Course syllabus

Understanding Aotearoa New Zealand   

This course provides an introduction to the sociological analysis of New Zealand Society. We look at familiar events, institutions, social processes from a sociological point of view and offer ways to understand them in new and different ways. The course focuses on the structure of New Zealand society and on social and political changes that affect the lives of New Zealanders and shape their society.

This course invites you to think sociologically about life in Aotearoa New Zealand, asking you to think in possibly new and different ways about what it means to live here today. In particular, you will have an opportunity to explore the way in which your life and the lives of your family and friends are shaped by major axes of difference such as

• Ethnicity
• Gender
• Sexuality
• Class

Additionally, you will get to explore a number of current social debates, for example, about violence, punishment and the environment. We will use both written texts and audio-visual material to examine these matters.

Course structure

The course is organised around the following themes in order:

• Introduction to Sociology (Week 1)
• Settler colonial foundations and Māori-Pākehā Relations (Week 2-4)
• Neoliberalism & class inequalities (Week 5-6)
• Multiculturalism and new settler identities (Week 7-8)
• Gender and Sexuality (Week 8-10)
• Contemporary social issues (Week 10-12)

Reading forms a central component of this course and you can buy the course textbook, A Land of Milk and Honey? from the UBS.

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of this course you should:

• be able to define and apply a range of sociological concepts to the study of society
• be able to explain the sociological imagination and apply it to a range of social issues
• have a foundational sociological understanding of New Zealand society
• have developed skills in analysing sociological readings

The course introduces you to central and at times complex sociological ideas and concepts, so if you want to get the most out of the course you should

• make coming to class and tutorials a priority;
• commit yourself to reading and studying for 8-10 hours per week on average over the semester;
• be willing to actively participate through sharing your thoughts and relevant experiences in both lectures and tutorials;
• and be open to new perspectives and ideas.

If you do all of these things, I am confident that not only will you enjoy the course, you will succeed too!