SOC4043 - Identities and Inequalities

Objectives:

Assessment tasks are designed to enable students to demonstrate the Learning and Employability outcomes for the relevant level of study. Level Learning Outcomes are embedded in the assessment task(s) at that level. This enables a more integrated view of overall student performance at each level.

Content:

This module introduces students to the historical formation and contemporary experiences of identity, inequality, and division within and across society. Complementary to SOC4053 Sociological Thought and Theory this module focusses on the ‘lived experiences’ and prevalence of ineqaulities across the world with a focus on the UK. Students weill be introduced to ways of conceptualising and articulating matters of race and ethnicity, gender, disability, health, age, class, and education. Students will thoroughly examine the relationship between the individual and society, as well as the ways in which inequalities serve to disadvantage social groups throughout their lifecourse. This module will allow students to examine theoretical and empirical work on identity and inequality and explore the ways that inequalities are potentially challenged, resisted, or changed.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Lectures
Hours: 30
Intended Group Size: 100

Seminars/ Workshops
Hours: 30
Intended Group Size: 20

Guided independent study
Hours: 240

Further details relating to assessment
Group Presentation – Students will be required to present on a problem relevant to the teaching content of semester 1. Students should identify a specific case or issue related to identity and inequality and offer a breakdown of the theories that help explain that particular case, the impact on the lives of those involved within their chosen case, and (dependent on case) outline the key policy responses that tackle their chosen case. This assessment will work to combine learning across semester 1 modules.

Report Plan (formative)– As part of a formative assessment to ensure students are feeling confident about approaching their end of semester assessment students will be encouraged to complete a report plan for discussion within class. These plans will be shared and commented on as a group.

Report – The end of semester 2 assessment is a report on a topic chosen by the student in relation to any of the content on the module. For this report students will be expected to critically analyse a contemporary social problem within the United Kingdom that relates to the module content. For example, the students may choose to focus on poverty within the UK. Their report would then contain an overview of the current debates and issues related to poverty in the UK, a discussion of appropriate academic literature examining poverty and its social impacts, a critical examination of relevant policies and governmental documents related to poverty, and offer a potential policy response to the issue.

Integrated Assessment - students will be required to think about a problem/case related to their programme subject areas. Students will be expected to present on this topic and provide the context of their case, the theory that helps explain their chosen case and the real-world impact of their case. Students will be expected to draw from their learning across Level 4 to inform this.

Assessment:

001 Group Presentation, 15 mins/1500 words, End of Sem 1 30%
002 3500 Word Report, End of Sem 2 60%
003 10 Minute Group Presentation, IA Period 10%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Madeline Abbas
Level - 4
Credit Value - 30
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 4YL

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