Sociology
Sociology at Waikato moves you beyond assumptions and explores who we are and our place in the world. You'll study human relationships and how societies form. Sociology at Waikato is highly respected and is a top 250 QS-rated subject.
You'll explore how people organise and form groups, form larger social structures, and how societies evolve over time. As a budding sociologist, you'll be challenged to assume little in the hopes of clearing the way for new conclusions.
You'll ask questions like how different groups view social reality and why certain views become accepted within groups over time. You'll dissect the interwoven nature and influence of parents, peers, elders, teachers and the media on society. We'll also challenge you to consider why some societies are war-torn while others remain peaceful – why some behaviour is acceptable while others are less desirable. You'll look for solutions and debate how societies change.
Sociology at Waikato takes a thematic approach and includes papers in criminology, the family, popular culture and theoretical perspectives. As part of a degree in Sociology papers in social policy, women and gender studies and labour studies can be included.
Teaching staff provide plenty of mentoring and direction along the way and allow students opportunities to throw out ideas in a relaxed and informal learning environment. Studying Sociology at Waikato will open your eyes to the inner workings of society and how people drive them.
Key information
| Study Locations: | Hamilton; Tauranga; Online |
|---|---|
| Faculty: |
Study Sociology in these qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Communication Studies
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Bachelor of Tourism
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts (Applied)
- Master of Laws
- Master of Management Studies
- Master of Māori and Pacific Development
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
Sociology as a specialisation of
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Communication Studies
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Bachelor of Tourism
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts (Applied)
- Master of Laws
- Master of Management Studies
- Master of Māori and Pacific Development
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
Career opportunities
- Heritage Presenter
- Iwi Development Officer
- Media or Social Commentator
- Social Analyst
- Social Researcher
- Youth or Social Service Worker
Papers
Available Sociology papers
100 level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| ARTSC110 | Old Worlds - New Worlds | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This multi-disciplinary paper offers students a rich context in which to develop arts-based reading, writing and research skills. It is structured around stories of cultural encounter and journeys through place and time, and focuses on a variety of printed and electronic texts, moving and still images, and sound. The paper is deliv... | ||
| ARTSC111 | Social Science Theory and Action | 18B (Hamilton) & 18B (Tauranga) |
| This paper introduces University of Waikato social scientists as researchers. Each presenters research will be discussed to demonstrate how it illustrates key themes of the social sciences and their specific disciplines. | ||
| LABST100 | Work, Employment and Society | 18A (Hamilton) & 18B (Hamilton) |
| The purpose of this paper is to focus on the interdisciplinary account of the changing forms and social contexts of work from ancient times to the present and beyond. | ||
| SOCIO101 | Introduction to Sociology | 18A (Hamilton) & 18A (Tauranga) |
| This paper prepares students for further study in a range of social science subjects. It introduces the main sociological theories, concepts and practices that enable an understanding of contemporary societies. | ||
| SOCPY100 | Introduction to Social Policy | 18A (Hamilton) & 18A (Tauranga) |
| This paper examines the values behind social policy and introduces students to some of the important issues and debates in New Zealand and other democratic societies. The paper will include presentations by guest speakers who are active in implementing social policies in our community. | ||
| WGSTS101 | Women in Society: Representations and Realities | 18A (Hamilton) & 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper considers such issues as media representations, beauty ideals, medicalisation of women's bodies, eating disorders, violence against women, difference, and forms of women's resistance. | ||
200 level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHY201 | Ethnicity and Identity | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper focuses on ethnicity and related categories of division such as "race" and nation. It explores how these concepts link to identity in different cultures and societies. | ||
| CMYHE202 | Understanding the Healthy Body: Sociocultural Perspectives | 18A (Hamilton) & 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper develops students' understanding of health as a social and cultural issue, not just a biological one. | ||
| EDSOC200 | Education and New Zealand Society | 18A (Hamilton) & 18A (Tauranga) |
| This paper critically examines educational ideas and practices by considering philosophical, historical, political, socio-cultural and economic aspects. It examines how the interrelationships between education and society change over time. | ||
| LABST201 | Employment Relations in New Zealand | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the employment relations legislation and its impact on employers, unions and workers. Other issues considered include occupational health and safety, industrial training and practice of employment relations | ||
| POPST201 | Population Studies | 18A (Hamilton) & 18A (Online) |
| This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the multidisciplinary field of Population Studies. Students will develop a sound understanding of the demographic drivers of population change and composition, while exploring some of the rich theories and methodological approaches which comprise Population Studies. | ||
| SOCIO200 | History of Sociological Thought | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines sociological thought from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries in the context of historical and intellectual change. It focusses Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber. | ||
| SOCIO202 | Class, Race, Gender | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper presents sociological theories which examine gender, class, and race and how power is distributed within and across these categories. It uses class theory and intersectionality to explore and explain the complex interconnections between them. | ||
| SOCIO203 | Popular Culture | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper offers a sociological perspective on historical and contemporary forms of popular culture, including sport, pop music, fandom, cyber-culture, video gaming, fashion, body modification, and reality TV. | ||
| SOCPY200 | Social Policy and Social Issues | 18B (Hamilton) & 18B (Tauranga) |
| The paper continues the study of social policy at 200 level. The focus of this paper is on the welfare state, the policy cycle as well as social problems, such as poverty. | ||
| WGSTS201 | Re-thinking Women, Sex and Gender | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the woman question in relation to education, work, love and marriage, the social construction of gender and sexuality, and the intersections of gender, race, and class. | ||
300 level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| FASS396 | Work Placement | 18C (Block) & 18D (Block) |
| This paper enables students to undertake work placement in an area related to their major as part of their degree. Students work in a chosen field for a period of time in order to gain valuable work experience and learn from experts in their chosen field. | ||
| LBST301 | Globalisation and International Development | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the impact of globalisation on labour across both developed and developing countries. Assignments focus on the application of comparative methods. | ||
| SDCOA303 | Sport, Media and Communication | 18B (Hamilton) & 18B (Online) |
| This paper expands students critical sociocultural understanding of the media. Students will develop knowledge of the production and consumption of various forms of media (including social media), and have the opportunity to develop skills in critical media analysis and production. | ||
| SOCIO300 | The Sociology of Dying and Death | 18T (Hamilton) & 18T (Online) |
| This paper will explore the social arrangements that surround dying and death. This includes societal attitudes toward death and dying, types of death, the care provided for people dying, and the relationship of gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity and age to dying and death. Special attention will be paid to dying and death in Aote... | ||
| SOCP302 | Social Policy | 18B (Hamilton) & 18B (Tauranga) |
| This paper focuses on developing a critical approach to the formulation, content and implementation of New Zealand social policy in an international context. It examines a variety of contemporary policy domains, all of which, in some way, affect the wellbeing of children and families. The paper provides knowledge and skills relevan... | ||
| SOCP304 | Health, Wellbeing and Policy | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper gives a sociological and policy dimension to health, wellbeing and policy from a critical perspective. | ||
| SOCY301 | Contemporary Social Theory: A Praxis Approach | 18A (Hamilton) & 18B (Hamilton) |
| An analysis of some of the major contemporary issues in sociological theory. | ||
| SOCY311 | Criminology: A Sociological Introduction | 18B (Online) |
| This paper examines sociological explanations of deviance and crime and examines issues in the field of criminology. | ||
| SOCY390 | Directed Study | 18A (Hamilton), 18B (Hamilton), 18S (Hamilton), 18T (Hamilton) & 18Y (Hamilton) |
| Students with a B+ average may, with the approval of the programme convenor and the proposed supervisor, undertake an individual programme of study within the field of Sociology. | ||
| WGST303 | Gender, State and Public Policy | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to feminist political theory concerned with issues of state, policy, equality/equity, social justice, rights and representation. | ||
Prescriptions for the GradCert(Socy) and GradDip(Socy)
A Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma are available to graduates who have not included Sociology at an advanced level in their first degree. Each programme of study for the Graduate Diploma must include SOCY204 and SOCY301.
For further details, contact the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Office.
Prescriptions for the PGCert(Socy), PGDip(Socy) and BSocSc(Hons) and MSocSc
To be eligible to be considered for enrolment in the BSocSc(Hons) in Sociology, a student should normally have at least a B average in either the best three of their 300 level Sociology papers or all their undergraduate Sociology papers.
To complete a BSocSc(Hons) in Sociology, students must gain 120 points at 500 level, including at least 30 points in research (normally SOCY591), SOCY502, one of SSRP503 or SSRP504 and one of SOCY503, SOCY505 or SOCP509.
To be eligible to be considered for enrolment in the MSocSc in Sociology, a student should have completed either:
a) a BSocSc with a major in Sociology (or equivalent) and have gained at least a B+ grade average either in the best three of their 300 level Sociology papers or all of their undergraduate Sociology papers, or
b) a BSocSc(Hons) in Sociology (or equivalent) and have gained at least a B+ average across all 500 level papers.
Completion requirements for the MSocSc in Sociology vary according to admission criteria:
Students admitted under a) above must complete 180 points from approved 500 level papers, including SOCY502, SSRP503, SSRP504 and either a 120 point thesis, a 90 point thesis or a 60 point dissertation.
Students admitted under b) above must complete a 120 point thesis, a 90 point thesis and a further 30 points from approved 500 level papers, or a 60 point dissertation and a further 60 points from approved 500 level papers.
To be considered for enrolment in a dissertation or thesis, all students must have completed at least 60 points from approved 500 level papers and have gained at least a B+ average to be admitted to SOCY593 or SOCY593 and at least an A- average to be admitted to SOCY594.
Students proposing to do graduate studies in Sociology should determine their programme in consultation with the convenor of the Sociology programme and relevant staff in Sociology. Students should also consult the Programme's Handbook for Graduate Students.
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH515 | Ethnographic Research | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper concentrates on ethnographic approaches to research, with a particular focus on 'participant observation'. | ||
| DSOE557 | Research Methods | 18A (Hamilton), 18A (Tauranga), 18B (Online) & 18S (Block) |
| This paper introduces students to the major educational research paradigms, methodologies appropriate to collecting data in schools (including interviews, observations, surveys, case studies), action research, literature reviews, critiquing research, and report writing. It includes consideration of ethical issues in research. | ||
| MAOR570 | Te Mahi Rangahau: Maori and Pacific Research Methods and Issues | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to a range of research issues, helps students identify and apply the most effective methodology, understand, review and apply various research methods including kaupapa Maori and indigenous epistemologies. | ||
| POLS503 | Democratisation, Democracy and Mass Politics | 18B (Hamilton) |
| The concepts, approaches and literature of democracy, democratisation and mass politics, including theories of elitism, authoritarianism and transition to democracy and mass political psychology, democratic socialism, and democracy and capitalism, as well as an examination of relevant case studies. | ||
| POPS509 | Research Methods for Population Analysis | 18B (Hamilton) & 18B (Online) |
| This paper provides students with hands-on experience conducting population research, working with real world data to analyse to investigate population issues. Students will gain a sound understanding of how to access, analyse and interpret data and how to communicate their findings, skills directly applicable to a range of policy,... | ||
| SOCP506 | Social Policy: Comparative Approaches | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides a theoretical grounding and applied dimension to comparative perspectives in social policy and welfare. Students develop a critical awareness of diversity in policy. | ||
| SOCP509 | Comparative Criminology: Issues and Policy | 18B (Hamilton) |
| Students will study criminological issues of various countries and the ideologies that underlie the policies and practices of criminal justice systems. | ||
| SOCY502 | Society, Economy and State | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This half paper brings Sociological theory and Social Policy practice together in a paper that is grounded in a praxis approach. Students will be expected to think critically and deeply about the nature and dynamic of structures and regulatory frameworks of contemporary capitalism, and to think actively about how social change occu... | ||
| SOCY503 | Criminology from a Sociological Perspective | 18A (Online) |
| This paper surveys criminological theory from a sociological perspective and uses examples of criminological research to develop a critical awareness of New Zealand issues and policies related to criminal behaviour. | ||
| SOCY505 | Globalisation and Social Movements | 18B (Hamilton) |
| Within the context of an analysis of the neoliberal policy framework and global capitalism; this half paper focuses on the merging social movements of the 21st century. Initial focus will be placed on the anti-globalisation movement, but in the context of a range of related movements especially the labour movement, new peasant move... | ||
| SOCY589 | Directed Study | 18A (Hamilton), 18B (Hamilton) & 18S (Hamilton) |
| Students have the opportunity to pursue a topic of their own interest under the guidance of academic staff. Open to selected students who meet the criteria set out in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Handbook. | ||
| SOCY590 | Directed Study | 18A (Hamilton), 18B (Hamilton), 18S (Hamilton) & 18Y (Hamilton) |
| Students have the opportunity to pursue a topic of their own interest under the guidance of academic staff. Open to selected students who meet the criteria set out in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Graduate Handbook. | ||
| SOCY591 | Dissertation | 18C (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| SOCY592 | Dissertation | 18C (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| SOCY593 | Sociology Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
| SOCY594 | Sociology Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
| SPLS501 | Research Methods in Health, Sport and Human Performance | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper will allow students to develop their skills for finding and analysing literature, gain an understanding of different research designs, methodologies and ethical issues in health, sport and human performance settings, learn different statistical and analysis techniques. This paper will split into two streams where studen... | ||
| SSRP503 | The Conduct of Social Science Research: Qualitative Research | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper provides an advanced investigation of the conduct of qualitative interviewing culminating in students undertaking their own tape-recorded in-depth interviews. | ||
| SSRP504 | The Conduct of Social Science Research: Survey Research | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper has been designed to explore quantitative approaches to research with a particular focus on structured and semi-structured data collection techniques. It is intended that students gain a first hand appreciation of the practical aspects of the survey approach as well as a critical view of its appropriateness, strengths an... | ||
| WGST506 | Theorising Gender | 18A (Hamilton) |
| The purpose of this paper is to extend and enhance students' engagement with current theoretical debates in contemporary feminist and gender theory, with a focus on the linguistic, social, cultural and political construction of gendered subjectivities. | ||
| WGST507 | Gender, Policy and Development | 18B (Hamilton) |
| The purpose of this paper is to facilitate students' understandings of, and critical reflections on, policy and practice relevant to gender and development, and to simultaneously enhance their skills in research and gender analysis. | ||
Prescriptions for the MPhil
The Master of Philosophy is a one year research-based degree in which students undertake a programme of approved and supervised research that leads to a thesis which critically investigates an approved topic of substance and significance, demonstrates expertise in the methods of research and scholarship, displays intellectual independence and makes a substantial original contribution to the subject area concerned, and is of publishable quality.
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| SOCY800 | Sociology MPhil Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
Prescriptions for the PhD
The Doctor of Philosophy is a three year research-based degree in which students undertake a programme of approved and supervised research that leads to a thesis which critically investigates an approved topic of substance and significance, demonstrates expertise in the methods of research and scholarship, displays intellectual independence and makes a substantial original contribution to the subject area concerned, and is of publishable quality.
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| SOCY900 | Sociology PhD Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) & 18C (Tauranga) |
| No description available. | ||
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Subject Requirements
Sociology is available as a major for the BSocSc.
Sociology is available as a major for the BSocSc. Sociology may also be taken as a second major or as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty or School of Studies in which the student is enrolled.
To complete a major in Sociology, students must gain 120 points above 100 level in Sociology, including SOCY204, SOCY301 and 80 further points, of which at least 40 must be above 200 level. It is recommended that students intending to major in Sociology include SOCY101 and one of SOCY150, SOCP102, LBST101 or WGST101 in the first year of their programme of study, in order to meet prerequisites at 200 level, and at least one of SOCP302, SOCP304, SOCY311 or SOCY390. It is recommended that students include SSRP202 in their programme of study as part of the methodology requirement for the BSocSc.
To complete a supporting subject in Sociology, students must include either SOCY101 or SOCY150, and SOCY204.
Note: SOCY301 Contemporary Social Theory is normally a prerequisite for graduate study in Sociology.
Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.
Documents
Contacts
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4138
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: socy-fass@waikato.ac.nz
Graduate and Postgraduate Email Enquiries: ansocyth-grad@waikato.ac.nz