Humanities
Big Ideas, Real Connections - VCE Sociology 3-4
We are the VCE Sociology 3&4 class. Our subject looks at how society functions and why we act the way we do. Recently, we have been studying the concept of community; what it means, how it is defined and how it shapes our everyday lives. We’ve also practiced community ourselves, through open discussions in class and even by connecting with younger students in the school.
Community Thinking Through Current Affairs
In Week 8 our class held a discussion on current affairs, focusing on extremist violence in the USA. Students brought a wide range of perspectives to the conversation, and while opinions differed, the dialogue remained respectful and constructive. The activity encouraged us to reflect on how communities respond to traumatic events and how understanding these responses helps us think about safety, belonging and resilience. For support after exposure to traumatic events, visit headspace.org.au.
Practicing Community Together
Community grows when younger and senior students connect. During Term 3 our Entry Connect class wrote colourful messages on paint sample cards, asking the future graduates how they were feeling as they near leaving school, and asking for advice on choosing subjects. The younger students then gave advice back to graduates about staying calm and not drinking too much beer in preparing for exams. These snail mail exchanges brought a sense of belonging, showing us that even the smallest notes can build community even if you never meet the student you have contact with.
✨ “Hope you’ll get far when you graduate” - Entry student
💚 “I hope your kind heart is appreciated by your friend” - Senior student
🔥 “Work hard” - Entry student
👏 “I’m trying bro :( ” - Senior student
Millyca Robinson, Milla Harrison (students)
and Diego E Mendez Osorio (teacher)
Art or Vandalism? Melbourne CBD Excursion - VCE Sociology 1/2
Sociology is the study of how society works — how people live together, the rules and values we share, and why some behaviours are accepted while others are questioned. It helps us look at everyday life in new ways, asking not just what happens, but why.
Taking Sociology to the Street
Our Sociology 1/2 students recently took their learning outside the classroom on an excursion to the Melbourne CBD. The focus was on analysing deviance and accepted behaviour — asking why some actions are seen as “normal” while others are labelled as “deviant.”
Vandalism or Art?
In Hosier Lane, students considered whether graffiti should be celebrated as art that adds cultural vibrancy or criticised as vandalism that breaks social rules. At Bourke Street Mall and Melbourne Central, they observed how people navigate public spaces and how behaviour shifts depending on social expectations.
Faith, Freedom, and Public Space
Students also practised sociological fieldwork methods — taking notes, capturing photos, and applying theories like Durkheim’s functionalism and Becker’s labelling theory to real-life situations. The excursion ended with lively debate after meeting two young people preaching and expressing their faith, sparking discussion about how society negotiates the boundaries between personal expression, social norms, and public space.
