Social relations of our time and place are unique. Comparisons of societies and cultures not only provide insights into systematic variations and broad similarities but also expose reasons why these differences and similarities occur. This course applies the comparative approach to studying relations of social inequality in a selection of contemporary societies. Topics covered include disparities of wealth and income, gender inequality, racial and ethnic inequality, welfare state regimes, sexual orientation and inequality and the “electronic divide”.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Explain the concept of inequality and its relationship to the concepts of social stratification, segregation, exclusion, vulnerability and relative poverty.
- Apply in practice the basic principles of comparative analysis and writing, including structuring historical and cross-national comparisons ‘by unit’ and ‘by issue’.
- Conduct a comparative analysis of an aspect of social inequality.
- Systematically review a range of empirical studies on material and non-material dimensions of social inequality.
Indicative Assessment
Powerpoint Presentation comparing two countries (10% 500-800 words) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3]Comparative paper based on cross-country or historical analysis (30% 1500-2000 words) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4]
Synoptic essay (50% 2000-2200 words) [Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4]
Tutorial participation (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 4]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures, and 12 hours of tutorials; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3120 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4800 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
