| Unit name | Class and Social Divisions |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOCI20045 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Will Atkinson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Social class has a profound effect on all aspects of life. It shapes how well you do in school, what job you end up getting, how much you earn, what kind of place you live in, what you think and value and even what you like and don’t like to wear, watch, listen to or eat. Yet what exactly class is and how it works have vexed not only pundits and policymakers but some of the greatest minds in sociology. On top of that, sociologists of class have had to constantly fight against claims the concept is dead, dying, sexist or Eurocentric. In this unit we will grapple with all of this. Students will be introduced to (i) the major theories of what class is and how it relates to other social divisions, and (ii) the mountain of research demonstrating its continued and diverse impact in 21st Century societies.
How does the unit fit into the programme of study?
The unit investigates a fundamental concept in sociology in depth. In doing so it builds on the foundations of knowledge laid down in the first year of the sociology programme regarding key thinkers, culture, divisions and identities. It ties in with both classical and contemporary theories of the social world while consolidating practical skills such as evidence-based reasoning and critical analysis. It prepares students for the third year, where concepts of class feature across multiple specialist units, and for the dissertation, class inequalities or differences being a common topic of choice.
Overview of content
The unit will cover:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
On completing the unit, students will have acquired a critical appreciation of the impact of class on society. As a result students will acquire new methods and concepts to make sense of the world around them. They will be able to see the interests and inequalities lying behind the most diverse events in the world as well as their own life paths and decisions. More broadly, students will develop and refine their skills in critical analysis, and how to identify and deploy empirical evidence in support of their arguments.
Intended Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to
The course will be taught through lectures, seminars and asynchronous activities. The weekly lectures serve to introduce students to (i) the core ideas and debates in relation to theories of class and (ii) the main lines of past and current research on class inequalities and differences. These introductions are embedded in an overarching story of the development of sociological thinking on class. Seminars are designed to help students deepen their understanding of key concepts and arguments, to encourage critical engagement with ideas and evidence and to facilitate application to their own experiences and contemporary events. This is achieved through a mix of small-group or whole-class activities asking students to pick apart or apply concepts and evidence, to respond to key questions or to engage in self-reflection. Asynchronous activities encourage students to push deeper into areas that lectures cannot cover.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Around week 19, students will be asked to select a current news item or event and produce a 1,000-word ‘class analysis’ of it using a framework of their choice. The goal is to encourage students to improve their understanding of and ‘think with’ a conceptual framework through application to contemporary events. These skills will be crucial for the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
At the end of the unit, the student will be asked to choose one conceptual framework and use it to overview evidence for if and how class matters in relation to substantive topics covered in the course. The assessment will be 2,500 words and constitutes 100% of the unit grade (ILOs 1,2,3)
When assessment does not go to plan:
Students will be asked to do the same activity but must choose a different framework and/or different topics.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SOCI20045).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
