SOCIOL 205 : Special Topic: Sociology of Subcultures

Arts

2025 Semester Two (1255) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Through consideration of sociological theory from the Chicago School, British Cultural Studies, and postmodernism, this course investigates marginal, non-normative, and socially deviant group formations considered as ‘subcultural’. This will include critical consideration of the social, economic, and political dynamics in which specific group practices and identities of subcultures such as ravers, punks, and skaters take shape in capitalist society.

Course Overview

Studying subcultures allows us to further explore societal notions of normality and deviance, to focus on the ‘social worlds’ of those who are sometimes overlooked, forgotten or marginalized, and to take seriously such group formations as potential forms of protest and resistance to existing forms of power.

The course will include the following lecture and tutorial themes:

Introduction – why study subcultures?
The Chicago School
The Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies
Post-Subcultural Studies: Critiques and Alternatives
Rethinking Subcultural Resistance – Punk, Straightedge and Northern Soul
Gendered Subcultures? Surfing and Skating
Virtual and Global (Sub)cultures? Goth, Rave and Hip Hop
Criminalised Subcultures? Graffiti and Street Art Subcultures
Subculture as Performance and Style? Tattoo and Piercing Subcultures
Subcultures 4 Life? Urban and Rural Subcultures

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage I in Sociology or 15 points at Stage I in Sociology with a minimum B+ pass Restriction: SOCIOL 225

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Evaluate historical and contemporary issues surrounding youth and adult subcultures (Capability 1)
  2. Critically evaluate the social, economic, cultural and political contexts in which youth and adult subcultures occur (Capability 4)
  3. Critically analyse ‘subcultures’ through engagement with sociological theory and scholarship. (Capability 3)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
First Essay 50% Individual Coursework
Project Essay 50% Individual Coursework

Exam Mode

There is no final exam for this course

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect every week: a 2 hour of lecture, a 1 hour tutorial; and additionally to undertake 2 hours of reading and thinking about the course content, as well as complete 5 hours of work on the assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is mandatory for both lectures and tutorials. Lectures will be available as recordings. Tutorials will not be available as recordings. The course will not include live online events.

Attendance on campus is required. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable delivery.

This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside Aotearoa New Zealand in 2025.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

One piece of feedback on the 2024 SET evaluation, which reflected some others, was as follows:

"I found it quite hard to start the assessments as there was not a lot of information provided in lectures. There were optional Q+A workshops but I could never make these. It would have been good to have more complex overviews of the assignments in class to give a clearer, more detailed picture of what is actually expected of us."

Despite the dynamic nature of both the lecture and tutorials, attendance was very poor in 2024. This extended to the lecturer's office hours as well. At the request of the class, myself and my GTA held optional drop-in sessions towards completing both essay assignments. These were also not very well attended. For the next reiteration of this course I will spend more time reinforcing the need for the class to be actively engaged learners, that includes reading the course outline, attending lectures and tutorials, asking questions and taking notes, and carrying out their own background research towards completing the assignments.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

While we are all concerned for the 'well-being' of staff and students, it is important that as 'the critic and conscience of society' the University remains critically engaged with such issues. This is a useful reference for those interested in finding out more:

Davies, W. (2015) The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold Us Well-Being. London: Verso.

You are also welcome to contact the lecturer for this course for further references which problematise issues of 'well-being' and 'mental health' in neoliberal society.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 01/11/2024 07:06 p.m.