Sociology and Italian (2014 entry)

BA, 4 years, UCAS: LR3X
Typical A level offer: ABB

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Subject overview

Why sociology?

We are living in an era of rapid change. Global and technological transformations are reshaping our work and home lives, our cultures, identities and social experiences. New forces within our societies and beyond are leading to new social ties or the disintegration of old ones. Sociology offers a chance to study this exciting and fast-changing social world in all its aspects.

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Why sociology at Sussex?

Sociology at Sussex was ranked 3rd (95 per cent) for overall satisfaction, 5th (88 per cent) for academic support and 8th (90 per cent) for organisation and management in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS).

Sociology at Sussex was ranked in the top 10 in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2014, The Complete University Guide 2014 and The Times Good University Guide 2013.

We were rated 16th in the UK for research in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 80 per cent of our research was rated as recognised internationally or higher, with over half rated as internationally excellent or higher and over a quarter rated as world leading.

Our single-honours and joint courses combine a strong grounding in the basics of sociology with the opportunity to specialise in a range of options.

All our lecturers are active researchers in one of three specialisms: health, medicine and science; gender and inequality; or social theory and political sociology.

You will study different theoretical perspectives in sociology and learn to interpret information and evidence on how different societies are structured and how they are changing.

Sussex offers a lively social environment. Our students come from a wide range of ages, ethnic groups and social backgrounds and from countries all over the world.

Our courses are broad, providing practical and theoretical skills, research-methods training, analytical and presentational skills, and experience in working independently and in groups, producing competent sociologists who are attractive to employers.

Why languages?

The study of languages enables you to acquire excellent communication skills and enhance your understanding of your own and other cultures. Knowledge of a foreign language gives you access to the intellectual achievements and social developments of the countries where the target languages are spoken. In addition, the ability to speak a second language and the experience of having spent time studying or working abroad are major assets in the employment market. To quote Nelson Mandela: ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.’

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Why languages at Sussex?

Intellectually stimulating courses with relevant practical applications.

Start post-A level and/or from beginner’s level at the appropriate standard.

Reach a high level of proficiency with the expert tuition of experienced language tutors.

Enjoy all the academic, social, personal and, ultimately, professional benefits of the year abroad, whether working, teaching or studying at a partner university.

Profit from studying alongside visiting and exchange students from continental Europe and beyond.

Sussex offers different ways to study languages: 

  • courses: we offer a single-honours course (two languages) and, in some subject areas, joint courses including a language with the choice of French, Italian or Spanish. All these courses are four years long and incorporate a third year abroad, studying or working in a foreign-language setting 
  • other opportunities to study a language: students on a wide range of non-language courses can gain proficiency in a variety of languages as one of the electives available within their course.

Other opportunities to study a language

Electives

The University is enhancing the opportunities it provides for you to broaden and enrich your studies through a new system of electives in single-honours subjects. Most subjects across the arts, sciences and social sciences are offering electives, the exceptions being where professional-body requirements do not provide sufficient space within the curriculum (eg law, accountancy, engineering). Under the electives system, you will be able to choose to spend 25 per cent of your time in your first and second year on a range of subjects.

Electives will either be offered as stand-alone modules you choose to broaden or enrich your studies, or as a specific named pathway over Years 1 and 2 (refer to Language as an elective below). Students successfully completing a named pathway will have this recorded on their degree certificate.

We are also developing new ‘pathways’ of electives, which will allow you to choose a series of electives that together make up a coherent strand of learning. We already have these in place for languages and teaching English as a foreign language, as explained on the right. We will be looking to create other pathways from the range of electives we offer for 2014. If you choose a pathway from the start of your course and complete the electives, you will be able to have this recorded as part of your final degree and transcript – giving added value to your studies and showing the skills and knowledge you have developed at Sussex. For the latest information on these elective pathways, visit Undergraduate courses 2014.

Language as an elective

As part of the electives system, we have developed a flexible language programme, allowing students on a wide range of single-honours courses to opt for the award of ‘... with proficiency in (a specific language)’ at intermediate or advanced level. This is recorded on your degree certificate, as a named part of your degree.

You take language electives as part of your course for two years. Depending on your prior level of study of your chosen language, you start at beginner’s level and progress to intermediate level, or start at intermediate level and progress to advanced level. To qualify for the ‘... with proficiency in (a specific language)’ award, you need to successfully complete the two-year programme in one language at intermediate or advanced level. As we offer languages from beginner’s level, there are no language entry requirements for this scheme.

For 2014 entry, the range of languages will include French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.

English Language Teaching as an elective

As well as modern foreign languages, we are also offering English Language Teaching as an elective, taken over Years 1 and 2. Students successfully completing this elective may obtain a professional qualification in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). This qualification will significantly enhance your employability and future opportunities as a graduate.

Open language courses

If you are interested in learning a new language or improving your existing foreign-language skills outside the context of your chosen course, Sussex offers the opportunity to study a language on a weekly basis with other students, members of the University staff and the local community. You can choose from Arabic, British Sign Language, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Spanish classes. The majority of classes take place in the early evening. 

All of our open language courses offer the opportunity to develop language skills and to learn about the country and customs concerned. 

Independent language learning

The Language Learning Centre provides state-of-the-art technology that supports self-access language learning. Foreign-language newspapers and magazines are also available. Further information about these courses and tuition fees is available from the Open Course Office (email opencourses@sussex.ac.uk) or at the Sussex Centre for Language Studies.


Luke's faculty perspective

Professor Luke Martell

‘I chose to study sociology at university because I thought everything is based in society and nothing can be understood without this insight. I thought you needed to investigate power everywhere, and the inequalities that divide us. It was clear that important issues are about identity, culture, health, and the environment.

‘What’s important to me as a sociologist is being critical and questioning, thinking across the boundaries between academic disciplines, and doing something that helps make the world a better place. These are exactly what’s special about sociology at Sussex.

‘I believe in sociology. Day-in, day-out I live it, discussing globalisation and power with my students. In turn, their engagement challenges what I think. In the rooms around me students debate questions of the body, gender, crime, interaction, and fun. I’ve found that sociology is the place to discuss the world and the issues that affect us all. I’ve never looked back.’

Professor Luke Martell
Professor of Political Sociology,
University of Sussex

Programme content

This course is for students who would like to combine the study of sociology’s themes, perspectives and specialist areas, and the ability to do sociological research, with the learning of a language and knowledge of the culture, society and ethics of a country in which their chosen language is spoken. 

Throughout Years 1, 2 and 4, students take sociology modules in parallel with modules on both the language and the culture and society of the relevant country. Year 3 is spent studying at a university in the chosen country, putting language skills into practice.

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

Core content

Year 1

You are introduced to key themes and perspectives in sociology, and to sociological work examining diverse aspects of contemporary life in Britain and beyond, including social diversity and class and gender inequalities

Year 2

You learn to frame sociological questions and apply appropriate methods to find answers. Options give you a chance to explore arguments and evidence in relation to different aspects of life including political institutions and action • sexuality • crime and deviance • education • everyday life • medicine and health

Year 3

You specialise, gaining an understanding of social change in relation to topics such as the body in society • globalisation • madness and society • contemporary sociological theory • identity and interaction. You also take a research project on a topic of your choice

How will I learn?

We use a variety of teaching methods, ranging from lectures to seminar discussion classes, practical workshops, sessions where research work is presented, individual supervision of research projects, and individual consultations with tutors.

Modules are assessed in diverse ways to suit module content, to develop your practical skills, and to respond to the different skills and abilities of students. We use coursework, essays and more in-depth dissertations; exams; and research project reports and presentations of research findings.

For more information, visit Studying at Sussex.

Also refer to Department of Sociology: Resources and facilities.

What will I achieve?

  • a broad knowledge of the core areas of sociology, from the nature and development of contemporary capitalism to the relationship between the individual and society; the maintenance of power and social order; and patterns of social change
  • knowledge of several specialist areas of your choice, ranging from crime and deviance, education, health and medicine, social thought, and gender and ethnicity studies to political sociology
  • knowledge and training in a range of social methods, which will enable you to carry out your own research, assess the research of others and offer relevant skills to the job market experience in self-guided independent study and working in groups
  • skills in understanding and assessing ideas and evidence, and presenting your own work and ideas in written and oral forms

We continue to develop and update our modules for 2014 entry to ensure you have the best student experience. In addition to the course structure below, you may find it helpful to refer to the 2012 modules tab.

Core content

Year 1

You study your target language(s), with the focus on accuracy and fluency in both speaking and writing. You can explore study skills that allow you to make the best of our well-equipped Language Learning Centre

Alongside language study you follow modules giving you an insight into the ideas and events that underpin modern society in the countries of Europe and beyond. What is it like to live and work in France, Italy and Spain today? What place does Europe have within the wider international context and what are the attitudes of Europeans towards their own countries, Britain, the rest of Europe and the world beyond?

You are also introduced to aspects of cultural difference. What is culture? What part does cultural competence play in communication between speakers of different mother tongues? 

Year 2

Your language study becomes more demanding, with the focus on high levels of competence in tasks such as giving oral presentations, writing reports, summarising spoken and written texts, writing book and film reviews, and holding meetings and discussions. The advanced study of your language prepares you for your third year abroad. In addition to your language study, you explore cultural, political, historical, literary and social aspects of countries in and beyond Europe where French, Italian or Spanish are spoken. You also learn about language in use and consider ways in which language is affected by differing social contexts. How does language reflect culture? How do we signal politeness, formality, irony, etc in English? How does this compare with other languages? What issues do such questions raise for translation and mediation between cultures? You have the opportunity to investigate these and other related areas

Year 3

Your third year is spent abroad, studying at one of our partner universities, on a work placement or as a teaching assistant in a school

Year 4

You take language modules including an introduction to the vocational skills of translation and interpreting. You will also develop and deepen your knowledge of relevant social or cultural issues through the study of special subjects 

How will I learn?

Learning and teaching are focused around language classes, complemented by lectures and seminars both on broad European issues of modern and contemporary importance, and on specific topics relevant to the target language(s). Subjects range widely from popular culture and current affairs to philosophy, politics, history, information technology, art and photography, film and theatre.

There will be ample opportunity for group work, as well as for individual research and self-directed study. Materials include texts from literary and journalistic sources, as well as input from audiovisual and internet media. Assessment methods include coursework, learning journals, essay writing, spoken presentations, oral and aural examining, written examinations, extended essays, projects, reports and dissertations.

For more information, visit Studying at Sussex.

What will I achieve?

  • advanced language and communication skills, as well as an introduction to skills in intercultural mediation such as translation and interpreting
  • intellectual skills including the ability to acquire appropriate knowledge, to analyse and evaluate cultural products of various kinds, to make comparisons between different areas of intellectual and cultural concern and the approaches that characterise them, and to express arguments and ideas effectively in both English and your target language(s)
  • knowledge and understanding of significant aspects of the culture, developments, artefacts and achievements of Europe and of countries in other continents where French, Italian or Spanish are spoken
  • informed and sympathetic comprehension and appreciation of the diversity, but also the inter-relatedness, of different cultures
  • through the crosscultural experience of a year spent studying or working abroad, skills and adaptability that give you excellent preparation for your future professional life.

Back to module list

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.

Europe 1900-45

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module focuses on the development of essential study skills such as textual analysis, note-taking, the planning and writing of essays and summaries. You will normally work with texts written in (one of) your foreign language(s).

Italian 1A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

You will consolidate and progress your knowledge of grammar. Improved grammatical accuracy, oral and written fluency, lexis, and listening and reading comprehension are achieved through the study of a variety of topics and integrated grammar. You will also gain insight into the culture and society of your chosen country.

Italian 1B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

You will acquire advanced knowledge of grammar and improve grammatical accuracy, oral and written fluency, lexis, and listening and reading comprehension through the study of a variety of topics and integrated grammar. There is an emphasis on the summarising and handling of authentic texts. You will also study the literature, culture, society and politics of Italy.

Italy 1900-45

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module develops and extends the ideas and themes introduced in the lecture series History and Culture in the 20th Century. Relevant works of literature, film, theatre and the press are studied in Italian, wherever possible. Written and oral material is drawn from a wide range of sources to make you aware of the context in which the country whose language you study has progressed towards its current situation. You will develop essential skills of note-taking, discussing, summarising, analysing and essay writing (including documentation).

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.

Italian 2A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Your knowledge of syntax will be revised and progressed and active knowledge of lexis increased. Speaking, listening, reading and written skills will be raised to a higher level through the study of authentic texts taken from a variety of media. The study of relevant current affairs will be an important element of the module.

Italian 2B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Your knowledge of syntax and lexis will continue to be enhanced alongside the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Practical aspects of living, studying and working abroad will be covered, including history, geography, politics, society, culture and literature.

Italy 1945-date

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Relevant works of literature, film, theatre and the press are studied in Italian, wherever possible. Written and oral material is drawn from a wide range of sources to make you aware of the context in which Italy has progressed towards its current situation. You will develop essential skills of note-taking, discussing, summarising, analysing and essay writing (including documentation). The module will allow you to progress towards independent study.

Beyond the Vote: Citizenship and Participation in Sociology

15 credits
Spring 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.

Classical Sociological Theory

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The aim of this module is to provide a reasonably comprehensive introduction to classical sociological theories and theorists and issues arising from their work. We will cover classical sociological theory from its origins in the Enlightenment period to the post World War II period. The module is concerned with these broad movements of thought with a focus on specific theorists and a close reading of extracts from classic texts. You will acquire an in-depth knowledge of the work of major classical sociological theorists.

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.

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.

Europe 1945-date

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The module provides you with an overview of important historical and cultural developments in the second part of the 20th century, focussing on the period from the 1940s through to the present day. Movements and trends in the political, historical and social area and their impact on the arts and literature are addressed in the lectures. For all these topics, various national settings (France, Germany, Italy and Spain) are examined and discussed. The lecture series seeks to establish a comparative perspective on the relevant issues.

Language and Nation

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

Following a short introduction, the module falls into two parts. The first looks at how we discover the links between Language, Thought and Nation, and try to identify and analyse covert as well as overt associations between these. Who are the guardians and gatekeepers of our 'native' languages, and what are the pressures to have English in England, French in France but Castillian in Spain and Post-Florentine in Italy? Are some languages more equal than others, conferring more status to their users? And why do languages still change despite 'Academies'? The second part looks at instances of how expressions of the relationship between a nation and its language emerge as various literary and other genres (with particular reference to the novel), and how these feed back into the collective identity (with particular reference to representations in the cinema of various countries).

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.

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 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 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 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 Globalisation (Aut)

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

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.

Europe Mandatory Year Abroad - Modern Languages

120 credits
Autumn & spring teaching, Year 3

Italian 3A

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

The two hours per week classroom contact throughout this 25-week module are devoted, on the one hand, to oral and interpreting work and, on the other, to translation and composition. There is therefore an emphasis upon oral proficiency, both in everyday conversation and in more formal contexts, such as presentations and mediation between speakers of Italian and English. There is a similar emphasis upon written proficiency, whether writing Italian 'freely' within the framework of a discursive essay, translating from English into Italian or, indeed, from Italian into English. Roughly equal contact time is devoted to these three written skills and the same weighting is accorded to each of them in assessments.

Italian 3B

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Italian Special Subject

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

This module, delivered in Italian to all single-honours and joint-major students studying Italian as part of their degree, will look at women's presence and representation in early modern Italian literature and art. This module will address some distinctive works by Boccaccio, Michelangelo and Vittoria Colonna, and will cover a variety of genres such as prose, poetry, philosophical commentary, letter writing and biography.

Alternative Societies (Spr)

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Contemporary Social Theory

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

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).

Death of Socialism

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module looks at the contemporary condition of socialism following the collapse of state socialism in Central and Eastern Europe and elsewhere, the erosion of the central principles of Western social democracy and the prevalence of free market and capitalist ideas at the start of the century. Is socialism a relevant, feasible or desirable idea in contemporary society? Or is it dead, merely a historical relic of the 20th century?

We will start by looking at the two predominant conceptions and experiences of socialism of the twentieth century - ­ Marxist and social democratic socialism. What are the main features of these models of socialism? You will then examine criticisms of socialism from liberals and libertarians ­ such as Hayek and Nozick ­ and from new social movements ­ such as the women's movement and the green movement. What critical points are raised by these perspectives and how telling are they? We will look at reasons for the collapse of state socialism in the late 1980s and at attempts in the West to rethink socialism during an era in which neo­liberalism was a predominant force. Do liberal and new social movements' criticisms and the collapse of state socialism suggest that socialism is dead? Do attempts to redefine socialism (as market socialism or radical democratic socialism) escape the criticisms of liberals and the new social movements and the problems experienced under old social democracy and state socialism? Or do they indicate that the era of socialism has well and truly passed?

In the final two topics we shall address this question a little more. We will examine the attempt of New Labour and current European social democrats to respond to the crisis of social democracy and will ask whether there is anything remaining of socialism in such attempts. And we shall examine theses such as that of Fukuyama: that the day of socialism has passed and that capitalism has won the battle.

Development, Human Rights and Security (Spr)

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Genres in European Literature

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This weekly lecture plus fortnightly seminar module, delivered in English to all Single Honours linguists (one or two languages) will consider key genres or styles in 20th-century European prose literature. These will vary from year to year, but will typically include some of the following: the novel and narrative theory, the short story, women's writing, biography, autobiography, fantasy, juvenilia and writing about youth. Equally, the authors and works selected for study (in English translation) will vary, but will normally include at least one prominent writer in each of the four European languages offered at this level, namely French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Globalisation: History, Theories, Culture

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

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 4

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.

Identity and Interaction

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

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.

Madness and Society: Healthcare Controversies

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

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 4

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.

Modern Languages Dissertation

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

This module is available as an option both to single-honours and joint-major modern linguists. It provides the opportunity to conduct a self-assigned piece of research and to write it up in the target language, as an alternative to working in English in "Genres" (R9033). Each student will be allocated a supervisor in the relevant language, with whom s/he will agree the topic of her/his research and the title of the dissertation. However, that research will be essentially self-directed under the light-touch guidance of the supervisor, provided initially through shared workshops and, later on, through one-to-one tutorials. The student will be required to produce two excerpts of work in progress, at mutually agreed points in TB1, so that the supervisor can check that s/he is on the right lines and offer helpful formative feedback. For illustrative purposes, research topics might include: modern French authors, especially Sartre and the existentialists; post-war German literature; cinema adaptations of European literary works; Golden Age Spanish drama.

Sociology of Fun (Spr)

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

Sociology Project

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 4

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 4

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 Cultural Life of Capital Punishment (Aut)

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 4

Back to module list

Entry requirements

Sussex welcomes applications from students of all ages who show evidence of the academic maturity and broad educational background that suggests readiness to study at degree level. For most students, this will mean formal public examinations; details of some of the most common qualifications we accept are shown below. If you are an overseas student, refer to Applicants from outside the UK.

All teaching at Sussex is in the English language. If your first language is not English, you will also need to demonstrate that you meet our English language requirements.

A level

Typical offer: ABB

Specific entry requirements: A levels must include Italian, at least grade B.

International Baccalaureate

Typical offer: 34 points overall

Specific entry requirements: Successful applicants will need Higher Level Italian, with at least grade 5.

For more information refer to International Baccalaureate.

Access to HE Diploma

Typical offer: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher.

Specific entry requirements: The Access to HE Diploma should be in the humanities or social sciences. Successful applicants will need A level Italian, grade B (or other evidence of A level standard Italian) in addition to the Access to HE Diploma.

For more information refer to Access to HE Diploma.

Advanced Diploma

Typical offer: Pass with grade B in the Diploma and an A in the Additional and Specialist Learning.

Specific entry requirements: The Additional and Specialist Learning must be an A level in Italian.

For more information refer to Advanced Diploma.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma

Typical offer: DDM

Specific entry requirements: In addition to the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma, successful applicants will also need A level (or equivalent) Italian, grade B.

For more information refer to BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.

European Baccalaureate

Typical offer: Overall result of at least 77%

Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in Italian is essential (normally with a final mark of at least 8.0).

For more information refer to European Baccalaureate.

Finnish Ylioppilastutkinto

Typical offer: Overall average result in the final matriculation examinations of at least 6.0.

Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in Italian is essential.

French Baccalauréat

Typical offer: Overall final result of at least 13/20

Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in Italian is essential (normally with a final mark of at least 12/20).

German Abitur

Typical offer: Overall result of 1.8 or better

Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in Italian is essential (normally with a final mark of at least 12/15).

Irish Leaving Certificate (Higher level)

Typical offer: AABBBB

Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in Italian is essential.

Italian Diploma di Maturità or Diploma Pass di Esame di Stato

Typical offer: Final Diploma mark of at least 90/100

Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

Typical offer: AABBB

Specific entry requirements: Highers must include Italian, with at least grade B. Applicants should also have Italian at Advanced Higher, also grade B.

For more information refer to Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers.

Spanish Titulo de Bachillerato (LOGSE)

Typical offer: Overall average result of at least 8.0

Specific entry requirements: Evidence of existing academic ability in Italian is essential.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma

Typical offer: Pass the Core plus at least AB in two A-levels

Specific entry requirements: A levels must include Italian, at least grade B.

For more information refer to Welsh Baccalaureate.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with not less than 6.0 in each section. Internet-based TOEFL with 88 overall, with at least 20 in Listening, 19 in Reading, 21 in Speaking and 23 in Writing.

For more information, refer to alternative English language requirements.

For more information about the admissions process at Sussex:

Undergraduate Admissions,
Sussex House,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
T +44 (0)1273 678416
F +44 (0)1273 678545
E ug.enquiries@sussex.ac.uk

Related subjects

Fees and funding

Fees

Home/EU students: £9,0001
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £9,0002
Overseas students: £13,0003

1 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
2 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
3 The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

To find out about your fee status, living expenses and other costs, visit further financial information.

Funding

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

To find out more about funding and part-time work, visit further financial information.

Care Leavers Award (2014)

Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 31 July 2015

For students have been in council care before starting at Sussex.

First-Generation Scholars Scheme (2014)

Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 12 June 2015

The scheme is targeted to help students from relatively low income families – ie those whose family income is up to £42,622.

First-Generation Scholars Scheme EU Student Award (2014)

Region: Europe (Non UK)
Level: UG
Application deadline: 12 June 2015

£3,000 fee waiver for UG Non-UK EU students whose family income is below £25,000

Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust for Undergraduate Study (2014)

Region: UK
Level: UG
Application deadline: 1 March 2014

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust are offering bursaries to Undergraduate students following an undergraduate degree courses in any subject.

 

Careers and profiles

This course prepares you for employment in fields such as social research, public relations, research, sales and marketing, and for the health, social welfare, housing, charity and education sectors.

Recent graduates have taken up a wide range of posts with employers including: candidate manager at Robert Walters • human relations assistant at Philips • intern at Bloomsbury Auctions • marketing and promotions assistant at We Love Spain • social media monitor at Webyogi • support services assistant at Homeless UK • support worker at Team Brain Injury Support Ltd.

Specific employer destinations listed are taken from recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education surveys, which are produced annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Employers will value your communication and language skills, not to mention the maturity and life experience gained during your year abroad. More than 80 per cent of employers surveyed said they actively sought graduates who had studied abroad (QS Global Employer Survey Report 2011).

Careers that are open to our graduates include: arts and the media • journalism and publishing • business and marketing • commerce and finance • civil and diplomatic services • the institutions of the European Union • public service and politics • teaching and academia.

Recent destinations of our graduates include: Amnesty International • Red Cross • Sony • Headstar • DeHavilland News • Imperial College, London • Keble College, Oxford.

Also refer to Sussex Centre for Language Studies: Career resources and opportunities.

Careers and employability

For employers, it’s not so much what you know, but what you can do with your knowledge that counts. The experience and skills you’ll acquire during and beyond your studies will make you an attractive prospect. Initiatives such as SussexPlus, delivered by the Careers and Employability Centre, help you turn your skills to your career advantage. It’s good to know that 94 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study (Which? University).

For more information on the full range of initiatives that make up our career and employability plan for students, visit Careers and alumni.

Saimo's career perspective

Saimo Chahal

‘I studied Sociology and chose Sussex for its reputation for promoting novel ideas and ways of working. Nobody in my family had been to university and a professional career was not something I envisaged at that stage.

‘I had the best time of my life at Sussex. I met lots of interesting people and the tutors were dedicated and inspiring. Everything about it was exciting and radical, from the way that the degree was assessed to the vibrant social life. It was where I first engaged in politics; there were regular sit-ins and protests as well as debates about every issue under the sun.

‘Sussex helped make me the person that I am. It gave me the time and freedom to experiment with ideas, to be radical, to think critically and never to accept things but always to question and challenge. That is what my legal career has been all about – pushing the boundaries and developing the law of human rights and civil liberties so that it serves ordinary people.’

Saimo Chahal
Partner and Head of the Civil Liberties and Social Welfare Team in the Public Law & Human Rights Department of Bindmans LLP

Sophie's career perspective

Sophie Benzie

‘I have no reservations in saying that Sussex really lives up to its excellent reputation. The range of topics available was vast, and the perspective from which we looked at ideas constantly challenged how I view society. Being able to think critically and to assess and articulate new ideas are skills that have proved to be invaluable since leaving Sussex and embarking on my career as a secondary school teacher.

‘In teaching, you have to be confident in evaluating your own progress and using your initiative to come up with innovative ways to tackle problems. Studying at Sussex developed my strength in both these areas, as well as providing me with confidence in presenting and discussing ideas, skills that are integral to my role both in and outside of the classroom.

‘My tutors also instilled in me a passion for research. Being open to new ideas and considering how things can be done differently has been key to my development as a reflective classroom practitioner. I see it as natural to apply new research findings to my practice.

‘The further into my career I go, the more I realise how much I owe to Sussex. I would recommend it without hesitation!’

Sophie Benzie
Secondary school teacher

Contact our School

School of Law, Politics and Sociology

Engaging with key issues of contemporary concern, the School of Law, Politics and Sociology brings together academic units that are committed to excellence in teaching, and recognised nationally for research.

How do I find out more?

For more information, contact the subject coordinator:
Sociology, 
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SP, UK
E ug.admissions@sociology.sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 678890
F +44 (0)1273 873162
Department of Sociology

Sussex Centre for Language Studies

The Sussex Centre for Language Studies has a digital language laboratory and multimedia workstations for private study of over sixty world languages, and its highly qualified and experienced staff will make your learning experience relaxed but structured.

How do I find out more?

For more information, contact the admissions tutor:
Sussex Centre for Language Studies,
University of Sussex, Falmer,
Brighton BN1 9SH, UK
E languages@sussex.ac.uk
T +44 (0)1273 877258
F +44 (0)1273 678476
Sussex Centre for Language Studies

Visit us

Sussex Open Day
Saturday 5 October 2013

Open Days offer you the chance to speak one to one with our world-leading academic staff, find out more about our courses, tour specialist facilities, explore campus, visit student accommodation, and much more. Booking is required. Go to Visit us and Open Days to book onto one of our tours.

Campus tours

Not able to attend one of our Open Days? Then book on to one of our weekly guided campus tours.

Mature-student information session

If you are 21 or over, and thinking about starting an undergraduate degree at Sussex, you may want to attend one of our mature student information sessions. Running between October and December, they include guidance on how to approach your application, finance and welfare advice, plus a guided campus tour with one of our current mature students.

Self-guided visits

If you are unable to make any of the visit opportunities listed, drop in Monday to Friday year round and collect a self-guided tour pack from Sussex House reception.

Jonathan's staff perspective

Jonathan Bridges

‘Sussex provides world-leading teaching and excellent academic facilities, with a vibrant student life in a fantastic location. All of this meant that I left Sussex with a unique set of experiences and a degree that has prepared me for my future.

‘Joining Student Recruitment Services at the University has enabled me to share my experiences of Sussex with others. Coming to an Open Day gives you the opportunity to meet our research-active academics and our current students, while exploring our beautiful campus. But don’t worry if you can’t make an Open Day, there’s plenty of other opportunities to visit Sussex. Check out our Visit us and Open Days pages or our Facebook page to find out more.

‘I’ve loved every moment of my time at Sussex – these have been the best years of my life.’

Jonathan Bridges
Graduate Intern, Student Recruitment Services

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