Secrecy and Secret Societies

SOCY30151 Secrecy and Secret Societies 20 Semester 1 Undergraduate Level 3 Andrew Balmer Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 This course explores secrecy and secret societies from a sociological viewpoint. The course uses Georg Simmel's sociological approach as a foundation for the module, but draws on other sociological analyses, as well as from other disciplines, including social history and anthropology. The course will consider such questions as: <ul> <li>Do we have to keep secrets? </li> <li>What are family secrets and how do people understand them? </li> <li>How has secrecy been connected to sexuality? </li> <li>How do secret organisations work? </li> <li>How do secret societies change over time? </li></ul>The course will consider a selection of secret organisations, and students will encounter empirical studies of the structure and functions of secret groups. This course explores secrecy and secret societies from a sociological viewpoint. The course uses Georg Simmel's sociological approach as a foundation for the module, but draws on other sociological analyses, as well as from other disciplines, including social history and anthropology. The course will consider such questions as: <ul> <li>Do we have to keep secrets? </li> <li>What are family secrets and how do people understand them? </li> <li>How has secrecy been connected to sexuality? </li> <li>How do secret organisations work? </li> <li>How do secret societies change over time? </li></ul>The course will consider a selection of secret organisations, and students will encounter empirical studies of the structure and functions of secret groups. This unit introduces students to the study of secrecy and secret organisations, exploring how such phenomena form a part of everyday life and how they relate to the broader organisation of society.  It will explore sociological themes having to do with identity and subjectivity, which might include issues such as gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity. It will consider the structure and function of multiple secret societies, explaining what these secret groups do, how they recruit members, how members’ experiences of secret groups is shaped by the wider culture of which those groups form a part, and how secret organisations have changed over time. The course aims to put students into touch with some of the mundane documents of secret organisations, and encourages students to engage with these in their assessments. Student should be able to: <ul> <li>Compare and contrast different theoretical perspectives on secrecy and secret societies. Engage empirically with secrets and secret organisations, to better understand how secrecy functions in social life, for individuals, groups and social order more broadly. </li> <li>Challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about the nature of secrets. </li> <li>Explore questions of the uses of ritual and hidden information in the creation of social bonds and inter-dependence. </li> <li>Consider how secrecy and power are connected in different ways.  </li> <li>Critically evaluate the ways that we have made knowledge about secrecy and secret societies.</li></ul> Weekly 1 x 2 hour lecture and a weekly 1 hour workshop (rolled into one 3 hour slot). The course involves a mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning: some weeks of the course are devoted to online, independent learning, focused on developing skills and understanding for the assessment. The course will utilise Blackboard in delivering the module's course content, core readings, lecture slides, supplementary material, including films, and course communications. 0 Other 100% Non-assessed commentary on a selection of quotations (500 words)Coursework 2,500 words (100%) Exploring empirical data on a secret group or on a subject of secrecy. Informal feedback will be given on student’s participation in workshops and on their understanding of the lectures, and formal feedback will be given on the coursework report itself. Y <ul> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;">Simmel, G. (1906) 'The Sociology of Secrecy and of Secret Societies', The American Journal of Sociology 11(4): 441-498. </li> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;">Smart, C. (2007) Personal Life: New Directions in Sociological Thinking, Cambridge: Polity Press. [In particular see Chapter 5 'Secrets and Lies'] </li> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;">Urban, H. (2001) The Adornment of Silence: Secrecy and Symbolic power in American Freemasonry, Journal of Religion and Society 3: 1-29. </li> <li style="margin-left: 5.7pt;">Foucault, M. (2019) The history of sexuality: 1: The will to knowledge. London: Penguin. </li></ul> Lectures 30 0 170