BA (Hons) Sociology

Bachelor's degree

In London

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Bachelor's degree

  • Location

    London

  • Duration

    3 Years

  • Start date

    Different dates available

Sociology offers illuminating insights into our lives. This degree examines how societies are organised, how people are united and divided in different cultural and social arrangements, and how people view their societies and their identities.

Facilities

Location

Start date

London
See map
New Cross, SE14 6NW

Start date

Different dates availableEnrolment now open

About this course

We accept the following qualifications: A-level: BBBBTEC: DDMInternational Baccalaureate: 33 points overall with Three HL subjects at 655 Access: Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject-specific modulesScottish qualifications: BBBBC (Higher) or BBC (Advanced Higher)European Baccalaureate: 75%Irish Leaving Certificate: H2 H2 H2 H2 We also accept a wide range of international qualifications.

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Subjects

  • Social Theory
  • Social Change
  • Writing
  • Technology
  • Art
  • Approach
  • Conflict
  • Politics
  • Options
  • Credit
  • IT
  • Sociology
  • Cultural Studies
  • Media Studies
  • Perspective
  • Cinema
  • Image
  • Public
  • Communications
  • Social Media
  • Communication Training
  • Mediation
  • Media
  • Skills and Training
  • Production

Course programme

What you'll study Overview

The first year of the degree gets you thinking sociologically and critically, and introduces the ways in which sociological knowledge of societies has been shaped by disputes about theories and methods. First year modules address problems that have interested sociologists in their attempts to account for the world we live in. You will start to understand how the meaning derived from sociological investigations operates in cultural processes, and look at the methods that have been developed by sociologists to produce sociological knowledge.

Core modules in the second and third years cover the main approaches to sociological thought, and their implications for understanding contemporary societies. You develop a rich knowledge of the variety of sociological reasoning and research.

In the third year you take a core module in contemporary social theory and society, and you choose four options.

Year 1 (credit level 4)

You'll be assigned a personal tutor, who also acts as an academic tutor. Tutors oversee your academic work and progress over the year.

You take four core modules:

Year 1 core modules Module title Credits. Critical Readings: The Emergence of Sociological Rationality Critical Readings: The Emergence of Sociological Rationality 30 credits

This module focuses on key texts in sociology, reading them closely and critically. You are introduced to Sociology’s key thinkers through focusing on extracts from their writing and learning how to read in a critical way. You look at what they say, but also how they say it. The module aims to give you confidence in reading and thinking about texts.

Assessed by: one three-hour seen written examination.

30 credits. Researching Society and Culture 1 Researching Society and Culture 1 15 credits

This module introduces you to the methods that social scientists have developed to analyse societies and to produce social scientific knowledge. Through lectures and workshops you learn about methods in relation to various topics and research traditions.


15 credits. Modern Knowledge, Modern Power Modern Knowledge, Modern Power 30 credits

This module aims to introduce you to the ‘sociological imagination’. What is distinctive about Sociology? With a focus on knowledge and power, the module looks at how Sociology has developed, with an emphasis on the study of relations between individuals and groups in modern industrial societies.


30 credits. Culture and Society Culture and Society 30 credits

This module is primarily concerned with the relations between culture and social processes, and approaches these in a number of ways: by outlining various sociological uses of ‘culture’, by identifying the role of culture in examples of macrosocial phenomena (eg education, consumption, the city), and by discussing microsociological analyses of the role of culture in social interaction.

30 credits. Year 2 (credit level 5)

You take core modules in:

Year 2 core modules Module title Credits. Central Issues in Sociological Analysis Central Issues in Sociological Analysis 15 credits

This module looks at central questions in Sociology about how to study of society. It focuses in particular on issues of agency and structure; holism and individualism; continuity and change; public and private; structure and self; laws, observation and interpretation.


15 credits. The Making of the Modern World The Making of the Modern World 15 credits

Exploring the sub-discipline of historical sociology, the module focuses on the formation of the modern state out of earlier types of political organisation, and different ways of understanding state power. It examines processes such as: revolution; the development of nationalism; the nature of imperialism; post-socialism; and the rise of fascism.

15 credits. Philosophy and Methodology of the Social Sciences Philosophy and Methodology of the Social Sciences 15 credits

All sociologists have had to deal with some conflict between the idea of sociological knowledge as scientific, guided by reason, and human subjectivity, which gives us differing conceptions of what is real or true. This module looks at some problems in finding out about the social world, dealing with values, and interpreting social reality or realities.

15 credits. Sociology of Culture and Communication Sociology of Culture and Communication 15 credits

This begins by focusing on how culture has been conceived in the major traditions of sociological thought and moves on to consider the significance of the development of mass communications research and cultural studies for a sociology of culture

15 credits. Researching Society and Culture 2 Researching Society and Culture 2 30 credits

This module – which has Researching Society and Culture 1 as a prerequisite- looks in detail at the various stages in the research process: including the construction of research questions, collecting and analysing data and the political and ethical questions involved in thinking about writing for an audience. You're encouraged to work through these issues by reading particular research monographs and by developing your own research proposal.

30 credits.

You also choose two Sociology options. Those recently available have included:

Year 2 option modules Module title Credits. Sex, Drugs & Technology Sex, Drugs & Technology 15 credits

The module will cover contemporary approaches to the body and especially sexuality, beginning with an introduction to Foucaultian critiques and associated theories of performativity. It will provoke a series of questions about social constructionism and materiality, inviting students to evaluate more process oriented theories of performativity as well as those emphasising the productive work of speech acts (Butler). The terms ‘drugs’ and ‘technology’ in the title give emphasis to the way in which the body will be posed as always already engaged with phenomena that is more commonly deemed external. This conceptual approach will introduce students in second year to more contemporary debates and particularly debates that offer a more applied approach to inquiries of the body in relation to health, medicine and everyday technologies.

15 credits. Leisure, Culture and Society Leisure, Culture and Society 15 credits

‘Leisure is free time’. But is it? We need only think about the annual subscription to gymnasiums to recognise that leisure-time really isn’t ‘free-time’. ‘Leisure is a marker for time away from work’. But we need only think of the time of the harried vacation to know that the clock-time of work never ceases to operate. In critical theory, leisure-time is defined as functionally dependent on the labour market system. Indeed leisure is revealed as big business, as leisure-time becomes ever more central to consumer culture. This module examines the interconnections between leisure, culture and society.

15 credits. Space, Place & Power Space, Place & Power 15 credits

How is space stabalised and de-stabalised? How do we imagine space? How is space invented? These questions will be considered from within different contexts, where space is understood to be invaded. The arrival of outsiders (on the grounds of not being human or the right kind of human) in places not demarcated for them will form the basis of several case studies on this module.

The production, representation and performance of space will be central. Both theoretical readings and sociological fieldwork will form the basis of the learning. Students will consider a series of case studies from public and private domains. These will include cities, public spaces, political sites, national ceremonies and animals in the civic space.

15 credits. Art and Society Art and Society 15 credits

The French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu once noted that ‘sociology and art make an odd couple’: indeed whilst sociological investigations on the arts and aesthetics can be traced back to the founders of the discipline, they remain, like their subject matter, a diverse and changing field.

Still, in recent years the sociology of art has been emerging from its marginality, increasingly combining theoretical investigations with empirical research on contemporary artistic phenomena. This module will introduce key themes and authors in the sociology of art, classical and contemporary.

It will outline both a history of theoretical approaches and an overview of major results and trends in empirical research; key case studies will illustrate and interrogate the thematic core of each lecture. The lectures are divided in two parts, enshrined in a thematic approach that highlights crucial issues, such as: is art about beauty? What is an artist? Is art beyond society? Should art be political?

15 credits. Organisations and Society Organisations and Society 15 credits

Organisations make strange things happen. Organisations can cause serious problems. Some organisations can be quite useful or may even be necessary for doing things well together. Schools, churches, banks, supermarkets, the state and indeed the university not only shape the world but also shape the way we see the world and the way we see ourselves. This module explores the role of organisations in social life through a range of theoretical approaches and case studies.

15 credits. Culture, Representation and Difference Culture, Representation and Difference 15 credits

The module draws on work from cultural studies and sociology to think critically about the relationships between forms of cultural representation and the construction of modern self-identity. The module will examine different approaches to representation such as those developed in the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, Roland Barthes and Stuart Hall. We will also discuss more recent theoretical approaches to difference based upon recognition of generosity and cosmopolitanism. Across the module, examples will be taken from areas such as advertising, photography, tattooing and other cultural forms.

15 credits. London London 15 credits

This is a visually oriented urban sociology module in which students are taught close observation of urban space in broader context and required to work through a combination of photography and writing. This module introduces students to key themes in sociology – class, ethnicity, space, time, social inequalities, social change - through active engagement with the urban environment around New Cross specifically and more generally other areas of London. It combines classroom lectures with lectures, observation, workshops and other activities embedded in urban walks.

15 credits. Marxism Marxism 15 credits

This module will introduce students to basic concepts developed from Marxist theory that are now ubiquitous elsewhere such as class, value, alienation, exploitation, and fetishism. Each week will focus on a basic concept; start with its original source, explain, contextualise, and trace its development and critique as it progresses through social theory and sometimes into popular uses. Each concept will be interrogated then developed in relation to contemporary issues, exploring its significance and explanatory power as a critical sociological tool.

15 credits. The Body: Social Theory and Social Practice The Body: Social Theory and Social Practice 15 credits

This module explores a selection of approaches to the sociological study of the body, as well as substantive problem-areas where the body has become an important focus of research. You address the contrast between traditions that approach the body as an object (the body we have), those that approach the body as a subject (the body we are), and those that address the body in terms of performativity (the body we become).

15 credits. Social Change and Political Action Social Change and Political Action 15 credits

The first part of the module is primarily concerned with establishing a firm grasp of the fundamental approaches to the political sociology of democratic societies, whist the second introduces debates – over planning, ethnic cleansing, neoliberal ‘de-democratisation’ – that will allow us to think through the relevance of the classical categories of political sociology to the study of contemporary societies.

15 credits. Crimes Against Humanity Crimes Against Humanity 15 credits

This module considers crimes against humanity. In terms of social theory, it asks what it might mean to say that something is a crime against humanity as a whole, or against the human condition, rather than simply a crime against a paticular state or a particular national law. You will consider the meaning of key concepts such as humanity, state, universal jurisdiction, and individual responsibility.

The introduction to this module will also look at sociological theories of nationalism and the distiction between civic and ethnic nationalism. It will go on to consider totalitarianism, comparing Bauman's analysis of totalitarianism as a prototype of 'modernity' with Arendt's understanding of totalitarianism as a revolt against modern forms.

You will study what kinds of behaviour consititute crimes against humanity; how, why and by whom such crimes are committed, and consider what kinds of international legal instruments and institutions have arisen to designate crimes against humanity as such and to try to prevent or punish them. The module will also explore the difficulties of cultural representation of crimes against humanity, through movies including Shoah, Schindler's List, Ararat, Hotel Rwanda and The Act of Killing.

Throughout this module you will develop a materialist sociological methodology: using concepts to understand case studies and case studies to shed light on concepts.

15 credits. Migration in Context Migration in Context 15 credits

With migration frequently presented as a situation of ‘crisis’, this module considers broader contexts and longer histories of migration to and within Europe, and will consider the academic field migration as an inter-disciplinary field of study.

Exploring contemporary literature from writers and theorists working in a European context, the module will present students with starting points from which to consider migration using core sociological concepts, particularly of place, ‘race’ and power.

The module will follow a migration pathway, with focus points considered through lenses of leaving, moving, arriving and staying:

  • Leaving - We will examine those legal frameworks and international agreements relevant to migration, and will explore the uneasy distinction between so-called forced migration and economic migration.
  • Moving - We will consider borders and immigration controls, border theories, and the differentiated legal statutes of migrating people as linked to colonial and postcolonial relationships.
  • Arriving - We will reflect on notions of displacement, exile, integration strategies and policies, representations of migrants and racism, and examples of activism with and by migrants. Staying – We will look at migration and cities, and focus on experiences of young migrants in particular.
  • 15 credits. Year 3 (credit level 6)

    You take the core module:

    Module title Credits. Contemporary Social Theory and Society Contemporary Social Theory and Society 30 credits

    Combining the 'Theorising Contemporary Society' and 'Issues in Contemporary Social Theory' modules, this module forms the compulsory taught core for third year BA single honours Sociology students.

    It examines how the world has changed, from classical sociological theory through to 'postmodernity'. This includes:

    • recent and contemporary capitalism
    • developments in the economy
    • technology and the future
    • politics and social movements
    • identity, the body, feminism and sexuality
    • 30 credits.

      You also:

      • Write a Dissertation worth 30 credits. This is independent research, supported by classes and subject specialists, resulting in an 8,000-word dissertation in a topic of your own choice.
      • Choose four Sociology options. Those recently available have included:
      • Year 3 Sociology modules Module title Credits. Race, Racism and Social Theory Race, Racism and Social Theory 15 credits

        This examines some of the conceptual and political problems that have clustered around sociological analysis of ‘race’ and racism. It is comparative in focus and encompasses both historical and theoretical material. It introduces some of the major sociological paradigms of ‘race relations’ analysis and relates them to a variety of examples.

        15 credits. Global Development and Underdevelopment Global Development and Underdevelopment 15 credits

        Globalisations is both a dominant discourse of powerful actors on the world scene, as well as the main target for one of

BA (Hons) Sociology

Price on request