SOCL19066  Community Analysis

Power relations of those groups influential in decision-making in community settings are highlighted in this course. It focuses upon those social-structural features of communities which result in both social cohesion and social tension and examines the extent to which ‘community’ is - at one and the same time - a real entity and an ideological construct. There is an emphasis upon the understanding of Australian communities, including the future of those communities in a post modern society. Methods such as focus group research, ethnography and social impact assessment will be integrated into discussions. This course will assist those who intend to work in community settings to identify opportunities for, and impacts of, community change and development as well as to evaluate the parts played by community organisations, local leaders and state (and other) bureaucracies.