DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY, 2020-21

Teaching approach

Assuming there are no covid-19 restrictions this module will be taught face to face in seminar format.  There will be pre-recorded videos to watch ahead of time but the seminar of 50 minutes will take place in person.  You will be expected to watch this material and engage with any suggested activities before your class each week.

Please note that you should be spending up to eight hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 32 hours in total for four 30-credit modules).

The lectures provide an overview of the substantive debates around the topic of the week, while the classes will give you the opportunity to reflect on your learning and actively engage with your peers to develop your understanding further. You are strongly encouraged to attend the classes as they provide an opportunity to talk with your class teacher and other students. The classes will be captured and available via Listen Again. However, if you want to gain the most you can from these classes it is very important that you attend and engage.

Module forum

The general module forum is located at the top of your module Moodle page and you can use this space to ask any questions you have about the module. Module teachers will aim to answer any queries within three working days - but please also help each other out (and don't wait for the convenor to reply if one of you knows the answer). We encourage you to use the forum rather than individual emails for questions about the module – many of you will have similar questions and this is the best way to make sure everyone on the module is given the same information.

Forums are a great place to discuss elements of your course, chat about items of relevant interest and make friends. However, when you are interacting with other people online, you don’t have the extra benefits of body language or voice intonations to help you get your point across. While multiple and various contributions are welcome, please follow these guidelines:

- Remember that you are talking to real people. Treat the forum as you would a face-to-face tutorial.

- Be respectful of other people’s opinions. By all means, be rigorous in your argument, but try to do so in a courteous and constructive way.

- Avoid writing all in CAPITALS. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE SHOUTING!

- Please stay on topic. The module forum is for discussion of ideas related to the module.

- Remember that your readers may have different cultural and linguistic reference points to your own. For example, sarcasm may be misunderstood by other readers.

- Try to keep your messages short. Forums are not the place to write extended commentaries (that is what assignments are for).

- Credit the ideas of others.

- You are responsible for the content of your messages. Remember that you are participating in a public forum so do not post messages which contain offensive or illegal material.

The forum discussion is monitored by your module teachers. Please join these discussions - you should feel free to join in the conversation without feeling that you have to have an answer to all the questions that the module presents. The forum is one of the places that you can experiment with ways of tackling these questions.

Please note: for issues of a personal nature, please do not use the forum. You should email your tutor – remember that everyone on the module has access to the general forum. 

Module Outline

Summary: Aims, Objectives and Learning Outcomes

Aims

By the end of the module students should be able to:

· To understand the contemporary theories of how key topics intersect with politics, sociology, psychosocial analytic studies, economics, marketing, business, and language and linguistics

· To develop student’s ability to critically assess and discuss a variety of issues in different disciplines

· To understand the effect that a variety of current issues have had on shaping behaviour and institutions

· To adjudicate between competing theories or arguments, giving credit to perspectives other than their own

· To improve students’ abilities to write objectively and persuasively

· To improve general writing skills in a concise fashion

· To learn how to gather data and analyse it in a concise fashion

· To learn how to present information orally

· To learn how to work in large teams

And…

· Engage students in their own employability and development

· Enable students to develop a thorough understanding of the range of careers and their ability to access and utilize resources effectively

· Engage students with the purpose of developing employable skills and understanding why these specific skills are essential

· Develop student’s understanding of the recruitment process and what their ability is to influence this process

· Develop students’ ability to articulate their personal brand, skills and attributes in a positive, confident and professional manner.

Transferrable skills

· Identifying, gathering, assessing and organizing evidence

· Understanding the different disciplines use different approaches to understanding current events; Critically comparing alternative perspectives on current events

· Working in groups with other students from a range of different disciplines; developing inter-personal skills, people management, and ability to coordinate with others and negotiate

· Exercising judgement on the relevance and reliability of information

· Verbal, written and online communication

· Effective time management and organising tasks to meet deadlines

· Technical skills in putting together online content

· Complex problem solving and critical thinking

Learning Outcomes

1. To develop a detailed knowledge of the main theoretical and empirical concepts in social science

2. To gain an in-depth understanding of how social science applies to the big issues facing our world and the main findings of social science

3. To develop a comprehensive knowledge of developments, issues and debates in social sciences and the sources of information for studying social science from an inter-disciplinary perspective

4. To apply analysis and research to solve and explore common issues in social science

5. To develop skills in teamwork and technical presentations

6. To deliver successful planning and project implementation through strong organisational skills

7. To develop understand how to undertake independent research, to learn important research techniques, writing and critical thinking.

8. To critically engage with social science data, and understand how to gather/access sources of data in social science