Undergraduate modules

Level 1 modules Level 2 modules Level 3 modules

Level 1 modules

The Sociological Imagination	This module aims to introduce students to basic sociological concepts, such as 'the sociological imagination', 'social interaction', 'social identity', 'deviance' and 'globalisation' and illustrate how these can be applied to everyday life. Drawing on the work of key thinkers in sociology, a range of everyday life situations, such as mobile phone use, shopping and travel will be used as exemplary cases. Drawing upon the lectures, students will use the accompanying seminar module to explore a range of everyday life situations from a sociological perspective. Emphasis will be placed on students reflexively exploring their own experience, on the one hand, and gathering exemplary material from print and digital media. Students will be required to do exercises on specific topics.
Social Divisions in Contemporary Society	The aim of this unit is to explore a key concern of sociology to explain how and why material and symbolic rewards are distributed unequally. It will consider the unequal distribution of wealth, privilege and power and, in doing so, will question common-sense understandings of various inequalities in society. It will focus on various social divisions including the `big three' of social class, gender and race, as well as sexuality, age, religion and disability. Major themes will be explored with a predominantly British- and policy-related focus, although global divisions and inequalities will also be included for consideration. The supporting seminar module will focus on how social constraints and opportunities arise from social divisions and will explore how various social divisions interact to produce unequal outcomes. It will evaluate critically sociological research that provides evidence of structured inequality in society. A key aim of the unit is to provide students with a sociological framework to assess critically how social divisions operate in their own lives through the constraints and opportunities they encounter.
Introduction to Social Research	Students will be introduced to theoretical, methodological and practical issues in conducting empirical social research and become equipped with some of the basic skills necessary to undertake qualitative and quantitative projects, from project planning through to writing up research findings. Students will also be given the opportunity to explore different areas of social research in small groups through class presentations and debates.
Social Policy and Social Problems	This module introduces students to some of the material and theoretical concerns of social policy by addressing the question - "What are social problems and how do societies deal with them?". It considers collective responses to social problems in historical and contemporary context, and the effects of social change on the design and delivery of welfare policies in economically advanced countries. It also explores changes in the ways that policy is made and presented, and the problems of funding and delivering welfare services in the twenty-first century. A seminar module supports the lecture-based module through allowing students to consider in depth, some of the material and theoretical concerns of social policy raised by the question "What are social problems and how do societies deal with them?". Through student-led activities, collective responses to social problems in historical and contemporary context, the effects of social change on the design and delivery of welfare policies and issues of policy process, funding and delivery will be problematised and evaluated.
Classical Social Theory	The aim of this module is to introduce foundational theories in sociology. The lectures will describe the ideas of leading theorists Durkheim, Marx, and Weber with reference to the social context in which they lived and wrote. Lectures will analyze the primary texts of sociological throught with reference to the social contexts in which they emerged. This will include a look at the concerns of the first generation of sociological thinkers, their understanding of changes in European societies at the time, and the way in which their ideas inform an understanding of issues and problems in the contemporary world. The accompanying seminar module will provide a medium for students to discuss, evaluate, assess, and engage foundational theories in sociology. The seminar topics will seek to relate major sociological theories to (historical) events of concern to the theorists themselves, and events of interest to contemporary students of social affairs. The discussions will emphasise ideas and concepts in key sociological writings and their contribution to shaping sociological enquiry.
Gender, Sexuality and Society	This unit intends to address the following questions regarding gender and sexuality and their interaction with society: What do we mean by gender and sexuality? How do we do gender and sexuality? How do we see gender and sexuality? How do we control gender and sexuality?
Globalisation of Culture	This unit will take a social anthropological approach towards understanding the concept of culture and the ways in which it informs the organisation and practices of societies around the world - specifically in terms of their values and belief systems and traditional practices. From this basis, it will go on to not only examine the impact of social change and globalisation on different cultures, but also highlight the ways in which cultural ways of living continue to persist despite globalisation or have become more fundamental to societies as a result of globalisation.
Understanding Crime: Sociological Perspectives	Crime is a major social problem in virtually all societies. In this module, sociological understandings of crime are discussed, often with reference to their implications for policy. The module will introduce you to major research about crime in contemporary Britain and help you to understand the contribution of sociology to its analysis. This module will be of value to anyone thinking about a career in the criminal justice services, journalism, public service, the voluntary sector and anyone interested in understanding the significance of crime in contemporary British society.
Doing Social Research	This module builds on the knowledge and skills acquired by students in the module Introduction to Social Research. Students will be given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of theoretical, methodological and practical issues in conducting empirical social research through a staff interview project. The project will be introduced and explained in lectures, and students supported in interviewing their assigned Departmental member of staff via tutorial sessions and guided independent learning. Students will produce a portfolio of research work and a final 1,500 word project report which they will present to the class. The module will equip students with some of the basic skills necessary to: undertake empirical social research, from project planning through interviewing to writing up research findings; develop their collaborative and presentational skills; and enhance their appreciation of the relationship between research, teaching and the concepts of sociology and social policy more broadly. An additional positive outcome of the module will be the familiarisation of students with the research interests of all staff in the Department, preparing them for study at levels 2 and 3 and, in particular helping them in their choice of dissertation topics at level 3.

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Level 2 modules

Sociological Theory and Analysis	The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.
Social Research Principles	This course gives students an understanding of the principles of social research, some basic skills, and some of the related philosophical debates. In particular, students will be exposed to and learn about a range of techniques and methods derived from both quantitative and qualitative approaches to conducting research. These include an introduction to basic statistics, survey research, participant observation, interviews, focus groups, secondary analysis and document analysis. Discussion is given on how to judge which methods are appropriate for which research problems and how to identify the merits and limitations of different types of research design, including issues of sampling, reliability and validity, as well as judging the different approaches on epistemological and ontological grounds.
Social Research Skills	This module focuses strongly on equipping students with the skills to undertake qualitative and quantitative empirical research using both primary and secondary data. In particular, students will build on and apply the range of techniques and methods taught in Social Research Principles in semester one. All students will construct a research proposal suitable for their level three dissertation and will undertake group-based primary qualitative and quantitative research.
Varieties of Welfare	This module locates UK social policy within a wider international context drawing on comparative perspectives in the analysis of some of the key concepts and themes in social policy, and the exploration of core policy areas and current issues. It provides breadth of study in considering the nature of social problems, the operation of social divisions and the role of the state and other agencies of welfare in responding to these and a range of other social issues in countries around the world. The module also examines the theoretical frameworks which inform comparisons of welfare states and the contribution and limitations of comparative study in relation to the wider analysis of social policy.
Race and Racism	The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.
Sociology of the Family	Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.
The Government of Life and Death	The unit investigates sociological analyses of the ways in which contemporary societies attempt to govern human life. How do modern societies problematise life? How do they seek to shape its course? Substantive topics include: approaches to steering population life and individual conduct; liberal and neoliberal modes of governing human life; the social management of risk; social responses to, and society's creation of, human suffering; and collective modes of dealing with mortality. The module introduces students to the methodological aspects of the sociological study of biopower and biopolitics, explores its theoretical foundations, and examines several empirical case studies in the field.
Internet and Society	The aim of the module is to foster a sociological understanding of the characteristics of the Internet and the social relationships in which it is embedded. The module addresses the emergence and development of the Internet in society. It covers the history of the Internet, its philosophical and technological underpinnings, and the culture, construction and meaning of the Internet. Practices of the Internet in areas such as politics, work, welfare, and the media are considered within debates about the Information Society. The way in which the Internet is gaining meaning in everyday life, within late modern culture and in the formation of identity is examined.
Leisure, Sport and Society	This module will introduce students to sociological approaches to leisure and sport in modern societies in general, and associated sociological themes including the analysis of sport policy, media-sport. It will address leisure and sport in the context of social change, both historically and currently, particularly at nation-state level, but also at urban and international levels.
Sociology of Crime and Deviance	Crime and deviance are major features of all societies. Since the 19th Century, sociologists have developed a variety of explanations as to why individuals stray from the path of conformity. In this course, we will review the historical development of a range of theoretical approaches to the study of crime and deviancy, consider how sociologists have studied the primary institutions of social control such as the police, courts and prisons, and finally consider the contribution of the sociology of crime and deviance to issues of contemporary significance.
Social Policy in Global Context	This module investigates how international factors help to shape national social policies. It will begin with an examination of the impact of world-regional bodies, such as the European Union, before extending this to international governmental institutions, including the World Bank, IMF, WTO and OECD. It also considers the impact of global business, trade union and civil society actors as well as wider economic structures.
Social Policy and Criminology	Social Policy and Criminology examines responses to crime that do not rely on criminal justice responses of police, courts and prisons. Specifically, the module reviews and appraises social policy responses, including health, housing, education, employment, youth and family as a means of crime reduction. The module includes a consideration of theories of crime suggesting social policy as a response, the role of criminologists in policy making, the concept of social justice in relation to social welfare and crime, and criminalisation of social policy as an unintended outcome.
Food Culture and Society	This module focuses on the sociology and anthropology of food and eating practices as a lens for exploring key social and cultural issues. Drawing on material from across the globe, the module will explore what food practices reveal, for example, about: age and gender; the family; religion and belief; social inequalities; and the nature of economic and political systems.
Media Studies	This unit critically explores the development of media studies. It incorporates classical (e.g., Adorno, Lazersfeld) and contemporary (e.g., Gauntlett, Terranova) theorists, grounding their analyses in a range of empirical areas of investigation (e.g., the music industry, media regulation). The development of key debates about media ownership, media effects and representation are used to demonstrate how the field has changed and what has remained intact over the course of its development.
Work and Labour	The module explores the different approaches to understanding work and labour in sociology. The course will cover the classical approaches of Marx, Weber and Durkheim to more contemporary theories (including debates around Taylorism, Fordism, flexibility, skills, control in the workplace, trade unionism and labour process theory). The influence of class, race age and gender in the world of work will be dealt with along with emerging issues relating to globalisation and new technology.

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Level 3 modules

Dissertation	(Single honours only) The dissertation module gives students the opportunity, in the context of an original piece of empirical research (or analysis of secondary data) on a topic of their own choosing, to undertake an independent study with the support from a dissertation supervisor, plenary teaching and online learning resources. This will enable students to draw upon and develop both their knowledge and their thinking, to demonstrate their understanding of and ability to integrate both the conceptual and research methods foundations laid in the earlier part of the programme, and to undertake a critical analysis of a topic relevant to sociology.
Extended Essay	(Dual honours only) The extended essay module gives students the opportunity to undertake an independent in-depth, library-based study, on a topic of their own choosing, with support from a supervisor, plenary teaching and online learning resources. This will enable students to draw upon and develop both their knowledge and their thinking, to demonstrate their understanding of and ability to integrate the conceptual and substantive foundations laid in the earlier part of the programme, and to undertake a critical analysis of a topic relevant to sociology.
Learning Disability Policy and Practice	This module will explore policies and practices which impact upon the everyday lives of people identified as learning disabled. There are no specific prerequisites and no previous knowledge is assumed. The module will begin by questioning the concept of `learning disability' (previously referred to as `mental handicap') and will consider arguments that learning disability is socially created. We will consider historical institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation policies before going on to explore current UK learning disability policy and practice. Some aspects of the module will be jointly taught with people with learning disabilities.
Ageing and Society	This module aims to provide students with an introduction to contemporary ageing. Opening lectures identify key critical gerontological themes underpinning the module including social construction, power, and diversity/difference. Population trends, historical perspectives, cultural norms, and current policy debates are also explored through sessions which cover the experience of ageing and old age, developments in theory, intergenerational and family relations, perspectives on gender, ethnicity and sexuality in later life, and ageism. The second part of the module will explore the relationship between theorisation of and provision for later life through group presentations on key areas of welfare. The module will offer multi-disciplinary perspectives as well as comparative references, particularly to EC societies.
Children and Youth Withing Developing Societies	From a primarily sociological perspective, this unit seeks to examine social, economic and political processes that have had an impact on the development of countries in the majority south that have primarily occurred in the post-colonial period by placing children at the centre of the analysis. To this end, it will not only explore how these processes have affected children and their development in these societies, but also how children have contributed to some of these social, economic and political processes. It will also examine how social policy nationally and globally have recognised the importance of placing children at the centre of strategic and project planning.
Men, Masculinities and Gender Relations	This unit will seek to provide a critical examination of the growing body of sociological and other literature concerned with men and masculinities. It will locate this growth of interest in the context of the rise of the feminist critique of patriarchy and wider shifts in the economic and social order. Gender relations will also be considered in this framework. Particular attention will be paid to methodological and epistemological issues involved in the study of men and masculinities. Key concepts such as `hegemonic masculinities' and `sex roles' will be explored and problematised. Specific topics and case studies can include: men in work and organisations, men and violence, men and sexualities, men and sport and men and feminism.
Sociology of the New Genetics	This module aims to explore the rise of the new genetics. Starting with an exploration of Watson and Cricks discovery of DNA in the 1950s, the module will explore the social and ethical implications of the rise of genetic technology. The module will explore a range of topics from the implications of genetic screening to issues of human cloning. The aim of this module is to critically assess the impact of new genetics on contemporary society, exploring their relationship with both science and biomedicine.
Business and Society	Business has never been so powerful and important to shaping our lives, but how it exercises power and impacts on society is a controversial and complex issue. This module begins with an examination and assessment of what makes business powerful and which factors limit its power. It then considers how corporate behaviour affects workers and citizens through a consideration of workplace policies and the corporate community endeavours of firms. Lastly, it considers the relationship between public policy and the firm, examining the privatisation of state services and the commodification of the social sphere, ending with an examination and assessment of the relationship between employment and public policy. Throughout, an attempt will be made to make sense of economic and political behaviour through comparative analyses of different sectors of the business community within diverse capitalist regimes. The transformative processes of globalisation and Europeanisation will also be considered.
Explorations in Contemporary Social Change	The module addresses the concept of social change and explores particular aspects of contemporary social change. The course covers: historical social change; theorizing social change; the relationship between the economy, the social and the cultural in changing social life; researching social change; contemporary examples of social change in the following areas- culture and everyday life, production and new modes of labour, reconfiguring class, rethinking consumerism, creative industries, new media and communication, re-experiencing the public and the private; the local, global and glocal, mobilities, formations of power; diversities and difference; the new materialism within the relations of mediated and informational life.
The Sociology of Surveillance	The course aims to introduce students to the emerging field of surveillance studies. By focusing on an exploration of the primary literature concerning recent development in surveillance theory students will be equipped to engage with sociological debates surrounding the spread of new surveillance technologies. In particular the course will explore how `surveillant solutions' have become a dominant form of governance in the 21st century by focusing on case studies of surveillance in particular contexts such as policing and criminal justice, health and welfare, the work place, and consumer behaviour.
Sociology of Europe and the European Union	This module addresses the evolution of European society in a long-term socio-historical perspective focusing on the rise of European nation-states and national identities. This provides the content and context of the contemporary processes of `Europeanisation' associated with the European Union. The module aims to view the EU in terms of its social contexts, both i) the European context of the national societies of the EU's member states, their historical development and also the structural and political changes they are experiencing, and also ii) the wider context and influences of globalisation and the development of `global society'.
Sociology of Health and Illness	This module explores sociological aspects of health, illness and medicine. It will focus on issues of health inequality exploring the ways in which patterns of health and disease vary according to class, gender and race. It also provides a critical examination of biomedicine, highlighting the contemporary challenges faced by medicine as a profession. Furthermore, it will focus on new dynamic developments in science and medicine linking health with the Internet and exploring the rise of the new genetics. The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the role of health, illness and medicine within contemporary society.
Sociology of Whiteness	This module explores the importance of studying whiteness in order to understand racism as a system of power relationships. It explains why the construction of whiteness has become a key focus in debates about race and ethnicity and examines critically some of the key themes to emerge in this field of study. This includes exploring the historical origins of `white studies' and assessing representations of whiteness in literary and visual culture. It also includes exploring the racialised, classed and gendered boundaries of whiteness by examining, for example, the socially and politically constructed categories of `white trash' and the `chav'.
Migration and Families	This unit explores intersections between migration and families in theory, policy and practice, in UK and internationally. It critically examines dominant theories around migration and `the family' in the context of contemporary migration patterns and evidence of how migrants `do' family. It explores how migration policies, in interaction with labour market and welfare policies, stratify migrants' opportunities for family-life. Particular attention is paid to examining the transformative potential of migration for family practices (e.g. care-giving) and relations (e.g. gender and parental). Adopting a transnational lens, the role of migration in contributing to the configuration of non-migrants' family-life is also examined.
Religion and Belief in the Modern World	This module will introduce students to sociological and anthropological theories of religion and the 'great' religious traditions of the modern world, following which it will focus on a number of substantive topics: secularisation, disenchantment and enchantment, fundamentalism, new religious movements and ritual and belief in everyday life.
Children and Society	This module will introduce students to the core theoretical, sociological perspectives that comprise contemporary childhood studies and demonstrate their applicability, through empirical illustration, to understanding the everyday lives of children and young people.
Higher Education: Policy, Society and the Individual	Recent developments in higher education have revived and re-emphasised longstanding debates over the role of HE, notably its relationship to the market and the state and whether it is a public good or a private benefit. This module will explore these and other issues in the context of their contemporary resonance, considering whether a fundamental re-shaping of HE is in progress, and what interests and ideologies are involved. Students will be encouraged to reflect upon their own position as `consumers¿ of higher education and upon the extent to which students, as `active citizens¿, can influence developments in the sector. Throughout, parallels will be drawn between HE and other areas of public and social policy.
Children and Youth within Developing Societies	From a primarily sociological perspective, this unit seeks to examine social, economic and political processes that have had an impact on the development of countries in the majority south that have primarily occurred in the post-colonial period by placing children at the centre of the analysis. To this end, it will not only explore how these processes have affected children and their development in these societies, but also how children have contributed to some of these social, economic and political processes. It will also examine how social policy nationally and globally have recognised the importance of placing children at the centre of strategic and project planning.
Sociology of Evil	Despite the increasing secularisation and rationalisation of society, evil is still an all too familiar term. For some it invokes images of devils, demons and witches, for others criminals, terrorists and murderers, whilst debates on the `social evils' of poverty, prostitution and alcohol are continually recycled for each generation. This module aims to introduce students to a sociological approach to evil by asking them to develop their own innovative case-studies of evil in combination with published research. They will be asked to: explore the ontology of evil; examine how evil is explained and accounted for; investigate the consequences of evil; develop an understanding concerning the representation of evil and assess the aetiological precedents for that representation; and, ultimately, critically determine the role evil has within society.
Crime, History and Society	Crime occupies a central issue in contemporary society. We encounter reports of crime everyday¿from news accounts, media presentations, and crime prevention schemes. Without a sense of history, it is difficult to keep this in perspective. Has technology in recent years introduced novel forms of crime? Are we more vulnerable to crime than previous generations? Have global events made crime into an international problem? This module examines various forms of crime, and reactions to crime, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. We will look how technological advances influence crime patters, the presentation of crime in fiction, the use of crime as a political issue, and what we can learn from previous methods of crime prevention.
Leisure, Gifts, and Terrorists: Exploring Contemporary Cultural Thought	The module explores and scrutinises conceptual frameworks that have advanced the sociological analysis of culture. It focuses on the ideas of nine seminal social thinkers: Veblen, Kracauer, Benjamin, Adorno, Barthes, Mauss, Bataille, Baudrillard, Groys. The course aims to: familiarise students with arguments and modes of analysis that have shaped contemporary cultural theory; convey how these ideas and methodologies have guided sociological studies of specific cultural phenomena, e.g. attire, mass ornaments, photography, gift exchange, representations of terrorism, avant-garde art; and critically investigate the endeavours of cultural theorists to examine such phenomena in view of wider cultural, social, political, and economic conditions.

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            In line with our policy for continuous improvement, courses within the Department are continually being reviewed. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information above but the University cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions.
        