Social Problems - (In)equality and (In)justice
UndergraduateGRF-CCJ1082024
Previously GRF-CCJ18
Course information for 2024 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Learn about different forms of power and oppression—and how they’re linked to social problems like crime. You’ll explore sociology and practice critical thinking. Approach criminology in a socially fair way.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Social Problems - (In)equality and (In)justice
About this subject
After successfully completing this subject you should be able to:
- Engage with a sociological framework to think critically about issues relevant to social problems and criminology
- Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of power, oppression, inequality, and intersectionality and the relevance of these to social problems and criminology
- Apply the above concepts to understand the relationship between your biography and social structures
- Analyse social problems of concern to criminology and critically reflect on the notion of justice
- Course intro and critical sociological thinking
- Culture, socialisation, prejudice, discrimination
- Oppression and power
- Classism and poverty
- Racism, ethnic discrimination and colonialism
- Sexism
- Heterosexism and Transmisia
- Ableism
- Adultism and Ageism
- Responding to the problem of injustice
- Pulling it all together
The term social problem is usually taken to refer to social conditions that affect a significant number of people within society in a negative way. Social problems are seen as being disruptive or damaging to society, as social injustices that we should be striving to solve. For example, crime and safety, violence, alcohol, and drug use are often constructed as significant social problems for many people in Australia while others are more concerned with inequality and discrimination. In fact, social problems like crime are often the consequence of factors extending beyond the individual's control, such as inequality, discrimination, prejudice, oppression, and concomitant social injustice. Sociology provides us with the critical thinking skills to understand the connection between social problems and the social structure including how social problems come to be 'problems' in the first place. In this course, you will develop frameworks for critical sociological thought by exploring multiple intersectional axes of power, oppression, inequality, and social injustice including classism, racism and colonialism, sexism, heterosexism and transmisia, ableism, adultism, and ageism. You will learn how oppression and power within these spheres (and the intersections between them) are vital to understanding the social problems of most concern to the discipline of criminology and reflect on how (in)justice might be mitigated. The knowledge gained will equip you with the tools to do criminology in a socially just way.
- Online Mini Quiz 1 (15%)
- Online Mini Quiz 2 (15%)
- Online Mini Quiz 3 (20%)
- Reflective Journal Part 1 (25%)
- Reflective Journal Part 2 (25%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
With a network of campuses spanning three cities in South East Queensland, Griffith University is committed to progressive multidisciplinary teaching and research and a valuable online provider with Open Universities Australia. Already attracting students from over one hundred countries, Griffith's dedication to academic excellence is available across Australia through OUA.
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 18
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 20
Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
GRF-CCJ18 (Not currently available)
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Student feedback
9 student respondents between 27 Nov 2023 - 10 June 2024.
66%of students felt the study load was manageable
77%of students felt this subject helped them gain relevant skills
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What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice
UndergraduateGRF-CCJ-DEG
UndergraduateGRF-BUS-DEG
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