City University of Hong Kong

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department of Applied Social Studies
CLA 1601 Individuals and Society
Course Outline (Sem B, 2012/13)

Lecture / Tutorial Meeting Time: Monday, 3:00pm 5:50pm

Lecture venue: AC1 LT-1
Tutorial venue: see Item 3

1. Course leader:
Dr. Raymond Chan

2. Course lecturers:
Prof. Samuel Ho
Prof. Daniel Wong
Prof. Tit Wing Lo
Dr. Raymond Chan

3. Course tutors and venues:

Group
T01
T02
T03
T04
TA1
TA2
TA3

Tutor#

Venue

Dr. Anna Hui

Dr. Wing Chung Ho
Dr. Lai Ching Leung
Dr. Ping Kwong Kam
Dr. Raymond Chan
Dr. Lennon Chang
Dr. Chris Chan

AC1 - G4702
AC1 - G4701
AC1 - G5215
AC1 - G5214
AC1 - G5315
AC1 - G5314
AC1 - G5217

Office:
Y7304
B7415
Y7317
Y7415
Y7307
B7417
Y7421

Office tel no:

3442 8260
3442 8134
3442 8966
3442 8963
3442 9737
3442 2583
3442 5219

Email:
(+ @cityu.edu.hk)
annahui
wingcho
sslc
pingkwong.kam
r.chan
yclchang
kccchan

# You are welcomed to visit the staff page of Department of Applied Social Studies to understand
the tutors academic background and expertise.

4. Course intended learning objectives:

No.

CILOs

Weighting

1
2.

Describe the history of social sciences;

Describe key concepts or frameworks that social scientists use
to analyze human behaviour and social issues;
Describe the methods for collecting and evaluating data;
Apply concepts and knowledge to the analysis of a selected
behavioural or social issue;
Describe the contributions of relevant concepts and methods
to scientific understanding and betterment of the society.

10%
30%

3.
4.
5.

20%
30%
10%

5. Teaching and Learning Activities:

5.1 Lecture (CILOs 1 -3, 5)
Course lecturers will introduce, with appropriate visual materials, the key concepts and
major theoretical frameworks for inquiry of individual and society through lectures.
Attention will be paid to those examples relevant to the disciplines of Criminology,
Psychology, Social Work and Sociology.
5.2 Group Discussion and Class Exercise (in Lecture) (CILOs 2-5)
Experiential forms of learning activities such as structured group activities and role-play will
be used. An emphasis will be placed on the development of reflective capacity and
appreciations of its contributions to the real world through these exercises.

5.3 Group Practical Project (CILOs 2-5)

Students are required to form groups (8 to 10 students in a group) to complete a practical
project, with teachers guidance and advice. We do not require a very sophisticated
understanding of a concept, or an issue. Most important is the experience and reflection in
the process.
Through the project work, we expect the student can go through a reflective process of
exploration on studying a timely issue relevant to different disciplines of social sciences:
a. identifies an timely and relevant topic for investigation;
b. works together in reviewing relevant concepts and literature (reading books, journal
articles, newspaper / magazine reports, research reports, online resources etc.) ;
c. works together to collect relevant data and statistics;
d. generates conclusion based on the data and statistics, drawing reference from the
concept / literature and data;
e. generates personal reflection on personal values in informing own analysis, the use
of data and statistics, the contributions as well as limitations of the study to the issue
and society.
There will be whole-group meeting, as determined by the tutor; plus small group meeting
with the tutor to have more intensive discussion. For this small group meeting, you are
strongly encouraged to take your initiative to make arrangement.
To make a better start, there will be tutorial meetings in Weeks 4 and 5, before the formal
commencement in Week 7, arranged and details as follow:
Date: Feb 4, 2013 (Mon) & Feb 18, 2013 (Mon)
Time: 5:00pm 5:50pm
Venue:
Group
Tutor

T01
T02
T03
T04
TA1
TA2
TA3

Venue
Feb 4
(Week 4)
AC1 - G4702
AC1 - G4701
AC1 - G5215
AC1 - G5214
AC1 - G5315
AC1 - G5314
AC1 - G5217

Dr. Anna Hui

Dr. Wing Chung Ho
Dr. Lai Ching Leung
Dr. Ping Kwong Kam
Dr. Raymond Chan
Dr. Lennon Chang
Dr. Chris Chan
2

Feb 18
(Week 5)
AC1 - G4702
AC1 - G4701
AC1 - G5215
AC1 - G5214
AC1 - G5315
*AC1 - P4704
AC1 - G5217

The tutor will facilitate you to form small group and to discuss the selection of topic in these
two meetings. From then, your small group can have an earlier start of the group project,
and contact your tutor for their advice.
First-hand data collection (e.g., through survey, interview or experiment etc.) is not a must,
and if appropriate, students can opt for going through such experience which will certainly
contribute to your learning and reflection.
Students have to report their group project in an in-class presentation. This will include, such
as:
a. Title of the project
b. Rationale / background of selecting such topic / theme of study
c. Objective(s)
d. Brief review of relevant literature which is relevant to the formulation of the study /
objectives / design, etc.
e. Methodology / sample and sampling strategy
f. Findings
g. If appropriate, how the study / findings contribute to the understanding / solving the
issues.
Please consult your tutor for the very specific requirements and expectations.

6. Course schedule:

Lecture
AC1_ LT-1

Week
1 (Jan 14)
2 (Jan 21)
3 (Jan 28)
4 (Feb 4)
5 (Feb 18)
6 (Feb 25)

Tutorial
[for venue,
see Item 3]

7 (Mar 4)
8 (Mar 11)
9 (Mar 18)
10 (Mar 25)
11 (Apr 8)
12 (Apr 15)
13 (Apr 22)

Topic
Social sciences: what
Social sciences: how
Sociology as discipline of Social Sciences
Criminology as discipline of Social
Sciences
Social Work as discipline of Social
Sciences
Psychology as discipline of Social
Sciences
& Round-up lecture
Week 7 11: Group Practical Work
Week 12-13: Presentation, sharing and
reflection

Lecturer / Tutor
Dr. Raymond Chan
Dr. Raymond Chan
Dr. Raymond Chan
Prof. Tit Wing Lo
Prof. Daniel Wong
Prof. Samuel Ho
Dr. Raymond Chan
Dr. Anna Hui
Dr. Lennon Chang
Dr. Wing Chung Ho
Dr. Lai Ching Leung
Dr. Ping Kwong Kam
Dr. Chris Chan
Dr. Raymond Chan

Please be reminded that attendance to the sessions in Week 4, 5, 7, 12 and 13, is

compulsory. Attendance check will be conducted. Students attendance and
hence participation will be taken into consideration to adjust the mark assigned
for the group project work (also see item 7.2).
The tutor will make arrangement with the groups on how to provide supervision
and advice for the sessions from Week 8 to 11.
3

7. Assessment Tasks:
7.1 Examination (CILOs 1-3) 40%
Students are required to participate in an examination to test their acquisition of concepts
and its illustrations relevant to social sciences as introduced in the lectures. While exact
format yet to be determined, it will be mainly in short question format. The course leader
will make the announcement later.
7.2 Group Practical Project (CILOs 1-5) 40%
Students are required to form groups to complete a practical project. The project should aim
at using the social sciences attitude and methods learned in the course, to investigate in a
topic which the group is interested in.
Students have to present, in a group, the concepts, data, findings, analysis and reflections
their applications and reflections in the class. Presentation will lasted for approximately 35
minutes followed by Q&A.
There is no need to produce a written report. All students will be invited to write a short
commentary (that is the one-minute essay) with his/her comments and questions and pass
this to the group concerned.
The assignment will be marked by tutorial group tutor. Tutor will grade the performance of
the group as a whole for items 1 to 6, according to the following matrix.
Assessment matrix:
Item
Assessment areas
1
Identify and understand the concept and literature
relevant to the topic.
2
Identify and use of relevant data and statistics for the
analysis.
3
Generate appropriate analysis and conclusion based on
the findings.
4
Aware and able to present the findings contribution to
the understanding and tackling of the issues.
5
Evidence of discovery and innovation
6
Able to work as collectively as a team.

Weighting (%)
30
20
20
10
10
10

While this is basically a group mark, the tutor can also exercise his/her discretion to adjust
mark for individual member who have significant contribution, or contribute little (i.e., a free
rider) to the group project. The students attendance will also be taken into consideration.

7.3 Individual reflective paper (CILOs 1-5) 20%

Students are required to prepare a short reflective paper to report their reflections and
learning in the teaching and learning process from doing their own group project.
There are two major areas for making reflection:
a. Academic-related: topics can include, but not exhaustive, the strengths and
limitations of the methods and data (statistics); the analysis, issues relating to social
science attitudes and investigation (e.g., objectivity, interpretation and neutrality);
the topic to be studied; and any other issue considered as relevant.
b. Personal-related: topics can include, but not exhaustive, reflection on individual
values and attitude; challenging taken-for-granted beliefs; learning and working skills
4

and style; and any other issue considered as relevant.

Maximum length: 1,000 words, including references and appendix.
Due to the length of the paper, we suggest students to be focusing. An in-depth discussion of
selected topics is better than covering a variety of topics but with only superficial discussion.
Student need to submit with a cover sheet with, at least, the following information: Course
code, Tutorial group number, Name of tutor, Name of student, Student number, Date of
submission, and Word count.
Please adopt the citation/reference format has been introduced to you (for example, in the
course CLA1001 Fundamentals of University Learning), or any other format that you accept.
One of the formats is the APA Format. You can learn the format from the URL link:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Students have to submit their soft-copies of paper to the TURNITIN assignment dropbox in
the course Blackboard website. Deadline for submission: May 2, 2013 (Thur), 23:59:59
You are also required to submit the hard copy of your essay to your tutors assignment
locker (next to Rm. AC1-B7417) on or before May 3, 2013 (Fri), 17:00.
The assignment will be marked by your tutor. The assessment will be mainly on the quality of
the reflection and comments, as well as the quality of the writing (refer to assessment matrix
in below).
Assessment matrix:
Item
Assessment areas
1
Reflection on the academic content related to the group project
topic
# Possible content of the reflection: the validity of the analysis;
strength/limitation of methods, data and statistics supporting
analysis; the issues of value-neutrality, the implications of the
study in better understanding of the issue and betterment of the
society; or any other topic you find it relevant.

Weighting (%)
40

Reflection on personal learning and growth

# Possible content of the reflection: learning and cooperation
skills, own values and orientations, taken-for-granted beliefs, etc.

40

Quality of the writing, including organization, presentation,

proper academic format (in-text citation and reference), etc..

20

Late submission policy

The Department adopts a late submission policy that the teacher will deduct 1
sub-grade for the mark assigned to the paper for late submission for 1 day, and
thereafter. For example, the penalty will be a deduction of 3 sub-grades for 3 days
of late submission.
The teacher reserves the right not to mark any paper submitted 7 days after the
stated deadline. In this case, the Report will be given a 0 mark.

8.

Required readings:

To facilitate learning and preparation for examination, students are required to read the
readings.
Week
1

Reading:
1. Hunt, E.F. & Colander, D.C. (2011). Social science: An introduction to the
study of society (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Chapter 1: Social Science and Its Methods, pp.3-22
In semi-close section of the University library.
2. Strada, M.J. (2009). Through the Global Lens: An Introduction to the Social
Sciences (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y.: Vango Books.
Chapter 2: Social Science Philosophy and Methods, pp.33-39
In semi-close section of the University library.

3. Strada, M.J. (2009). Through the Global Lens: An Introduction to the Social
Sciences (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y.: Vango Books.
Chapter 2: Social Science Philosophy and Methods. Pp.39-48
In semi-close section of the University library.
4. Objectivity Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
5. Little, D. (1995). Objectivity, Truth and Method: A Philosophers
Perspective on the Social Sciences. Anthropology News, 36(8): 42-43.
6. Seubert, V.R. (1991). Sociology and Value Neutrality: Limiting Sociology to
the Empirical Level. The American Sociologist, 22(3-4): 210-220.
Available in the Blackboard website Required Readings.

7. Strada, M.J. (2009). Through the Global Lens: An Introduction to the Social
Sciences (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y.: Vango Books.
Chapter 10: Sociology and Human Social Activity, pp.245-257, 270-279
In semi-close section of the University library.

8. Lo, T.W. (2012). Triadization of Youth Gangs in Hong Kong. British Journal of
Criminology, 52: 556-576.
Available in the Blackboard website Required Readings.
9. Lo, T.W. (2010). Beyond Social Capital: Triad Organized Crime in Hong Kong
and China. British Journal of Criminology, 50: 851-872.
Available in the Blackboard website Required Readings.

10. Miley, K. K., O Melia, M. W., & DeBois, B. L. (2013). Generalist Social Work
Practice (7th ed.). Toronto: Pearson. Chapter 1, pp. 1-18.
In semi-close section of the University library.

11. Ho, S.M.Y. (2011). Resilience, Growth, and Distress after a Traumatic
Experience. In K.K.Y. Wu, C.S.K. Tang & E.Y.S. Leung (Eds.), Healing Trauma:
A Professionals Guide in Hong Kong. (pp.89-104). Hong Kong: HKU Press.
BF175.5.P75 H43 2011

In semi-close section of the University library.

*For items 2/3, 7, 10 & 11, you can contact me to borrow my own personal copy for your own
reference, if you have difficulty in finding it from the library.
In working for the group project, tutor may suggest / assign relevant readings to students.
Please discuss with your group tutor.

January 26, 2013

(version 6)