Anthropology & Sociology (postgraduate)
ANTHROPOLOGY & SOCIOLOGY (POSTGRADUATE)
COMPULSORY COURSES (10 Units)
SKAP6013 Discourse on Social Thought
SKAP6004 Social Research Methodology
SKAA6113 Advanced Theories in Anthoropology and Sociology
MASTERS THESIS (12 Units)
SKAA601C Masters Thesis
ELECTIVE COURSES (18 Units)
SKAA6123 Religion, Ethnicity and Social Phenomena
SKAA6133 Family and Social Transformation
SKAA6143 Deviance, Crime and Social Sentencing
SKAA6153 Dynamics of Complex Organizations
SKAA6213 State, Politics and Society
SKAA6223 Sociology of Development and Globalization
SKAA6233 Industrialization and Industrial Societies
SKAA6243 Minority Group and Social Change
SKAA6253 Culture and Health
TOTAL UNIT : 40 UNIT
DOKTOR FALSAFAH (ANTROPOLOGI & SOSIOLOGI)
SARJANA FALSAFAH (ANTROPOLOGI & SOSIOLOGI)
COMPULSORY COURSES (8 Units)
SKAP6004 Social Research Methodology
SKAP6014 Academic Writing
TOTAL UNIT : 8 UNIT
COMPULSORY COURSES
SKAP6013 Discourse on Social Thought
The present course will engage discussion on the various social theories put forward by Western and non-Western social thinkers in explaining the relationship between man, society and the universe as well as current philosophical, theoretical and methodological discourses. Topics to be discussed include the differences between revealed knowledge and the sciences; the role of philosophy in the development of social theories; and the redefinition of the relationships between social structure, human agencies and space within the paradigm of societal and environmental changes. These issues will be discussed from the Malaysian perspectives and contextuality, in relation to the emergence of postmodern theoretical discourses and their practical question.
SKAP6004 Social Research Methodology
Research on social, development and environment issues require reliable information from numerous sources as well as appropriate data gathering methods and analysis. The course enables students to write a research proposal, conduct research and interpret research findings. The course examines various topics such as (a) research dimension, theory and methodology; (b) qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, data management and data analysis, (c) research design, research proposal and presentation of research report, and (d) discipline-based research methods. Students will also be exposed to field research and data analysis using SPSS.
SKAA6113 Advanced Theories in Anthoropology and Sociology
Anthropological theories emerged from the contact between European society and societies outside Europe. Sociological theories, on the other hand, emerged from the experience and impact of Industrial Revolution in Europe upon individuals and the social collective. When the two disciplines became inevitably intertwined as a result of colonialism, overlap regarding the object of study, theories and methods occurred. Subsequently, the entry of other methods and theories from other disciplines have enriched anthropological and sociological theories as well as theorizing as a whole. As such, the present course shall discuss the following themes: the dominance of structuralism and its variations in the transition to post-structuralism; relativism as an analytical tool; structure-agency relations; methodological borrowings; reinterpretation of the concept of self; empowerment of the voice of the individual and social collective; the rise of methodological nationalism with nation-building; the rise of professional anthropologist and sociologist; the historical development and contemporary position of anthropology and sociology in Malaysia.
MASTERS THESIS
SKAA601C Masters Thesis
Thesis writing is compulsory for all students of Master of Social Science in the Program of Anthropology and Sociology. The main purpose of the exercise is to provide an opportunity for students to design and undertake independent research work. Students will then be assessed on their ability to organize and present the research data in a written form that reflects maturity ofthought, knowledge of the research subject, relevance of the hypothesis (hypotheses) and research methods used as well as their capability in critically analyzing the subject matter in the research. The length of the thesis shall not exceed 40,000 words. Students will be required to defend the thesis in an oral examination (viva voce) conducted by a panel of examiners including the supervisor.
ELECTIVE COURSES
SKAA6123 Religion, Ethnicity and Social Phenomena
Historical and globalisation processes have made ethnic and religious pluralisms a universal feature in contemporary society. The process of nation building has encouraged challenges posed by ethnic and religious conflicts, for these two issues have the potential of creating instability and hamper economic growth. Religious dynamism may be seen in religious revivalism, the birth of new religions and ethnicity as well as the rise of nationalism. Because of its social and political implications it is important to understand the role of religion and ethnicity in relation to nationalism. The course attempts to provide us with some knowledge on the politics of nation building and to what extent religion and ethnicity have been influential in the process, particularly in the Third World. The first part of the course discusses the historical background of the issues, while the second part focuses on concepts and discourses. The final part discusses empirical examples of the effects of these three socio-cultural phenomena.
SKAA6133 Family and Social Transformation
With the increase in domestic violence, child abuse, delinquency and divorce, we now question whether family as an institution is still able to play its vital role in building up society and nation. However, research done by many scholars suggests that family is one social institution having an adaptive nature when faced with changes. Thus, this course focuses on understanding and investigating the concept of family and its role in society. It also discusses the dynamics of family in view of the process of current social and cultural changes. Indepth understanding will also take into account the various perspectives and approaches used in research on family such as historical, sociological and anthropological perspectives.
SKAA6143 Deviance, Crime and Social Sentencing
The course discusses the conceptual and theoretical issues on deviance and crime. It also focuses on a sociological analysis of social sentencing especially the role of the formal and informal social control agents in evaluating deviant behavior, crime and the deviant actors or offenders. The first part of the course examines the debates on the essentialist and constructionist approaches of deviance/crime. The second part concentrates on the critical understanding of social phenomena such as alcoholism, trans-sexuality, drug abuse, elite deviance, mental disorders, delinquency, conventional and non-conventional crimes, and violence. The final part of the course analyzes the various systematic social reaction and social control of deviance and crime and their impact on deviant/criminal behavior and the actors. A critical evaluation of the various social control measures to address the issues of deviance and crime will also be discussed.
SKAA6153 Dynamics of Complex Organizations
This course discusses the role of complex organizations in developed and developing countries with a focus on public and private organizations. The role and effectiveness of these organizations are analysed in terms of the organizations’ interrelationship with their wider social environment. Organizational dynamics are understood within the context of internal and external environments such as implementation of state policies, economic and political changes, industrialization, development in information technology and globalisation. Implications upon formal organizational structure, human resource administration and management, and corporate strategy are discussed. Relevant theories are emphasised. Specific issues that are given emphasis include leadership, power, restructuring and reengineering, total work quality management and improvement, corporate or organizational culture, performance management system and corporate governance. Relevant cases in Malaysian context are selected for discussion.
SKAA6213 State, Politics and Society
The state is one of the many social institutions in a society, but it is the most powerful. The government is the backbone of the state and manages the administration, planning, and implementation of all the state’s policies. It is therefore a common perception that the government and the state are synonymous albeit their conceptual differences. Within this context, societies are perceived to be influenced by, as well as influencing the activities of both the state and the government. The course aims at highlighting the nature of the relationship between society, state and government in the past and at present – in order to establish a mental map regarding relevant concepts, the form and patterns of power relations such as under democratic system, issues related to human rights and the formation of a civil society.
SKAA6223 Sociology of Development and Globalization
The concept and idea of ‘development’ as understood today was constructed by the European civilization that had made the West the model with the ‘nation-state’ as its physical space. However, as part of the development process globalization has not only highlighted the need for a redefinition of the development concept, but also calls for a redefinition and new understanding of boundaries and physical space. This development has impacted upon our social life as a whole. This course will deal with such topics as (i) history, concept and process of development; (ii) emergence of globalization as a universal phenomena on and the challenges that come with it; (iii) impact of globalization on development policies and development efforts; and (iv) the ways developed and developing countries address issues related to the globalization process.
SKAA6233 Industrialisation and Industrial Societies
Often times the industrialisation processes as experienced by Western countries, Japan and the newly industrialised countries of East Asia have been used as models by other industrialising countries. This course on industrialisation and industrial societies will be divided into three parts. The first part will deal with the concept and characteristics of industrial societies; theories related to the industrialisation process including globalization, and relations between technology and work culture. The second part discusses the industrialisation processes especially as experienced by some of the western, Asian and Latin American countries. The Malaysian experience will also be highlighted. The final part will discuss the industrial relations, that is part of social interaction of the industrial society that involves the workers, employers and the government. The system of industrial relations as recognised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) will also be discussed.
SKAA6243 Minority Group and Social Change
Inequality and domination are two processes that are directly related to the formation of minority groups and societies. Minority groups become more visible in the modern day due to their ability to channel their aspiration through social movement systematically. This course discusses minority as a social and cultural phenomena. Topics of discussion include: concept and theory on minority; types of minority and the formation of minority groups such as racial/ethnic minority, cultural minority, economic minority, sexual minority and behavioural minority. Focus will also be given to patterns of minority-dominance relationship and forms of minority group movements as their response to minority-dominance experiences. The experiences and problems faced by different minority groups will be given special attention by examining cases of various minority groups in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Europe, America and Africa.
SKAA6253 Culture and Health
Health and disease are interrelated with the socio-cultural aspects of society. Understanding such relationship would enhance the capability to cure and prevent diseases as well as improving health in general. The course is divided into four parts. Firstly, the course will discuss theories and concepts of health and disease from the sociological and anthropological perspectives. Secondly, it discusses the cultural values, power and economic inequalities and how these factors could affect the rate and pattern of disease distribution and health. Thirdly, it examines how changes in the socio-economy, environment and level of technology affect the health and well being of the society. Lastly, the course will address the issues of moral and politics in relation to health [such as abortion, reproductive technology, government policy, hunger and Genetically Modified Food (GMF)].
DOKTOR FALSAFAH (ANTROPOLOGI & SOSIOLOGI)
SARJANA FALSAFAH (ANTROPOLOGI & SOSIOLOGI)
COMPULSORY COURSES
SKAP6004 Social Research Methodology
Research on social, development and environment issues require reliable information from numerous sources as well as appropriate data gathering methods and analysis. The course enables students to write a research proposal, conduct research and interpret research findings. The course examines various topics such as (a) research dimension, theory and methodology; (b) qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, data management and data analysis, (c) research design, research proposal and presentation of research report; and (d) discipline-based research methods. Students will also be exposed to field research and data analysis using SPSS.
SKAP6014 Academic Writing
The course equips students with the necessary academic writing skills to write an academic essay. A student-centered approach is adopted to give students the required writing practice to improve their competence and writing ability. Students will learn to paraphrase, summarize, synthesize information, arrange and apply ideas and information and substantiate their writing with valid and relevant facts. At the end of the course, students should be able to carry out academic writing tasks and write a report effectively.