| Unit name | Qualitative Data Matters |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SOCI10016 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Jo Haynes |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
SPOL10038 Segregation and Inequality in International Perspective |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
You will be introduced to how social scientists study the social and political world, using text, images, sounds and objects. You look at how social scientific researchers generate questions, seek to address social and political problems and issues, and what it means to think scientifically in the social sciences. As a result you form an essential understanding of how social scientists use qualitative methods to address various research questions. You will learn how qualitative data is collected, analysed, and interpreted, developing skills to critically evaluate and produce social scientific knowledge. Through a range of case studies of published social scientific research – including central themes such as class, culture, digital society, gender, health, migration, music, public opinion, race and ethnicity – you will develop skills in identifying and analysing a qualitative data. While the unit introduces qualitative approaches, you will also explore how quantitative and qualitative data can be combined in mixed methods research to enhance social scientific analysis. By developing critical data literacy, you will be equipped to contribute meaningfully to social scientific debates and effectively communicate your findings to academic and non-academic audiences.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit provides you with a foundation for engaging with qualitative and mixed methods data and research, to address questions about the social world. It complements units focused on quantitative methods, theory, and substantive social and political issues, to create a balanced and integrated approach to understanding social and political phenomena. By focusing on textual, visual, sonic and material data, thematic analysis, and their relationship to quantitative evidence, the unit prepares you for advanced qualitative research methods units later in your studies.
An overview of content
This unit introduces you to the principles and practices of qualitative sociological research. You will explore how sociologists investigate social problems and issues using a variety of qualitative data and analysis. Through case studies, you will examine sociological topics – such as class, culture, digital society, gender, health, migration, music, public opinion, race and ethnicity – gaining an understanding of the conceptual and theoretical assumptions underpinning quantitative research. The unit emphasises the challenges of real-life research, including the significance of ethical and contextual factors in shaping research design and findings. While focusing on qualitative approaches, the unit also helps you explores how quantitative and qualitative data can be integrated in mixed methods research to enhance sociological analysis. By engaging with practical exercises and critical reflections, the unit equips you with the necessary research and writing skills that can be critically applied to a variety of conceptual and practical issues for academic and non-academic audiences.
How will you be different as a result of this unit?
You will develop a critical understanding of how sociological knowledge is generated using qualitative and mixed methods approaches and consider how knowledge of the social world is socially constructed. You will also be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of qualitative data and stories that can be told from analysing them. You will be equipped with foundational skills of interpreting, analysing, and evaluating a variety of qualitative data. By reflecting on case studies and interrogating different forms of data, you will gain confidence in applying analytical techniques and mixed methods to sociological questions. These skills will enhance your ability to critically engage with qualitative findings in your studies during your second and final year.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to:
1. Identify how social scientific problems can be examined qualitatively.
2. Recognise sources of empirical data for social science research.
3. Create social scientific stories using qualitative data.
The unit is delivered through a combination of in-person lectures, workshops, and small group seminars. Lectures provide you with an introduction to the key themes, concepts, and qualitative methods, as well as case studies that illustrate their application in sociological research. Seminars offer the opportunity to critique and discuss research approaches, ethical considerations, and data interpretation with peers and staff. In workshops, you will focus on developing and applying analytical skills. Additional asynchronous material may be provided to support your engagement with the unit and to reinforce the qualitative methods taught.
This combination of whole-cohort lectures, hands-on workshops, and small group seminars provides a variety of learning opportunities to achieve the unit ILOs and prepare you for the summative assessment.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A series of activities through seminars and workshops will help you develop and practise the skills needed to complete summative assessments. These activities will help you apply quantitative methods and understand how to communicate research findings effectively.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
You will identify an area of sociological interest of your choice and evaluate existing empirical studies to explore the different ways it has been examined by sociologists, drawing on a variety of empirical data. ILOs assessed: 1, 2, 3
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment in the failed element. This will comprise a task equivalent in format to the original assessment.
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. SOCI10016).
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.
