Understanding Social Inequalities
| Module title | Understanding Social Inequalities |
|---|---|
| Module code | SPA2006 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Chris Playford (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Module description
The study of social inequalities is a central focus of social science enquiry. Experiences in childhood, educational attainment, continuation in post-compulsory education, entry to the labour market, and occupational transition all vary by social class, ethnicity and gender. This module provides you with an overview of the empirical evidence in the field of social inequalities with the objective of developing your skills in understanding and critiquing applied research. This module will help you to understand better how applied quantitative social science research contributes to current debates around social stratification and social mobility. The pre-requisites for this module are SSI1005 and SSI1006.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module provides a bridge between quantitative methods techniques, social science theories and applied social research. You will develop your abilities to read, understand and evaluate applied social research in the field of social inequalities. This will reinforce the skills you have learnt as part of your quantitative methods training and develop your critical understanding of published research. Furthermore, you will develop a deeper understanding of the challenges of researching social inequalities and the claims made by politicians, government agencies and third-sector research. You will also develop your skills at synthesizing quantitative research and assessing social science theories using empirical research.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. List, describe and demonstrate a detailed understanding of the key concepts associated with social inequalities
- 2. Identify appropriate empirical evidence that can be used to test claims about social inequalities made by theorists, politicians and commentators
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Identify and critically discuss the major sociological concepts and deploy them in appropriate circumstances.
- 4. Use statistical evidence to empirically evaluate the (relative) validity of sociological theories and hypotheses
- 5. Use logic and reasoning to evaluate arguments
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Communicate effectively in speech and writing
- 7. Appropriately use ICT
- 8. Research & critically evaluate information and apply techniques and theories in appropriate contexts
- 9. Design and run group presentations and demonstrate reliability and commitment to the ongoing process of class discussion
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content and order of syllabus coverage may vary, it is envisaged that it will include the following topics:
- Social Inequalities: Definitions and Concepts
- Dimensions of inequality: social class, gender, and ethnicity
- Inequalities in childhood experiences: early-year differences
- Educational inequalities I: attainment in compulsory schooling
- Educational inequalities II: routes into and out of post-compulsory education
- Transitions from education to employment
- Occupational transition over the lifecourse and labour market experiences
- The evidence for social mobility
- Demographic inequalities: fertility and age-related inequalities
- Geographical inequalities
- Political inequalities
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hours per week comprising lectures and seminars |
| Guided Independent study | 48 | Reading and preparing for seminars (around 4-6 hours per week) |
| Guided Independent study | 80 | Study tasks directed by the module leader: e.g. 10 hours for group presentations, 15 hours for the short summary report and 55 hours for the essay |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group presentation | 10 minutes | 1-9 | Verbal |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short summary report | 20 | 500 words | 1-8 | Written |
| Essay | 80 | 2000 words | 1-8 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short summary report | Short summary report (500 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay | Essay (2000 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Crompton, R. (2008). Class and Stratification. Cambridge: Polity.
Grusky, D.B. and Weisshaar, K. (2014) Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective. Boulder: Westview Press.
Jackson, M. (Ed.) (2013). Determined to succeed? Performance versus choice in educational attainment. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Payne, G. (2013) Social Divisions (3rd Edition). Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
Payne, G. (2017) The New Social Mobility. Bristol: Policy Press.
Platt, L. (2011). Understanding Inequalities: Stratification and Difference. Cambridge: Polity Press.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | SSI1005 and SSI1006 |
| Available as distance learning? | Yes |