Society & Culture

Course overview:

Society and Culture explores the interaction of individuals, societies, cultures, environments, and time. It encourages students to develop social and cultural literacy by examining how people shape and are shaped by their world. Students critically investigate contemporary issues, explore cultural diversity, and learn to apply key social and cultural concepts. A key feature of the course is the use of social research methods to understand and analyse social patterns, behaviours, and values.

Skills developed:

• Valuable to have: Curiosity about people, cultures, and social issues; openness to different perspectives

• Skills developed:

  • Research and inquiry skills, including ethical research practices

  • Applying social and cultural concepts to contemporary issues

  • Critical analysis of social structures, cultural values, and human behaviours

  • Communicating ideas clearly to different audiences

• Students need to be prepared to:

  • Engage in independent and collaborative research

  • Undertake a major research project (PIP) in Year 12

  • Analyse contemporary social issues and cultural practices

Assessment requirements:

Year 11:

• 3 assessment tasks, such as:

  • a presentation

  • research

  • a formal written examination

Year 12:

• 4 assessment tasks, such as:

  • an in-class task

  • research and presentation

  • a report

  • a formal written examination (Trial HSC)

The HSC Examination includes:

A written paper worth 60 marks and a Personal Interest Project worth 40 marks.

• Section I – Core – Social and Cultural Continuity and Change (20 marks)

• There will be multiple choice questions to the value of 8 marks.

• There will be short-answer questions to the value of 12 marks.

• Section II – Depth Studies (40 marks)

• Candidates will be required to answer a question from two Depth Studies worth a total of 20 marks

• Personal Interest Project

Society and Culture students must each undertake, on an individual basis, a Personal Interest Project worth 40% of the HSC examination mark. The PIP requires students to select a suitable topic related to the course, develop and apply appropriate research methods and submit a completed project of 4000 to 5500 words in length.

Future careers and possible possible study paths:

Society and Culture complements Modern History, Geography, and Aboriginal Studies. It supports pathways into careers such as social work, psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, community development, journalism, and cultural studies. University study options include social sciences, humanities, law, and community services.