Sociology

We introduce the fundamental building blocks of sociology. You will explore key sociological concepts that explain social inequalities, enabling you to think sociologically about this issue. In particular, students learn how social structures (for example, class, race/ethnicity, gender and sexuality), social institutions (for instance, the state) as well as interactions between people produce and sustain various forms of inequality.

In this course, you will further develop your sociological thinking by exploring people's diverse experiences of living in Aotearoa New Zealand and of being a New Zealander. We will do this by examining the social norms, values and experiences of different individuals and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. Drawing on a variety of case studies, we will look at the way in which people and communities here have vastly different experiences, which show that being a "New Zealander" means a multitude of things.