SOC4053 - Sociological Thought and Theory

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 a variety of classical and contemporary theoretical perspectives that are core to sociological thinking. Students will examine the emergence of sociology as a discipline, its development, and its utility in helping us understand large scale social, political, and cultural transformations across time and different locations within the world. Students will examine ideas at the heart of social thinking, and will explore concepts including labour, capital, alienation, anomie, modernity, social justice, theories of ethics and morality, gender, risk, rationalization, postmodernity, and the ‘colour line’.

This module will also critically engage with the traditional canon of Western European Sociology and introduce students to global sociology, the challenge of postcolonialsm and decolonial studies, and the ways in which certain scholars have been marginalised within the discipline. Students will critically question the position and role of ‘Western Europe’ in the construction of knowledge within sociology and the social sciences more broadly.

Through an exploration of a diverse range of theories and theorists this module will equip students with the skills they need throughout their studies to feel confident when approaching theoretical ideas and texts and applying different perspectives in understanding the social world.

Learning and Teaching Information:

Lectures
Hours: 20
Intended Group Size: 100

Workshops
Hours: 20
Intended Group Size: 20

Guided independent study
Hours: 260

Further details relating to assessment
Annotated Bibliography (formative) - The annotated bibliography is an early assessment to help students feel comfortable and confident in approaching reading academic texts and making appropriate notes at university level. Students will be asked early in semester 1 to prepare notes on their readings and to discuss the reading process and note taking process with peers.

Essay 1 and Essay 2 are both sociological theory essays. Both of these essays will constitute a critical examination of a sociological theory/ concept based on the teaching materials of the given semester, Students will be expecteded to critically engage with a range of sources in order to put forward an overview and analysis of their chosen theory. The essays must demonstrate a theoretical and historical awareness.

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 Essay, 1,500 words; end of semester 1 45%
002 Essay, 1,500 words, end of semester 2 45%
003 Integrated assessment; 10 min group presentation; IA period 10%

Fact File

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

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