Sociology

This module introduces students to the discipline of sociology and outlines its core principles and approaches. It also designed to introduce students to the opportunities for working as a sociologist and continuing their sociological journey beyond university. The module assists students to identify their existing employability skills and develop a personal development plan to take with them through their university journey, with a view to becoming an in-demand graduate. By working individually and in groups, students will develop presentation, IT, and writing skills that will enable them to progress in their degree and intended careers. At the same time, students will be introduced to conflict, functionalist, and expressionist theories and key elements of sociological thinking such as structure and agency, the public and the private, and the micro and the macro. In doing so they will develop their critical thinking skills. Through a focus on learning to think sociologically, this module is also designed to develop students’ academic skills of reading, researching, referencing and writing.

This module is designed to help you engage with concepts of identity, equality and diversity, which are terms often used within contemporary society. Using different identity theories, settings and examples the module aims to explore the key issues of diversity within communities. In semester one, you will start with exploring the nature of family membership as a unit within communities and how the family structure has changed over time. It considers the social and interpersonal functions of families, focusing on emotional intimacy, caring and economic exchange. Students will look at the trends in marriage, cohabitation and divorce since the1970s and consider the nature and extent of inequality within and between families. Drawing on sociological and feminist theories, we will critically assess the family as the primary social unit, and explore its ‘dark side’ by looking at domestic abuse, forced marriages and ‘honour’ killings. Having explored the family as a unit in society, in the second semester you will focus on larger identity issues. Why do we, as a society, feel that issues of equality and diversity matter? This module will explore this subject from a range of theoretical perspectives. The module will also tackle the issue of rights and responsibilities, and confidentiality of information.

This module explores the topics of social policy and health inequalities. Social policy is a topic that is wide in scope, and you will become familiar with how significant social policy is to meeting our basic human needs (welfare/wellbeing). As we progress through the module, you will learn about the welfare state along with some of the key areas of social policy. You will cover areas such as: poverty, welfare and benefits, education, housing, and crime, justice and punishment. In addition to developing your knowledge and understanding of important social policy issues, you will learn how to work in a group effectively as well as becoming familiar with an innovative way of disseminating information that academics use at conferences – the poster presentation. In the second semester, You will gain insight into the concepts of health and illness and related policy approaches. but also learn about the social aspects of health inequality. Despite the advent of globalisation that has seen improvements in social and economic conditions, there is still an unequal pattern of ill health (including mental health) in the UK and across the globe. You will also examine the theoretical approaches that help explain the existence of health inequality. In addition, you will become familiar with healthcare systems and issues to do with accessing them both in the UK and from a global perspective.

More information coming soon. 

This module introduces students to a comparative sociological study of race, racism, ethnicity, and migration. The first part of this module, explores the sociology of migration. The module examines the diverse forms of migration, such as labour migration, forced migration or displacement, as well as social consequences of different forms of migration processes. In the second semester, the module traces the origins and development of the concept of race by exploring the importance of slavery and European colonialism in producing modern understandings of race and racial difference. It explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism in the reproduction of structural inequalities and exclusions. Race/ethnic categories vary significantly across time and place and it is crucial to explore national and global empirical examples to gain a critical understanding. Therefore, an important aspect of this course is its focus on the global dimensions and manifestations of racism, ethnicity and migration. The module will address a range of contemporary debates related to ‘race’ and ethnicity such as racism, multiculturalism, anti-semitism, Islamophobia, nationalism and national identity.

Module information coming soon

This module explores the various ways that social scientists understand and investigate the social world. It introduces students to the key principles of social research as they apply to sociology. It familiarises students with the relationship between sociological theory and sociological research. It identifies the key primary and secondary research methods available to undergraduate students and provides opportunities to learn how to design research questions and develop projects to answer them. The module enables students to learn how to design research implements such as questionnaires and interview schedules, and how to effectively analyse the data that results. You will learn about the importance of ethics and how to become an ethical researcher. By the end of the module, you will have the knowledge and skills to produce a research proposal for your third-year dissertation.

Religion & Spirituality in Contemporary Society

This module provides you with an introduction to the sociology of religion. It studies religion within a social context and its contribution, positively or otherwise, to society. You will gain an insight and understanding into some of the main religions in the world, examining their role and significance globally. Also, you will investigate and appreciate the effects on societies, groups and individuals of people holding certain religious beliefs. Religion can shape a society, but it can also itself be shaped by society. You will explore theories of religion, such as those proposed by Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, as well as feminist approaches, and will engage in debates about secularisation. In addition, you will become familiar with religion in a global context, looking in particular at issues such as globalisation and fundamentalism. 

Young People, Crime and Identity 

Understanding Urban and Rural Societies

The module will provide a critical understanding of processes of urbanisation and their relationships with rural societies at a planetary scale. The module will explore the histories of urban and rural development since the late nineteenth century until the present day and will trace trajectories of future development. The module will consider the nature of urban and rural settlements and societies, the challenges they face and multiple future scenarios. Theoretically the module offers an eclectic reading of these processes and their sites. It will draw upon classical sociology, considering its enduring relevance, and contrast this with contemporary multidisciplinary readings of diverse global urban and rural spaces.

Work Placement for Sociology

This module allows students to undertake a placement in a public, private, or third sector organisation in the UK in order to develop their understanding of, and appreciation for, the role of sociology in the world of work. Having identified an appropriate placement with the assistance of the members of the Careers and Opportunities team, students will spend 48 hours within the organisation over a semester. In doing so students will use their sociological imaginations to identify the relevance of their degree programme to their chosen field. With an awareness of key sociological theories of work and organisations, as well as core issues in health and safety at work, students will be able to critically reflect on their placements from academic and personal development perspectives.

This module represents the culmination of your sociology degree and provides the opportunity for you to undertake a research project of your own. You will identify a sociologically-relevant topic of interest, and devise appropriate research questions to answer. On the basis of your topic and research questions, and with the guidance of your supervisor, you will design, conduct, and write up a primary or secondary research project. Drawing on sociological literature, theories, and concepts you will present an analysis of your chosen topic and present your data and findings in a professional and academic written format . 

This module critically explores global challenges such as humanitarian crises and armed conflicts, as well as global environmental problems such as climate change, industrial disasters. This module considers how societal and ‘natural’ environments interact and how the decline of ecological habitats have led to calls for urgent changes to the dominant understanding of social, economic and human development. Particular aspects of globalisation are mediated expressions of the world-spanning conditions under which accounts of environmental concerns are produced. Concepts such as sustainable development and environmental injustice depict alternative environmental approaches to human-societal development. In addition, you will gain an insight into the social significance of war, looking into its impact from an economic, political, and social perspective. This module then seeks to analyse, explore and account for varying institutional responses to crises and disasters. Through series of empirical examples drawn from specific real world crises and armed conflicts, you will become familiar with why and how nations become involved in armed conflict, looking at conflict from both an interstate and intrastate perspective. You will also consider the conditions that deter conflict, such as the peace process and international crisis management.

As a fundamental driver of social justice, education plays a vital role in contemporary societies. While the concept typically evokes the classrooms of schools and universities, in reality education is something occurs both within and beyond these spaces and is of relevance across the life course. This module introduces students to dominant philosophies of education, from those that view learning as preparing young people for the labour market, to those that take a more radical and liberatory perspective. In examining the changing and iverse spaces and concepts of education, students will become familiar with key debates about education in the geographies and sociological of education and analyse trends and processes such as internationalisation, the knowledge economy, and marketisation. The module considers contexts and practices of education for children, young people, and adults, and explores how policies can tackle or perpetuate inequalities of opportunity and outcome. In addition, students have the opportunity to critically evaluate their existing skills in the context of a career in the educational sector. 

Substance Use and Society 

This module explores the use and misuse of tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs and other substances from sociological, cultural, criminological, and policy perspectives. With a particular focus on the ‘context of use’ such as capitalism and social structure, the module will critically examine the use and misuse of different substances. We engage with diverse theoretical perspectives (e.g. the Culture of Intoxication and Calculated Hedonism; Social Conflict; Sub-culture) and debates related to substance use such as: dependency and addiction; education and treatment (e.g. zero-tolerance vs. harm reduction); decriminalisation, legalisation and social control. We explore evidence for the negative consequences of substance use for individuals and societies. We also consider the social meaning of tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs and other substances and their consumption as part of recreational ‘lifestyle’ choices linked to rave and club culture and other leisure activities. 

Work Placement for Sociology  

This module allows students to undertake a placement in a public, private, or third sector organisation in the UK in order to develop their understanding of, and appreciation for, the role of sociology in the world of work. Having identified an appropriate placement with the assistance of the members of the Careers and Opportunities team, students will spend 48 hours within the organisation over a semester. In doing so students will use their sociological imaginations to identify the relevance of their degree programme to their chosen field. With an awareness of key sociological theories of work and organisations, as well as core issues in health and safety at work, students will be able to critically reflect on their placements from academic and personal development perspectives. 

Social Movements and Collective Action

The emergence of new forms of 21st century protests such as the Arab Spring, the Occupy movement and Black Lives Matter have highlighted the significance of social media and digital technologies for the operation of social movements. While social movements have long been global and international in their nature, activists’ strategic use of technology such as Twitter and Facebook have brought campaigns to new global audiences and generated networks of transnational solidarity. This module introduces students to the study of social movements and protest around the world. Drawing on structural and cultural social movement theories, as well as theories of globalisation and the network society, it examines the historical, social, cultural, and political foundations of 20th and 21st century social movements. Drawing on contemporary examples of activism, it considers how new forms of technology help to challenge, or reinforce, existing inequalities and exclusions from the public and political spheres. 

Globalisation, Beauty and the Media

This module takes an interdisciplinary approach drawing insights from sociology, feminism, media, and cultural studies to provide a critical and contextual understanding of the global beauty industry. Beauty cultures integrate local and transnational characteristics derived from fashion, media, popular culture, and advertising and thus, studying beauty allows us to examine how structures such as patriarchy, colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy influence individual everyday experiences of consumption and embodiment. The module explores beauty standards and norms as a major source of gendered social division and considers the reproduction of structural inequalities and exclusions in global and local contexts. The global circulation of Eurocentric beauty ideals is examined across a range of countries to assess the impact of colonialism and globalisation, while forms of new and traditional media are analysed for their roles in reinforcing or challenging the status quo.