Outline

Overview

Our bodies are an important way we interact with society. Our identities, interactions with power and social and political institutions and even our leisure are mediated through and upon the body. Drawing on the expertise and research interests of a team of staff members, we explore various sociological perspectives relating to the body in society.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Sociology and Criminology
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 2000 level in Sociology
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	SCLG2526 or SCLG2603 or SCLG2614 or SCLG2619 or SCLG2636 or GCST2614 or GCST3634
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Nadine Ehlers, nadine.ehlers@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Contribution	Weekly Discussion Posts Reading Reflection	20%	Multiple weeks Due date: 03 Jul 2025 at 12:18 Closing date: 03 Jul 2025	1500wd equivalent	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Contribution	Participation Active engagement in course tutorials	10%	Ongoing	ongoing	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Research analysis	Research Essay Essay	30%	Week 06 Due date: 12 Sep 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 16 Sep 2025	2000wd	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Take-home Exercise Essay	40%	Week 13 Due date: 07 Nov 2025 at 23:59 Closing date: 11 Nov 2025	2500wd	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Weekly Discussion Posts

Each student will submit a 1-paragraph reflection on the readings for Week 2-5 and Weeks 8-11—to be posted to the discussion forum on Canvas under the Discussion Post tab (each week will have a separate entry). This reflection should include your considered response to the readings and questions for clarification and/or discussion. Please post 2-3 detailed questions at the end of your entry. NB: you should NOT provide a summary but your thoughts on the readings. What did you find interesting/troubling, how can you link this to other material we’ve looked at, what did the reading provoke you to think about?

Research Essay

The essay question will be provided in the first few weeks of the course. This essay will focus on your ability to synthesize and deploy the theories/concepts we cover in Weeks 1-5. Students need to deeply research and show understanding of the key theories we have covered.

Take-home Exercise

The take-home exercise will be in essay form. Students will be given a choice of essay questions at the opening date of the take-home exercise in Week 12, to be completed in 1 week. Essays will be due in Week 13.

Participation

Please note that participation marks are not given for simple attendance.

All students are expected to come to class having read all assigned materials and prepared for in-class discussion. ‘Participation’ is defined here as actively taking part in discussion generated by me, as well as initiating conversation and participating in discussion generated by other students. It includes raising questions, exchanging ideas, discussing course themes, offering criticisms, and providing information. Hence, evidence of independent and additional research will be rewarded. As a rule of thumb, the more reading and research you do, the better you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Weekly discussion posts must be submitted by 5pm the day before your tutorial. Not submitting by this time will mean a 0 grade for that week. You may only miss 2 posts in total All other assessments are subject to the University standard late penalties. All assignments for the course must be submitted in order to pass the course

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: Abnormal	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Identifying and Disciplining 'Deviant' Bodies: From 'Nature' to 'Norm'	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Managing and Administering 'The Body of the Population': The Pursuit of Standardization	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	The Human Monster: From Wonder to Error	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Obesity and Fatness: Bodies Out of Bounds	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Writing Week	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Disability and the 'Failure of Universal Design'	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Sexual Difference and the Correction of 'Atypical' Anatomies	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Bodies in Parts and Wholes	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Bodies Plastic: Toxicities, Pasts, and Futures	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Bodies Multiple: Worms and Our Other Others	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Conclusion	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Take-home writing week	Independent study (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. Students are expected to come to lectures--a class roll will be taken each week. Students are expected to come to tutorials--a class roll will be taken each week. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Recordings of weekly lectures will be available for revision. Students are expected to attend the live lecture as it is the same day as tutorials
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction. Note, the success of the class required deep reading of course materials
Assignments: all assignment/assessment tasks, including weekly discussion posts (only 2 of these can be missed at a maximum) must be submitted in order to pass this course
USE OF AI IS NOT PERMITTED WITHOUT A DECLARATION IN LINE WITH UNIVERSITY POLICY: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/academic-integrity/artificial-intelligence.html

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings are available on the Unit Canvas page OR through the library

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate substantive knowledge of sociological perspectives on the body in society, and have a firm grasp of relevant theories, principles, and practices
LO2. evaluate new knowledge about sociological perspectives on the body through independent research
LO3. think critically in relation to sociological perspectives on the body
LO4. assimilate, organise and criticise a corpus of academic materials, including those containing substantive and empirical concerns, and those of a more theoretical nature
LO5. demonstrate the skills, integrity and personal resilience to critically engage in sociological argumentation and conduct sociological research using best ethical practice
LO6. demonstrate cultural competency through participation and collaboration in tutorials, as well as through various forms of study and group-work, concerning the ways bodies interact with society.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Reading materials, weekly topics, and assignments slightly modified

Additional information

Another important note on Generative AI

(credited to Prof Hester Blum at PennState)

This class helps you to be a better writer and thinker. Generative AI (ChatGPT and other platforms) is neither writing nor thinking. It undermines your intellectual development, for one: AI content is often inaccurate or hallucinatory and is always boring, banal, and average. This is by design, as generative AI works by predicting the most obvious or basic sequencing of words. Good writing—writing that is persuasive, powerful, lively, funny, surprising, rousing, insightful, transformative, provocative—requires human work. Human creativity is weird and variable and uneven, but it holds the capacity for growth, revelation, empathy, and brilliance/ I urge you not to abandon the glorious experiential potential of human messiness and transformation for the tedium of robot sentences.

The assignments in this class have been designed to challenge you to develop creativity, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Using AI technology will limit your capacity to develop these skills and to meet the learning goals of this course.

One more thing, AI is environmentally destructive. See for example the research coming out of MIT on the environmental impacts of GenAI.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

SCLG3609: Sociology of the Body

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links