BA Sociology

SOC1000: Contemporary Society: Themes, Perspectives and Case Studies

In this module you will study the subject matter of sociology. Looking at various concepts, theoretical perspectives and research areas, you will consider key sociological terms and their relevance to explaining contemporary social phenomena. The module encourages you to develop a critical understanding of the rise and transformation of modern societies from the 18th century to the present day, with a particular focus on the last three decades. Different foci will serve as mini-introductions to many of the optional modules in years 2 and 3. The module has no pre-requisites or co-requisites required. This module is suitable for non-specialist students and interdisciplinary pathways.

This module is intended to help you develop a critical understanding of the transformation of modern societies from Enlightenment to the present day. The module aims to inspire a genuine engagement with topical research and scholarship by introducing you to sociological ways of seeing and explaining the modern world. It familiarises you with diverse sociological perspectives and specialist fields, connecting them to general socio-historical developments.

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SOC1001: Social Analysis

The module will introduce you to a range of sociologically significant contemporary phenomena and the ways in which social scientists study them. Both theoretical and empirical sociological work will be explored to understand the kind of questions social scientists ask, as well as the answers they provide, in their analysis of the social world. You will learn about social inequality and poverty and the ways to measure and analyse them. You will examine gender differences, immigration, ageing and other widely discussed issues. The main focus of the module is on the sociological perspectives, but we will also explore ideas and approaches from other social sciences.

The main aim of this module is to introduce you to the main areas, concepts and approaches in sociology and in other social sciences. You will be equipped with the conceptual and methodological toolkit required for researching a range of sociologically relevant issues. You will also gain an understanding of the substantive areas where social analysis skills can be applied.

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SPA1000: Imagining Social Worlds

Sociologists and anthropologists are primarily concerned with understanding the human condition. To do this, they conduct research which enable them to explore the lives, experiences, and world views of their human subjects. In this module you will receive training in academic study skills. You will become familiar with a wide range of research methods used to imagine the social worlds of the 'others' they have studied. You will systematically study the texts which social researchers produce to learn about these methods. You will also learn practical skills in conducting qualitative research interviews and how to critically engage with quantitative research evidence. There are no pre-requisites to this module.

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ANT1000: Introduction to Social Anthropology

This module will introduce you to the methods and perspectives of socio/cultural anthropology. You will encounter a range of classic and contemporary ethnographic case studies, gaining a foundational knowledge of anthropological theory and concepts. The module will help you to question cultural assumptions and think critically about the questions and challenges anthropologists encounter when studying the social world. You will have the opportunity to apply anthropological theories to contemporary problems and to develop an understanding of the role of ethnographic fieldwork in social science research. Although the focus is on the study of human cultural diversity and social organisation, we will also consider the historical processes and colonial legacies that have shaped the discipline.

This module aims to provide foundational knowledge of anthropological theory and concepts, and learn how to think critically and analytically about key questions and problems in studying the diverse worlds that human beings inhabit. It will require you to start to learn about ethnographic methods, which are increasingly used in a variety of organisational and professional contexts, including the practical and ethical dilemmas that researchers often face.

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SOC1028: Media and Society

This module introduces you to the social scientific study of the media. Media are forms of communication. They range from hieroglyphs on walls to text messages. The media of communication are central to every society, as they make social life possible. They also can have profound, and often unnoticed, influences on how a particular society works. From people's everyday lives to the major social institutions like religion and government, media are essential, not just because they carry messages and meanings but because they have the capacity to shape those messages and meanings. The course allows you to develop a broad understanding of the media, both historically and in the present day. The course presents the main different types of analysis of the media, and their roles in society, that have been developed by a broad range of social scientists. In particular, two themes are highlighted: how media have both shaped and been shaped by modern societies, and how the 'power' of the media can be understood from a range of perspectives. Central substantive topics include: media as manipulators; the changing nature of media technologies and industries; the social construction of reality by media; the nature of media audiences; the media's relations to politics and the public sphere; and the postmodernization and globalization of media landscapes. The course encourages you to reflect upon the strengths and limitations of different approaches to media analysis in relation to the contents of media products, and modes of media production, distribution, consumption and use.

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SPA1002: Population and Society

This module will introduce you to the field of demography - the systematic study of human populations. Recent developments including the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brexit and changing immigration policy, or population ageing, have demonstrated the increasing importance of understanding demographic processes of mortality, migration and fertility. In this module, you will learn about how these processes drive population change and the ways in which these changes affect or influenced by social and political developments in the UK, as well as other parts of the world.

This module will cover key demographic theories, including the first and the second demographic transition theories and the low fertility trap hypothesis. We will discuss different ways of measuring fertility, mortality and migration and how they are shaped by societal-level factors, such as education and economic developments. We will also discuss the role of policy interventions in shaping population trends, as in the case of China's one-child policy or other policies aimed at regulating population size and structure. In addition, this module will cover issues of inequality in health and longevity and the complex relationship between population growth and climate change.

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SPA1004: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

This module will introduce the core societal, philosophical and ethical issues raised by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLM) and provide a practical introduction to ethical use of Generative AI, with a focus on higher education. The module is suitable for all philosophy, sociology, criminology, anthropology, politics and international relations students who want to understand the philosophical issues related to AI and LLMs, and to acquire practical skills in the ethical use of AI.

• You will learn to identify and assess societal, philosophical and ethical issues raised by the development of artificial intelligence.
• You will learn research skills in ethically using Generative AI.
• You will develop core philosophical skills such as critical reflection, argumentation and clarity of expression.

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SSI1005: Introduction to Social Data

'Women do 11 hours more housework than men' or 'Violent crime is down for three years in a row'. Much social science research uses quantitative research methods and statistics to investigate social phenomena ranging from employment, crime rates, health outcomes, political participation and social class. This introductory first-year module introduces you to key concepts in quantitative research design,data collection and data analysis as a basis for understanding such social phenomena

This module is suitable for all social science students and is part of the Q-Step core sequence in research methods.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to quantitative research design,data collection and basic data analysis. More specifically, it uses data sets and research examples drawn from existing social science research to illustrate core concepts and methods in quantitative research. By introducing you to methods such as experiments and surveys, and the type of social science research that can be produced using these, this module lays the foundation for understanding quantitative methods and for your own experience in conducting quantitative studies.

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SSI1006: Data Analysis in Social Science 1

The purpose of the module is to introduce you to data analytical tools commonly used in social science research. It is designed for students with no previous experience of quantitative methods or statistics. It will provide you with a basic knowledge of the foundations of descriptive statistics and inference, focusing especially on methods for data presentation, description, and visualization. You will also become familiar with statistical software packages (Excel and R) commonly used in academic and workplace settings. Laboratory (Lab) sessions will be used to re-enforce the material covered in the lectures and to help apply the core concepts seen in class to relevant practical problems. Throughout the module, you will link the techniques and methods learned in class to substantively relevant political science questions - e.g., are there differences in corruption levels and its determinants across countries? What are the key determinants of income inequality in the UK?

SSI1005 (SOC1004/POL1008) is a pre-requisite and no co-requisites are required.

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SOC2005: Theoretical Sociology

This module will introduce you to a variety of perspectives in both classical and modern social theory. Topics can broadly be grouped under two headings, though inter-relations between the two will be explored: general understandings of social relations and processes (such as ethno-methodology and actor-network theory); and big ideas about the shape of contemporary society (such as Lyotard's ideas about postmodernity and Foucault's ideas about on discipline). You will have the opportunity to think about how to apply theory in order to better understand your own experiences, as well as the world around you. You should have completed core first-year modules in sociology or anthropology before taking this module.

In this course, you will be introduced to a wide range of theoretical texts in social theory, classical and modern, and will develop an ability to read such texts closely. However, you will also be encouraged to think critically about the nature and purpose of social theorizing—to ask what the point of abstract theory is, and what theory is good for. We will then examine a range of theoretical perspectives and substantive topics that can be used to deepen our understanding of the social nature of personal and everyday experiences—of ourselves, and of others in our society and around the world. In assignments and exams, you will be expected to illustrate and extend the ideas they encounter, using concrete examples from their own lives and surroundings.

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SPA2000: Knowing the Social World

Knowing how to pay attention to social life in a formalised way is at the heart of social science research. This can involve core principles from research methods, but research is also a creative and craft skill which is best learned through practice. This module draws together ideas from sociology, anthropology, and empirical philosophy to explore primarily qualitative and basic quantitative approaches to knowing the social world for the undergraduate researcher. You will consider techniques including interviewing, participant observation, unobtrusive and oblique measures, focus groups, survey methods, online methods, critical statistics, and social media as a research tool. The module will provide you with an appreciation of the kinds of topics and social issues that sociologists, anthropologists and criminologists work on in contemporary culture. You will have the opportunity to acquire hands-on research experience, designing a research proposal, implementing an empirical pilot study and analysing your own data. You will also consider how practices of describing social data do not only describe but contribute to what we know, and can know, about social reality. You will learn the essential knowledge and skills needed to conduct an empirical research study and be asked to reflect upon the advantages and disadvantages of different methods and approaches to research.

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HAS3999: Study Abroad

The Study Abroad programme enables you to undertake a year-long study placement at a partner university outside of the UK, as part of your degree programme.

This module serves as the administrative mechanism for recording the Study Abroad assessment results of students within the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS). Students participating in the Study Abroad programme and based in a HASS department (except for the Law School, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Modern Languages, and the School of Education) will be registered on this module during their Study Abroad placement year.

The Study Abroad programme widens the range of modules available to you during Stage 3 of your degree programme; enables you to broaden your academic horizons by studying in a different learning culture and (where relevant and appropriate) in languages other than English; and aims to promote resilience, independence, cultural awareness, and communication skills.

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HAS3998: Employment Experience

This module allows you to undertake and to learn from an extended work placement during the third year of a four year “with Employment Experience” programme. You will use one or more work placements to gain skills that equip you to work in the employment market and to improve your knowledge of the work environment. You are encouraged to think about the intercultural competence and the employability skills that you acquire during your year.

To progress to this module, you will have secured a suitable placement for a minimum of 26 weeks.

Having developed the skills necessary to find relevant roles and apply for roles in the graduate labour market, this is an invaluable opportunity to develop work-related skills and experience that will further enhance your success in the graduate labour market and support your future career choices.

During your placement year you will be supported by the Module Convenor and Placement Team.

The module assessment structure provides opportunity and support for you to evaluate your skills and achievements using personal development techniques.  You will also write an Employer Report to showpiece the culmination of your academic and business skills.

This module aims to:

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SOC3040: Dissertation

The aim of the dissertation is to give you the opportunity to display your abilities in the collection, organization, analysis and communication of original research material. With help and guidance from members of the academic staff, you will develop an appropriate research question, which you will pursue in independent research (this can be empirical or library based research). In addition to consolidating your research skills, you will gain in-depth knowledge of a particular topic corresponding to your personal interests. This is a unique opportunity to carry out a major piece of independent research and to explore and present anthropological arguments in relation to empirical data gained through library research and/or fieldwork.

In order to take this module you should have gained good knowledge of theoretical and methodological issues in anthropology acquired through participation in Year 1 and Year 2 anthropology core modules.

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