SOCI 2013 - Public Scandals and Moral Panics II

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2021

Media attention is regularly focused on individuals and/or groups who flout societal norms and/or advocate for change. In this course we explore the way these challenges are framed particularly within mass mediated public discussion and by using a sociological lens (scandal, moral panic, stigma and risk). Case studies include: terrorism, surveillance of civilians, gay marriage, drugs in sport, border protection, climate change, assisted reproduction and the application of gene technology. The course utilises contemporary sociological and gender studies approaches to analyse these and other public issues. In particular students will investigate the ways in which gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity and class are mobilised within morally charged discourses (for example, surrogacy, abortion and same sex parenting) as well as in more objectively based concerns such as global warming. The course provides the opportunity to collaborate in small groups while learning how to apply social theory. Considerable student choice is available for the topic of the research assignment.

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Course Details

Course Code	SOCI 2013
Course	Public Scandals and Moral Panics II
Coordinating Unit	Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 12 units of Level I undergraduate study
Incompatible	GSSA 2109, GSSA 2109EXEX, GSSA 3005, GSSA 3005EX, SOCI 2013EX, SOCI 3011, SOCI 3011EXEX
Assessment	Online quizzes 20%, Minor Essay 25%, Major Essay 45%, Attendance and Participation 10%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Dee Michell

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

	Understanding of several key concepts in sociology and their application to contemporary events in Australian society;
	Understanding of the role the media plays in fomenting moral panics in Australian society. Critically analyse and apply different methodological approaches to research;
	Understanding of the way in which laws are made in response to moral panics;
	Ability to prepare and deliver coherently and logically argued writing;
	Ability to engage productively and respectfully with their peers;
	Confidently engage with unfamiliar texts;
	Ability to seek a range of resources available to support critical writing and research

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,3,6,7
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	1,2,3,6,7
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	4,5
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	1,4,5
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1

Learning & Teaching Modes

Throughout the semester students will be required to attend a 1 hour lecture and 2 hour tutorial each week. Each tutorial has a mixture of open discussion and structured activities. The teaching and learning also involves a number of contemporary media to provide further avenues for discussion of key themes.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

WORKLOAD	TOTAL HOURS
1 * 2-hour tutorial per week	20 hours per semester
1 * 1-hour lecture per week	10 hours per semester
4 hours reading per week	40
5 hours research per week	60
2 hours assignment preparation per week	24
Meeting with group for class presentation	2
	TOTAL = 156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

WEEK	LECTURE TOPIC (Indicative)
1	Introduction
2	Moral Panic Theory Workshops: Introductions and Presentation Signup
3	The Media Case Study: ‘Ethnic Gangs’
4	Foucault Case Study: Children and Sex
5	Settler Colonialism Case Study: ‘NT Intervention’
6	Race & Ethnicity Case Study: Asylum Seekers
7	Religion Case Study: Muslim Others
8	Class Case Study: The ‘obesity epidemic’
9	Gender Case Study: Abortion
10	Sex & Sexuality Case Study: Sexting and Sex Scandals
11	Student Consultations
12

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

ASSESSMENT TASK	TASK TYPE	WEIGHTING	COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
Online Quizzes	Formative and Summative	20 %	1, 4, 6
Minor Essay	Formative and Summative	25 %	1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Major Essay	Summative	45%	1, 4, 5, 6, 7
Class attendance & Participation	Formative and Summative	10%	1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are required to complete all assessment tasks to be eligible to pass this course

Assessment Detail

Minor Essay: Students will be required to write a 1000 word essay on the sociological definition of ‘Moral Panic’

Class Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to attend class, demonstrate that they have read at least one of the set readings, contribute to discussion based on the set readings, and engage in Discussion Board activities.

Major Essay: Students must write a 2000 word essay on a specific public scandal or moral panic.

The Online Quizzes are a weekly requirement.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
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