02 Aug 2021
Below are a range of excerpts from the current Year 12 Society and Culture students Personal Interest Projects (PIPs).
Students are to be congratulated for their sustained efforts and resilience over the course of their projects and have produced some incredible major works.
Sample PIPs
TOPIC: The personal and societal effects of travel: An investigation into the various effects of travel on society and its potential to reduce prejudices, conflicts and tensions through challenging negative stereotypes.
Will tourism become the world's peace industry through building tolerance and understanding?
STUDENT REFLECTION: Over the past couple of months I have conducted extensive research on my topic from a great variety of secondary sources.
Throughout my research so far I have learned just how important travel can be for an individual's mental growth and knowledge of the world.
TOPIC: The Manufacturing of Masculinity. Hypothesis: ‘Mens emotional suppression as a consequence of society's expectations.’
STUDENT REFLECTION: I was captivated by the topic of male mental health and the construction of toxic masculinity, as I believed it was a somewhat blurry subject. Although the topic of toxic masculinity is gathering momentum and change is afoot, I believe it is foreign to the macro world and must be more deeply reflected upon to further understand our societal issues. Initially, after viewing a HSC Drama Performance called “sweeped under the rug '' I was captivated by the way in which they addressed and impressively illustrated the appalling conceptualization that ‘real men shouldn't cry’. Subsequently, my research from then on became extremely fluent, captivating and fulfilling as I discovered a newfound passion towards this topic.
TOPIC: What Influences Perceptions of ‘Beauty’ and the Diverse Ramifications for Contemporary Society and Culture?
My intention is to unfold and gain a deeper understanding of the subconscious and conscious judgments made by individuals and society as a collective on perceptions of ‘beauty’.
STUDENT REFLECTION: This process has increased my social and cultural literacy as a whole with my strong empathy towards others, discernment to the media and an awareness of the massive impact of globalisation, technologies and rapid change. Through this process I also understood the continuities and changes of perceptions of ‘beauty’ and the diverse ramifications for society and culture.
TOPIC: An investigation into the lack of social progression within the Australian Feminist and Intersectional Feminist movement and its correlation to a devaluation of the arts within the Australian education system.
STUDENT REFLECTION: Through my extensive primary and secondary research, compiling of evidence, deep analysis and contemplation on my connection to this PIP, I realised the importance of continuous social progression within Australia’s context….Although the results and possible outcomes for the future of Australia were confronting, this PIP fostered hope within me as I pondered not only my role and influence on the course of Australia’s future but also of like-minded individuals in meso levels of society around me, found through my primary research. The process of this project has been instrumental in my understanding of the importance of Intersectional feminism and of the urgency to elevate the voices of Indigenous women, Queer women and those with intersecting identities.
TOPIC: How do beliefs in God or spiritual life forces affect individual wellbeing?
An investigation into Australia’s changing religious and spiritual beliefs, and its enduring implications.
STUDENT REFLECTION: Overall the process was insightful, and for a high school project, I found myself unusually invested in exploring the many intricacies and veiled anomalies within our current society and culture.
STUDENT REFLECTION: Creating my personal interest project was an exceedingly valuable experience. It was an extremely rewarding and educational experience. I gained information I didn’t know existed and even though I struggled immensely at the beginning, I truly found a topic I am heavily invested in and researching this topic has shifted some of my career goals for life after school.
TOPIC: An investigation into the societal value of empathy, and whether modern-day advancements in socialisation are hindering the development of empathy within society.
STUDENT REFLECTION: Through the thoughtful construction of my PIP, I aimed to acknowledge and expose the harmful implications of Australia’s current cultural lag in understanding technological advancements in socialisation and the ramifications of misuse. This investigatory process has been undeniably rewarding for me, enhancing my social literacy, as I appreciate the changing world which I find myself learning and growing within. I have learnt to recognise the pillars to which my own community is founded upon, ironically expanding upon my own empathetic capacity towards society as we combat the often confronting changes which globalisation excites. Through my PIP I have composed what I believe to be a holistic overview of empathy and its dearth of societal value in our current contemporary society.
TOPIC: An investigation into whether Australia’s democracy is facing a trust crisis
STUDENT REFLECTION: The Australian Government poorly represents women, religion and Indigenous Australians within parliament, transparent practices are undermined and levels of accountability have proven to be insufficient culminating in a substantial trust deficit within Australia’s democracy. I was surprised by the significant level of distrust in Australia’s democracy. Prior to writing this report, I perceived Australia’s democracy as transparent, well represented and I naively believed political decisions were based on the greater good for all. However, after researching this topic via primary research and secondary sources these personal assumptions were challenged and my perception has significantly altered.