SAC

Persons Every person is a unique individual who develops in a social and environmental setting in which he or she is influenced by, and interacts with, other persons and groups. Communication, the sharing of values and beliefs, and cooperation are major interactions. The identity achieved by each individual is the result of interactions at the micro, meso and macro levels of society. Society Society is made up of people, groups, networks, institutions, organisations and systems. These aspects of society may include local, national, regional and international patterns of relationships and organisation. People belong to informal and formal groups, and within and between these groups there are patterns of interactions that contribute to unique cultures. Society and Culture Stage 6 Syllabus 16 Culture Culture refers to the shared knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that give each society its coherence, identity and distinctive way of life. Culture is demonstrated by the beliefs, customs, values, norms, rules, laws, governance, arts, technologies and artefacts that people generate and use as they interpret meaning from their world and solve present and future problems. Culture is dynamic and undergoes change, and is therefore not static. Environment Every society is located in a particular physical setting and interacts with its environment. The attitudes and values that people have in regard to their environment greatly affect interactions between persons, society, culture and the environment. Unique culture is generated from the interactions with the immediate environment. Different locations and their environments – including urban, rural, coastal, inland and isolated – present societies and their cultures with both opportunities and constraints. Time Every person, society, culture and environment is located in a period of time and is changing with time. Time can be examined as past, present and future. Our perceptions of time are drawn from past events and these influence our ideas about the present. These perceptions need not, however, determine possible ideas of a future. The concept of time is best studied in context – last century, this century, and pre- and post-events – or as a particular decade. Time is studied in relation to continuity and change.Power Power is the ability or capacity to influence or persuade others to a point of view or action to which they may not always agree. Exercising power is important in initiating or preventing change. Authority Authority is linked to power and the right to make decisions and to determine, adjudicate or settle issues and disputes in society. Authority is best understood as the legitimate use of power. The use of authority is important in the process of decision-making and in initiating change and maintaining continuity. Gender Gender refers to the socially constructed differences between females and males. Social life – including family life, roles, work, behaviour and other activities – is organised around the dimensions of this difference. Gender also refers to the cultural ideals, identities and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity and the sexual division of labour in institutions and organisations. Gender reflects the value a society places on these social constructs, which are particular and unique to a society. Identity Identity refers to the sense of self and can be viewed from a personal, social and cultural level. Identity is formed over a period of time and is the result of interactions at the micro, meso and macro levels of society. An identity has dimensions or layers that create a sense of inclusion in a group or culture. Contributing factors to one’s identity may be gender, sexuality, family, class, ethnicity, beliefs, social status, group membership and national pride. Technologies The term ‘technologies’ refers to all the tools that we use to assist our interactions in society. Technologies can lead to innovation and can initiate change to micro, meso and macro operations in society. The value placed on technologies at any level of society influences the rate of change to society and culture. Technologies are constantly changing and adapting and their impact varies over time. Communication-based technologies facilitate the interaction between the micro, meso and macro levels of society. Globalisation Globalisation is the process of integration and sharing of goods, capital, labour, services, knowledge, leisure, sport, ideas and culture between countries. Globalisation is evidenced in the emergence of global patterns of consumption and consumerism; the growth of transnational corporations; global sport; the spread of world tourism; and the growth of global military and economic systems. Globalisation is assisted by technologies and media integration, resulting in an increasing consciousness of the world as a single place. Note: There is continual interaction between the five fundamental course cQuantitative methods enable the collection of very specific data from a sample of the relevant population. The findings may then be extrapolated for the whole population under study. With a quantitative method, information is collected by counting, and is able to be collated into percentages and then represented by tables and graphs. While the ease of collating data gathered through quantitative methods has its advantages for the researcher, it must be remembered that quantitative methods:  do not allow the researcher to interact closely or personally with those being questioned; the process is impersonal and as objective as possible  rely heavily on the researcher’s ability to develop a non-biased set of research questions or items in order to record data within the selected sample. Qualitative methods rely on the researcher’s interpretive skills to understand the often complex and detailed data gathered. Qualitative research is useful:  for studies at the individual or small group level  for finding out, in depth, how and what people are thinking and feeling. Analysis of qualitative data can be more challenging than analysis of the numbers collected through a quantitative method.Method Characteristics Advantages Disadvantages
Questionnaire
A set of questions that can be closed-ended and/or
open-ended that allows for the collection of
information from a large sample or number of
people. It is an impersonal instrument for collecting
information and must, therefore, contain clear
questions that have been worded as simply as
possible to avoid any confusion or ambiguity. The
questionnaire should be designed to fulfil a specific
research objective; it should be brief and the
sequence of questions should be logical.
Content Analysis
Used to investigate and interpret the content of the
mass media and historical documents in order to
discover how particular issues are
(or were) presented. At its most basic, content
analysis is a statistical exercise that involves
counting, categorising and interpreting words
and images from documents, film, art, music and
other cultural products and media in relation to an
aspect or quality of social life. When used
as a qualitative method, content analysis helps the
researcher to understand social life through
analysis and interpretation of words and images
from documents, film, art, music and other cultural
artefacts and media.
Observation

Involves watching and recording behaviours within
a clearly defined area
Statistical Analysis
Interview
An interview may be tightly structured, semi-
structured, unstructured, in-depth or
conversational. This method involves the
researcher and the interviewee in a one-to-one
situation and may be quite time consuming.
The researcher may interview several people at
different times using the same interview questions.
Method Characteristics Advantages Disadvantages
Participant Observation
The researcher is immersed in the action being
observed and his or her role as researcher is not
obvious. An example of participant observation
occurs when the researcher joins a group in order
to study it. Researchers using participant
observation must be aware of the ethical
implications of this method.
Case Study

The case study method involves the collection of
data related to an individual or small group through
one or more research methods – for example,
observation, interviews and the collection
of documentary evidence. Because case study can,
and often does, include different methods to collect
data, which are then combined with the purpose of
illuminating the case from different angles, case
study is considered as a methodology by many
social researchers
Personal Reflection
The use and evaluation of personal experiences and
values to demonstrate analysis and interpretation
of data in the context of the research focus
Focus Group
A research method used to collect data from an in-
depth planned discussion of a defined topic held by
a small group of people brought together by a
moderator. An interview schedule, time and place
are organised. The recording of responses increases
the success of this method. The techniques of
conducting the focus group are similar to those of
conducting an in-depth interview. However, the
researcher needs to be able to manage the
discussion
Secondary Research

The researcher collects and collates existing
information or other people’s research on a topic to
be investigated. This information
is then synthesised as a whole by the researcher.
Secondary research is a qualitative method because
the researcher makes subjective judgements
about what material is useful, and therefore used,
for the purposes of the research. Secondary
research information can be derived from formal
reports, journals, newspapers, magazines and
other publications.