SOCIOL 204

Special Topic: Social Control

Description

Analyses the means by which different institutions, groups and individuals control the actions, behaviours and thoughts of people in contemporary modern societies, including our own. Discusses controllers, their targets, the mechanisms they employ, the goals they seek to accomplish, and the means by which people resist. Prompts students to reflect how controlling processes have affected their everyday life.

For full course information see the Digital Course Outline.

Digital Course Outlines for 2025 will be refreshed around November/December.

 

Availability 2025

Semester 2

Lecturer(s)

Lecturer(s) Dr Manuel Vallee

Reading/Texts

The course will use appropriate texts, such as:

- Lorne Tepperman & Laura Upenieks. Social Control. Oxford University Press.

- George Orwell. 1984

- Aldous Huxley. Brave New World

- excerpts from Stuart Ewen. Captains of Consciousness

- excerpts from Irving Janis. Victims of Groupthink

Assessment

100% Coursework: Quizzes, writing assignments and an in-class test

Points

SOCIOL 204: 15 points

Prerequisites

30 points at Stage I in Sociology, or 15 points at Stage I in Sociology with a minimum of B+, or 90 points passed.