Inequalities in Contemporary British Society

SOCY10402 Inequalities in Contemporary British Society 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 1 Siobhan O'Neill Unit coordinator Sociology 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' First part HE study/Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This module aims to introduce the discipline of sociology through the lens of inequalities in contemporary British society. It explores how sociological perspectives are suited to making sense of inequalities and introduces students to a range of different forms of inequality, such as class, race and gender. This module is perfect for those who have previously studied sociology and want to explore it further, as well as for those who are new to the discipline.   This module aims to introduce the discipline of sociology through the lens of inequalities in contemporary British society. It explores how sociological perspectives are suited to making sense of inequalities and introduces students to a range of different forms of inequality, such as class, race and gender. This module is perfect for those who have previously studied sociology and want to explore it further, as well as for those who are new to the discipline. The course aims to:<ol><li>Introduce students to the discipline of sociology through a focus on inequalities in contemporary British society.</li><li>Introduce students to a range of topics and forms of inequality, for instance class, race and gender, and develop their understandings of particular areas for sociological study (e.g. Education; Cultural Representations; Health and so on).</li><li>Help students to gain an awareness of theoretical ideas and empirical research so  they have an understanding of the relationship between sociological arguments and  evidence.</li><li>Enhance study skills by introducing students to a body of literature that they must read and evaluate for class discussions, exercises and assessments.  </li><li>Help students develop a sense of the complexity of social life and different explanations of it and how to develop a reasoned argument around them. </li></ol> Understand what it means to consider British society from a sociological perspective and to have a sense of the different fields within the discipline of sociology.Have an understanding of the inherently social nature of everyday life and the various inequalities persisting within it. In addition to appreciating the processes by which social change and social stability co-exist.Be able to analyse and answer questions sociologically.Know more about a variety of theoretical perspectives in the discipline.Be able to engage with different ideas and novel ways of seeing things.Have a better understanding of recent empirical research.Be aware of the use of different research methodologies and how they shape substantive findings.Understand the relationship between theory and research.Be able to handle a greater volume of reading material than before.Know how to apply what they have learnt from readings to class discussions and exercises in essay writing                                                  Appreciate the complexity of social situations and events and how they can give rise to different explanations that must be assessed in a reasoned way Critically appraise ‘British society’ and inequality from a sociological perspectiveUnderstand a variety of theoretical perspectives in the discipline Be aware of the use of different research methodologies and how they shape substantive findingsAppreciate the relationship between theory and research Make sociological arguments using theory and research Appreciate the complexity of social situations and events and how they can give rise to different explanations that must be assessed in a reasoned way  The course units described here are indicative and may change year to year:Introductions: Thinking Sociologically (Sociological Perspectives; Making Sociology Global)Class Inequalities (Understanding Social Class; Class Inequalities in Context)Race and RacismGender and intersectional inequalities (Understanding gender and feminist sociological perspectives; social inequalities as complex and interrelated). Each week there will be a two-hour lecture and a one-hour tutorial.  Students’ weekly engagement with the Canvas e-learning page is essential. There may also be a range of digital mechanisms used in-class such as menti-meter and padlet (with discussions, polls and quizzes etc). Activities are synchronous.   0 Other 100% Formative assessment:one non-assessed task offering formative feedbackSummative assessment:100% One assessed piece of coursework (1500 words)  All sociology courses include both formative feedback – which lets you know how you’re getting on and what you could do to improve – and summative feedback – which gives you a mark for your assessed work. Y Required readings will be made available electronically via Blackboard. All other readings should be available from the University Main Library. The following more general textbooks are helpful and recommended:Giddens, A. and Sutton, P.W. (2017) Sociology, Cambridge: Polity Press.Macionis, J. and Plummer, K. (2012) Sociology a Global Introduction, Harlow: Pearson.Cohen, R. and Kennedy, P. (2007) Global Sociology, London: Palgrave.   Lectures 20 Tutorials 10 0 170