Generation, Time and Life Course

SOCY32002 Generation, Time and Life Course 20 Semester 2 Undergraduate Level 3 Jingwen Zhang Unit coordinator School of Social Sciences 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Last part of a Bachelors ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 10.0 We all embark on the journey of growing up and growing old, yet we begin at different times and places, leaving divergent life paths behind. How do individual, interpersonal, and institutional forces shape our life course? What are Generation X, Y, Z, and why do they matter? How do personal biographies intersect with broader historical contexts? How do sociologists interpret concepts such as rites of passage, the midlife crisis, the generation gap, and “success breeds success”? And how can we intellectually and scientifically examine social pathways of human lives, particularly within a specific historical time and place? This course introduces students to the key concepts, principles and approaches used in the study of generations and the life course. Generation, age, time and different life stages from childhood to old age will be scrutinised and reimagined through a sociological lens. It provides students with a framework to understand the interaction of history and biography, and social pathways of human lives, particularly in their historical time and place. By engaging with contemporary research, the unit deepens students’ understanding of the mechanisms of social change and how social inequalities unfold over time. This unit also equips students to apply life course principles and methodological tools to critically analyse empirical evidence and social policies.  We all embark on the journey of growing up and growing old, yet we begin at different times and places, leaving divergent life paths behind. How do individual, interpersonal, and institutional forces shape our life course? What are Generation X, Y, Z, and why do they matter? How do personal biographies intersect with broader historical contexts? How do sociologists interpret concepts such as rites of passage, the midlife crisis, the generation gap, and “success breeds success”? And how can we intellectually and scientifically examine social pathways of human lives, particularly within a specific historical time and place? This course introduces students to the key concepts, principles and approaches used in the study of generations and the life course. Generation, age, time and different life stages from childhood to old age will be scrutinised and reimagined through a sociological lens. It provides students with a framework to understand the interaction of history and biography, and social pathways of human lives, particularly in their historical time and place. By engaging with contemporary research, the unit deepens students’ understanding of the mechanisms of social change and how social inequalities unfold over time. This unit also equips students to apply life course principles and methodological tools to critically analyse empirical evidence and social policies.  This unit aims to introduce students to the key concepts, principles and approaches used in the study of generation and the life course. Generation, time and different life stages from childhood to old age will be scrutinised and reimagined through a sociological lens. By engaging with contemporary research, we will reconsider questions rooted in everyday life from a sociological perspective, such as “What are Generation X, Y, Z, and why do they matter?”, “Is there a script of life?” and “How does inequality get under the skin?”. It provides students with a framework to understand the interaction of history and biography, and social pathways of human lives, particularly in their historical time and place. This unit also equips students to apply life course principles and methodological tools to critically analyse empirical evidence and social policies.   Describe and explain major concepts and principles of life course perspectivesUnderstand institutional structures and micro-social processes in shaping and defining the life course and generation  Critically evaluate empirical evidence, policy and practices from a life course perspectiveApply life course principles and related methods to analyse social and sociological topics (e.g. work, family, and health inequalities)  Use library, electronic and online resources  Develop writing and argument skills  The course content is organised around real-life puzzles that link to the key concepts, theories, and methodological approaches of the sociology of generations, age and the life course. The potential topics we may explore are listed below, and they may vary from year to year:It’s about time: Introduction to sociology of generation and the life courseAge-graded patterns of social life: Is there a script of life?  Defining generation and cohort: Generation “what” and why it matters?  "What's the matter with kids today?” Generation gap and intergenerational conflict  Waithood and gap year: Are millennials delaying adulthood?  Work transitions and trajectoriesIs there a midlife nadir in happiness?The social construction of age: At what age does a person become “old”?  How does inequality get under the skin?  Lives in motion: migration and mobility across the life course  Lectures: 20 hours (2 hours x 10), synchronous.Seminar or Workshop: 10 hours (1 hour x 10), synchronous. Virtual Learning Environment and other digital tools, e.g. Padlet and Mentimeter will be used.   0 Other 100% Formative assessment:Formative coursework assessment - 750 wordsSummative assessment:100% Coursework - 2500 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 Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., & Olson, L. S. (2014). The long shadow: Family background, disadvantaged urban youth, and the transition to adulthood. Russell Sage FoundationBuchmann, M. (1989). The script of life in modern society: Entry into adulthood in a changing world. University of Chicago Press.Burnett, J. (2016). Generations: The time machine in theory and practice. Routledge.Dannefer, D.  (2022)  Age and the Reach of Sociological Imagination: Power, Ideology and the Life Course.  New York: Routledge. (Core text)Elder, G.H. (1999). Children Of The Great Depression: 25th Anniversary Edition (25th ed.). Routledge.  Helson, R. M., & Mitchell, V. (2020). Women on the river of life: A fifty-year study of adult development. Univ of California Press.Kuh, D., & Ben Shlomo, Y. (Eds). (2004). A Life Course Approach to Chronic Disease Epidemiology. Oxford University Press.  Mannheim, K. (1952). The sociological problem of generations. Essays on the Sociology of Knowledge, 306, 163-195.Moen, P., & Roehling, P. (2005). The career mystique: Cracks in the American dream. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.Mortimer, J. T., & Shanahan, M. J. (Eds). (2003). Handbook of the Life Course. Springer US.  O’Rand, A., & Henretta, J. C. (1999). Age And Inequality: Diverse Pathways Through Later Life. Westview Press.Phillipson, C. (1998). Reconstructing old age: New agendas in social theory and practice. Sage.Settersten Jr, R. A., Elder Jr, G. H., & Pearce, L. D. (2021). Living on the edge: An American generation’s journey through the twentieth century. University of Chicago Press.  Lectures 20 Seminars 10 0 170