Study Guides

Social entrepreneurship sits at the intersection of social impact and sustainable business thinking. For CUT (Central University of Technology) students taking SEP32BE, exam success depends on understanding not only definitions and theories, but also how to plan projects rigorously: from problem identification and stakeholder analysis to budgeting, monitoring & evaluation (M&E), and risk management. This …

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Gender, Health, and Society in the Free State (often abbreviated as GHS11AB) is a Social Sciences course within Central University of Technology (CUT) that interrogates how gender identities, health outcomes, and social structures interact—especially within South African contexts. The Free State province offers an instructive lens: it contains both urban service hubs and rural areas …

CUT GHS11AB: Study Notes on Gender, Health, and Society in the Free State Read More »

Environmental Sociology and Sustainable Communities in the context of Central University of Technology (CUT) is concerned with how social life—power, inequality, institutions, everyday practices, and cultural meanings—shapes environmental outcomes, and how communities can mobilize to pursue sustainability in ways that are socially just rather than merely “technically efficient.” EVS22AB draws attention to the fact that …

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SOCP301 (Social Policy and Administration) is a key module within the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Social Sciences offering, focusing on how social policy is formulated, funded, implemented, monitored, and evaluated in real-world contexts. This study guide is designed as a practical, exam-ready resource: it links theory to how policy systems actually work in South …

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Applied anthropology equips community practitioners with practical tools to understand culture, power, and everyday life—and to design and evaluate interventions that people will actually use and accept. In DUT’s ANTH101: Applied Anthropology for Community Practitioners, the emphasis typically falls on applying anthropological thinking to real community problems: mapping stakeholders, interpreting cultural meanings, working with local …

DUT ANTH101: Applied Anthropology for Community Practitioners Exam Notes Read More »

Community-based social research is a hands-on approach to studying real social problems with communities—not merely about them. In DUT CSRM201: Community-Based Social Research Methods, you learn how to design, plan, implement, and evaluate research projects that engage participants ethically and produce actionable knowledge for community development. This study pack provides exam-focused notes, practical frameworks, example …

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DUT SDEV101 introduces the foundational ideas that connect sustainable development with social responsibility—especially the ways organisations, communities, and governments respond to environmental, economic, and social pressures. The module is often assessed through scenario-based questions: learners must demonstrate not only definitions, but also the ability to apply frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the …

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Migration and globalization are not abstract “global trends” studied from a distance—they shape daily life through work, housing, education, security, culture, and policy. In DUT MGS201 (Migration, Globalization, and Society), the key exam skill is to connect theory (how migration and globalization work) with evidence (patterns, case studies, and policy debates), especially within an African …

DUT MGS201: Migration, Globalization, and Society – Exam Preparation Read More »

Crime prevention and social control in urban settings is a core concern in criminology and sociology because cities concentrate opportunities for crime, intensify inequality, and create complex social interaction patterns across diverse communities. CPSC101 (Crime Prevention and Social Control in Urban Settings) helps you analyse how crime is shaped by space, institutions, governance, culture, and …

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CUT SDC21BE is a Social Development and Communication module that helps learners connect communication practices with the realities of social change—how communities are organised, how needs are identified, and how messages influence relationships, service delivery, and inclusion. At Central University of Technology (CUT) the module is typically approached through applied, community-facing thinking: learners must not …

CUT SDC21BE: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Social Development and Communication Read More »

Political and social risk analysis is an essential applied skill in a country where public policy, governance capacity, service delivery, labour dynamics, and identity-based tensions can affect organisational operations and community outcomes. At Central University of Technology (CUT), PSR31AB is designed to help students read contemporary South Africa critically—turning political events and social trends into …

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Foundational sociological perspectives examine how people, institutions, and societies interact—how we move from everyday life (family, schooling, work, media) to broader patterns (inequality, power, culture, social change). At Central University of Technology (CUT), your SOC11AB module typically expects you to demonstrate core sociological thinking: defining society, explaining social order and change, applying key theories, and …

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DUT SJCS201 (Social Justice and Community Action) is a core module that helps learners connect social justice theory with real community problems and real-world action. It typically requires students to analyze how inequalities are produced, experienced, and resisted, then to design (and justify) community-based responses. This study guide is written to support deep learning for …

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Gender and Diversity Studies in the workplace examines how gender, race, disability, class, age, sexuality, religion, language, and other social identities shape employment experiences, workplace power relations, and organizational outcomes. DUT’s GDS101 module provides foundational concepts for recognizing bias, understanding discrimination mechanisms, and applying inclusive practices in real organizational settings. These exam notes focus on …

DUT GDS101: Comprehensive Notes on Gender and Diversity Studies in the Workplace Read More »

Sociology of race and ethnicity in post-1994 South Africa examines how colonialism, apartheid, migration, and political transformation continue to shape everyday life, institutions, and social identities. This study guide is designed for WSU SOC212 and focuses on how sociological theories help explain inequality, belonging, and cultural differentiation in the new South Africa—without losing sight of …

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WSU GDS311: Gender, Sexuality and Society – A Sociological Perspective explores how gender and sexuality are socially produced, organised, and policed through institutions such as family, religion, media, education, law, and the economy. From a sociological lens, the course emphasises that what societies treat as “natural” about sex, gender roles, and desire is historically contingent …

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DUT SOCS101 (Foundations in Social Sciences) is designed to introduce students to the core ideas, vocabulary, and research logic that underpin the social sciences. Preparing effectively requires more than memorising definitions: you need to understand how social scientists explain human behaviour, how evidence is produced, and how different theories interpret the same social problem. This …

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Urban development in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is inseparable from social challenges such as poverty, spatial inequality, unemployment, housing stress, and service delivery constraints. This study guide for DUT UDS202: Urban Development and Social Challenges in KwaZulu-Natal explains how cities grow, why vulnerabilities deepen, and how planning and governance can reduce harm while enabling inclusive urban futures. …

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Economy and society are inseparable: economic arrangements shape everyday life, while social structures influence how markets, labour, and policy outcomes unfold. ECS120S introduces social science students to core debates about how economies work, who benefits, and why inequality and social change persist. This study guide focuses on learning the concepts, methods, and critical perspectives that …

CPUT ECS120S: Economy and Society — An Introduction for Social Science Students Read More »

Development Studies (SDS211) examines how societies change over time and why “development” outcomes differ across regions. Two of the most influential frameworks taught in development courses are modernisation theory and dependency theory. This study guide explains core ideas, key concepts, major authors, and typical evaluation arguments—then connects those theories to development debates relevant to South …

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Understanding social problems is not just about listing issues such as poverty, unemployment, crime, or gender-based violence. In WSU SOC121, the emphasis is on how social problems develop, how they are experienced by people in specific communities, and how systems (institutions, policy, and unequal power relations) shape those problems—particularly within the Eastern Cape. This study …

WSU SOC121: Understanding Social Problems in the Eastern Cape Context (Exam Notes / Study Guide) Read More »

Kinship and family are central organising principles in many African societies: they shape rights and duties, define belonging, regulate marriage, and structure everyday social life. In WSU’s ANT212 (Sociology & Anthropology Stream), exam questions commonly test your ability to explain key concepts—such as descent, residence, lineage, marriage systems, and household composition—and to connect these to …

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SOC111, Introduction to Sociology and Social Institutions, is the foundational gateway course for students in the Sociology & Anthropology stream at Walter Sisulu University (WSU). It equips you with key sociological concepts, teaches you how sociologists study society, and explains how social institutions shape everyday life, social order, and social change. This study guide is …

WSU SOC111: Complete Study Guide for Introduction to Sociology and Social Institutions Read More »

ANT121 (Introduction to Cultural Anthropology and Ethnography) introduces you to the foundational ideas, methods, and ethical responsibilities of cultural anthropology. The course trains you to think comparatively about cultures, to understand how ethnography is produced, and to recognize how power, history, and identity shape everyday life. This study guide is designed for success in WSU …

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Advanced Sociological Theory connects foundational classics of sociology to contemporary debates about modernity, law, culture, globalization, and social change. This study guide traces a coherent intellectual arc from Émile Durkheim’s concern with social facts and collective life, through Max Weber’s interpretive sociology and rationalization, to Karl Marx’s conflict-centered analysis, and then into later transformations highlighted …

WSU SOC311: Advanced Sociological Theory – From Durkheim to Bauman Read More »

WSU SOC221: Research Methodology in the Social Sciences equips you with the practical skills to plan, conduct, and evaluate social science research. This exam notes and study guide translates methodology concepts into a structured workflow you can apply to assignments, mini-dissertations, and full research projects. Because research in sociology and anthropology depends on careful reasoning …

WSU SOC221: Research Methodology in the Social Sciences — A Step-by-Step Guide Read More »

Political Anthropology (ANT311) explores how power is produced, contested, and stabilized through everyday practices, institutions, rituals, and violence. It bridges classic anthropological insights—such as legitimacy, kinship, symbolism, and authority—with political science concerns about the state, governance, and conflict. This study guide is designed for students at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) within the Sociology & Anthropology …

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CPUT’s RMD210S: Research Methods for Development Practitioners equips future development practitioners with the logic, tools, and ethics of applied research in real-world settings. The course emphasises how to move from a practical development problem to a researchable question, how to design credible methodologies, and how to collect and analyse data responsibly—often in complex South African …

CPUT RMD210S: Research Methods for Development Practitioners — Complete Notes Read More »

Gender and Development (GAD) studies how gender relations shape opportunities, power, safety, health, education, and livelihoods—and how development interventions can either reduce or reproduce inequality. In a South African university context, GAD110S invites students to connect theory with real social realities: from workplace discrimination and gender-based violence to service delivery, policy implementation, and community-based practice. …

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Project Management for Non-Profit Organisations (often coded PMD310S at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)) demands both conceptual mastery and practical application. Non-profit projects differ from commercial work: they are mission-driven, stakeholder-rich, impact-focused, and often constrained by restricted funding and heightened accountability. This exam guide synthesizes the typical learning outcomes and assessment emphases for …

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CPUT SOC320S is a sociology-of-work and organisational-behaviour module that helps technologists understand how workplaces function as social systems—not just technical systems. It connects classic sociological concepts (power, culture, labour markets, organisational change) to day-to-day organisational realities such as teamwork, supervision, workplace conflict, motivation, and the ethics of technology at work. For technologists, the module is …

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Urban development in South Africa cannot be fully understood without confronting the dynamics of housing provision, informal settlement growth, and the policy mechanisms that attempt to transform uneven spatial development. UDS220S: Urban Development Studies – Housing and Informal Settlements equips students to read cities as systems where land, livelihoods, governance, and inequality interact. These notes …

CPUT UDS220S: Urban Development Studies – Housing and Informal Settlements (Exam Notes / Study Guide) Read More »

UNISA’s DVA2601 is a foundational module for understanding how development happens at community level and how local governance shapes (and is shaped by) that process. This study guide consolidates the key concepts, policy frameworks, institutional roles, and practical tools you need to answer exam questions confidently and apply theory to real community scenarios in South …

UNISA DVA2601: Complete Study Pack for Community Development and Local Governance Read More »

UNISA’s SOC1501: Community, Society and Inequality is a foundational module for understanding how social life is organised, experienced, and stratified. The course equips students to analyse communities not only as “places,” but as systems shaped by power, resources, institutions, culture, and inequality. These exam notes consolidate key concepts, theories, typical arguments, and applied examples commonly …

UNISA SOC1501: Community, Society and Inequality — Foundational Exam Notes Read More »

Collective behaviour and social movements help explain how ordinary people—and sometimes whole communities—organise, protest, negotiate, and sometimes escalate conflict in response to social change. In the South African context, these processes are tightly linked to inequality, service delivery, political party dynamics, race and class relations, labour organisation, community struggles, and contestations over land, housing, and …

UNISA SOC3701: A Guide to Collective Behaviour and Social Movements in South Africa Read More »

Industrial sociology examines how work is organised, how power and authority operate in workplaces, and how labour relations shape both economic outcomes and social life. UNISA SOC3706 focuses on labour relations as a dynamic system—negotiation, regulation, dispute resolution, collective bargaining, and conflict—while also asking how these systems are being reshaped by transformations in production, technology, …

UNISA SOC3706: Industrial Sociology – Labour Relations and the Future of Work Read More »

SDC110S—Social Dynamics and Communication in Communities—is a foundational module that explores how people, groups, and communities interact, how social structures shape communication, and how communication in turn shapes social outcomes. At Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), this module is typically assessed through a mix of concept-based questions, scenario-based prompts, short essays, and reflective or …

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CDV220S (Community Development and Volunteerism) is one of the most practice-oriented courses within the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) “Social Contexts” learning pathway. The module typically examines how community development principles translate into real-world volunteer action—linking policy, participation, needs assessment, project design, implementation, and monitoring. This study guide provides a practical, exam-ready framework using …

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CPUT’s SSP310S (“Analysing Social Problems in the Western Cape – A Case Study Approach”) develops students’ ability to understand social problems as complex, historically rooted, and institutionally mediated processes. Rather than treating “poverty”, “crime”, or “youth unemployment” as isolated issues, the module trains learners to analyse how these problems interact across households, communities, labour markets, …

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This exam notes and study guide is designed for CPUT SJI120S (Introduction to Social Justice and Human Rights in SA), a course that explores how social justice and human rights are understood, protected, and contested in South Africa. It links foundational theory to the lived realities of inequality, discrimination, and constitutional democracy. The guide also …

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Urbanisation reshapes everyday life: it changes how people move, where they live, how services are delivered, and how inequality is reproduced or reduced. UNISA SOC3703 (Urban Sociology and Spatial Planning) sits at the intersection of sociological theory and practical planning questions—how cities function as social systems and how spatial decisions affect social outcomes. These exam …

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UNISA’s SOC3704 (Rural Sociology and Agrarian Transformation) examines how rural societies change under pressure from markets, the state, labour migration, land reform, technology, and environmental stress. It also trains you to interpret rural transformation through sociological theories and to connect academic concepts to South African policy debates and lived realities. This study guide is designed …

UNISA SOC3704: A Complete Study Guide for Rural Sociology and Agrarian Transformation Read More »

Globalisation, environmental transformation, and social change are tightly interwoven forces shaping everyday life, social inequality, migration, and local governance. For students in South African rural and urban sociology, these processes are not abstract: they affect housing, labour markets, service delivery, land use, health outcomes, and community cohesion. UNISA SOC2602 builds your ability to analyse these …

UNISA SOC2602: In-Depth Analysis of Globalisation, Environment, and Social Change (UNISA Focus: Rural and Urban Sociology) Read More »

Development Policy and Strategies in the Global South (UNISA DVA3703) examines how development is planned, financed, implemented, contested, and evaluated—particularly where inequality, informality, climate risk, and uneven power relations shape policy outcomes. The module is also strongly about policy thinking: not only knowing the major theories (e.g., modernization, dependency, structuralism, post-development) but being able to …

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UNISA’s SOC3705 (Social Theory) builds a rigorous foundation for understanding how sociologists explain society—through classic theories, debates, and contemporary applications. This guide is written for South African undergraduates and focuses on how to learn, revise, and apply social theory in ways that work for UNISA’s assessment style: essays, short answers, and application-based exam questions. You’ll …

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Sociology of Health and Illness (SOC2604) at UNISA examines how health, disease, disability, and healthcare experiences are socially produced—not only biologically determined. In South Africa, where disparities in access, quality of care, and health outcomes intersect with race, class, gender, migration, and geography, health becomes a powerful lens for understanding broader inequalities. This study guide …

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UFS SOCL1514, Analysing South African Social Problems, is a sociology-focused course designed to help you interpret real-life social issues in South Africa using sociological theories, research logic, and ethically grounded analysis. The exam typically rewards students who can: (1) clearly define and contextualise social problems, (2) apply theory to evidence, and (3) evaluate interventions and …

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Race, class, and gender are not separate “social problems” in South Africa; they are deeply interwoven systems that shape education, work, housing, health, belonging, and political power. In SOCL2634, the focus is on using sociological concepts—often grounded in South African history—to understand how inequality is produced, reproduced, and contested in everyday life and in major …

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Anthropology does not treat “power,” “politics,” and “violence” as separate topics. In ANTH2644, these themes are understood as entangled—produced through everyday practices, institutions, symbols, economies, and state-citizen relations. Across the semester, you will be expected to read ethnographic case studies critically, connect theory to evidence, and explain how different forms of domination and resistance operate …

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SOCL3714 (Urban and Rural Sociology: Communities in Transition) examines how social life is shaped by changing spatial contexts—cities, towns, rural areas, and the shifting boundaries between them. The course is fundamentally about social change: migration, informal economies, service delivery, housing, governance, inequality, and culture as communities transform. In the South African context, “transition” often refers …

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