Programme of Study Catalogue

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Understand competing theories of social justice;
Critically assess competing theories of social justice;
Apply the theories to educational settings, drawing on international examples;
Critically assess which theories of social justice should be promoted in education and the extent to which educational practices promote these theories.

Content:

The course builds on the Level 4 course introduction to the sociology of education. It will be structured around key problems - class inequality and forms of capital, critical race theory, gender transformations and the inclusion debate.

Around these key themes the course will explore:
- The empirical reality of forms of educational inequality;
- The key theories which attempt to explain social reproduction and transformation especially around class, ethnicity, gender and disability;
- Social justice and education;
- Policy impacts on patterns of educational inequality and opportunity.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The module will be taught via lectures and in seminars, tutorials and workshops, utilising a range of pedagogies. This will include case studies, discussion groups, project work and presentations by guest speakers. Lectures, seminars and workshops
Hours: 30
Intended group size: Cohort

On-line support and small group tutorials
Hours: 1 (min)
Intended group size: 6-10

Guided independent study
Hours: 169

Further details relating to assessment
The case study requires students to focus on an area of educational practice or outcomes and critically assess whether the practice or outcome reflects socially just schooling by drawing on different philosophical models of justice, as discussed and deliberated on within the course.

Assessment:

001 Case-study (of one form of inequality) 4,000 words 100%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Mr Kevin Brain
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S1