1. BA116IU Introduction to Social Sciences
School of Business Administration
IU – VNU HCMC
BA116IU Introduction to Social Sciences
Instructor:
Dr. Truong Thi Kim Chuyen
USSH – VNU HCMC

2. Course Description .
Seeking to foster an understanding and appreciation of the social sciences
There are many kinds of social sciences, including anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics, political science, geography, ect..

3. Contents Overview of the Social Sciences
Research Methods in the Social Sciences
Social Interaction and Social Network
Groups and Organizations
Stratification by Gender and Age
Population, Urbanization and Health
Government, the Economy, and the Environment

4. Course Textbooks
Everyone will be required to read the course textbook:
Perry, J. and Perry, E. (2005), Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Social Science, 11th edition, London, Allyn and Bacon
Richard T. Schaefer (2006), Sociology A Brief Introduction, 6th ed., McGraw Hill.
Other Required Material(s):
McAdams, T., Neslund, N. and Kristopher, N. (2004) Business and Society, 7th Edition, Irwin Press
You will also be asked to read several articles that I will provide.

5. Course Objectives This course has several objectives:
Explain several reasons for studying the social sciences.
Describe the methods used by social scientists to conduct research
Identify and discuss key issues involved in debates about social change in areas such as: group and organization, gender, social interaction and network (structure), family, inequality, population and the environment, etc.
Develop critical thinking skills as course topics are discussed and debated.
Improve writing skills through essays and in-class writing assignments.

6. Course Grading 100 points Participation, In-class Quizzes
and Home Assignments: 30
Mid term Exam: 30
Final Exam:

7. Participation
Participation is valued at 10 points. Among other things, participation involves reading material to be discussed in class beforehand, active engagement in class discussions (listening and speaking), asking relevant questions, and good faith efforts to grapple with course material. Earning a high participation grade, of course, will require you to attend class regularly.
The In-class Quizzes, and Assignments will be worth 20 points. You may do the assignments either as an individual or as a group.
More information, including a list of possible topics, will be provided in a separate handout.

8. Mid-term and Final Exams
Mid-term and final exams will be worth 30 points and 40 points.
You will do with two sections of multiple choice and a short essay to express your own point of view on some selected topics critically and originally.

9. Class Schedule Dates Topics Readings
Week 1, Overview of the Social Sciences Perry, Ch.1,
and Sociology Schaefer, Ch.1, pp. 1-26
Week 2, Research Methods in the Soc. Sci. Perry, Ch.1,
and Sociology Schaefer, Ch.2, pp
Week 3, Social Interaction and Social Network Schaefer, Ch.5, pp
Week 4, Groups and Organizations Schaefer, Ch.6, pp
Perry, Ch.4,
Week 5, Groups and Organizations (cont’d.)
Week 6, Mid-term exam

10. Class Schedule
Dates Topics Readings
Week 7, Stratification by Gender and Age Schaefer, Ch.11, pp
Perry, Ch.7, 8, 9
Week 8, Stratification by Schaefer, Ch.11, pp
Gender and Age (cont’d) Perry, Ch.7, 8, 9
Week 9, Population, Communities and Health Schaefer, Ch.15, pp
Perry, Ch.11,
Week 10, Population, Communities and (cont’d) Schaefer, Ch.5, pp
Perry, Ch.10,
Week 11, Government, the Economy, Schaefer, Ch.14, pp
and the Environment Perry, Ch.14 and 17,
Week 12 Final exam

11. Fields of Social Sciences

12. ANTHROPOLOGY
Making sense of cultural difference

13. What will you get from studying anthropology?
Understand ways of being human
Study how we, other societies and communities make sense of our lives.
Be taught in gender and ethnic relations, sports studies, indigenous issues, children’s worlds, sustainable living, refugees and human rights
Apply your knowledge and skills to real world challenges such as world poverty, ethnic conflict, environmental insecurity, and global change

14. Anthropology will help you to
Think critically and creatively
Present oral and written arguments
Undertake independent research
Work with others in Anthropology and other Social Science disciplines

15. What do anthropology graduates do?
* work as anthropologists in government, private enterprises, NGOs, education and as independent consultants
* work in many other professions where you use your anthropological knowledge and skills
* work locally, nationally and internationally
* add other skills – and find work in other professions where anthropology is useful (heritage, resource development, public relations, marketing, urban planning, health care, education

16. Why Study History?

17. Know the past, understand the present
How have empires affected the present day world?
What was Indonesia like before tourists discovered Bali?
What’s really happening between Israel and Palestine?
Why has Australia been involved in so many wars overseas – including Iraq?

18. What will I learn?
Knowledge: answers to these questions – and lots more;
important communication and analytical skills that transfer to the workplace;
An informed understanding of the present day;
How to participate in a discussion group
That history is fun!

19. Where will it lead me?
Researcher in business, public service, universities, as consultant
History + anthropology = museums
History + politics = political adviser, public service, researcher
History + media = journalism
History +Dip. Ed. = high school teaching

20. Geography
is everywhere

21. At Curtin Geography means
Environmental Management
Urban, Rural and Regional Development and Planning
Natural Resource Management
Tourism, Sport and Recreation
International Development Studies

22. At Curtin, Geography fits with
Other Social Science majors (e.g. International Relations, Anthropology)
Business majors (e.g. International Business, Tourism Management)
Double degrees with Journalism, Commerce, Environmental Biology, GIS, Agribusiness and more
Professional graduate programmes in Urban and Regional Planning, Business, Education and many more

23. Geography takes you to
The city – urban and environmental planning, social and economic policy, consulting, community development, sports development
The country – regional development, natural resource management, tourism
The world – aid and international development, consulting, diplomacy

24. landslide zone – La Conchita 1995
La Conches 1995
Urban development in high risk
landslide zone – La Conchita 1995
landslides.usgs.gov
news.bbc.co.uk
landslides.usgs.gov

25. Coastal erosion hazard – metropolitan Perth Quinns Beach, May 2002

26. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
POLITICAL SCIENCE
AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

27. WHY POLITICS? WHY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS?
Understand how the world works
Understand Australia’s place in its Region
Understand where the world is headed

28. WHAT WILL IT LEAD TO? Security and Intelligence Analysis
A Life in Politics
Government and the Private Sector

29. UNDERSTAND THIS

30. IT’S YOUR WORLD

31. The Study of Society, Social Organisation and Social Change
SOCIOLOGY
The Study of Society, Social Organisation and Social Change

32. It’s a Rapidly Changing World
Many kinds of work that seem secure now will be redundant in twenty years, but
Governments and Big Business will always need people who can:
think critically
research
communicate
and build specialist skills on to them.

33. Sociology builds those skills How?
Through studies in
Demography
Gender
Health and Illness
Human Rights
the Media
Organisations
Technology and Work
And much more

34. Social Sciences and Careers
University of Technology, Curtin