macro world can greatly impact the micro and meso world since these changes are often enforced through the law. A great example of a change in the macro world was the passing of the marriage equality law in Australia in 2017. This has had a major impact on the micro world of same-sex couples, who previously had to travel to countries such as Canada to be legally married. Now that the marriage equality law has passed, same-sex couples are able to have their relationship legally recognised through marriage. This could be considered as evolutionary change. Other examples of continuity and change at the macro level include: • New Zealand changing their gun laws after the Christchurch shootings in 2019 (transformative change) • Media bias against Internet personalities on mainstream media (resistance to change)

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

• Changes to personal identity through socialisation (evolutionary change) • Transition from primary to high school (transformative change) • Families with conservative values (resistance to change)

1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

1.4.3

The Impact of Modernisation and Westernisation

Modernisation Modernisation is the process where societies develop into a more modern society. Evolution theory does a great job in explaining this (which we’ll explore later in this chapter). One example of modernisation is the introduction of new technology. Technology can mean the introduction of driverless trains in Sydney, but it could also be as simple as the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s. Modernisation can also refer to the development of new ideas. Secularisation is a great example of this. This illustrates how norms and beliefs have changed due to the decline of religion. Secularisation can also tie in with new technology since society has slowly moved towards believing in science rather than religion. You can find more on secularisation under the Depth Study “Beliefs Systems and Ideologies.” Westernisation

Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

Westernisation focuses on the impacts of Western countries on other countries. This involves the spread of beliefs, values, technology, and Western languages to Asian, Central/South American, and African countries. Western countries are able to propagate their ideas and values is through entertainment and social media, with the latter able to bring people from different countries closer. A great example of this is the impact of Australia passing the marriage equality law on Taiwan, with chief coordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan, Jennifer Lu, stating that “social media was key to achieving the coalition’s objectives,” and used Australia’s ‘Yes’ campaign model. Because of this, Taiwan became the first Asian country to pass the marriage equality law in 2019. However, Westernisation can also lead to the erosion of traditional culture. With non-Western countries exposed to notions of consumerism and individualism, often younger generations desire a Western lifestyle, over their own culture. An example of this is the increase of car culture in China, where the young and rich flaunt their wealth in car clubs such as the Beijing Sports Car Club. These clubs have the requirement that all members must own an expensive sports car along with an annual membership fee of over $1600. This new generation is otherwise known as “fuerdai,” or “rich second generation.”

1.4.4

Theories of Social Change

Social change involves the alteration of commonly held beliefs, values, and attitudes. Because there are numerous ways society can change, social theories attempt to explain the general changes in society and any resistance to change. Structural Changes within Society Structure refers to the rules within groups and institutions. As a result, theories are used to explain structural changes. Examples of structural changes include: • Increasing secularisation in Western countries • Increasing gender equality • Changing demographics Processes and Agents of Social Change There are numerous processes and agents that can result in social change. The acronym STEEP is useful for remembering the different agents of social change: • • • • •

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Socio-cultural: improvements in education, changes in gender roles Technological: cures for diseases Economic: globalisation Environmental: climate change Political: democratisation

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1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

Directions of Change This involves theorists explaining the patterns of change, questioning the subjective nature of progess, as well as the debate over whether change equates to progress and questioning the subjective nature of progress. This is because progress alludes to moving away from traditional society, towards a more complex one, as we’ll explore in evolutionary theory. Examples of progress include: • Gender equality • Narrowing economic disparities • Equal access to technology

1.4.5

Key Features of Theories of Social Change

Conflict Theory

Strengths

Weaknesses

The theory explores the dynamic between competing groups.

It doesn’t include major changes such as technological innovations.

Conflict theory helps theorists analyse group dynamics at a macro level.

Works well at a macro level but fails to apply at a micro level.

Theorists are able to analyse society in a critical manner.

Society is portrayed in a negative way, failing to account for social stability.

Contemporary Examples of Conflict Theory • Tibet and China: this involves conflict between the Tibetan people (theocratic Buddhist society) and the Chinese government. Since China assumed ownership of Tibet, Buddhist temples have been destroyed, and the Dalai Lama was exiled. In retaliation, Tibetan monks used self-immolation in 2012 to attract worldwide attention to the atrocities committed by China against Tibet. • Gun control in America – Parkland students vs NRA: due to the Parkland school shooting in 2018, students organised numerous walkouts and protests for action on gun control. Evolutionary Theory Evolutionary theory explores how change is a linear process from primitive state to a more complex state. Evolutionary theory also assumes that all societies will follow the same linear process, gradually occuring over time. As a result, evolutionary theory applies at a macro level. Strengths

Weaknesses

Evolutionary theory provides a basic explanation of how society changes within the Western world.

The theory assumes that all societies will follow the same process and doesn’t take factors such as globalisation and cultural diffusion into account.

Because we are advancing over time, we are able to improve the quality of life.

It takes the perspective that change equals progress, which is debatable.

Explains social changes at a macro scale.

It doesn’t explain why change occurs; only shows what occurs.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

Conflict theory states that society would be in a perpetual state of conflict due to limited resources. When the proletariat realise this resource imbalance, they will eventually overthrow the bourgeoisie. It is often used to explain social phenomena such as wars and revolutions. As a result, conflict theory applies at a macro level because it explains the effects of having an imbalance of power within various social structures.

1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

Contemporary Examples of Evolutionary Theory • Development of the Contraceptive Pill/IVF (reproductive technologies): the contraceptive pill enabled birth control, and thus women are able to have a choice in whether or not they want to fall pregnant. The development of IVF also afforded greater opportunities to those wishing to concieve. While the introduction of reproductive technologies can help society, ethical issues have been raised in regard to it tampering with potential life. • Organ transplants and use of bionic limbs: Individuals are given the chance to have more opportunities without having a physical disability limiting them. For example, the bionic eye can enable individuals to complete simple tasks such as read or write. Giving individuals the ability to complete these tasks enables them to have a better quality of life, thus improving life expectancy. Functionalist Theory Functionalism addresses how groups in societies have interconnected relationships in order for it to function and maintain social stability. As a result, functionalist theory is best applied at a macro and meso level. Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

Strengths

Weaknesses

Every structure has a function that meets a need of society and all structures work together to maintain a functioning society.

Functionalist theory doesn’t take conflict or social change into consideration.

If an event occurs at a micro level, it won’t severely impact the structure of society.

It only focuses on a macro level and doesn’t take individual actions into account.

Contemporary Examples of Evolutionary Theory • • • •

Schools educate students so they can find jobs and support the community (meso) Businesses provide special services and connect people across societies (meso) Laws maintain social order (macro) Globalisation helps achieve social stability through mutual reliance with other countries (macro)

Interactionist Theory Symbolic interactionism is when people attach meaning to symbols that require interpretation to understand. When people create these symbols, the meaning is agreed upon. However, meanings can be disputed over time due to changing social values. Because an individual’s experiences and perspectives impact their interpretation, interactions theory is applicable at a micro level.

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Strengths

Weaknesses

Interactionist theory can help explain social order.

The theory doesn’t take macro social change into account.

The theory takes into account the changing nature of an individual’s perceptions.

Because it’s dependent on individual experiences, it’s difficult to remain objective.

Symbolic interactionism is non-structured since these perspectives are based on experiences.

Interactionist theory ignores how institutions and social forces impact individuals.

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1.4 The Nature of Social and Cultural Continuity and Change

Contemporary Examples of Interactionist Theory • Changing uses of the ichthys symbol: ichthys, otherwise known as the “Jesus fish,” was a symbol used by early Christians due to their persecution at the hands of the Romans. However, with society moving towards secularisation, the ichthys meaning has become diluted as we often see this symbol on the bumper of cars. • Changing ideas towards homosexuality: homosexuality was initially viewed by wider society as immoral, with those those involved in homosexual relations facing legal repercussions (e.g. prosecuted for ‘gross indecency’). However, macro institutions such the media enabled a change in values. In current society, being a part of the LGBT+ community has become a form of empowerment, though in some countries, homosexuality is still considered a crime.

Reference List

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social and Cultural Research Methods

• ABC News (2017), “Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive, under decree issued by King Salman,” published on 27 September, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-27/saudi-king-issuesdecree-allowing-women-to-drive/8991486 • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018), “Household Use of Information Technology, Australia 2016-17,” published on 28 March, accessed at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/mf/8146.0 • Brown, E (2015), “Aboriginal group says it is fighting coal mine for its heritage,” published on 26 February, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-02-26/aboriginal-group-fighting-coalmine/6263304 • Bulos, N (2018), “Saudi Arabia’s women are allowed to drive, but not everyone is happy about it,” published on 2 August, accessed at https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-saudi-men-adjust-20180802story.html • Giuffrida, A (2018), “Pope Francis compares abortion to hiring a hitman,” published on 10 October, accessed at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/10/pope-francis-compares-abortion-hiringhitman • Herrick, A (2010), “With American lingo, we’re imported toxic US culture,” published on 6 August, accessed at https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/with-american-lingo-weve-imported-toxic-usculture-20100805-11kmn.html • Kanalley, C (2011), “Egypt Revolution 2011: A Complete Guide to the Unrest,” published on 31 January, accessed at https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2011/01/30/egypt-revolution-2011_n_816026.html • Karp, P (2017), “Marriage equality law passes Australia’s parliament in landslide vote,” published on 7 December, accessed at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/07/marriage-equalitylaw-passes-australias-parliament-in-landslide-vote • Taylor, A (2013), “A Luxury Car Club Is Stirring Up Class Conflict in China,” published on 16 April, accessed at https://www.businessinsider.com.au/chinas-sports-car-club-envy-2013-4?r=US&IR=T • Xiao, B., Wibawa, T (2019), “Taiwan LGBT activists thank Australia for helping make same-sex marriage legal,” published on 24 May, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-24/australianshelped-taiwan-pass-same-sex-marriage-bill/11132824

Part II

Depth Study: Popular Culture

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1.1 Associated with Commercial Products and Paraphernalia

Section 1

The Nature of Popular Culture Just like the Core topic, Popular Culture has their own unique set of related depth study concepts. Below are the summarised definitions for each concept: Definition

Commercialisation

When value is added to a product or idea with the intention of making profit.

Commodification

A process that involves turning an item into a commodity ready to be traded.

Continuity

Consistent existence of cultural elements in a society across time.

Consumption

The process of selecting and using a product.

Change

Alteration or modification of cultural elements in a society.

Conflict

A perceived incompatibility of goals or actions.

Ideology

Collection of ideas that reflect the beliefs and values of the group.

Institutional Power

Power that exists within institutions and how it controls various aspects of society.

Values

Deeply held beliefs and ideas that guide our thinking and behaviour.

Associated with Commercial Products and Paraphernalia

Popular culture is an activity that is reflective of the interests of the people. We usually contrast this with “high culture” – examples being ballet, drama, and literature. Since these forms are traditionally inaccessible, popular culture has emerged based on the tastes of the ordinary people. These groups can market and distribute their ideas through the distribution of commercial products and paraphernalia. These products can include: clothing, films, accessories, clothing and posters. This allows people to set themselves apart from other groups, and form a collective identity through common interests. A great example of this is the merchandise sold at concerts, since products such as albums, posters and even socks are sold near the concert venue. On the other hand, companies are able to earn a profit by commercialising products as they are able to increase familiarity towards these groups. Moreover, the media plays an important role in commodifying products, as people are exposed to these groups on social media and through advertisement. An example of this is the use of product placements in films and music, the most common brands being Coca Cola, Audi, and Apple.

1.2

Develops from a Local to a Global Level

Popular culture usually starts at a micro level. Its success at a micro level is what helps it become more successful on a larger, global scale, where consumers are able to decide whether their interests align with the group’s culture. The most common way for popular culture to have global success is through the use of technology. This is because it allows its cultural norm to be propagated to an international market, thus profit plays an integral role in expansion. I’ve mentioned social media as an example in the previous section; however traditional media such as the news and TV programs also help spread popular culture to an international audience. A great example of this is the rise of K-pop over the past few years, with K-pop starting off as a niche interest, to a genre that dominates music charts. This is due to the use of social media, where entertainment companies have started uploading music videos and TV shows with English subtitles to make it more accessible for international fans. Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Popular Culture

1.1

Vocab

1.3 Achieves Widespread Consumer Success

1.3

Achieves Widespread Consumer Success

Because of widespread success through the help of the media and communication technologies, consumers are able to easily access various forms of popular culture. While companies are not able to make a profit from this alone, they are able to increase familiarity, which can help expand the number of members who follow that specific subculture. Part of the process of being able to achieve widespread success, the company must be able to adjust their marketing techniques to the various cultures in order for their message to resonate easily. Moreover, they need to make it more accessible to the different groups. These groups can include: age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, location and institutional power. By ensuring that no group is excluded, companies can successfully increase widespread awareness. We can apply this idea to the popularity of Japanese manga and anime. Due to the spread of anime in the West, technology has allowed Western fans to access English translations of manga chapters to break down the language barrier. English dubbed anime series have also become more common, as anime is now aired in Western countries.

1.4

Constantly Changing and Evolving

Section 1 – The Nature of Popular Culture

While companies need to adapt to different cultures, they should also consider how societies change and evolve over time. This is because of the rise of new values and norms. Therefore, they must adapt to remain relevant so they can satisfy consumers and maintain popularity. Moreover, constant adaptation to current society can help generate more profit since they remain relevant. An example of this is Disney releasing various remakes of classic films such as Cinderella and The Lion King, along with comic book adaptations, specifically Marvel adaptations. Some of these films aim to engage the younger generation with these classic stories and remain loyal to the original source while adding more depth, an example being the Beauty and the Beast adaptation; while others attempt to bring a new perspective to these traditional stories, a great example of this being Maleficent. Other remakes aim to recreate these films to suit contemporary values, often by improving the representation of people of colour. An example of this is the casting of Halle Bailey, a black actress, as Ariel in Disney’s remake of The Little Mermaid. Unfortunately, though many reacted positively to Bailey’s casting, believing that it was a step forward for black representation, there was still some backlash, with #NotMyAriel becoming a popular hashtag in response to her casting, accusing Disney of not being loyal to the original source material.

Reference List • Feng, L (2016), “Social media and obsessive fans are the key to success of K-pop,” published on 6 February, accessed at https://www.sbs.com.au/news/social-media-and-obsessive-fans-the-key-tosuccess-of-k-pop • Romo, V (2019), “Disney Cable Channel Defends Casting Black Actress As New ‘Little Mermaid’,” published on 9 July, accessed at https://www.npr.org/2019/07/09/739950750/disney-cable-channeldefends-casting-black-actress-as-new-little-mermaid

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Part III

Depth Study: Belief Systems and Ideologies

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1.1 Similarities/Differences Between Belief Systems and Ideologies

Section 1

The Nature of Belief Systems and Ideologies

Section 1 – The Nature of Belief Systems and Ideologies

1.1

Vocab

Definition

Values

Deeply held beliefs and ideas that guide our thinking and behaviour.

Customs

Actions or cultural practices that are unique to groups.

Philosophy

A set of ideas that help us understand our life and society.

Beliefs

Ideas individuals believe in as the truth and can be based on experience or reflection.

World view

An idea that aims to explain the social, cultural, physical, and psychological aspects of the world.

Secularisation

The process of a society moving away from being shaped by a close alignment system with a faith system towards non-religious values and institutions.

Symbols

An image, action, place or words that hold significance to a particular group.

Ritual

A series of actions or rites performed in a set order.

Institutional Power

Power that exists within institutions and how it controls various aspects of society.

Similarities/Differences Between Belief Systems and Ideologies

Belief system: organised structure of beliefs where members of the group share beliefs and values. Some of its features include: • • • • • •

It’s structured and organised Occurs at a micro, meso, and macro level At a small meso level, belief systems can be localised At a large macro scale, it can be national or international Belief systems can be religious or non-religious Older belief systems tend to be more religious

Ideologies: a collection of ideas that reflect beliefs, values and interests of a group. Some features include: • • • • • • •

Being semi-organised and semi-structured Functioning at a micro, meso, and macro level Refering to social, political, and economic ideas Being considered as visionary (to do with ideas) Being state-imposed Being a social movement that involve ideologies that often benefit a particular group Being contemporary

There are a few similarities between belief systems and ideologies. The main similarity is that both produce a worldview and define a way of life or a person’s identity. They are also present within all levels of society. As a result, belief systems and ideologies can be extremely controversial. 18

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1.2 The Nature and Role of Shared Values

However, belief systems are structured and organised since they have customs and rituals that are used to express an individual’s belief. Furthermore, belief systems are older and often religious. Ideologies, on the other hand, are semi-structured and semi-organised since they are based on contemporary movements. They also serve the purpose of benefiting a specific group.

1.2

The Nature and Role of Shared Values

Culture: shared knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. The following flow chart explains how values can impact individuals.

Section 1 – The Nature of Belief Systems and Ideologies

I’ve included a few examples of how different symbols create meaning and ideas. Symbol

Meaning

Ideas

Crucifix

– Belief in salvation and strength – Universal symbol that Christians identify with

Feelings of unconditional love

Buddha statue

– Deep meaning in the Buddha’s posture/position – Defines enlightenment

Symbol of hope from suffering

Poppy

– Sleep/death (opium) – Red (blood) – Regrowth in France/Belgium

Anzac Day, Remembrance Day

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1.4 Nature and Role of Hierarchy and Internal Power Structures

1.3

Expression of Values and Beliefs at a Micro, Meso, and Macro Level

This section of the syllabus asks you to show how different belief systems and ideologies have different ways of expressing their values and beliefs. These are otherwise known as rituals. Below are a few examples of how rituals at a micro, meso, and macro level have varying expressions of values and beliefs.

Section 1 – The Nature of Belief Systems and Ideologies

1.4

Level

Examples of Rituals

Expression

Micro

Birthdays

– Informal but are a part of culture. – Differences in birthday rituals indicate variations in ritual expressions of belief.

Meso

School anniversaries

– Communal celebrations occur due to the significance in establishing the site. – Stories of the establishment indicates the philosophies the school adopted.

Macro

Chinese New Year

– Chinese New Year is a celebration amongst the Asian communities and are often seen in areas such as Cabramatta and Haymarket. – Common expressions include dragon dancing and the distribution of red pockets due to the spiritual and historical significance, indicating the shared beliefs and expressions within the Asian community.

Nature and Role of Hierarchy and Internal Power Structures

Hierarchy: ranking system based on values, involving the establishment of power, status and jurisdiction. Hierarchy exists everywhere. This is because it helps structure large and complex systems and maintains the stability and structure of the belief system or ideology. They’re also important in ensuring the continuity of traditional values, rituals, and practices. The decisions made by those in power should reflect the ideas and values and will respond to change and modernisation accordingly. Thus, it is important to note that the higher the importance, the more authority, power, responsibilities, and prestige they have. Without a hierarchical structure, there will be no purpose, resulting in anarchy. However, subordinates can resist those in power if the belief system or ideology loses its authority. Here is an example of a power structure:

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1.5 The Process of Secularisation

1.5

The Process of Secularisation

While traditional religious institutions are declining, new and different forms of religions are flourishing. Evidence of this is the rise of new age ideas such as astrology and tarot readings. We can also see this quantitatively, as the 2016 Australian Census shows that 30.1% declared themselves as having ‘no religion’. Part of the reason is because these days, we prioritise the idea of having the choice to follow or not follow a religious belief system. As a result, we must note that secularism isn’t a belief system or ideology, but a value that supports free choice. Process of Secularisation It is often argued that the process of secularisation began post-1945. After World War II, many people migrated to different parts of the world to get away from the destruction of the war. However, during the mid 1990s, religious systems such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam became the fastest growing religious systems in the country. This was because people were more interested in eastern religions due to the apparent failures of religious organisations within the matters of justice, causing people to lose faith in these organisations. On the other hand, many people have begun to define themselves as “secular,” “multicultural,” or sometimes “multi-faith.”

• Rise of commercialism/materialism: wealth has made people less reliant on religion to support them • More varied choices from migration, globalisation, and awareness • Advanced technology has helped improve way of life – Technologies have also led to different lifestyles that don’t follow traditional values (e.g. the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s) • Conflict of beliefs, which results in action (resistance to power) • Less pressure to conform

Reference List • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017), “2016 Census: Religion,” published on 27 June, accessed at https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/mediareleasesbyReleaseDate/ 7E65A144540551D7CA2581 48000E2B85

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Section 1 – The Nature of Belief Systems and Ideologies

Reasons for Secularisation

Part IV

Depth Study: Social Inclusion and Exclusion

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1.1 The Pluralist Nature of Society

Section 1

The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion Definition

Social mobility

The ability to move vertically within the social hierarchy.

Social class

A hierarchical structure where each class is shaped by numerous factors such as income, education, power, authority etc.

Socioeconomic status

A measure of an individual’s social standing, usually based on their wealth and education.

Life course

A culturally defined sequence of age categories all members are expected to experience.

’Race’ and ethnicity

A socially constructed concept where groups are determined by certain physical or biological characteristics (e.g. skin colour)

Social differentiation

Differences between groups that are used to differentiate them.

Equality

When all individuals have access to socially valued resources.

Human rights

Fundamental rights that all individuals have.

Prejudice and discrimination

Prejudice is a set of preconceived notions towards a particular group. Discrimination is when a particular group is treated a certain way due to prejudice.

1.1

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

Vocab

The Pluralist Nature of Society

Pluralist: a society where two or more groups coexist. Groups can include: • • • • • • •

Ethnicities Schools Religion Political beliefs/groups Location Age Subcultures

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1.3 The Concept of ‘Socially Valued Resources’

1.2

Similarities and Differences Between Individuals and Groups in Societies and Cultures

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

Similarities

Differences

Different groups contain the following features: • Representation of culture in symbols and artefacts • Set of values and ethics • Levels of organisation and hierarchy • Norms, laws, and governance to help regulate • Language and other forms of communication • Belief systems

Social differentiation within and between societies can be based on: • Age • Gender • Ethnicity • Location • Disabilities • Religion • Sexuality • Socioeconomic status

1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights sets out 30 fundamental rights that must be upheld by the government and law making bodies.

Differences can also be created when meaning and emphasis are placed on certain aspects over others, or by certain groups, resulting in: • Different symbols of culture such as flags, food and clothing • Different values, ethical or moral codes such as adultery and polygamy • Different types of hierarchical organisation such as theocracy, democracy, anarchy and monarchy • Different forms of verbal and non-verbal communication • Different levels of application of the 30 basic human rights

A form of hierarchical organisation is established in various groups, as shown through the emphasis of material position as a symbol of wealth.

1.3

The Concept of ‘Socially Valued Resources’

Socially valued resources (SVRs) play an important role in society as an individual’s ability to access these resources determine their social class.

K EY P OINT :

The best way to remember all six SVRs is the acronym JEETHH: Justice Employment Education Technology Healthcare Housing

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1.3 The Concept of ‘Socially Valued Resources’

1.3.1

Justice

The importance of justice is stated under Article 7 of the Declaration of Human Rights: “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination.” • No individual or group should be targeted for no reason. This is to prevent social exclusion in society. • All individuals have the right to a fair trial and legal representation to encourage social inclusion. This also allows vulnerable people to receive assistance when charges or arrests take place. • In Australia, all individuals are presumed to be innocent to create an environment that allows individuals to defend themselves. C ASE S PACE :

Police brutality is prominent in the United States, particularly against people of colour (African-American, Latin-American): • More than 100,000 years of life were lost to police violence between 2015 and The Black Lives Matter movement has helped bring attention to violence against unarmed, black men. Various Australian universities offer free legal services to make the legal system more accessible:

The Australian sexual harassment laws have been criticised as flawed. • Victims are given 6 months to lodge complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) – the time frame was initially 12 months. • Complaints can still be lodged after 6 months but the AHRC have the power to terminate the cases. • Complaints older than 6 months can also be argued against since they no longer fit the 6-month time limit. • Senior solicitor Christie Toy describes workplace sexual harassment as “an inherent power imbalance.”

1.3.2

Employment

Article 23 of the Declaration of Human Rights states: “Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.” • • • • • •

Rewards of employment include: Income Sense of identity Social status Technical skills Occupation

Employment can also provide social benefits, such as friendships and a network for improving quality of life. As a result, in order for groups to be socially included, individuals require access to employment so they have the ability to pay for other socially valued resources. C ASE S PACE :

Aboriginal people are statistically less likely to be employed and have lower employment rates. • In 2016, 4 in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over were employed. • The unemployment rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 to 24 are 27%, compared to 14% for non-Indigenous people.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

• UNSW Kingsford Legal Centre can advise on matters such as domestic violence, criminal law and employment law.

1.3 The Concept of ‘Socially Valued Resources’

People who have a disability also find it difficult to find employment. • In 2015, the unemployment rate for people with a disability was the highest in Tasmania at 16.2%. • In 2019, the unemployment rate for people with autism is 31.6%. • There are strategies such as TAFE where they provide short, online courses that can be fully subsidised so people can get the qualifications they need for employment.

1.3.3

Education

According to Article 26: “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.” The skills people gain from education are crucial to living. This is because education can lead to a higher employment rate, thus more money. C ASE S PACE :

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

In 2015, Pakistan was considered as “the world’s worst performing country in education” (2015 Oslo Summit on Education and Development): • By sixth grade, 59% of girls and 49% of boys are out of school. • In July 2018, 22.5 million children weren’t in school. • Malala Yousafzai fought for women’s rights to access education in Pakistan, and then eventually in various parts of the world. Yousafzai was known for speaking against the Taliban for banning girls from schools. There is a disparity in education quality in rural and urban schools across Australia: • Some subjects are less likely to be offered in rural schools, impacting a student’s ability to select a suitable university degree as they are not able to try different subjects. • Year 9 students in regional areas are 12 months behind students in urban areas in maths and 10 months behind in reading.

1.3.4

Technology

Technology has become an integral part of life since it has impacted education. Teaching systems have shifted from a teacher-centred approach to collaborative online interactions between the class. As a result, internet access at home is important, since it can help access other socially valued resources such as education, legal help, health and employment. Because technology is essential to daily life, skills and knowledge associated with technologies are an expectation in the workforce (known as digital literacy). C ASE S PACE :

Technology has allowed people to access various resources from around the world. • University libraries and state libraries have allowed people to access journal articles or archived items from the past so people can investigate their family history (for free!). Technology can also help those with a disability, especially in classroom settings: • For the hearing impaired, subtitles can be added to YouTube videos and lecture recordings. • Text-to-speech software can also be used for the hearing impaired.

1.3.5

Healthcare

Article 25 states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services. . . Being able to access healthcare allows individuals to reach their society’s life expectancy. According to the National Rural Health Alliance: “No measure of human existence is more serious than life expectancy.”

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1.3 The Concept of ‘Socially Valued Resources’

C ASE S PACE :

In 2010, The National Rural Health Alliance estimated 4600 premature deaths occur per year in rural and remote Australia: • 10% higher rates of mortality • 24% higher rates of smoking Another group socially excluded from accessing healthcare are transgender people, with news regarding US President Donald Trump attacking transgender healthcare commonplace. • 23% of 25,000 transgender/non-binary people don’t see the doctor because of a fear of being mistreated. 33% don’t see the doctor because they cannot afford it. There is a gender bias in the medical community due to biological differences and systemic flaws. • 39% of women who had a cardiac arrest in public places were given CPR, in contrast to 45% of men. • 31% of male trauma victims do not receive clot prevention, in contrast to 45% of women. There is also a racial bias within the medical community because of systemic flaws or language barriers.

Weight bias is another issue within the medical community. • In 2012, 69% of the surveyed 2500 US women reported that they felt stigmatised by their doctors, and 52% experienced fat bias. • BMI is an inaccurate system since it does not take bone and muscle mass into consideration. In 2009, more than 40% of 399 physicians surveyed had a negative reaction to obese patients.

1.3.6

Housing

Article 25 also emphasises the importance of housing. Housing provides security, safety, food, clothing and other human necessities. Private housing can be acquired by buying or renting a home or apartment.Thus, those who cannot access housing are being excluded from accessing other necessities. C ASE S PACE :

In the 2018 Budget, the issue of millennials and housing accessibility/affordability was ignored. • The eligibility criteria for the Youth Allowance is young people applying for university from rural areas. • However, university graduates are struggling to repay mortgage since they need to pay back their HELP debt, making it difficult to save up for a home. In 2018, Australian property has also been deemed “severely unaffordable” • Sydney was ranked second worst, with prices being thirteen times higher than the median household income. Older women are becoming an increasingly more common demographic experiencing homelessness. This is because of the gender pay gap and maternity leave, impacting the amount of money saved for retirement. • In 2017, more than 330,000 single women over 45 were living in conditions of serious economic stress. • In 2013-14, men aged 55-64 had a higher superannuation average ($321,993) in contrast to women in the same age bracket ($180,013).

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

• Black neighbourhoods were 67% more likely to lack local primary care. • Tennis player Serena Williams recounted how during her pregnancy, her request to receive a CT scan for blood clots (since she has a history of blood clots) was declined, since the doctors dismissed her request as confusion from her medication.

1.4 Social Exclusion Within Australia at a Micro, Meso, and Macro Level

K EY P OINT :

One thing you should note when looking at the features of these socially valued resources is the cyclical nature of socially valued resources. Without access to one of these resources, it is difficult to be able to access the other five resources.

1.4

Social Exclusion Within Australia at a Micro, Meso, and Macro Level

The following table contains examples of how social exclusion can occur at a micro, meso, and macro level.

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

Micro

Meso

Macro

Technology can be used to socially exclude people due to cyberbullying.

Various institutions (e.g. universities, shopping centres) not providing ramps or braille.

The Rohingya people have been targeted and have had their citizenship revoked, due to Myanmar being a Buddhist country and the Rohingya being Muslims.

Bias against minorities (e.g. gender, racial, weight) within the medical community.

Communities are formed based on geography, creating a sense of social inclusion. However, people outside of these communities can feel socially excluded, especially those that don’t have the same ethnic background.

Tibet has experienced oppression at the hands of the Chinese government, as they refuse to recognise Tibet as an independent state. As a result, Buddhist monks and nuns have been arrested, and monasteries have been destroyed.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are less likely to be hired.

The new trimester system implemented in UNSW has been criticised for negatively impacting mature-age students and parents since there is less time for students to study during the 10-week period.

Countries that haven’t legalised same-sex marriage (only 30 countries have legalised same-sex marriage as of 2019).

Reference List • ABC News (2015), “Timeline: Recent US police shootings of black suspects,” published on 9 April, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-09/timeline-us-police-shootings-unarmed-black -suspects/6379472 • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018), “Census of Population and Housing: Characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2016,” published at 19 February, accessed at https://www.abs. gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/7d12b0f6763c78caca257061001cc588/5f17e6c26744e1d1ca258238007 28282!OpenDocument • Australian Bureau of Statistics (2016), “Gender Indicators, Australia, August 2016,” published on 31 August, accessed at https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[email protected]/Lookup/by%20Subject/4125.0∼August %202016∼Main%20Features∼Economic%20Security∼6151 • BBC News (2011), “Q&A: China and the Tibetans,” published on 15 August, accessed at https://www.bbc. com/news/world-asia-pacific-14533879 • Chau, D (2018), “Australian property ‘severely unaffordable’, Sydney crowned ‘second least affordable market’,” published on 23 January, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-22/australianhousing-unaffordability-experts-disagree-on-extent/9349796 • Cook, H., Butt, C (2019), “‘We’re in a bubble’: Country kids left behind as education gap widens,” 28

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1.4 Social Exclusion Within Australia at a Micro, Meso, and Macro Level

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social Inclusion and Exclusion

•

published on 11 June, accessed at https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/we-re-in-a-bubblecountry-kids-left-behind-as-education-gap-widens-20190611-p51wfm.html Gilmore, J (2017), “Single women face a frightening future of homelessness in Australia,” published on 8 August, accessed at https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/single-women-face-a-frightening-futureof-homelessness-in-australia-20170808-gxrw3s.html Human Rights Watch (2018), ““Shall I Feed My Daughter, or Educate Her?”,” published on 12 November, accessed at https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/11/12/shall-i-feed-my-daughter-or-educate-her/barriersgirls-education-pakistan Jay, M., et. al (2009)., “Physicians’ attitudes about obesity and their associations with competency and specialty: A cross-sectional study,” BMC Health Services Research, Issue 9, Article Number 106 Jobs Australia (2017), “Unemployment and Participation Rates for People with Disability Getting Worse,” published on 3 February, accessed at https://www.ja.com.au/news/unemployment-and-partici pation-rates-people-disability-getting-worse National Rural Health Alliance (2010), “Fact Sheet 23: Measuring the metropolitan-rural health inequity,” published on November, accessed at https://www.ruralhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/factsheets/Fact-Sheet-23-%20measuring%20the%20metropolitan-rural%20inequity_0.pdf Perper, R (2017), “The 28 countries around the world where same-sex marriage is legal,” published on 29 November, accessed at https://www.businessinsider.com.au/where-is-same-sex-marriage-legalworld-2017-11?r=US&IR=T Perpitch, N (2019), “Employers urged to rethink workers with autism to help rectify chronic unemployment problem,” published on 28 July, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-28/employersurged-to-look-at-workers-with-autism/11354106 Pinantoan, A (2012), “Learning Difficulties: What Can Technology Do for Disabled Learners?”, published on 11 September, accessed at https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/what-cantechnology-do-for-disabled-learners/ Scutti, S (2018), “After Serena Williams gave birth, ‘everything went bad’,” published on 11 January, accessed at https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/10/health/serena-williams-birth-c-section-olympiabn/index.html Shugerman, E (2018), “More than 100,000 years of life lost to police violence between 2015 and 2016 in US, study finds,” published on 8 May, accessed at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ americas/police-shooting-deaths-study-years-of-life-lost-police-brutality-violence-us-a8340396.html Strangio, C (2018), “Trump’s Attack on Transgender Health Care Is an Attack on Trans People’s Existence,” published on 9 May, accessed at https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/05/trumps-attackon-transgender-health-care-is-an-attack-on-trans-peoples-existence.html Nordell, J (2017), “A Fix for Gender Bias in Health Care? Check,” published on 11 January, accessed at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/opinion/a-fix-for-gender-bias-in-health-care-check.html Sindhu, K., Reddy, P (2019), “When doctors fat-shame their patients, everybody loses,” published on 24 August, accessed at https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/when-doctors-fat-shame-their-patientseverybody-loses-ncna1045921 Stallings, E (2018), “This Is How the American Healthcare System is Failing Black Women,” published on 1 August, accessed at https://www.oprahmag.com/life/health/a23100351/racial-bias-in-health care-black-women/ UNSW Kingsford Legal Centre, “Free Legal Help,” accessed at http://www.klc.unsw.edu.au/free-legaladvice Williams, R (2018), “Australia’s 30-year-old sexual harassment laws have ‘real gaps’,” published on 11 March, accessed at https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/australia-s-30-year-old-sexualharassment-laws-have-real-gaps-20180309-p4z3nc.html Viforj, R (2018), “Budget 2018 ignores millennials’ housing woes by propping up elderly homeowners,” published on 10 May, accessed at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-10/budget-2018-housingaffordability-first-home-owners-millennials/9745672 Yusuf, A (2019), “Citizens of nowhere: one million Rohingya still without rights, status or justice,” published on 21 August, accessed at http://theconversation.com/citizens-of-nowhere-one-million-rohingyastill-without-rights-status-or-justice-122135

Part V

Depth Study: Social Conformity and Nonconformity

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1.1 Factors that Influence Conformity and Obedience in Individuals

Section 1

The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity Definition

Deindividuation

When individuals lose a sense of self-awareness and self-restraint when acting in a group with more anonymity.

Stereotype

A preconceived view of a particular group held by members that do not belong in the group.

World view

An idea that aims to explain the social, cultural, physical, and psychological aspects of the world.

Social cognition

Encoding, storage, retrieval, and processing of information in an individual’s mind.

Social cohesion

When society works together to achieve high levels of wellbeing for all members as individuals cooperate due to the shared beliefs and values.

Deviance

When an individual chooses to reject social norms.

Self-concept

Various identities, attitudes, beliefs, and values that define an individual.

Values

Deeply held beliefs and ideas that guide our thinking and behaviour.

Factors that Influence Conformity and Obedience in Individuals

Conformity: a change that occurs due to social pressure. This usually results in individuals changing their behaviour to match the majority. There are two types of conformity: • Informational conformity: this is when a person conforms because they believe it is right and assume that the group has more knowledge than they do. • Normative conformity: this is when a person conforms, believing that it is required to be accepted in society. There are various factors that influence conformity. Here are a few factors that impact individuals: • Size of the group: people are more likely to conform in larger groups, as it is easier for people to break away from smaller groups where there is less peer pressure. • Age: part of the stage of adolescence is teenagers conforming to the behaviours of different groups in order to establish an identity. • Status: people are more likely to conform with those who have a high status. • Culture: some cultures are collectivist (for example, Asian cultures) whereas other cultures are individualistic (for example, Western culture). • Gender: expectations surrounding gender roles have a significant impact on conformity. • Unanimity: there is a higher chance of individuals conforming to group decisions to reach consensus. • Self-awareness: if someone has a greater sense of self-awareness, they are less likely to conform. • Cohesion: groups that have commonalities are more likely to show conformity.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity

1.1

Vocab

1.2 Responses to Social Influence

C ASE S PACE :

Asch Experiment (1950) • Aim: To investigate how peer pressure impacts an individual’s decision to conform. • Method: A participant will be placed in a room full of people posing as confederates. The group is asked questions and the confederates manipulate the situations by saying the wrong answer. The participant is then asked to say their answer. • Results: 76% of the participants conformed to peer pressure. Obedience: when an individual or group changes behaviour to align to the demand of the command of an authority. The factors that influence an individual to become obedient are:

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity

• Authority figure: the physical presence of an authority figure can result in a higher obedience level. Authority figure can refer to someone who has more knowledge or someone with a higher status. • Repercussions: people are more likely to obey if there are repercussions. The law is a good example of this, as there is a punishment (such as fines, and/or jail time) if people don’t obey. • Positive reinforcement: when positive reinforcement is used, this encourages people to obey. • Self-awareness: an individual with a sense of self-awareness can greatly impact their level of obedience. C ASE S PACE :

Milgram Experiment (1963) • Aim: To investigate the participant’s level of obedience based on the authority figure. • Method: The experiment involved a “teacher”, participant, and confederate/“volunteer.” Participants had to “shock” the confederate whenever they answered a question wrong, though the confederate would be placed in a different room, and was only pretending to be electrocuted. • Results: 65% of the participants continued to shock the confederate due to their obedience to the “teacher” even though they were hesitant.

1.2

Responses to Social Influence

This refers to how people’s opinions, actions and emotions can be influenced by a social group. As a result, personal evaluation of the situation is important when individuals are being persuaded by others. These responses depend on the different forms of power used in social influence, which are covered by French and Raven’s bases of power model.

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1.3 Deindividuation

Taking the various bases of power into account, there are three main responses to social influence: acquiescence, internalisation, and identification.

1.2.1

Acquiescence

Acquiescence is when individuals are reluctant to conform but will eventually give in. This involves a change in behaviour but not necessarily in attitude. Acquiescence is usually present in groups because of peer pressure, as they aim to achieve social acceptance or avoid conflict. An example of acquiescence at a micro level is when a researcher conducts a focus group and one of the group members agree with the rest of the group to avoid conflict.

1.2.2

Internalisation

1.2.3

Identification

Identification is when individual changes their behaviour and beliefs only when a group is present. As a result, identification is more short-term and usually results in normative conformity. Psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner explained this concept of social identification in their social identity theory, which involves three steps: • Social categorisation: people categorise themselves based on commonalities, examples being a person’s ethnicity, religion or hobby. This helps identify members of various groups. • Social identification: this is when people conform to the norms and expectations of different groups as their behaviour helps strengthen their sense of identity within the group. • Social comparison: after strengthening their sense of identity in the group, this is where the “us vs them” mentality develops as they compare their group with others, and often perceives their own group as superior. Social comparison is often linked to the development of prejudice and discrimination since members often compare to increase their self-esteem.

1.3

Deindividuation

Deindividuation is when an individual loses their sense of individual identity and adopts the identity of the group. Because they are in a group, this results in having less responsibility individually, since the responsibility it shared with group members. C ASE S PACE :

Zimbardo Experiment/Stanford Prison Experiment (1973) • Aim: To investigate how group norms and conventions influence behaviour. • Method: Participants were given the role of a prisoner or a guard. – Each participant is given a prop to “dehumanise” the participants – For example, guards are given sunglasses and batons whereas prisoners were given prison clothing and chains. – The guards were given the task to ensure there was order in prison but not physical violence. • Results: Initially nothing much happened because the participants weren’t given a lot of instructions. – Eventually the prisoners got restless and a riot broke out. – The guards, who saw themselves in a position of authority, did what they could to prevent the riot from getting out of control. – Zimbardo had to shut down the experiment as the prisoners were having severe breakdowns and psychosomatic disorders.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity

This is when an individual changes their behaviour and beliefs due to the group. However, this form of conformity is more long-term since they change their personal beliefs and apply it to everyday life. An example of this is the process of socialisation, specifically the stage of adolescence. Because adolescence is a period where we desire a sense of personal identity, adolescents often adopt the values of groups they belong to align their behaviour and beliefs with the group.

1.5 Social Costs and Benefits of Nonconformity

The causes and consequences of deindividuation can be summarised in the following table:

1.4

Causes

Consequences

Group size

Loss of personal identity

Anonymity

Unrestrained behaviour

Arousal

Aggression

Less responsibility

Less sense of self-awareness

Isolation

Antinormative behaviour

The Impacts of Nonconformity on Boundaries

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity

Nonconformity is when individuals deviate from norms. While these norms are established based on the consensus of a group, nonconformity also helps determine what behaviour is “appropriate” and “inappropriate.” The consequence of creating norms therefore creates an “us vs them” mentality towards other groups as each set of norms vary across groups, cultures and societies. There are various ways society enforces “appropriate” behaviour. These include: • Law: since the law defines what is “appropriate” behaviour as well as the consequences if individuals deviate from the law, this allows the legal system to enforce obedience over society. • Religion: similar to law, religion has a set of guidelines that determine what is “appropriate,” though these guidelines are based on their doctrine. As a result, the consequences for deviating from religious norms depend on the tradition, as some religious traditions enforce these norms more so adherents will have a higher degree of obedience. • Social: social norms are not written down officially, like legal or religious norms, as they’re based on patterns of behaviour that society has deemed “appropriate.” However, deviation from social norms often leads to scrutiny from others. Sometimes, deviation from norms can have a positive impact on society. This is because it allows people to view these rules from a new perspective. This can be seen through the changing attitudes and beliefs regarding LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights within society.

1.5

Social Costs and Benefits of Nonconformity

There are positives and negatives to nonconformity, with both sides summarised in the following table:

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Costs (Negatives)

Benefits (Positives)

Can erode trust

Consolidate norms

Can result in an increase of groups deviating

Can introduce new values and possibly result in social change

Expensive

Improves solidarity

Time-consuming to enforce social control

Stimulate creativity and innovation

Groups/individuals can be stigmatised

Increase of awareness

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1.6 Impacts of Agenda Setting on Attitudes

1.6

Impacts of Agenda Setting on Attitudes

Attitude: an individual’s view on ideas, events, situations etc. Agenda setting can have a great impact on an individual or group’s attitudes. Specifically, the media plays a significant role in changing an individual’s attitudes by manipulating or omitting information. Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw’s Agenda Setting Function Theory (1972) explores this idea.

1.6.1

Agenda Setting Function Theory

This theory suggests that the media used various techniques to create a version of reality due to their agenda. These tactics include: Omitting information Manipulating evidence Limited screen time Large fonts to exaggerate a certain idea Music Framing

A great example of this is Shane Dawson’s controversial YouTube docu-series “Inside The Mind of Jake Paul,” (yes, we’re literally using Shane Dawson and Jake Paul as an example – how amazing is this subject!) where some fans threatened to unsubscribe from Dawson’s YouTube channel due to their hatred towards Jake Paul, along with Dawson’s ability to portray controversial celebrities as more likeable. Examples of this include: • Using scary music to increase the tension surrounding the question as to whether or not Paul was possibly a sociopath. • Film effects such as glitches when discussing sociopathy. • Somber music over footage of Paul slowly walking away from the camera. • Constantly referring to Logan Paul and their dad as a way to deflect blame. The effects of agenda-setting are: • Media outlets providing the audience an opinion before the audience can formulate an opinion themselves. • Simplifying or over exaggerating issues. • Reinforcing public opinions to satisfy their demands rather than providing new perspectives. • Dehumanising certain groups, specifically nonconformists.

1.7

Nonconformists Impacting Social Change

As mentioned previously, nonconformists can help push forward social change, as they bring forth new perspectives, and allow society to revise current norms. In the syllabus, we are required to analyse the ideologies, values and behaviours of a subcultural group. I’ll be exploring Christiania as a subculture. Christiania, Denmark Christiania, otherwise known as Copenhagen’s hippie “Freetown,” is a nonconformist subculture with norms and values that don’t follow society. Christiania aimed to solve post-WWII issues such as affordable housing and sustainability. As a result, Christiania became known for adhering to ideologies such as anti-capitalism, individualism and neo-liberalism. Nonconformist behaviours include: • • • • • • •

No cars, street names, and signposts Not having a formal hierarchical structure No laws No photographs without asking for permission No consumerism Different types of meetings that allow the community to make decisions Don’t run Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity

• • • • • •

1.7 Nonconformists Impacting Social Change

Because Christiania emphasises community efforts and living sustainably, they’ve become well-known for their anarchic, yet peaceful way of life, as well as been a community of environmental activists. For example, instead of removing existing buildings, they reuse those resources and renovate or adapt so no resource is wasted. They also do garbage collection and recycling, as well as repurposing materials. As a result, Christiania’s unconventional way of life has become a popular tourist location with the ability to influence any visitors to adopt their environmentally friendly ways.

Reference List

Section 1 – The Nature of Social Conformity and Non-conformity

• Ahuja, T (2017), “Social Facilitation and Deindividuation,” published at 5 December, accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we5vDgfG-tE • Diener, E (1977), “Deindividuation: Causes and Consequences,” Social Behaviour and Personality, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 143-155 • Douglas, K (2017), “Deindividuation,” published on 3 August, accessed at https://www.britannica.com/ topic/deindividuation • Jarvis, H (2018), “Degrowth and Christiania – I saw how Copenhagen’s collective living experiment can work,” published at 2 July, accessed at https://theconversation.com/degrowth-and-christiania-isaw-how-copenhagens-collective-living-experiment-can-work-97621 • Knite, N, “Agenda Setting Function Theory,” accessed at http://www.mediaknite.org/agenda-settingfunction-theory/ • Learning Theories, “Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, Turner),” accessed at https://www.learning-theories .com/social-identity-theory-tajfel-turner.html • Lumen Learning, “Boundless Psychology,” accessed at https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundlesspsychology/ • McCombs, M, Shaw, D., Weaver, D (1997)., “Communication and Democracy: Exploring the Intellectual Frontiers in Agenda-setting theory,” Routledge, United States • McCombs, M, Shaw, D (1972)., “The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass-Media,” The Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 176-187 • Miller, B (2015., “Zimbardo prison study/The Stanford prison experiment,” published on 4 April, accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2TCfex1aFw • Psychologist World, “Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment,” accessed at https://www.psychologist world.com/influence-personality/stanford-prison-experiment • Protess, D, McCombs, M (1991)., “Agenda Setting: Readings on Media, Public Opinion, and Policymaking,” Routledge, United States • Sparks, J, “Types of Conformity,” accessed at https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/types-ofconformity • Vilanova, F, et. al (2017)., “Deindividuation: From Le Bon to the social identity model of deindividuation effects,” Cogent Psychology, Vol. 4, Issue 1 • Zain, N (2014), “Agenda Setting Theory,” International Islamic University Malaysia

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Part VI

Personal Interest Project

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PIP

Section 1

PIP The Personal Interest Project is an important component in Society & Culture, not just because it’s worth 40% of your HSC exam mark, but also because you’re able to apply what you have learned into a topic that you’re interested in. The PIP is a long, exhausting journey, but once you’re finished, it’s very satisfying to look back and see how much progress you have made.

1.1 • • • • •

Requirements Select a topic you’re interested in That is related is related to the concepts in society and culture Use primary and secondary research methods (you can find details on these methods 1) Include a cross-cultural comparison Include continuity and/or change

K EY P OINT :

While you’re not required to submit a logbook, I would highly advise you to create one so all your research notes and drafts can be stored in one place.

1.2 Section 1 – PIP

• • • • •

Format Size 12 font Times New Roman or Arial font 1.5 line spacing Use footnote system or in-text referencing Follow the structure: – Introduction (500 words) – Log (500 words) – Central material (2500-4000 words) – Conclusion (500 words) – Annotated bibliography

While it’s not officially included in the syllabus, you should also have an appendix for your primary research. Also, note that the word count does not include in-text referencing or footnoting. In the next few sections, I’ll be outlining how I completed my PIP, so keep in mind that these steps are flexible.

1.3 1.3.1

Getting started Choosing Your Topic

There are various ways you can select a topic. I have outlined a few different strategies that you can try. Strategy #1: Personal Experience There are various aspects and experiences that came to shape who you are today. This includes your gender, ethnicity, hobbies, interests, etc. List these aspects and see if you can expand them into potential topics. I have listed a few aspects as well as their corresponding examples in the table on the next page.

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1.3 Getting started

Examples

Family

Only child Migration Single-parent families Same-sex parents Migration “Army brat” Step family

Ethnicity/Culture

Cultural shock Migration – is it your location or cultural background that influences your ethnicity? “Tiger”/“Helicopter” parents Life as a “banana” (i.e. where an East Asian person has lost their cultural identity)

School

Single sex vs co-ed schools Group dynamic Different cultures in different schools Identity formation

Gender

Stereotypes Gender roles Representation of gender in the media Is the term “tomboy” still relevant? What defines masculinity/femininity? Men in traditionally female occupations/interests (e.g. makeup, dancing) Women in traditionally male occupations/interests (e.g. sport, STEM)

Religion/No Religion

Importance of religion to individuals from different generations Gender bias in religion

Interests (e.g. pop culture)

Meme culture Cancel culture Video games Emo music/culture Anime Kpop/Jpop Marvel/DC comic books Fandom culture Fashion/beauty

Personality taits

Narcissism Introversion vs extroversion

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Section 1 – PIP

Aspect

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1.3 Getting started

Strategy #2: Current Global Events This is where social media becomes useful. Take note of what is trending on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, or any news articles that pop up. Then, try to connect these ideas to SAC concepts so you can develop it into a workable topic. Let’s use #NotMyAriel as an example. We can link the following SAC concepts; • • • • • • •

Commercialisation Technology Cultural diversity Discrimination and Prejudice Empowerment Equality Popular culture

Because the #NotMyAriel controversy was regarding Disney’s casting of a black actress to play Ariel, who was a character from a Danish fairy tale, it can lead into a variety of topics such as: • Representation of people of colour in Disney films • White-washing in Disney films • Miscasting of people of colour in Disney films Strategy #3: Using the Syllabus Another way you can come up with a topic is to look at the four Depth Studies. Look at each syllabus dot point and list terms and phrases that summarise each Depth Study.

Section 1 – PIP

Depth Study

Ideas

Popular Culture

Consumerism Globalisation Influence of media and technologies Influence of power and authority

Belief Systems and Ideologies

Philosophy Secularisation Institutional power Rituals Worldview

Social Inclusion and Exclusion

Social mobility Socioeconomic class Social differentiation Prejudice and discrimination

Conformity and Nonconformity

Deindividuation Deviance Stereotypes

K EY P OINT :

Something to keep in mind when you’re choosing a topic is that you need to be conducting research in an ethical manner, so avoid choosing topics where you’ll be exposed to dangerous or illegal situations. For example, a topic investigating drug use in different geographical areas might require you to visit some pretty sketchy places. This also goes for putting participants in harmful situations as well – for example, a topic investigating the effects of watching R-rated movies on young adolescents would require you to expose young participants to content deemed inappropriate for their age.

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1.4 Secondary research

1.3.2

Developing a Research Question

Once you have chosen your topic, developing a research question gives you a sense of direction. Start by conducting some basic research on your chosen topic. While researching, keep these questions in mind: 1. What are the key debates surrounding your topic? 2. Have there been any changes in opinions? 3. How relevant is this topic in current society? You don’t need to take a lot of notes here but do take into account the common ideas and concepts mentioned throughout the various resources. Also, keep in mind that your research question does not need to be an essay question (i.e. “To what extent. . . ” or “Assess the. . . ”); rather, it could be a statement that summarises your topic. For example, I choose to look at what factors can impact a person’s race because I had a personal connection to this topic. I started with some basic research and took down some relevant key terms: • • • • •

Racial fluidity Factors that impact race (birthplace or culture?) Rise of interracial marriage Impacts of racial fluidity on identity Social identity theory

I also used some SAC concepts from the Depth Study “Social Inclusion and Exclusion” to help narrow down my research. By doing some basic research and continually refining my search terms, I fleshed out my idea into a title: the impacts of interracial marriage on racial identity.

Secondary research

1.4.1

Conducting In-Depth Secondary Research

Researching can get extremely overwhelming so the best way to set out your research is to keep a consistent structure. The way I set out my research notes was like this: Title: Author: Date Accessed: Notes:

After taking notes, I’d make a few points discussing the pros and cons of the source, so it makes it easier for me to do the annotated bibliography. Note that I structured my research notes like this because I handwrote my notes. If you’re planning to type your notes, this could be another way you could structure your research: Title:

Author:

Date accessed:

Date published/posted:

Publisher:

Notes:

Usefulness:

Reliability:

Validity:

Relevant SAC concepts:

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Section 1 – PIP

1.4

1.4 Secondary research

I’d also recommend doing your annotated bibliography directly after you have finished going through a source. This is because the information you just read is still fresh in your memory so it’s easier for you to evaluate the source. Moreover, if you annotate all your sources at once, you’ll find that all your annotations sound repetitive. Finally, if you leave all of your annotating till the end, you will find that you have a large backlog of sources to go through – this is time consuming, and frankly, not a very fun way to celebrate finishing off your project. Keep in mind that researching will take up the majority of your time. In fact, it took me a whole term dedicated to secondary and primary research before I felt comfortable planning my central material. Even when I was writing my central material, I was still doing some research to fill in any gaps I missed.

1.4.2

Annotated Bibliography (Secondary Resources)

When organising your annotated bibliography, all of your resources should be categorised according to the type of resources, where each type of resource is organised in alphabetical order (e.g. books, journal article, video file). From there, under each type of resource, all your resources should be organised in alphabetical order according to the author’s surname. When it comes to the structure of the annotations, the structure goes like this: 1. Citation of the source 2. Summarise the contents of your source in 1–2 sentences. 3. Discuss its usefulness, reliability and validity. This should take up 3–4 sentences, depending on how relevant the source is to your topic. 4. Summarise your thoughts on the source in one sentence. Here is an example of an annotation: Section 1 – PIP 42

Annotation

Features

Owen, J. (2002). “Mixed Matches: Interracial Marriage in Australia.” UNSW Press Book, Australia1 The work of sociologist June Owen conducted an in-depth analysis of interracial marriage in Australia from post-World War II to the 1990s2 . The book offers a comprehensive3 overview on how attitudes towards interracial marriage has changed and its impacts on Australian society. This is explained through Owen’s synthesis of personal experience and public knowledge as she conducts historical research and includes responses from interracial couples and her own experiences as a biracial woman married to someone of a different race. While the author demonstrates the changing attitudes towards intermarriage, she does not go into great detail on her assessment of intermarriage and its impacts on society. Instead, a large component of the book contained Owen’s interview with various respondents4 . Overall, the book was a great resource for my topic as it helped me explore the historical context of intermarriage in Australia5 .

1 Step

1: Citation of the source 2: Summary of the source. The fact that I also included “sociologist” should also imply that this resource is reliable because the source is from an expert. 3 Here is my evaluation of the source. It should give the marker an indication of how useful the source is. 4 This was where I included any disadvantages. 5 Notice how my final sentence summarised my thoughts on the resource as well as its relevance to the topic. 2 Step

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1.5 Primary research

1.4.3

Sub-questions

Once you are finally comfortable with your topic, developing sub-questions is very useful as it will give you a sense of what you’re looking for when conducting primary research. It’s also easy to categorise your research, which will be useful when you start working on the central material. To come up with sub-questions, break your research into smaller topics. The easiest way to do this is to look at your research question and note any keywords. For example, the title for my PIP was: The impacts of interracial marriage on racial identity. Thus, my keywords would be: The impacts of interracial marriage on racial identity. Using these keywords, I can develop the following sub-questions: 1. What were the attitudes towards interracial marriage? 2. How has racial identity become complex? 3. How will this impact racial diversity? Notice how these questions give me a structure for the central material. You can have more than three chapters, but I would recommend sticking to three. Remember, you have a word limit! You will also be expanding these sub-questions and add more sub-questions after you’ve conducted primary research methods.

1.5

Choosing Your Primary Research Method

I covered the different types of primary research methods on page 4. Each method has their strengths and weaknesses so make sure you use them to your advantage. Questionnaire The questionnaire is the most common research method used since students are able to send these questionnaires to a large number of people. However, you need to be aware that these people are taking the time out of their day to complete your questionnaire, so make sure that your questionnaires aren’t too long and filled with open-ended questions. If you’re planning to use a combination of closed and open-ended questions, make sure that both types of questions are balanced. When it comes to drafting your questions, remain neutral and avoid leading questions. An example of a leading question is: Why is interracial marriage a lot more common in current society? This is a leading question because the researcher already assumed that interracial marriage is common and did not consider the respondent’s input on interracial marriage – in fact, the respondent might disagree with this statement. A better way of wording it could be: How common do you think interracial marriage is in current society? This gives the respondent more room to express their thoughts. Before sending your questionnaire to a large group of people, make sure you test it and send it to a few people. This allows you to see if you can get the results you want and make some changes if they find any mistakes. Once you’ve refined these questions, I’d recommend sending out the questionnaire as early as possible. In fact, I’d highly recommend sending them out by the end of the January holidays, so you have enough time to get as many results as possible and reach 100 responses. While these are some tips on how to write your questionnaire, if you do find a mistake and you have already gathered fifty responses, don’t disregard it! Those results are still valid, and you can acknowledge your mistake when writing your annotated bibliography! Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – PIP

1.5.1

Primary research

1.5 Primary research

Interviews Interviews are great for receiving in-depth insight on your topic. As a result, you should be looking for an interviewee who is an expert on your topic. Most of the time, you would be looking for an academic. Before contacting an academic, I would recommend looking at their publications to make sure that their field of research aligns with yours. I’d also recommend getting into contact with them outside of the university academic calendar so they’re not busy with students, preferably around mid-January when the university is open, but classes haven’t commenced. You should also remember that if you were to contact an academic via email, remember to follow formal emailing conventions! However, interviewing an academic isn’t compulsory. You can interview someone who works in the field that’s relevant to your topic. For example, I interviewed a marriage celebrant, as well as two biracial individuals who are from different generations. Regardless of who you interview, you need to be prepared before interviewing an expert. Make sure you’re familiar with your topic and your questions are different from the questionnaire. Your questions should also be simple, clear, and neutral, and leave room for some extra questions if you want them to elaborate further. You should also order your questions in a logical manner so start off with simpler questions and then move on to more probing questions. For example, I started my interview with a biracial individual with the question: “How did your parents meet?” Eventually, I moved to more personal questions such as “Did your parents experience any struggles as an interracial couple?” Before you interview your expert, remember to ask their permission if you can record the interview. If they don’t let you record, be prepared to take notes. Either way, it would be recommended to take notes even if it’s recorded in case there was a technical issue. During the interview, remember to be engaged with the interviewee and follow the flow of the conversation. Section 1 – PIP

Content Analysis Content analysis is when you’re taking a sample of sources to analyse. A content analysis would be extremely useful if you’re required to analyse and compare ideas represented in various forms of media such as films, newspapers or even a person’s Instagram profile. This is different from secondary research because you’re conducting qualitative and/or quantitative research with these resources. When conducting a content analysis, take note of any common themes and patterns. This can be you doing a linguistic analysis of newspaper headlines to compare how media outlets report male and female politicians if you’re conducting an analysis on women in politics or tallying the number of “fat jokes” if you’re doing an investigation on the representation of fat acceptance in films. For example, for my PIP, I watched movies from the 1960s to 2010s that featured interracial couples. While watching each movie, I took down notes whenever the characters would talk about interracial relationships or any film techniques for qualitative research. When it comes to quantitative research, I recorded the screen time where characters would show uncertainty towards interracial relationships and found a tally of derogatory terms. Personal Reflection This is where you talk about your personal experience with the topic, which is why a personal reflection would be extremely useful if the topic is personal to you. When it comes to writing your personal reflection, there is no structure. Instead, let your stream of consciousness flow and just write. Don’t worry about linking it to SAC concepts. The personal reflection is about your experiences. There is no word limit to the personal reflection but keep in mind that the markers might want to take a look at it to check your citations. I would recommend limiting it to three pages, but again, do your editing after you have written the personal reflection. Focus Groups A focus group would be useful if you need to get a variety of in-depth opinions. As a result, it’s important you select the right people for the focus group. Your focus group should also have less than 10 participants. When it comes to developing questions, make sure you avoid open-ended questions. Remember the whole point of this is to be a discussion! Keep these questions simple and ask a lot of “how” and “why” questions. 44

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1.5 Primary research

An example of a question you could ask in a focus group is: “How do you think kawaii culture has contributed to the feminist movement” if you were to conduct a study on the impacts of kawaii culture on gender identity. Once you have formed your questions and organised a time and place, remember to ask if you can record the discussion just like an interview. Another thing to remember is to remain neutral when asking the questions. Your role as a researcher is to not influence your participants but to be a facilitator for discussion. If there are participants who are shy, be encouraging and ask them questions to prompt them to elaborate. If there are dominant participants, do not completely disregard their opinion but thank them for offering their opinion and ask if anyone else can contribute anything to it. Observation An observation is a great research method if you’re doing an investigation on human behaviour. Depending on your topic, you may want to use a participant or a non-participant observation. Usually, a non-participant observation is used if you want to study human behaviour, whereas a participant observation is used if you’re studying a cultural group. If you’re planning to use a non-participant observation, it is important that your role as a researcher is not obvious. A great example that a non-participant observation can be used is tally how many students listen to music while studying during study period when investigating the impacts of music on adolescents. If you’re planning to do a participant observation, be immersed in the activities you’re doing and make sure your role as a researcher isn’t exposed. When participating, take note of any paraphernalia, rituals, norms etc. An example of a participant observation being used is conducting a study on gender bias in different religious traditions and immersing yourself by participating in rituals and ceremonies while observing.

1.5.2

Annotating Primary Research Methods

I’d also recommend annotating your research methods after you have received results. Here’s an annotation of one of my primary research methods: S AMPLE :

Through my study of six films, I was able to gather qualitative and quantitative data at a macro level. This method allowed me to gather the attitudes towards interracial relationships and display the progression of these attitudes since I selected films from the 1960s onwards each decade. As a result, the information can be used in the ‘past’ and ‘present’ aspect of the PIP since it demonstrates the continual or changing attitudes towards interracial relationships. This method can be combined with other primary methods as I can compare previous attitudes from the content analysis with current attitudes from my questionnaire, synthesising ideas from at a micro and macro level. Despite the usefulness, the selection of films for my content analysis can lead to bias due to the way media can portray intermarriage from the director’s personal agenda. As a result, I had to take into account any omitted information. To ensure that I was achieving objectivity as best as possible, I had to research the context of the films to have a holistic understanding of the films and how it relates to society at that time. Despite the issues of bias, the information is still reliable as I was able to relate the information with my secondary information as it allowed me to observe the micro interactions within the film.

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Section 1 – PIP

Annotating your primary research methods is very similar to the way you annotate your secondary research. Your annotations should include the following: A summary of your research methods and findings, and an evaluation of its usefulness, reliability. and validity.

1.6 Central material

1.6

Central material

1.6.1

Planning

Once you have gathered enough information, refer back to the set of sub-questions you have made and categorise the information into its corresponding sub-questions. This will be your essay plan. This was what my plan looked like for Chapter 1: S AMPLE :

Question: What were the attitudes towards intermarriage? Introduction: • • • •

One-third of the 300 couples who get married in Australia are intermarriage Post-WW2 immigration was a catalyst for intermarriage Intermarriage wasn’t common because of discriminatory attitudes towards immigrants Interracial couples were ostracised.

Paragraph 1: • Sociologist Dr H.I Higben: “From the social point of view racial intermarriage would be a very good thing for Australia.” • First interracial couple recorded in Australia was Michael Daly and Gladys Namagu • Cross-cultural comparison: US (content analysis of movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) Paragraph 2: Section 1 – PIP

• 1967 Australian census: 78,396 Italian immigrants and 105,556 Asian immigrants • Sociologist Dr June Owen: interracial couples experience alienation (e.g. Anglo-Australian and Chinese couple) • Structured interview with biracial Generation X interviewee who was teased by peers • These attitudes were common in US (content analysis of movie The Landlord) • 1970s Australian TV show Number 96 featured first interracial kiss Paragraph 3: • Questionnaire response from Baby Boomer respondent: “ I have been brought up to seek my own race in marriage but at the same time my parents aren’t disapproving of interracial marriages.” • Meso institutions such as school/workplaces increase exposure to other racial groups • Structured interview with Generation Z interviewee: mother moved to Australia for education and father moved to Australia for work Notice how I’ve combined both primary and secondary research.

1.6.2

Writing Chapters

Writing the first chapter is probably one of hardest things in the PIP. Personally, it took me two weeks to stop procrastinating and start writing. The best piece of advice that was given to me was to rely on my stream of consciousness. By this point, you should have developed a few ideas already. Have your essay plan to guide you as you write, but don’t forget to go back to your research if you find any gaps in your analysis. Remember, you’re supposed to be finding links in your research when you’re analysing. Once you have written your first chapter, go back and do some editing with the following questions in mind: • Can you improve this chapter with some more SAC concepts? • Are you storytelling or analysing? • Is your evidence adding any value to your analysis? You could also look at some exemplar PIPs to compare and see how they synthesised their information.

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1.6 Central material

This is Chapter 1 from my PIP: S AMPLE :

Australia is often praised as being a multicultural society. Amongst the 300 couples that get married each day in Australia, one-third of them are interracial couples.a Yet, mixed race couples still experience discriminatory attitudes, which reflects the continuity of racism that originated from white settlement in Australia. Initially, large-scale trauma from World War II resulted in mass immigration from a variety of racial groups to Australia and Australians became more exposed to members of other racial groups different to their own. Interracial marriage was not common at the time due to the discriminatory attitudes Australians had towards other racial groups. In fact, those who decided to interracially marry would be ostracised from their respective communities. Initially, sociologists in the 1950s commented on the positive impacts of interracial relationships in response to the influx of Asian immigrants who migrated for educational purposes. Dr H. I. Higben commented: “From the social point of view racial intermarriage would be a very good thing for Australia. But from a biological point of view I do not think it makes any difference.”b However, this did not change the way Australians viewed interracial relationships. This is reflected in the 1959 controversial case of Michael Daly and Gladys Namagu, who became a catalyst for interracial marriage. Since they were the first Anglo-Australian and Aboriginal couple, Daly was prosecuted under Section 64 of the Northern Territory Welfare Ordinance, which is: “A male person, other than a ward shall not habitually consort, keep company or associate, with a female ward to whom he is not married.”c During this time, Namagu’s personal affairs were controlled by the government. This was not the case for Anglo-Australians. This case therefore revealed the government’s resistance to change, even though they claimed their legislation to be “colour blind.”d

Despite, the changing racial demographics there was no instantaneous change in attitudes towards other racial groups, and therefore interracial marriage rates did not increase. Despite the increase of migrants in the 1967 Australian census (78,396 immigrants from Italy and 105,556 immigrants from Asiaf ), interracial couples were still ostracised. Sociologist Dr June Owen, an expert in interracial migration, documents examples of interracial couples experiencing alienation. Her example of a young Chinese woman migrating to Australia and her interracial relationship with an Anglo-Australian “infuriated her parents in Hong Kong. . . that they disowned her.”g Such highlight resistance to change despite the increasing cultural diversity. Owen described the racial slurs used to describe immigrants as her co-workers expressed their concern over the “yellow hordes advancing from the north.” Nevertheless, this prejudice was reflected through the way children would tease mixed race children. My Generation X interviewee stated she “was often teased and made fun of by my peers who were mostly of Anglo Saxon origin”h due to her mixed race. These discriminatory attitudes continued throughout the 1970s, through the propagation of these attitudes at a macro scale. My content analysisi of the film The Landlord explored racist attitudes towards Anglo and African-Americans, where Elgar – an Anglo-American – experiences discrimination from his African-American tenants, whilst his mother disapproves Elgar’s relationship with Lanie - a biracial woman. This emphasises how there is an acknowledgement of interracial relationships and the racist attitudes towards interracial couples. Due to globalisation, Australian media became more accepting of interracial relationships, with the first interracial kiss in the 1970’s TV series Number 96. Although the show was controversial for its sex scenes, Justine Saunders’ portrayal of Rhonda Jackson was ground-breaking, where the magazine TV Week titled 96 Girl Breaks the Colour

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Section 1 – PIP

Cross culturally, the US also reflects my content analysis, where in the 1967 film Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner 43.5% of the screen time focused on the family’s uncertainty towards the interracial couple despite Joanna – an Anglo-American – claiming that her parents supported the Civil Rights Movement and her implied belief that they supported her interracial relationship.e Despite the setting in America, ideas of the Civil Rights movement were reflected in Australia due to globalisation. Nevertheless, the contradicting political ideologies revealed above demonstrate the dissent evident towards interracial couples, reinforcing the notion that external factors, such as the legal system, the government, and internal factors, such as family, play a significant role in impacting an individual’s decision to interracially marry.

1.6 Central material

Barrier j due to the show’s portrayal of the Indigenous as regular civilians. This emphasises the continuity of racial attitudes at a macro level in Australia and the US. Interracial relationships became prominent during the 1980s and 1990s. This was demonstrated in my open-ended questionnairek , where a Baby Boomer respondent stated that he would “possibly (consider an interracial relationship). I feel there is some pressure from parents but at the same time many of my relatives have married interracially. I think I have been brought up to seek my own race in marriage but at the same time my parents aren’t disapproving of interracial marriages.” However, interracial relationships were more common at universities as being “away from home reduces the amount of parental and community control over the choice of an individual’s dating partners.”l As a result, meso institutions such as schools and workplaces have resulted in an increased exposure with other racial groups as individuals are given the opportunity to interact with members of other racial groups without the prejudice from families. This was also discussed in my structured interview with a Generation Z interviewee as he described how his “mum (came) to Australia with a dentistry degree seeking work whilst (his) dad came to Australia as a teenager to primarily find work.”m This reveals how influential relationships in our micro and meso relations impact an individual’s decision to interracially marry. With these historical factors taken into consideration, this trend has continued to the present day, where intermarriage has become more accepted. However, mixed race children experience similar issues to their parents due to society stereotyping them – these issues are more commonly experienced in current society. a

Farrell, A., Dewey, K (2017), “Marry Me, Marry My Family: Episode 1,” SBS Australia Owen, J. (2002), “Mixed marriages: Interracial marriage in Australia.” The Sydney Papers; 14 (3), Winter 2002, pp. 180 c Unknown Author, “Welfare Ordinance 1953-1960: An Ordinance to Provide for the Care and Assistance of Certain Persons,” Northern Territory Reprinted Ordinances as at 1 January 1961 d Verass, S (2017), “Illegal Love: Is this NT couple Australia’s Richard and Mildred Loving?” https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2017/04/07/illegal-love-nt-couple-australias-richard-and-mildred-loving e Content Analysis 2018 f Cameron, J. R (1976), “Census Population and Housing, 30 June 1976 Commonwealth of Australia,” Australian Bureau of Statistics Canberra g Owen, J. (2002), “Mixed marriages: Interracial marriage in Australia.” The Sydney Papers; 14 (3), Winter 2002, pp. 181 h Structured Interview 2018 i Content Analysis 2018 j Verass, S (2016). “Who had the first interracial kiss on Australian television?” https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2016/09/27/who-had-first-interracial-kiss-australian-television k Questionnaire 2018 l Aldridge, P. D (1978). “Interracial Marriages: Empirical and Theoretical Considerations.” Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 357 m Structured Interview 2018 b

Section 1 – PIP

K EY P OINT :

Don’t get too caught up with the editing process, especially if you’ve only written your first chapter. The editing process takes a long time so be patient! Do the best you can and then start writing your next chapter. By doing this, you can go back and change anything to make sure your chapters flow nicely.

1.6.3

Writing an Introduction

The introduction was one of the last few things I wrote, as I found it easier to talk about the contents of my PIP after I had written down all my ideas, but as I said before, these steps are flexible! Your introduction should include the following things: • • • • • • 48

A brief description of your topic Why you chose the topic Your hypothesis How this topic has helped you become a more socially and culturally literate person The methods you’ll be undertaking and why you selected those methods Your cross-cultural comparison Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

1.6 Central material

When writing the introduction, it is important to keep a balance between having a clear voice but also remaining relatively objective. Here was how I wrote my introduction: S AMPLE :

“What’s your nationality?” I have always found it difficult to respond to this question – I had never been sure how to identify myself racially. Many biracial individuals may also experience this confusion. Through my PIP, I will explore how interracial marriage has impacted racial identity, specifically for biracial individuals, and enhance my understanding of the complex issues biracial people experience. My hypothesis focuses on how intermarriage has had a significant impact on the way biracial individuals identify themselves. I sought to investigate changing attitudes towards exogamic relationships and in the process discovered that various cultures have different attitudes towards intermarriage. The relationship between intermarriage and racial identity is complex since biracial individuals often deliberate over which racial group they identify with the most. However, with racial identity being increasingly fluid, this suggests the possibility of phasing out racial issues in the future and facilitating an enhanced understanding between multiple racial groups.

My cross-cultural comparison differentiates the attitudes members of a variety of different racial groups have towards intermarriage and biracial children, and how these attitudes have become more flexible over time. This was addressed in my content analysis and structured interview as I was able to compare various opinions towards intermarriage and biracial people. Through this, I found that my results reflected the pluralist nature of Australian society as society has become more accepting of intermarriage and mixed race individuals. This is demonstrated in my cross-cultural comparison which illustrates the various ways different groups have viewed interracial marriage. Overall, my PIP journey has helped me to become more comfortable with my biracial identity and enhanced my understanding of the complex issues surrounding identity. I have also learnt to remain openminded to the concept of ‘race’ due to its conflicting definitions. As our society becomes more accepting of biracial people, it is important to recognise how open-minded attitudes towards biracial people can further enhance their sense of belonging in a pluralist society.

1.6.4

Writing a Log

This is where your logbook will be very helpful. The log should summarise your whole PIP journey and the methods you used to reach the end. The difference between the introduction and the log is that your voice needs to be a lot clearer. Essentially, your log allows you to show how unique your PIP is. Be very honest about your journey. Did you procrastinate a lot? What areas did you find challenging? What did you learn from the PIP? Was time management difficult? Include it all in your log. You should also include as much detail as possible. If you’re talking about an interview you conducted, who did you interview? If you interviewed experts, name your experts (for the sake of confidentiality, I altered my log). If you did something significant at some point during the journey, when did you do this? The log might take a while to nail, especially since the log could be very personal. Personally, I had to write a few different variations of the log because my teacher found my log to be too impersonal and stilted. I’ve provided my log so you can get a sense of how to write it. Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – PIP

Along with my secondary research, I utilised primary methods to further my investigation. Since I closely related to this topic, my personal reflection enabled me to reflect on the role of race in my identity. I also conducted a closed and open-ended questionnaire that analysed how respondents from different generations viewed their own racial identity and intermarriage. My semi-structured interview with a marriage celebrant also enabled me to include an expert’s perspective in my PIP. I conducted structured interviews with biracial Generation X and Y individuals to conduct a cross-cultural and generational comparison. I then conducted a content analysis by analysing six films that featured interracial relationships and their impacts on a micro level. As a result, the synthesis of public knowledge and personal experience allowed me to have a thorough understanding on the impacts of interracial marriage on racial identity.

1.6 Central material

S AMPLE :

Race has always been a sensitive topic in society – the ambiguity of the term, its association with discrimination. What drew me to this subject was my personal experiences with racial identity. I realised how an individual’s racial identity can be extremely complex since I never really knew which aspect of my racial identity to identify with. It was inevitable that my question would address how interracial marriage impacts racial identity. Prior to commencing the journey, I was slightly reluctant to delve deeper into the issue as I originally planned to drop Society & Culture. However, after discussing with my teachers and reflecting on their encouragement to keep the subject, I began developing a plan so I wouldn’t fall behind schedule. Although I spent Term 1 gathering secondary sources, I continued to deliberate whether I should stay. During the Christmas holidays, I began watching films that featured interracial couples, including classic films such as Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. I found the portrayal of interracial couples interesting, considering the political tensions during the 1960s. This piqued my interest as I wanted to explore if attitudes towards intermarriage had changed. These films gave me a sense of direction with my PIP and motivation to continue the subject. This motivation remained throughout Term 1 as I completed my primary research early which was highly beneficial to my PIP since it gave me time to focus on my central material. However, my biggest challenge was finding an expert to interview since many of them didn’t return my emails. I was anxious because I was worried my PIP may lack depth. This mind-set changed when I conducted a semi-structured interview with a marriage celebrant I was pleasantly surprised by her highly useful insights as she was able to discuss her experiences with depth. Section 1 – PIP

With five primary methods completed by March, I wanted to begin writing Chapter 1 but didn’t know how to start. After weeks of procrastination, I submitted my first draft. Although it wasn’t perfect, I grew confident as I had a renewed sense of direction. I continued to submit chapters 2 and 3 in order to put my ideas on paper and spend the next few months polishing my chapters. However, this became difficult when half-yearlies came and I struggled to manage my time with 13 units. I was extremely stressed because I didn’t want to fall behind with my PIP. My motivation also fell as I grew frustrated that my teachers weren’t satisfied with my writing. It wasn’t until the end of Term 2 when my teachers saw improvement in my work, that I began to renew my confidence. This lengthy journey was filled with positive and negative experiences. However, I found that the PIP was worthwhile since it taught me useful research skills and virtues such as patience. At a micro level, the PIP allowed me to embrace my complex racial identity.

1.6.5

Writing a Conclusion

Your conclusion is a combination of your findings and what you have taken from the PIP. You should also mention any obstacles you encountered along the way. The difference between the conclusion and the log is that your log focuses on the personal obstacles (i.e. procrastination, time management) whereas in the conclusion, it focuses on the obstacles encountered in your research. Was it maintaining an objective perspective? Did you struggle finding an expert to interview? It’s important to have a clear voice in the conclusion. Here’s how I wrote mine: S AMPLE :

By synthesising my primary and secondary research, I have learnt that, as a society, we now acknowledge and accept those who decide to interracially marry. However, macro institutions such as the media have not completely come to terms with the issues mixed race children experience in regard to their racial identity. As a result, I was able to prove my hypothesis, which was that interracial marriage has had a significant impact on racial identity as mixed heritage can lead to identity confusion. As I continued to conduct my primary research, I realised how significant the media, especially films, is in reflecting and influencing society at the time of production as I noticed the pattern of how attitudes towards interracial

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1.6 Central material

marriage have changed over time. Maintaining objectivity throughout my PIP journey was quite difficult because of my personal connection to this topic. As a result, my PIP could distort the issues biracial individuals experience and possibly exaggerate their experiences. Therefore, rigorous research helped ensure my results are accurate. My content analysis played a significant role in my research since it allowed me to explore the changing attitudes towards intermarriage over time and therefore address the issue that there is a lack of media attention on how intermarriage can significantly impact mixed race children. The reliability of my structured interview, personal reflection, closed and open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interview also aligned with my secondary research, reinforcing the validity and accuracy of my primary research. After evaluating my PIP journey, there were numerous obstacles I encountered. I feel that it would have been beneficial for me to establish more focus questions for my topic. Since the notion of race came from conflicting ideologies, I often became confused with the definition of race and its relationship with ethnicity. Furthermore, completing my annotated bibliography and appendices along my PIP journey would also have been beneficial to improve my organisation. These hardships helped me become stronger emotionally and resilient. Although this PIP journey was quite challenging, this project has allowed me to be more aware of the intricate issues within our micro and meso world such as the issues biracial individuals experience and its significance at a macro level. It has also allowed me to appreciate how my environment is quite open to multiculturalism and embracing our heritage. Through my project, I was able to improve my understanding on the role of identity in our lives as I was able to enhance my awareness on racial issues and discrimination, facilitating a better understanding on social and cultural literacy.

1.6.6

Appendix

The appendix is where you will provide the marker copies of your primary research. This includes transcriptions of interviews or focus groups, responses to your questionnaire etc. Each primary method should be labelled by a letter (e.g. Appendix A: Personal Reflection). This makes it easy for you to cite when referring to a primary research method. Here’s one way you could set up your appendix: S AMPLE :

Appendix C: Content Analysis Note: My comments are underlined. Movie: Foreign Student (1994) Director: Eva Sereny Features

How many times did this happen?

Strange looks

1 (from a minister who saw Philippe talking to April. However, Philippe and April had to hide their relationship)

Derogatory terms

6 (Philippe’s nicknames were based on French stereotypes and April was addressed by racial slurs)

Total number of occurrences

7

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Section 1 – PIP

As my PIP journey concludes, I realised how important it is to maintain an open-mind about complex racial identities. Thus, I would like to reinforce Bishop Michael Curry’s powerful philosophy: “unselfish, sacrificial, unredemptive love changes lives, and it can change the world.’” Imagine a world where our cultural biases can slowly erode by showing gestures of love and acceptance to others. Perhaps we can coexist peacefully and live in a society where there are no barriers.

1.6 Central material

Section 1 – PIP 52

Screen time of uncertainty towards the couple

22 seconds (0.41%)

Analysis notes

Philippe was given nicknames based on French stereotypes (e.g. Lucky Pierre, Frenchie, Tender Foot) Cal: “White whores don’t exist and black whores are off-limits.” → interracial relationships are uncommon in this town April: “American boys can’t seem to look at Negro girls in the eyes.” → subtle racism in daily life Set in Virginia, where black people live in poverty → south was known for racial problems (Cal also warns Philippe of this) Cal recommends Philippe to hide their relationship? April is treated more like an outsider than Philippe → highlights that African-Americans are treated as a minority racial group Philippe has to drop off April at a certain spot so they won’t be seen together → shows the extent interracial couples have to experience to ensure their relationship is hidden Philippe receives weird stares when entering the club since he’s the only European person → example of social exclusion geographically April is insecure that Philippe will find a blonde white girl when he leaves → issues of interracial relationships is speculated when it becomes a long-distance relationship Minister: “Not only is (the relationship) wrong in the eyes of God but the Son. It’s dangerous.” → dissent from institutions such as the Church During the football game, there were confederate flags → shows the racial politics at that time African-Americans weren’t sitting in the grandstand → even though the 90s are more progressive, there hasn’t been a lot of change Juxtaposition: at the beginning of the movie a black train conductor offered help and Philippe rejects? At the end the same man offers help and Philippe accepts → shows that interracial relationships can change a person’s initial perspective on other racial groups

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1.7 Final touches

1.7

Final touches

1.7.1

Using Images

Images should enhance your analysis. This could include graphs and tables (if you’re referring to primary research) to samples from your content analysis. For example, in Chapter 1, I focused on racial fetishisation, specifically towards biracial people and included a screenshot of an Instagram post critiquing how the media fetishises biracial children. The reason why I listed images as one of the final things to consider is that it can get a bit fiddly with the format when inserting images. K EY P OINT :

When including images, don’t forget to include a caption below the image, or if it’s a table, the caption should be above the table.

1.7.2

Creating Enticing Titles

While you’re finalising your PIP through editing and just generally making it look aesthetically pleasing (cover page time!), this is a great moment for you to think about how to title your PIP and the chapters. Starting with chapters, you have a few options. You could either: 1. Summarise the whole chapter (e.g. Chapter 1: The History of Interracial Relationships in Australia) 2. Come up with a catchy, creative title that encapsulates the main ideas of the chapter 3. Using a quote

PIP titles are a bit more difficult to come up with because you need to summarise your PIP in a creative manner. I personally found it useful to look at article titles and social media posts to get some inspiration, but you could also be creative and come up with a pun.

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Section 1 – PIP

The moral of the story with chapter titles is that it should summarise the chapter nicely. Personally, I used quotes for each chapter. For example, in Chapter 2, I quoted actress Meghan Markle in regard to her struggles as a biracial actress because Chapter 2 centred around the complex identity biracial people have.

Time Management

Section 2

Time Management Time management is probably something all SAC students find difficult. This is because you need to be able to find time to do your research but also allocate time to study for other subjects. The best way to do this is to set up a timeline and stick to it so you don’t fall behind. I was lucky that my teacher provided a timeline each term. I have a slightly altered version of the timeline combined with aspects of my own PIP progress: Term 4 Task

Brief description of progress

Completed

Brief description

Completed

Brief description

Completed

Selected a topic/Developed a question Annotated ten sources Identified cross-cultural component Identified continuity and change Section 2 – Time Management

Identified SAC concepts that are related to the topic Complete first primary research method (transcribed and annotated)

Christmas Holidays Task Annotate ten resources Complete second primary research method (transcribed and annotated) Term 1 Task Complete third primary research method (transcribed and annotated) Annotate ten sources Write Chapter 1 Write Chapter 2 Write introduction

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Time Management

Term 2 Task

Brief description

Completed

Brief description

Completed

Brief description

Completed

Complete fourth primary research method (transcribed and annotated) Write Chapter 3 Write log Complete fifth (or more) primary research method (transcribed and annotated) Write conclusion Put together appendix

Holidays Task Add images Section 2 – Time Management

Edit all written work Term 3 Task Finalise everything Submit PIP

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Part VII

Exam Skills

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Section One

Section 1

Section One 1.1

Understanding the Exam

The exam is worth 60 marks, and is two hours long. The exam is divided into two sections: • Section I: Multiple-choice and two short-answer responses • Section II: Two short-answer responses and two essays You should aim to spend approximately 40 minutes on Section I and 1 hour 20 minutes on Section II. However, I would recommend spending at least 5–10 minutes extra on Section I because it’s very easy to make silly mistakes there, and I personally found the multiple choice section to be the hardest part of the exam! However do remember you should spend a bit more time in the section where you struggle the most.

1.2

Approaching Difference Question Types

1.2.1

Multiple Choice

My best piece of advice is to go through every single option and provide a reason why that option is incorrect or correct. Think of it like a game show, like Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. In these shows, contestants go through each option and say things like “I don’t think it is this option because. . . ” This sounds like basic advice but you need to make sure that the option you choose is the most correct. Even if you see the option that seems correct, make sure you’ve ruled out the other options!

1.2.2

Short Answers (1–2 marks)

These short answer questions are usually very simple and rely on definitions. Remember, these questions are only worth 1-–2 marks so don’t spend too much time overthinking it or writing an essay! Use the lines as a guide to tell you how much to write. For example, here’s a question from the 2017 HSC Exam: S AMPLE :

Identify TWO characteristics of quantitative research. (2 marks) Two characteristics of quantitative research is that the results can be tabulated and graphed, and are used to identify trends. In my response, you can easily outline the two characteristics. If you’re someone who tends to ramble, you could also respond in dot points, so something like: S AMPLE :

Identify TWO characteristics of quantitative research. (2 marks) • Results can be tabulated and graphed • Results can be used to identify trends Regardless of which option you choose, both responses are straight to the point – you shouldn’t spend too much time on these questions. Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 1 – Section One

It’s easy to underestimate the multiple choice section, however you can lose so many marks here! The reason why it’s difficult is because there are bound to be questions where you could argue that all options are correct, but your job is to chose the most correct option. As a result, those who overthink the multiple choice section tend to make a lot of mistakes. There might only be eight multiple choice questions but in the exam, every mark counts!

1.2 Approaching Difference Question Types

1.2.3

Short Answers (4–9 marks)

There are two things you must remember when answering these types of short answer questions: • Answer the question in the first sentence • Use lots of examples! One thing that can make these types of questions seem confusing, is that these questions use a variety of NESA verbs. Questions can range from “assess”, “evaluate”, “describe”, to even “predict” or “how.” It’s important that you know what these verbs are asking from you, and respond appropriately. Once you have identified the verb, make sure you answer the question in the first sentence. This helps the marker identify your stance on the question. The rest of your response should be a combination of you elaborating your assessment and examples to support your explanation. It’s very helpful if you do memorise details like quotes and statistics but if you forget on the day of the exam, you could always use your personal experience as an example. After all, part of being a socially and culturally literate person is being able to combine personal experience and public knowledge! If you’re completely stuck, list all the SAC concepts that you think are relevant to the question. Then, slowly flesh out these concepts with examples. Your short answer response should look something like this: S AMPLE :

How important are changing cultural values on the process of social change? (5 marks) Section 1 – Section One

Changing cultural values are highly important in the process of social change as it can improve way of life. This is exemplified in the introduction of the One Child Policy in China, where government officials have began promoting gender equality at a macro level and enforcing this at a meso level. This is reflected in the outcomes of the Care For Girls program, where rural families with daughters are provided pension, education for daughters and paid furniture to avoid female infanticide. As a result, the programme is an attempt to change the Chinese tradition of patriarchy as the notion of son favouritism becomes complex. This is because gender imbalance becomes increasingly obvious, especially in rural areas. Thus, the One Child Policy and the introduction of the Care For Girls program has significantly changed the Chinese tradition of patriarchy due to their promotion of gender equality and social inclusion of women in an imbalanced society.

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Section Two

Section 2

Section Two 2.1

Essay Writing

These essays can be a bit daunting, considering they’re worth 30 marks altogether. As a result, it’s important you get as many marks as possible. The same ideas I discussed in the short-answer section are applied in the essay section, except more detail is required. Before you start writing, I would recommend planning your essay. It doesn’t need to be a perfect plan, but at least three points you can include in your response. If you can think of any examples, list them under the correct point. Use this as a guide so you don’t go off-topic. Just like the short-answer section, if you’re really stuck on how to answer the question, list relevant SAC concepts to give yourself a few points to consider including in your essay.

2.1.1

Introduction

S AMPLE :

Question: Assess the role of education in influencing the life course of people within ONE group. (125 words) Access to education can heavily influence a woman’s life course as being able to access one socially valued resource enables women to access other SVRs, emphasising the cyclical effect of accessing SVRs. This is reflected in a woman’s pathway in education, where their education can greatly impact their decisions throughout their life course. Furthermore, access to education can significantly affect a woman’s access to employment as it enables them to earn a stable income. As a result, the income earned based on their education level is important in allowing them to access to other SVRs, an example being the legal system. Since a woman’s ability to access education can significantly influence their life course, it is evident that accessing SVRs can have a cyclical effect.

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Section 2 – Section Two

• Thesis (1 sentence): the first sentence in your essay should be your overall judgement. Pay attention to the key terms and verbs in the question so you make it clear that you’re answering the question. You should also use strong language so you clearly establish your stance. • Explanation (Approximately 2 sentences): this section should be an outline of your arguments. My rule of thumb is that you should have at least one sentence per point, each sentence summarising your judgement. No need to go in a lot of detail – leave that for your body paragraphs! • Linking sentence (1 sentence): the final sentence should reinforce your assessment and link back to the question.

2.1 Essay Writing

2.1.2

Body Paragraphs

• Judgement (1 sentence): your first sentence should be a judgement that links your overall thesis and the point you’re making in the paragraph. As a result, be careful with your words because inconsistent assessments can confuse the marker. For example, say the essay question was: “Evaluate the role of the media in the development of popular culture from a local to a national global level” and your thesis was that the media played a crucial role in the development of popular culture as it allowed the group’s culture to be propagated at a macro level. If one of your body paragraphs started with: “Printed media such as newspapers and books play a moderate role in the propagation of popular culture”, you’re contradicting yourself because of the difference in modality between moderate and crucial. • Explanation (2 sentences): here is where you elaborate your assessment. Keep it simple because you want to leave the detail for the next part. • Detail and explanation: this is where you include examples from your Depth Study. Be specific with the detail. Use quotes and statistics, but also don’t forget about using your own personal experience. While it is usually discouraged to use first person in essays, this is usually when you can include a bit of first person. Don’t forget to link each example to the judgement at the beginning of the paragraph! • Linking sentence (1 sentence): summarise your points in the final sentence. Re-state your thesis and if you’re comfortable, you could also try to lead into the next paragraph.

S AMPLE :

Section 2 – Section Two

Question: Assess how the philosophy of one belief system or ideology you have studied impacts on collective and personal identity. Thesis: The philosophy of the Three Refuges in Buddhism is crucial to the collective and personal identity of adherents due to the importance of self-reflection at a micro and meso level. (309 words) An individual’s personal identity is largely shaped by the First Refuge due to an adherent’s desire to grow closer to become the Buddha. The Buddha encompasses the idea of reaching the highest level of enlightenment by performing good deeds, as summarised in the Three Acts of Goodness: do good deeds, say good words, and think good thoughts. These acts can be incorporated into daily life since Buddhism embodies the idea of choosing how one should live their life. These ideas are mirrored in the Noble Eightfold Path as these eight divisions can be divided into three categories: moral conduct (Sila), mental discipline (Samadhi), and wisdom (Panna). However, Gautama reminded his followers that these eight divisions should not be followed in numerical order but should be integrated in daily life in order to become closer to enlightenment. An example of this is meditation as this helps adherents increase their self-awareness. In my experience at Nan Tien Temple, the importance of meditation was illustrated in the different types of meditation activities that were offered. This emphasises the importance of selfawareness and reflection due to an individual’s ability to align the mind with the body at the present. The different types of meditation include walking, eating and calligraphy. The incorporation of meditation in daily life allows Buddhists to pursue their personal path to enlightenment as they are able to control their body and mind, allowing them to apply the Eightfold Path to their process of self-discovery. This demonstrates the importance of Eightfold Path to an adherent’s personal identity due to the its ability to train an individual in ethics, concentration and wisdom. The impacts of the Buddha on personal identity is illustrated in the incorporation of the Noble Eightfold Path due to the adherent’s ability to choose their own destiny by being self-aware, allowing them to form their own path to nirvana.

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2.1 Essay Writing

2.1.3

Conclusion

Your conclusion is similar to your introduction: state your thesis, outline your arguments, and summarise your thesis again. S AMPLE :

Question: To what extent have the values and behaviours of ONE group influenced the perceptions of this group in the wider society? Thesis: It is to a great extent that a group’s values and behaviours can influence how they are perceived by wider Australian society. (117 words) In essence, the perceptions of the Bra Boys have been formulated from the values they uphold and the behaviours attributed towards them. The expression of their beliefs have been widely debated upon and contested from their controversial attitudes within the spheres of conformity and nonconformity. When investigating into heroism and unity, defence and respect, and justice and equality, these interacting values can be understood that as expository cores from which the behaviours of the group emanate from. It can be evaluated to a great extent that the values and behaviours of this group have influenced the perceptions that have been generated by wider society, whether it be negatively disdained or positively impacted, and will continue to henceforth.

Section 2 – Section Two

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Exam Preparation

Section 3

Exam Preparation 3.1

Study Techniques

As you can probably tell by now, Society & Culture is a content-heavy subject. Now, we just need to remember all the detail you’ve learnt. Unfortunately, there’s so many different ways you can memorise information and it depends on your learning style. Some common study techniques include: • • • • • •

Flash cards for SAC concepts Creating own worksheets Making essay plans Study groups Teaching your classmates SAC content Consultation with teacher

The way I studied for Society & Culture was to make study notes so I’d have all my quotes and statistics organised by syllabus dot points and in one place. These notes have also been constantly refined and cut down as the year progressed, as I would keep the quotes and statistics I would often use in my essays. My notes would look something like this: Section 3 – Exam Preparation

Women’s Access to Socially Valued Resources Examine the exclusion of women in relation to access to each of the socially valued resources. Justice • Senior solicitor Christie Toy: “there is usually an inherent power imbalance in cases of sexual harassment.” • Sex Discrimination Act 1984: made sexual harassment illegal Employment • University of Sydney study: 31% of surveyed women, 50% of men who believed in gender equality in work, 10% of the respondents reporting to have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace • 2010: Julia Gillard was elected as the first female prime minister in Australia Education • Gender divide between subjects: humanities are often female-dominated while STEM subjects are male-dominated • Physics class: 4 girls out of 19 students vs SAC class: 5 boys out of 23 students Technology • Contraceptive pill (1960s): Gave women the option to not have children • Bechdel Test: determines whether films have a gender bias

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3.2 Approaching the Exam

Health care • Women living in disadvantaged areas were more likely to be overweight or obese • More than 1 in 3 Australian women (37%) have experienced violence after turning 15 Housing • 2011-2016: number of older women increasing homelessness increased by 31% – Different factors impact homelessness: – Being single – Renting – Personal issues (e.g. loss of a job, domestic violence)

3.2

Approaching the Exam

While there isn’t an “ideal” way to approach the exam, it is good to keep in mind what order you want to complete it. Personally, I liked to complete the exam chronologically. Plus, multiple choice was my weakest, so I wanted to spend a bit more time focusing on the multiple choice questions and using my left over time to go back and check my answers. I will also recommend completing the exam based on which section you are the most confident in and complete the sections you struggle with later in the exam. Regardless of which method you choose, just make sure you’re strict on time allocation! I also want to mention that sometimes, the exam just doesn’t go to plan; maybe the section you’re the most confident in suddenly throws you a curve ball question, or you’re spending a bit more time than anticipated on another section. This is why you should keep your plan of attack as flexible as possible.

3.3

Before the Exam

Usually, I would say that you should try to de-stress before exam. Try and stay away from people who are going to make you even more anxious, or don’t even bother going into the library. Make sure you eat properly and make sure you have all your equipment ready. Unfortunately, most of the time it’s easier said than done, especially coming from someone who was always had a hard time de-stressing! As a result, I would recommend going through any last-minute quotes and statistics and make sure you have a bunch of them memorised – not all of them! Another pre-exam activity I would recommend is going on social media to see if there are any last-minute contemporary examples I could include in my responses. These activities are deliberately light - I wouldn’t recommend wasting your energy writing essays or cramming new content right before you’re meant to put pen to paper.

3.4

Final Notes

By the time the HSC is around the corner, you would’ve picked up a lot of information. Trust yourself! You might feel like you’re forgetting bits of information here and there before the exam, but keep calm and let everything flow once you’ve picked up that pen. Make sure you stay focused during the exam and grab as many marks as you can. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll smash it. Copyright © 2022 InStudent Publishing Pty. Ltd.

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Section 3 – Exam Preparation

While notes are handy, I’d definitely recommend doing a lot of past papers. Setting two hours to do a whole exam does take a lot of time and effort so I would aim to do at least the multiple choice section and one short answer each week, and if I had the time, an essay plan. Even if you don’t have the time to complete a short answer, at least sit down for ten minutes and list any related SAC concepts so you have a starting point.