| Unit name | Contemporary Sociological Theory |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOCIM3101 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| 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?
This unit introduces students to the major contemporary frameworks for conceptualising social relations. We will explore how they conceive human beings and ‘the social’, what they consider important to explain – everyday interactions, the orderliness of routine life, broadscale inequalities, the reproduction of domination, large-scale transformations or all of the above – and how they go about explaining it. The unit follows a broadly chronological approach so that we can see how theories have developed – and progressed – over time, but it also foregrounds the necessary relationship between theory and empirical research.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit will be highly useful for students across all programmes insofar as it introduces frameworks, and the ‘big picture’ story of sociological theory, that find their way in specific form into other units. Students will therefore be able to situate, understand and evaluate research and ideas on a wide range of topics in a new way. Since the unit is also attuned to the relationship between theory and empirical research, the unit will be very useful for developing and enriching dissertation projects. No prior knowledge of sociological theory is assumed.
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 be equipped with a vocabulary allowing them to see and explain the world around them in a new way. They will better understand themselves and others – their motivations, their beliefs, their decisions and their identities. They will also be able to decode the assumptions underpinning social research on any topic and to better formulate coherent theory-led questions for their own research.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the unit, students will be able to:
The unit will be taught through weekly 2-hour classes. One hour of that class will take the form of a lecture, during which students are free to ask questions. The other hour will be treated as a seminar, focused around group discussion. There will also be asynchronous activities each week, in the form of videos, readings and questions encouraging students to dig deeper into the week’s topic.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
1,000-word review of a single theoretical article/chapter written by a theorist covered in the course. The article/chapter is the student’s choice but should be selected in consultation with the unit convener.
The formative assessment is designed to push students to develop a deep familiarity with the logic of a single theorist’s argument, to exposit key concepts/ideas clearly, to situate them in a broader context and to critically evaluate what they read. These are all vital skills for successful completion of the summative assessment, and the feedback will inform students of their progress and points for improvement.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
3,000-word essay (ILOs 1-3) asking students to outline and assess the contribution on any one theorist covered in the course, including in relation to empirical research.
The essay allows students to meet the intended learning outcomes by emphasising deep familiarity with a specific theory, its relationship with empirical research and its place in the broader development of sociological theory.
When assessment does not go to plan:
Students will normally complete the assessment in the same format, but they will be expected to choose a different social theorist to assess.
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. SOCIM3101).
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.
