Program Overview

University Program Information

Programmes

The University of Hong Kong offers various programmes through its Department of Sociology, including:

• Undergraduate
  • Criminology Major/Minor
  • Media & Cultural Studies Major/Minor
  • Sociology Major/Minor
• Taught postgraduate
  • MSocSc Criminology
  • MSocSc Media, Culture & Creative Cities
  • MSocSc Sociology
• MPhil / PhD Sociology

Courses

The Department of Sociology offers a range of courses, including:

• SOCI4098: Capstone project in media and cultural studies
  • This is a six-credit compulsory course for major students in sociological subjects, aiming to provide students with the opportunity to integrate their sociological knowledge and skills through workshops, class discussions, student presentations, portfolio work, and experiential learning.
  • The course should normally be undertaken in a small group of two or three students, with a supervisor allocated to help identify a topic of interest relevant to the core discipline.
  • All projects should contain an element of public engagement.

Course Details

• Course Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, students are expected to have the ability to:
  1. demonstrate their sociological knowledge
  2. analyse a topic of study with critical and reflexive perspectives
  3. communicate their research project progress to classmates by producing a video
  4. reflect upon pivotal moments in the research process through written process records
  5. communicate the outcome of their study and its sociological relevance into a written paper, other forms of creative output, or community activities
• Assessment:
  • Project proposal: 20%
  • Process records: 20%
  • Project-in-progress video: 30%
  • Final work: 30%
• Required Reading:
  • Becker, Howard S. 1986. Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article, with a chapter by Pamela Richards. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Becker, Howard S. 2007. Telling About Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • Harper, Douglas. 1988. “Visual Sociology: Expanding Sociological Vision.” The American Sociologist, Volume 19, Issue 1, pp.54-70.
  • Turner, Victor W., and Edward M. Bruner. 1986. The Anthropology of Experience. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.

Faculty

The Department of Sociology has a diverse faculty, including:

• Prof Guy Abel
• Prof Satoshi Araki
• Prof Gordon Brett
• Prof Cheris S C Chan
• Prof Tarani Chandola
• Prof Eric W C Fong
• Prof Paul Joosse
• Prof Travis S K Kong
• Prof Isak Ladegaard
• Prof Tom McDonald
• Prof David A Palmer
• Prof Ioana Sendroiu
• Prof Xiaoli Tian
• Prof Peng Wang
• Prof Lai Wei
• Prof Duoduo Xu
• Dr Jona Barabas
• Dr Steve W L Cheung
• Dr Li-Fung Cho
• Dr Kate Lowe
• Dr Marco Montagner
• Dr Carmen K M Tong

Research

The Department of Sociology is involved in various research areas, including:

• Research Projects
• Research Clusters
• Centre for Criminology
• Global Society and Sustainability Lab

Events

The Department of Sociology hosts various events, including:

• Latest Events
• Visiting Professors