A Sociology of 21st Century Britain

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module will use contemporary Britain as an empirical base for exploring wider sociological perspectives. As an introductory degree level sociology module the emphasis is on developing a sociological sensibility to the social world. The questions that will be posed throughout the module are how are sociological explanations derived? how do different people come to different conclusions about similar social phenomena? what is distinct about sociological explanations - as opposed to those from other disciplines?

The relationship between empiricism and theory will be explored using examples from recent sociological research. The topics chosen broadly reflect established key themes in sociology however the exemplar material will be drawn from studies no older than five years. We shall be looking at how sociologists have interrogated a range of issues in 21st century Britain including work and employment, family, sport, intimacy, life online, nationalism, death and wealth. 

The first engagement with degree level sociology should be exciting and the module is designed to demonstrate the capacity of sociology to explore the social world in interesting, challenging and critical ways.

Colonialism and After

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module is an introduction to a range of key historical problems and conceptual questions relating to the colonial and postcolonial experiences. Focusing on the characteristics of capitalism, imperialism, and modernity, the module examines the making of the modern world. It provides an introduction to European expansion, the slave economy, the development of wage labour, industrial growth, imperialism, creation of the modern state, genocide, the idea of development, anticolonialism, and the creation of the `third world'.

International Development: Ideas and Actors

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module offers an introduction to key ideas and actors in international development. It begins by considering what the term "development" means, exploring a range of different interpretations and the different kinds of practices that are associated with the idea of development. It goes on to look at trends in development thinking, and from there to identify a series of ideas and actors who have been influential in shaping international development thinking, policy and practice. By looking at the kinds of ideas about development associated with different kinds of actors, and at debates about aid, development and social change, the module will give you an overview of the field of international development and put in place some of the foundations for subsequent development modules.

Issues in Development

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

The aim of the module is to provide you with an overview of international development using key topics to explore the different theoretical and conceptual perspectives that underpin understandings of development. The module is not a comprehensive review of all development-related issues but instead focuses on a smaller set of issues in development, covering amongst other matters, topics of poverty, international trade, growth, population, environment, aid and debt.

Key Thinkers in Development

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module provides an introduction to some of the most important thinkers in international development. It provides a broad historical overview of the evolution of development thinking by starting with key debates initiated in the 18th and 19th centuries and moving to contemporary thinkers from diverse geographical regions. Each week, you will read an original text from the key thinker discussed, as well as an additional supporting/critical text. Above all else the module aims to provide you with a broad understanding of different approaches to development thinking, why they arose and their current applicability in the age of globalisation.

Making the Familiar Strange

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

'Making the Familiar Strange' is predicated on the question how do sociologists do sociology? The module introduces you to epistemological and methodological issues in sociology. From an engagement with epistemology, methodological questions arise and these will be addressed - largely demonstrated through examples.

You will be introduced to particular epistemological approaches and then asked to reflect on worked examples of these. This is done by counterpoising a classic sociological studies with a contemporary examples - similarities and differences in epistemological and methodological approaches are critically examined.

It is intended that the examples will open up space for discussion about appropriate ways of understanding social phenomena with particular ontological and epistemological frames

Themes and Perspectives in Sociology I

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

Modern sociology developed in the 19th century in tandem with the rise of industrial capitalist society. It had a number of key concerns which reflected changes in, and the structure of, society at the time. These concerns have continued to preoccupy sociologists though in the context of contemporary societies, which have redefined key categories and experiences. This modules looks at such themes and at sociological perspectives on them as they have developed in both classical and contemporary forms of the discipline

Themes and Perspectives in Sociology II

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

Modern sociology developed in the 19th century in tandem with the rise of industrial capitalist society. It had a number of key concerns which reflected changes in, and the structure of, society at the time. These concerns have continued to preoccupy sociologists though in the context of contemporary societies, which have redefined key categories and experiences. This module looks at such themes and at sociological perspectives on them as they have developed in both classical and contemporary forms of the discipline.

Doing Sociological Research: working with qualitative data

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

You will be introduced to thinking about how to conduct sociological research using different methods. In this part you will focus on qualitative approaches. You will be introduced to debates in the social sciences related to research design, epistemology and studying sensitive and ethical issues, and will get practical experience in key methods for gathering and analysing qualitative data including interviewing, participant observation and textual analysis. Assessment will include a mini- or 'pilot' project carried out using one method.

Doing Sociological Research: working with quantitative data

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The aim of this module is to introduce students to different ways of designing and doing social research. In this part we focus on basic features of quantitative survey research, both analysing other people's research (using secondary data) and creating your own. In Part II we focus on different methods of qualitative data collection and analysis. The aim of the module is to give you important skills for life as well as the labour market, and more prosaically to prepare you to carry out project work in the third year. In both halves of this module you build up activities week by week to carry out a kind of 'pilot' or 'mini-project' on a topic of your choice. This is more closely supported than in year 3: you will discuss ideas for the project in your workshops; you will be helped to apply for ethical review; you will have formative feedback on your proposals and your research instruments (in this case surveys) and lots of help in workshops to bring it all together.

Economic Perspectives on Development

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module introduces you to how economics can be used to understand contemporary international development issues. You will obtain a basic understanding of tools that economics uses to analyse and evaluate development questions. The emphasis is on analysing a topic and the nature of the problem, and policy responses, from both an economic and critical perspective. The module begins with a non-technical introduction to economics and then covers a set of topics, such as determinants of economic growth and the connection between growth, inequality and poverty, trade and trade policy, poverty reduction policies, the roles of corruption, legal and political institutions in economic development, agriculture, land and credit markets, the determinants and consequences of violent conflict and environment and development.

Social Change, Culture and Development

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module starts from the observation that development is more than economic change and involves important social and cultural aspects. It begins with an interrogation of the way development practices and ideas are embedded in cultural contexts, and specifically how the development industry is historically and culturally entangled in Western conceptions of progress, rationality, and the individual. Against a view of culture as 'tradition' and an impediment to development we will examine different cultural conceptions of progress. This involves both alternate visions of future development as well as the negative impacts that development policies and interventions have on local people, communities and cultures. Questions of power and cultural relativism inevitably arise: what happens when different interests and commitments collide, and who or what determines the module development interventions take?

Beyond the Vote: Citizenship and Participation in Sociology

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Citizenship and participation is a module looking at the sociology of political involvement beyond the vote. It introduces different forms and sites of citizenship in the contemporary state - in relation to welfare, health, work, consumption, family life and the city or urban community - and also considers different expressions of social or civic activism, from volunteering to violent protest. The use and limitations of direct democratic experiments is examined, through analysis of various types of deliberative forum and citizen polling, and we consider the appeal of notions of 'responsibility' and 'choice'. You will learn through examining specific cases each week.

Constructing Sexuality

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module will explore and analyse theories of sexuality and sexual politics, both historically and across cultures, and current debates within feminism and postmodernism. Connections will also be made between lived experiences and cultural representations and expectations. The module will explore theories concerning the social construction of gender, biological essentialism, patriarchy, the conceptualisations of the identity 'woman' and 'man', sexuality and sexual practices and the ways these are affected by class, race, disability and age.

You will explore theoretical issues within the following themes: pre-20th century legal, medical and scientific constructions of sexuality; the development of theories since the 1960s; current debates relating to sexuality such as heterosexual/homosexual/lesbian/bisexual identities; femininities and masculinities; love and romance and pornography.

Constructing Sexuality

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module will explore and analyse theories of sexuality and sexual politics, both historically and across cultures, and current debates within feminism and postmodernism. Connections will also be made between lived experiences and cultural representations and expectations. The module will explore theories concerning the social construction of gender, biological essentialism, patriarchy, the conceptualisations of the identity 'woman' and 'man', sexuality and sexual practices and the ways these are affected by class, race, disability and age.

You will explore theoretical issues within the following themes: pre-20th century legal, medical and scientific constructions of sexuality; the development of theories since the 1960s; current debates relating to sexuality such as heterosexual/homosexual/lesbian/bisexual identities; femininities and masculinities; love and romance and pornography.

Development and the State

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module is concerned with the role of the state in development. It considers this subject matter  theoretically - that is, by exploring debates in state theory, and on the relationship between the state and development - empirically, by investigating a range of historical and contemporary state forms and the impacts of these state forms on processes of development, and normatively, by posing questions about what the nature and role of the state should ideally be.

The module examines the main theoretical approaches to the state and historical state forms and their attendant development experiences, in the north and in the post-colonial south. Finally, the module moves to development since the 1980s, exploring the impacts of state failure, neo-liberalism, democratisation and global governance on state forms and patterns of development.

Environmental Perspectives on Development

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module explores development with an explicit focus on environmental issues. You will look at the relationships between development and the environment: the consequences of development on the environment, environmental constraints to development, and problems of development in marginal environments. You will examine how the environment and issues around sustainability have been considered (or ignored) in relation to development and how this has changed over time. The module includes historical perspectives on environment and development, illustrating continuities and changes in policies related to environment and development. It also explores core issues around environmental management and development in relation to key resources, such as wildlife, forests and water.

Finance for Development

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module discusses and analyses the major challenges and current initiatives in the creation of finance industries appropriate to and effective in developing countries. The module focuses on the private financial sector and issues relating to access to finance. After a general overview, the module begins by examining the forms of finance available for larger firms in developing countries, mainly the banking sector and the stock market. Subsequently, it covers the evidence on the effects of financial development on economic growth and the role of institutional factors, such as corporate governance, in financial development. It then moves on to examine the access to finance for smaller firms and households and the implications of a lack of access. Finally, the module touches upon private international sources of finance, namely private capital flows, FDI and remittances to developing countries.

Gender and Development: Theory, Concepts and Issues

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module considers development processes in the light of how they are shaped by and impact upon gender discourses and relations. The module introduces you to key concepts in the analysis of social relations between women and men in different cultural, economic and political contexts. This includes examining the nature of gender inequality and of the household as a social construct, and reviewing concepts of power and empowerment. While concerned with providing a theoretical and conceptual grounding by reviewing debates on the household and the gender division of labour, the module is organised around substantive and policy topics related to poverty, labour markets, women’s employment, migration, and globalisation.

Health, Poverty and Inequality

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This second year interdisciplinary module is concerned with issues of culture, power and knowledge in the study of health and development. It draws on perspectives from medical anthropology, medical sociology, public health, cultural psychology, feminist and activist politics and development studies to focus on the relationship between poverty, social marginality and illness in a variety of historical and contemporary contexts. Apart from a focus on emerging infectious diseases such as HIV and Aids, we also consider the implications of homelessness, mental health and organ donation for individual health and well-being. The scrutiny of health planning and policies, such as in the domain of maternal and child health, as well as the impact of an increasing intervention of medical technologies in healthcare delivery, are further important aspects of the module.

Political Sociology

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module is intended to introduce you to some of the main ideas and practices in political life from a sociological perspective. Whereas political scientists have tended to to analyse politics and power by looking at political institutions such as government and parties, political sociologists look at such phenomena in a broader social context and are especially interested in social movements and major social and political change. Political sociology is ultimately the study of power and social change. Political sociologists are concerned with the myriad social context in politics occur, for example in social moments and civil society organizations at both local and global levels, as well as the level of the national state. Weekly topics include: an introduction to the field of political sociology, historical and contemporary perspectives on the state, legitimacy and authority, borders and the transformation of territory, the future of the state nationalism (new kinds of nationalism), anti-systemic movements and the state, revolution in historical and contemporary perspectives, cosmopolitanism, global civil society and global ethics, the EU and the transnationalisation of the nation-state, and the future of the west.

Political Sociology

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module is intended to introduce you to some of the main ideas and practices in political life from a sociological perspective. Whereas political scientists have tended to to analyse politics and power by looking at political institutions such as government and parties, political sociologists look at such phenomena in a broader social context and are especially interested in social movements and major social and political change. Political sociology is ultimately the study of power and social change. Political sociologists are concerned with the myriad social context in politics occur, for example in social moments and civil society organizations at both local and global levels, as well as the level of the national state. Weekly topics include: an introduction to the field of political sociology, historical and contemporary perspectives on the state, legitimacy and authority, borders and the transformation of territory, the future of the state nationalism (new kinds of nationalism), anti-systemic movements and the state, revolution in historical and contemporary perspectives, cosmopolitanism, global civil society and global ethics, the EU and the transnationalisation of the nation-state, and the future of the west.

Race, Ethnicity and Nationalism

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module is an introduction to various themes and conceptual issues in the study of culture, ethnicity and nationalism as seen from a range of disciplinary perspectives. The module is comprised of three sections and is designed to provide you with an understanding of the interaction between power and cultural meanings, particularly as they relate to the construction of boundaries and the creation of difference between social groups. After considering such key concepts as race, culture, ethnicity, and nationalism, there will be an emphasis on ethnic and religious mobilisation and we shall consider the extent to which similar and different processes are at work in South Africa, the Caribbean, and the Indian sub-continent. These cases are included to give students a contextualised understanding of the complex historical and cultural dimensions of modern political struggles.

Race: Conflict and Change

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module will examine and explore the issues of race, racism, racial conflict and race relations in contemporary Britain (Please note: although we will mainly refer to Britain, examples from other countries in Europe and the West will be frequently used). Beginning with colonial discourses of the racial 'other', the post-1945 period following the start of mass colonial immigration to Britain, through to the present day this module will examine the various historical, social, political, economic and cultural forces and processes through which the concept of race and the racialised subject have been constructed, shaped and changed over time.

The module will be divided into twelve 1-hour lectures and twelve 1-hour seminars, each focusing on a particular historical, social, political, cultural or theoretical topic, issue and problem related to race in Britain. These range from: the construction and status of race through various dismodules and contexts of colonialism, immigration and multiculturalism, issues of identity, representation, power, equality and difference, the relationship between race and other social-political identifications, categories and divisions such as nationality, class, gender, ethnicity and religion, the relationship between race and the law, crime and civil unrest, the history of racial conflict and the development of anti-racist activism, policies and legislation, forms of cultural politics, expression and resistance and, finally, current issues and debates concerning the status of race in Britain.

Race: Conflict and Change

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module will examine and explore the issues of race, racism, racial conflict and race relations in contemporary Britain (Please note: although we will mainly refer to Britain, examples from other countries in Europe and the West will be frequently used). Beginning with colonial discourses of the racial 'other', the post-1945 period following the start of mass colonial immigration to Britain, through to the present day you will examine the various historical, social, political, economic and cultural forces and processes through which the concept of race and the racialised subject have been constructed, shaped and changed over time.

The module is taught through lectures and seminars, each focusing on a particular historical, social, political, cultural or theoretical topic, issue and problem related to race in Britain. These range from: the construction and status of race through various discourses and contexts of colonialism, immigration and multiculturalism, issues of identity, representation, power, equality and difference, the relationship between race and other social-political identifications, categories and divisions such as nationality, class, gender, ethnicity and religion, the relationship between race and the law, crime and civil unrest, the history of racial conflict and the development of anti-racist activism, policies and legislation, forms of cultural politics, expression and resistance and, finally, current issues and debates concerning the status of race in Britain.

Sociology of Deviance

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module falls into two parts. In the first part, the concepts of crime, deviance and social control will be considered alongside the exploration of the sociological explanations for the existence of crime and deviance in society. The module will also critically examine the data sources used to support these perspectives. In the second part of the module, these perspectives will be applied to the study of substantive areas of deviance comprising institutions of social control (the police, the courts and prisons); the distribution of crime and the use of official statistics; the mass media; juvenile delinquency; mental illness; and sexuality.

Sociology of Deviance

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module falls into two parts. In the first part, the concepts of crime, deviance and social control will be considered alongside the exploration of the sociological explanations for the existence of crime and deviance in society. The module will also critically examine the data sources used to support these perspectives. In the second part of the module, these perspectives will be applied to the study of substantive areas of deviance comprising institutions of social control (the police, the courts and prisons); the distribution of crime and the use of official statistics; the mass media; juvenile delinquency; mental illness; and sexuality.

Sociology of Education

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module will first explore historical and current theoretical concepts of education. You will then focus on: the hidden curriculum, the roles and behaviour of the teacher and the student, and higher education, its cultures and customers. We will end the module by looking at key debates related to education: the gender debates, the class debates, and the role of education as a cultural symbol.

Sociology of Education

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module will first explore historical and current theoretical concepts of education. You will then focus on: the hidden curriculum, the roles and behaviour of the teacher and the student, and higher education, its cultures and customers. We will end the module by looking at key debates related to education: the gender debates, the class debates, and the role of education as a cultural symbol.

Sociology of Everyday Life

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The aim of this module is to encourage you to think sociologically about everyday life, by 'making the familiar strange'. You are asked to suspend any taken for granted assumptions you have about the rules and routines of social life, and instead to question these patterns of behaviour from the perspective of an external observer.

The module will introduce you to some of the key theories of interpretivist social theory, such as ethnomethodology and symbolic interactionism, and encourage you to look for the unspoken rules and norms of behaviour that govern social life in different contexts. Thus the substantive topics to be covered include the home and domestic routines, interaction on the street, shopping and consumption, eating and drinking rituals, time and schedules, shyness and embarrassment, holidays and leisure, and the sociology of sleep. There will be a session about (and where possible, a visit to) the Mass Observation archive, which you will be encouraged to use as a source of data. An exercise will be set each week relating to the topics; the collection of these exercises will be submitted as part of the assessment task. You will also be asked to give a non-assessed presentation on a text from one week of the module.

Sociology of Everyday Life

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The aim of this module is to encourage you to think sociologically about everyday life, by 'making the familiar strange'. You are asked to suspend any taken for granted assumptions you have about the rules and routines of social life, and instead to question these patterns of behaviour from the perspective of an external observer.

The module will introduce you to some of the key theories of interpretivist social theory, such as ethnomethodology and symbolic interactionism, and encourage you to look for the unspoken rules and norms of behaviour that govern social life in different contexts. Thus the substantive topics to be covered include the home and domestic routines, interaction on the street, shopping and consumption, eating and drinking rituals, time and schedules, shyness and embarrassment, holidays and leisure, and the sociology of sleep. There will be a session about (and where possible, a visit to) the Mass Observation archive, which you will be encouraged to use as a source of data. An exercise will be set each week relating to the topics; the collection of these exercises will be submitted as part of the assessment task. You will also be asked to give a non-assessed presentation on a text from one week of the module.

Sociology of Medicine and Health

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module begins by considering the relationship between socio-economic inequality and health outcomes industrialiSed countries, especially in Britain. You then examines the role played by the state, and the National Health Service in particular, in the heath of the nation. The position of medical and health professionals is also analysed in order to understand processes of professionalization and medicalization. Attention then turns to medicines themselves, how they are tested for safety and effectiveness by the pharmaceutical industry and how this process in regulated by governments. The implications of pharmaceuticals and drug prescribing for public health will be carefully scrutinised. You will also gain sociological insights into reproductive technologies and some of the health and social implications of the 'new genetics'. Finally, the module discussed lay public and mass media perspectives on medicine.

Sociology of Medicine and Health

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module begins by considering the relationship between socio-economic inequality and health outcomes industrialiSed countries, especially in Britain. You then examines the role played by the state, and the National Health Service in particular, in the heath of the nation. The position of medical and health professionals is also analysed in order to understand processes of professionalization and medicalization. Attention then turns to medicines themselves, how they are tested for safety and effectiveness by the pharmaceutical industry and how this process in regulated by governments. The implications of pharmaceuticals and drug prescribing for public health will be carefully scrutinised. You will also gain sociological insights into reproductive technologies and some of the health and social implications of the 'new genetics'. Finally, the module discussed lay public and mass media perspectives on medicine.

Conflict, Violence and Peace: Critical perspectives

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

In recent years, there has been increased focus on conflict, violence and peace-building in the media, popular literature and aid programmes raising important questions about how these processes are understood and represented and what implications this has for the local and international response and in turn the transformation of conflict and violence. This module will offer critical perspectives on mainstream approaches to the study of conflict, violence and peace drawing on both anthropology and development studies.

Conflict, Violence and Peace: Critical perspectives

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

In recent years, there has been increased focus on conflict, violence and peace-building in the media, popular literature and aid programmes raising important questions about how these processes are understood and represented and what implications this has for the local and international response and in turn the transformation of conflict and violence. This module will offer critical perspectives on mainstream approaches to the study of conflict, violence and peace drawing on both anthropology and development studies.

Contemporary Issues in the Global Political Economy

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The central theme running through this module is how the architecture of existing capitalism has to be adjusted or brought into balance with the needs of expanding markets. We begin by looking at attempts by global governance institutions like the WTO to create a largely deregulated world market. We then examine how financial systems are expanding and how the stock market has become a key institution of modern capitalism. We discuss then the changing nature of multinational corporations and the state as they reorient themselves towards a global market. We examine empirically the post-Cold War expansion of capitalism into Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Finally, we analyse the most recent developments in world affairs from a political economy perspective, looking at the increasing military bias of foreign policy of major capitalist states, as well as at the changing nature of anti-capitalist protest in the wake of 9/11.

Contemporary Issues in the Global Political Economy

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The central theme running through this module is how the architecture of existing capitalism has to be adjusted or brought into balance with the needs of expanding markets. We begin by looking at attempts by global governance institutions like the WTO (World Trade Organisation) to create a largely deregulated world market. We then examine how financial systems are expanding and how the stock market has become a key institution of modern capitalism. We discuss then the changing nature of multinational corporations and the state as they reorient themselves towards a global market. We examine empirically the post-Cold War expansion of capitalism into Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Finally, we analyse the most recent developments in world affairs from a political economy perspective, looking at the increasing military bias of foreign policy of major capitalist states, as well as at the changing nature of anti-capitalist protest in the wake of 9/11.

Contemporary Social Theory

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module provides a critical assessment of the some of the most prominent sociological theorists in the late 20th century. This period can be described as post-classical in the sense that the various schools of classical sociological theory associated with Marx, Weber, Durkheim and their later followers gave way to a range of new approaches such as those linked to post-structuralism, such as Foucault - as well as to new interpretations of the classical approaches, such as social constructionism, western Marxism and critical theory. The central aim of the module is to show how contemporary thinkers have understood the major transformations in modern society (ie from industrial to post-industrial society, globalisation, new social movements such as feminism, environmental movements, identity politics). This will involve a consideration of some of the most important debates in sociological theory, such as the debates about modernity versus postmodernity, structure versus agency as well as the influence of psychoanalytic social theory emanating from feminist theory and from post-structuralism.

The weekly topics include: social constructionism; Foucault and govementality; Habermas and critical theory; recognition theory (Honneth); marxism after postmodernism; Bourdieu and recent French sociology; poststructuralism and psychoanalysis: Derrida, Lacan, Deleuze; Bauman's postmodern ethics; network theory: Latour and Castells; theories of modernity; cosmopolitanism and social theory; culture and social theory (performativity, Alexander).

Contemporary Social Theory (Spring/Summer)

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module provides a critical assessment of the some of the most prominent sociological theorists in the late 20th century. This period can be described as post-classical in the sense that the various schools of classical sociological theory associated with Marx, Weber, Durkheim and their later followers gave way to a range of new approaches such as those linked to post-structuralism, such as Foucault - as well as to new interpretations of the classical approaches, such as social constructionism, western Marxism and critical theory. The central aim of the module is to show how contemporary thinkers have understood the major transformations in modern society (ie from industrial to post-industrial society, globalisation, new social movements such as feminism, environmental movements, identity politics). This will involve a consideration of some of the most important debates in sociological theory, such as the debates about modernity versus postmodernity, structure versus agency as well as the influence of psychoanalytic social theory emanating from feminist theory and from post-structuralism.

The weekly topics include: social constructionism; Foucault and govementality; Habermas and critical theory; recognition theory (Honneth); marxism after postmodernism; Bourdieu and recent French sociology; poststructuralism and psychoanalysis: Derrida, Lacan, Deleuze; Bauman's postmodern ethics; network theory: Latour and Castells; theories of modernity; cosmopolitanism and social theory; culture and social theory (performativity, Alexander).

Development Tools and Skills

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The aim of the module is to introduce you to a range of key tools, approaches and skills used in the development world to identify, design, and evaluate development interventions. The module will take a 'hands on' approach and will allow you to develop skills which are useful not only in development but also in many other types of work in the public policy, private and voluntary sectors. In addition to the specific skills and tools covered in this module - such as problem analysis, stakeholder analysis, risk analysis, cost-benefit analysis and logical frameworks - you will also gain experience in working in teams, in presenting clear and convincing arguments, and in advocacy and negotiating skills.

Development, Business and Corporate Social Responsibility

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module explores the role of business in development and the rise of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement. In recent years, the private sector, and transnational corporations (TNCs) in particular, have become increasingly important players in the development process. The business and development movement has emerged as part of the dramatic rise of CSR over the past decade - providing a new vision for the role of business in society as 'corporate citizen'. Development institutions, such as DFID and the UN, as well as global NGOs, have become increasingly interested in mobilising business, not only as donors, but as partners in development. At the same time, ethical trading initiatives, the fairtrade movement and pro-poor enterprise models offer opportunities, in different ways, for harnessing the power of the market in the service of development. This module will explore a number of key questions concerning the role of business in development and the rise of the CSR movement, from the perspective of both its proponents and opponents.

Development, Business and Corporate Social Responsibility

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module explores the role of business in development and the rise of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement. In recent years, the private sector, and transnational corporations (TNCs) in particular, have become increasingly important players in the development process. The business and development movement has emerged as part of the dramatic rise of CSR over the past decade, providing a new vision for the role of business in society as 'corporate citizen'. Development institutions, such as DFID and the UN, as well as global NGOs, have become increasingly interested in mobilising business, not only as donors, but as partners in development. At the same time, ethical trading initiatives, the fairtrade movement and pro-poor enterprise models offer opportunities, in different ways, for harnessing the power of the market in the service of development. This module will explore a number of key questions concerning the role of business in development and the rise of the CSR movement, from the perspective of both its proponents and opponents.

Environment, Ecology and Development

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module examines the impact of social and economic transformations, trade and technological development on people, environment and ecology in the tropics. The analysis includes a historical perspective, present-day impacts and future scenarios. Topics include problems of water and energy supply and their health and environmental consequences; indigenous environmental knowledge; intellectual property rights and biotechnology; local and national perspectives on wildlife, ecotourism and environmental protection.

Environment, Ecology and Development

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module examines the impact of social and economic transformations, trade and technological development on people, environment and ecology in the tropics. The analysis includes a historical perspective, present-day impacts and future scenarios. Topics include problems of water and energy supply and their health and environmental consequences; indigenous environmental knowledge; intellectual property rights and biotechnology; local and national perspectives on wildlife, ecotourism and environmental protection.

Globalisation: History, Theories, Culture

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

We live in a fast-moving world where companies and trade are often international and money can be globally mobile in an instant. Media images and cultural products are transported globally, and tourism and migration are important parts of everyday social experience. Politics is often carried out at supranational levels, whether through international organisations or global social movements. Processes such as these make distance over space less important, and interdependency across the globe affects all societies raising questions to do with cultural identity, power, inequality and conflict.

This module looks at different meanings and concepts of globalisation. It analyses the history of globalisation and the extent to which it is a premodern, modern or postmodern phenomenon. The module examines perspectives on globalisation, such as those from globalist, transformationalist and sceptical perspectives. You will examine theories of globalisation from key sociologists. The module goes on to look at technological developments in media and the way they have led to the globalisation of culture, and whether culture has been made more homogeneous or hybrid. The module looks at the way processes of globalisation have intersected in global cities.
 

Globalisation: Migration, Economy, Politics

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

We live in a fast-moving world where companies and trade are often international and money can be globally mobile in an instant. Media images and cultural products are transported globally and tourism and migration are important parts of everyday social experience. Politics is often carried out at supranational levels, whether through international organisations or global social We live in a fast-moving world where companies and trade are often international, and money can be globally mobile in an instant. Media images and cultural products are transported globally, and tourism and migration are important parts of everyday social movements. Processes such as these make distance over space less important and interdependency across the globe affects all societies.

This module looks at causes, types and effects of global migration, both historically and today. It examines the degree to which world economics have been globalised by factors, such as the growth of transnational corporations, the mobility of money and international economic interdependency. It examines the degree to which global trade helps to include poorer countries or leads to greater inequality. You will examine the extent to which politics has been globalised through factors such as the rise of international organisations and the global nature of social problems, and whether the nation-state is in decline. The module also looks at war and power globally in the 21st century, the nature of the world order, and at the distribution of power among states in the world.

Human Rights

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module focuses less on human rights rules and laws than on the assumptions of human rights, the historical context and issues around their operation and implementation. It draws from a new and growing literature on the sociology and anthropology of human rights which seeks to move beyond the assumptions of legal positivism (rights as being `read off¿ from lists of human rights covenants) in order to develop the `legal realist¿ argument which focuses upon the living law of the operation of courts, the police, and the everyday understandings which citizens give to notions such as truth, justice, and morality.

Human Rights

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module focuses less on human rights rules and laws than on the assumptions of human rights, the historical context and issues around their operation and implementation. It draws from a new and growing literature on the sociology and anthropology of human rights which seeks to move beyond the assumptions of legal positivism (rights as being 'read off' from lists of human rights covenants) in order to develop the legal realist argument which focuses upon the living law of the operation of courts, the police, and the everyday understandings which citizens give to notions such as truth, justice, and morality.

Identity and Interaction

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module explores microsociological theories of the self, social identity and social interaction, drawing particularly on symbolic interactionism and Goffman's dramaturgical theory. The aim is to show how the ostensibly private world of individual selfhood is created and shaped by social processes, culture and interaction order. The first half of the module examines different approaches to understanding identity: from the philosophy of mind and personhood, through theories of group membership and categorisation; narrative and biographical models of the 'storied self'; performativity; and poststructuralist ideas about identity fragmentation, multiplicity and the discursive constitution of subjectivities. The second part of the module looks in detail at two related theories of social interaction - symbolic interactionism and Goffman's dramaturgy - and their empirical applications, using illustrative examples from published studies.

Topics covered here include: role-making, taking, play and conflict; meanings, gestures and symbols; strangers and outsiders; Goffman's theatrical analogy; behaviour in public places (etiquette, civility and interaction rituals); deviant and stigmatised identities; the negotiated order of institutional life; and secrecy, lies, betrayal and deception. The module will be assessed by a 6,000 word essay, in the form of either a critical commentary on the social formation of one type of social identity or a reflexive portfolio of self-identity.

Identity and Interaction

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module explores microsociological theories of the self, social identity and social interaction, drawing particularly on symbolic interactionism and Goffman's dramaturgical theory. The aim is to show how the ostensibly private world of individual selfhood is created and shaped by social processes, culture and interaction order. The first half of the module examines different approaches to understanding identity: from the philosophy of mind and personhood, through theories of group membership and categorisation; narrative and biographical models of the 'storied self'; performativity; and poststructuralist ideas about identity fragmentation, multiplicity and the discursive constitution of subjectivities. The second part of the module looks in detail at two related theories of social interaction - Symbolic Interactionism and Goffman's dramaturgy - and their empirical applications, using illustrative examples from published studies. Topics covered here include: role-making, taking, play and conflict; meanings, gestures and symbols; strangers and outsiders; Goffman's theatrical analogy; behaviour in public places (etiquette, civility and interaction rituals); deviant and stigmatised identities; the negotiated order of institutional life; and secrecy, lies, betrayal and deception. The module will be assessed by a 6000 word essay, in the form of either a critical commentary on the social formation of one type of social identity or a reflexive portfolio of self-identity.

International Development Thesis

30 credits
Autumn & spring teaching, Year 3

The International Development Undergraduate Thesis provides you with an opportunity to integrate what they have learnt in the module of your studies into a single, sustained piece of writing that will explore a topic in depth. The module will involve the design, planning and execution of the thesis, with the support of a supervisor, and may include the collection of empirical data or the use of secondary source material. You choose your own topics, and develop your own approaches to investigating the topic, drawing on earlier skills-based modules and on interests developed through the module of the degree programme.

Madness and Society: Healthcare Controversies

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The central aim of the module is to develop a critical and analytical understanding of key debates in the field of contemporary mental healthcare in relation to the conceptualisation of mental disorder and critiques of the therapeutic claims of psychiatry in relation to its presumed objectivity, scientific status and social neutrality. You are encouraged to develop critical perspectives when evaluating different bodies of knowledge and evidence, and to consider the relative influence of social, psychological, emotional and physical/biological factors in shaping the way mental disorders are experienced and managed. For example, we address the role of the mass media in shaping lay understandings of madness and constructions of the mentally ill, as well as the power they have to reinforce stigma and prejudice; the role of the pharmaceutical industry in creating new disorders, markets and types of patient; and the agency exercised by service user-led movements to resist biomedical power. We also examine case studies of specific medically-defined disorders. 

Madness and Society: Theoretical Debates

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module builds on theoretical approaches and research within medical sociology, with a unique focus on the social factors affecting mental health and illness. The central aim of the module is to develop a critical and analytical understanding of key debates in the field, such as the nature of the conceptualisation of mental disorder and whether medical ways of categorizing and dealing with it are the most appropriate; whether mental illness is really a form of social deviance that is medically constructed, amplified and controlled through the psychiatric system; critiques of the therapeutic claims of psychiatry in relation to its presumed objectivity, scientific status and social neutrality; whether psychiatry is ultimately an instrument of social control; processes of social causation and social construction of mental illness, and the tensions between them; and the role of structural divisions such as social class, ethnicity, gender and age in determining patterns of mental illness.

Medicines, Health and Development

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module examines the relationship between health and development paying particular attention to the international role of the pharmaceutical industry, the globalisation of its operations and how medical drugs are assessed for safety and efficacy. It examines the degree to which the pharmaceutical industry represents a positive (or negative) force for health in the developing world and the role of organisations such as WHO.

Medicines, Health and Development

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module examines the relationship between health and development paying particular attention to the international role of the pharmaceutical industry, the globalisation of its operations and how medical drugs are assessed for safety and efficacy. It examines the degree to which the pharmaceutical industry represents a positive or negative force for health in the developing world, and the role of organisations such as WHO.

NGOs in World Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

There has been an enormous growth in the number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active around the world, especially since the end of the Cold War. This module explores the significance of this trend, and asks what representations and practices of world politics are produced and reproduced by NGO activity:

• are NGOs an appropriate form for promoting human rights and development in a post-Cold War world?
• are they irresponsible and unaccountable, impinging on a state's ability to do its job?
• Do they undermine local struggles for social justice or do they signal a move away from government and towards networked forms of governance?

This module will address a range of thinking about the role of NGOs in world politics. You will be required to identify, understand and critique ways of conceptualising NGO activity in world politics. The module is divided into three sections:

• the history of NGOs
• current issues regarding NGO activity
• and conceptual approaches to the study of NGO activity.

Each week the module will focus on a particular NGO or related issue; you will learn about contemporary or historical forms of NGO activity and think critically about the significance of NGO activity to world politics.

NGOs in World Politics

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

There has been an enormous growth in the number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active around the world, especially since the end of the Cold War. This module explores the significance of this trend, and asks what representations and practices of world politics are produced and reproduced by NGO activity:

• are NGOs an appropriate form for promoting human rights and development in a post-Cold War world?
• are they irresponsible and unaccountable, impinging on a state's ability to do its job?
• Do they undermine local struggles for social justice or do they signal a move away from government and towards networked forms of governance?

This module will address a range of thinking about the role of NGOs in world politics. You will be required to identify, understand and critique ways of conceptualising NGO activity in world politics. The module is divided into three sections:

• the history of NGOs
• current issues regarding NGO activity
• and conceptual approaches to the study of NGO activity.

Each week the module will focus on a particular NGO or related issue; you will learn about contemporary or historical forms of NGO activity and think critically about the significance of NGO activity to world politics.

Population and Development

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module examines the relationship between population issues and economic, social and environmental aspects of development. It introduces theoretical frameworks for analysing population change and assesses the consequences of population growth for food supplies and the environment at both global and local levels. It goes on to examine factors affecting the components of population change including fertility and mortality decline, changing sex ratios, the growth of megacities and international migration. Policies on health, family planning and migration are also discussed.

Population and Development

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module examines the relationship between population issues and economic, social and environmental aspects of development. It introduces theoretical frameworks for analysing population change and assesses the consequences of population growth for food supplies and the environment at both global and local levels. It goes on to examine factors affecting the components of population change including fertility and mortality decline, changing sex ratios, the growth of megacities and international migration. Policies on health, family planning and migration are also discussed.

Rural Livelihoods in the Global South

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module considers the varied nature of rural livelihood systems in developing countries. You consider changes in livelihoods through livelihood diversification and migration, and the interconnectedness of the global and the local in causing change in rural societies. The module explores the impact of different agents of change on livelihoods. This will include the role of non-governmental organisations, the impact of modern biotechnology and the effects of trade on livelihoods, amongst other important examples. The module draws primarily (though by no means exclusively) on evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa and India.

Rural Livelihoods in the Global South

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module considers the varied nature of rural livelihood systems in developing countries. You consider changes in livelihoods through livelihood diversification and migration, and the interconnectedness of the global and the local in causing change in rural societies. The module explores the impact of different agents of change on livelihoods. This will include the role of non-governmental organisations, the impact of modern biotechnology and the effects of trade on livelihoods, amongst other important examples. The module draws primarily (though by no means exclusively) on evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa and India.

Sociology Project

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The aim of this module is to give you direct experience of carrying out a small scale research project, from the initial stages of design to the final stages of presenting your findings. It is intended to consolidate and build upon the knowledge base gained from the DSR research methods module in the second year, as you will use these skills to research a topic of your choice. You will be assessed on how well you interpret and apply the relevant methodological issues to your research design, manage the practical side of the project, and reflect on the effectiveness of your chosen strategies. You work mainly through independent study, under the guidance of a supervisor. The assessment consists of a research proposal, presentation and 8,000 word written report.

Sociology Research Proposal

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The aim of this module is to give you direct experience of carrying out a small scale research project, from the initial stages of design to the final stages of presenting your findings. It is intended to consolidate and build upon the knowledge base gained from the DSR research methods module in the second year, as you will use these skills to research a topic of your choice. You will be assessed on how well you interpret and apply the relevant methodological issues to your research design, manage the practical side of the project, and reflect on the effectiveness of your chosen strategies. You work mainly through independent study, under the guidance of a supervisor. The assessment consists of a research proposal, presentation and 8,000 word written report.

The Body in Politics and Society

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

In the early 1980s the body could be described as an 'absent presence' in sociology. The absence refers to the relative lack of sociological work (with some notable exceptions) which placed the body at the centre of understanding, or which explicitly took account of the body at all. The presence refers to the claim that much of the classical canon and more contemporary work actually operated with an implicit grounding in an embodied subject.

Since the 1980s, sociological research and theorising on the body has proliferated, with a number of competing approaches exploring a variety of ways in which the body is understood, lived and represented. The key concept in this literature is that of embodiment, referring to the relationship between structure, dismodule and materiality and challenging the Cartesian dualism or mind/body distinction which informed much historical thinking. Within the sociology of the body, power is understood as productive rather than repressive: however, questions about the politics of particular constructions of the material have been neglected in favour of issues around identity and experience. In this module we will engage with the concept of embodiment and the political framings of materiality via a number of familiar topics explored in fresh and complex ways.

The Body: current controversies and debates

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The body has recently become a key focus for sociological theorising and research. Much of this work has focused on defining the body as a socially constructed phenomenon, and exploring how it is produced through various social and cultural practices and discourses, and categories such as gender, class, race and sexual orientation. However, the body is also highly politically charged; a key site at which oppression is meted out, and is a focus of regulation and governance at individual, group, national and international levels. Bodies, and particularly women's bodies, are also at the nexus of some of the most controversial debates of our time.  

This module looks at the politics of the body from a sociological point of view, exploring themes of embodiment and power through a variety of controversial issues such as HIV/AIDS, sexual violence, sex work, abortion, cosmetic surgery and eugenics. You will think through various debates in relation to a broad canon of theories from feminism and sociology, around notions such as rights, bodily autonomy and integrity, structures and discourses, and the formation and regulation of identities. Gender will be a central thread throughout, and attention will be paid to how it intersects with other social categories such as class, 'race', sexual orientation, age, and (dis)ability.