Page 193 - HKSYU Prospectus 2023-24

Sociology

organization within the school and the classroom, social impact of the formal curriculum, and
methods of selection and differentiation in elementary, secondary schools and higher
education.

SOC 321 Economic Sociology
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course aims to provide students with valuable understandings of economic life from
sociological perspectives and approaches. Firstly, the brief history of economic sociology as a
fast-growing subfield within contemporary sociology is introduced, including its history,
developments and new directions. Secondly, distinctive principles, theoretical debates and
research paradigms of economic sociology are elaborated. Different from the pure economic
perspective, economic sociology argues that economic action is not separated from social life
but instead is embedded or integrated into given social, political, cultural and institutional
processes. Such a viewpoint will lead students to seeking for alternative explanations of
economic activities beyond narrowly defined assumptions of neoclassical economics. Thirdly,
a variety of economic sociology topics and empirical studies are addressed, including impacts
of social capital on economic action, the role of state in economy, exchange in human goods,
connections of culture and economy, dynamic relations between family and business, social
meaning of money and so on. Here the central issue is to demonstrate how social forces
constrain or facilitate economic activities.

SOC 333 Urban Sociology
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course introduces students to a range of topics in urban sociology. The first half
introduces the origin and rise of city, the development of urban life in the modern world, and
basic theories in urban sociology, including urban ecology, critical theory, and urbanism. The
second half discusses current issues around the making of modern cities, including
globalization, urban growth, city marketing, gentrification and financialization. By comparing
the similarities and differences between Hong Kong and other global cities, students can make
use of local and global cases to evaluate cities, communities, and their consequences.

SOC 334 Sociology of Deviance
1 Term; 3 Credits
Deviance is a central topic in sociology. What is normal or deviant is relative to existing
social and cultural norms in the society. Deviant behaviour becomes a crime when it violates
legal codes. Deviance and crime are controversial because social rules and the law are
products of social construction partly based on the values and power relations of different
groups in society. This course aims to use a variety of sociological theories to examine the
nature of deviance and crime, and explain how they are affected by a variety of social,
demographic and cultural factors. In order to understand more about deviance and crime in
Hong Kong, students are encouraged to select a topic of deviance or crime in the local society
as their group projects.

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