Applied Social Sciences BA

Core modules:

The Foundations of Social Science

This module is designed to provide strong foundations for students on the Applied Social Sciences programme. The module will provide a common foundation of theoretical, empirical and methodological work that is appropriate for students who are familiar or unfamiliar with social science concepts and methods. Following a planned programme of lectures, seminars and group tutorials, it will offer professional and peer teaching and support to students. The module will help to create a solid foundation for a distinct community of learning that will help to sustain students throughout the course of their degree at Sheffield.

40 credits

Optional modules:

Analysing News

This module will focus on how to analyse contemporary news outputs. Students will be introduced to a selection of methods such as content analysis, framing analysis and discourse analysis, which will allow them to analyse news outputs and focus on looking at current issues as they arise. Examples of recent studies will be read and discussed and teaching staff may also talk through how they conducted their own studies. The module will enable students to use basic research methods by starting with the news and topics rather than `dry' methodologies.

20 credits

Analysing Politics

This module is about (1) politics, and (2) how to analyse it. More specifically, it involves (1) understanding how power and truth operate in the contemporary world; and (2) discovering different ways to research these dynamics so as to build compelling and rigorous accounts of the political worlds that we find ourselves a part of. Students will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, and independent study; and will be assessed on the basis of an essay and online multiple-choice tests.

20 credits

British Politics

This module will introduce students to key concepts and debates in British politics through an examination of post-1976 British political history. Each lecture will take as its starting-point one day in recent British history and will describe what happened on that day and what happened as a result of that day. Each of the seminars will then follow that discussion: paying particular attention to concepts and ideas within the study of politics which can help us make sense of those events.

20 credits

Child Psychology

This module explores the relationship between psychological theory and educational policy and practice, considering some of the ways in which Education and Local Authority services have been influenced by ideas about children developed in psychological research. Some of the core concepts of Psychology are introduced such as cognitive psychology (intelligence, language and learning), behaviourism (including modification techniques), social and emotional development (including family and attachment, trauma) as well as the study of individual differences (with reference to psychopathologies such as autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

20 credits

Comprehending Criminology

This module introduces students to key areas of criminological definitions, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues. Topics may feature, for example, youth crime, spouse murder, football hooliganism and credit card crime but also other areas if and when interesting cases arise.

20 credits

Development, Planning and the State

The module provides an introduction to planning theory and practice, exploring arguments for and against spatial planning and the rationale for state intervention into land and property development and introducing key principles of planning law and practice. The first part of the module covers key debates on the purposes of planning, the historical development of planning as a state activity and the current structure of national, regional and local government. The central part of the module introduces key aspects of the English planning system and key debates about its role and purpose. The final third of the module explores its application to issues of contemporary concern.

20 credits

Education, Power and Society: Introduction to the Sociology of Education

This module explores the relationship between educational institutions/cultures/systems and social inequalities. We focus on class, gender, ethnicity and disability and look at the ways in which education systems serve to tackle or reproduce patterns of inequality and relations of power. The module also evaluates different policy frameworks and goals. For example, whether the focus of education policy should be placed on nurturing active citizenship (and what this would look like) or whether the main priority should be to serve the needs of the economy (and how this might be achieved).

20 credits

Exploring Human Geographies

The module provides an introduction to human geography including key principles and processes in economic, social and cultural geography. It describes the main elements and issues involved in the global economic system including the process of uneven development and how local economic activities are moulded by global forces. It also provides an introduction to social and cultural geography focusing on a range of concepts, current debates and contemporary issues. Drawing examples from around the world and at a variety of geographical scales, the module highlights the value of a geographical perspective on current economic, social and cultural issues.

20 credits

Exploring New Horizons in Geography

Geographers actively contribute to intellectual debates across the sciences, social sciences and Humanities addressing some of the most pressing issues facing the modern world, from climate change to food security, informing policy and practice. The module provides a challenging but accessible insight into the origins of the discipline and how these translate into the cutting edge of contemporary geographical research, and how this helps us understand our changing world. Serving as a bridge between the general introductory modules and the more specialist modules taught at levels 2 and 3, this module provides an opportunity for students to engage with topical issues in contemporary human and physical geography led by academics actively engaged in cutting edge research on those subjects.

20 credits

Introduction to Comparative Politics

This module examines the utility of the comparative approach to politics with a particular focus on democracies, dictatorships, and semi-democratic regimes. The key features of each regime type are considered and these are used to explain the nature of the comparative method, its strengths and weaknesses. This course also applies a comparative lens to processes such as democratisation, modernisation, and mobilisation. This course will draw on a wide range of examples from democratic, authoritarian, and semi-democratic countries.

20 credits

Introduction to Global Political Economy

This module provides an introduction to global political economy (GPE). It covers key mainstream and critical theories and considers critically what GPE is. Following this, the main focus will be on sketching the outlines of the global economy (past and present) by considering particular commodities. This provides a novel way to introduce the student to the major processes of global trade, finance and production. It also considers the political economy of race, class and gender as core theoretical themes that interweave the empirical examination of the global political economy, from roughly 1500 through to the 21st century.

20 credits

Introduction to International Relations

This module will introduce students to the discipline of International Relations (IR) and therefore the study of global politics. IR is a complex, multi-level and multi-actor field whose terrain spans global to individual issues. To provide a comprehensive introduction to IR, the module will focus on two questions: 1) What is the subject matter of IR? And 2) What is the unit of analysis? Structuring the module as such will introduce students to key debates in IR and provide a broad overview of the subject matter (from global governance to individual activism) and different actors (from the UN to terrorists).

20 credits

Introduction to Western Political Thought

This module provides an introduction to key themes and thinkers in Western political thought. It explores the different meanings of the nature of politics and the political in this tradition. One key theme will be the relation between human nature and politics. This will be explored through a series of deep conflicts between reason and desire, the state and individual, and the public and private. These conflicts are examined through the different visions of politics of a selection of ancient and early modern thinkers. The module will also engage with critiques of the canon of Western political thought itself, in particular from a postcolonial perspective.

20 credits

Reporting Institutions

This module aims to help students understand how the world works - how the levers of power operate in international, national and local politics and how they can use this information and understanding to hold those in power to account on behalf of readers, viewers and listeners.

20 credits

The Making of Urban Places

This module will introduce you to cities and urbanisation, from the very first settlements to contemporary metropolises, using examples from across the world. The module focuses on thinking about the role of cities within societies and civilisations throughout history. The first half, on the history of urbanisation and urban settlement, looks at how various forces have shaped cities, and the outcomes of urbanisation for cities and their populations. The second half, on contemporary global urbanisation challenges, examines some of the major global challenges facing cities today. Throughout, we will explore influential ideas which have changed our thinking about cities, and look at how urban governments and planners have sought to respond to the challenges of urbanisation.

20 credits

Classical Sociological Theory

The aim of this module is to introduce foundational theories in sociology. The lectures will describe the ideas of leading theorists Durkheim, Marx, and Weber with reference to the social context in which they lived and wrote. Lectures will analyze the primary texts of sociological throught with reference to the social contexts in which they emerged. This will include a look at the concerns of the first generation of sociological thinkers, their understanding of changes in European societies at the time, and the way in which their ideas inform an understanding of issues and problems in the contemporary world.

10 credits

Exploring Classical Social Thought Seminars

The purpose of this seminar module is to provide a medium for students to discuss, evaluate, assess, and engage foundational theories in sociology. The seminar topics will seek to relate major sociological theories to (historical) events of concern to the theorists themselves, and events of interest to contemporary students of social affairs. The discussions will emphasise ideas and concepts in key sociological writings and their contribution to shaping sociological enquiry.

10 credits

Gender, Sexuality and Society

This unit intends to address the following questions regarding gender and sexuality and their interaction with society: What do we mean by gender and sexuality? How do we do gender and sexuality? How do we see gender and sexuality? How do we control gender and sexuality?

10 credits

Introducing Criminology

Crime is a major social problem in virtually all societies. In this module, sociological understandings of crime are discussed, often with reference to their implications for policy. The module will introduce you to major research about crime in contemporary Britain and help you to understand the contribution of sociology to its analysis. This module will be of value to anyone thinking about a career in the criminal justice services, journalism, public service, the voluntary sector and anyone interested in understanding the significance of crime in contemporary British society

10 credits

Social Divisions Seminar

The aim of this unit is to explore a key concern of sociology to explain how and why material and symbolic rewards are distributed unequally. The unit will focus on how social constraints and opportunities arise from social divisions and will explore how various social divisions interact to produce unequal outcomes. It will evaluate critically sociological research that provides evidence of structured inequality in society. A key aim of the unit is to provide students with a sociological framework to assess critically how social divisions operate in their own lives through the constraints and opportunities they encounter.

10 credits

The Sociological Imagination Seminar

Drawing upon the lectures in the accompanying module (SCS100), students will use the seminars to explore a range of everyday life situations - such as mobile phone use, shopping, and travel - from a sociological perspective. Emphasis will be placed on students reflexively exploring their own experience, on the one hand, and gathering exemplary material from print and digital media. Students will be required to do exercises on specific topics.

10 credits

The Sociology of Everyday Life

This module aims to introduce students to basic sociological concepts, such as 'the sociological imagination', 'social interaction', 'social identity', 'deviance' and 'globalisation' and illustrate how these can be applied to everyday life. Drawing on the work of key thinkers in sociology, a range of everyday life situations, such as mobile phone use, shopping and travel will be used as exemplary cases

10 credits

Understanding Inequality

The aim of this unit is to explore a key concern of sociology to explain how and why material and symbolic rewards are distributed unequally. It will consider the unequal distribution of wealth, privilege and power and, in doing so, will question common-sense understandings of various inequalities in society. It will focus on various social divisions including the `big three' of social class, gender and race, as well as sexuality, age, religion and disability. Major themes will be explored with a predominantly British- and policy-related focus, although global divisions and inequalities will also be included for consideration.

10 credits

Welfare Politics and the State

This unit introduces students to some of the material and theoretical concerns of social policy by focusing on the politics of `welfare'. It is organised around unpacking common contemporary 'welfare myths' - e.g. 'the benefit scrounger', 'welfare tourism' and the need for austerity - by taking a long view of their articulation through history, exploring their ideological roots, examining policy responses and assessing the empirical evidence to support them. In doing so the unit also focuses on the policy making process, examining in particular issues of power in contemporary UK and the role of the media in perpetrating 'welfare myths'.

10 credits

Second year core modules:

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Cities and Modernities

The links between social conflict and cultural production in the history of modern cities have long fascinated scholars exploring the cultural history of the capitalist urban imagination. They have sought to understand the way artists, intellectuals, political activists, ordinary people and other thinkers sought to understand and explain the varied experiences of, and relationships between, sensory perceptions, aesthetic judgements and power relations in their own place and time. This module will draw from historical, cultural, social, and political geographies as well as other disciplines to engage with the shifting nature and spatiality of these relationships through case studies of selected cities, the particular changes in capitalist urban culture they occasioned, contemporary responses to those changes, and the theoretical debates they inspired. Key topics will include urban form and architecture, cultural difference and social inequality, representational practices and bodily experiences, and the overall consciousness of change in modern capitalist cities.

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

Understanding Criminology: Advanced Level Introduction

This module introduces students who have not taken criminology core modules to key areas of criminological definition, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. It equips non-criminology students with a broad understanding and so enables them to take further criminology modules if they choose. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues.

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Human Geography

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

Development and Global Change

The aim of this module is to critically examine the development process within a global context, drawing on examples from developed and developing nations. Attention is given to the different ways in which we in the West understand 'development', and how we can reflect more critically on our position, and the power relations within this process. Drawing on debates within development geography, and other disciplines, the course is structured around three themes: the development industry, the poverty agenda and the local-global nexus. Topics covered may include: neoliberalism and state governance, humanitarian intervention, gender and empowerment, protests and social movements, corporate social responsibility, participation and empowerment, local forms of resistance, environmental action and change.

20 credits

Urban Transformations

From the industrial-era modern cities of the Global North such as Manchester and Chicago to the fragmented, sprawling mega-cities of the contemporary Global South such as Lagos and Delhi, urban theorists have sought to understand the interplay of power, everyday practice, and social, political, economic, and cultural processes that both transform and are transformed by urban space. Pulling together critical social science and humanities-informed perspectives, the module draws from interdisciplinary theory and research to engage with urban transformations in both the Global North and the Global South. Topics may include transformations in urban theory, urban uprisings, urban infrastructure, and the role of film and literature in documenting and anticipating urban change.

20 credits

Geographies of Consumption

The ways in which we buy and use stuff and services are inextricable from the shaping of both our everyday lives and of contemporary societies. From constructions of identity and models of human well-being to issues of social equality and environmental sustainability, debates around consumption illuminate critical perspectives on contemporary societies and cultures. This module explores key contemporary geographical perspectives on consumption, linking critical insights and theoretical perspectives to our own practices and experiences.

20 credits

Critical Ecologies

This module explores the critical, contested and controversial debates about environmental and ecological issues. Using a range of examples of research undertaken by staff in the department from the Global North and Global South this module develops a critical geographical approach to understanding environmental controversies. Examples will be drawn from a range of issues including agriculture, water, energy, food, climate change and housing.

20 credits

Second year core modules:

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

Understanding Criminology: Advanced Level Introduction

This module introduces students who have not taken criminology core modules to key areas of criminological definition, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. It equips non-criminology students with a broad understanding and so enables them to take further criminology modules if they choose. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues.

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Environmental Pollution and Quality

This module aims to introduce the students to the origins, pathways and consequences of pollutants in the environment, their control and remediation. Pollutants are released into the environment through anthropogenic activities that include domestic, leisure and industrial practices. These pollutants are potentially harmful to the ecosystem and human health. Therefore, an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes involved during the contamination of water and soil is essential to protect the environment. This module provides an introduction on how to assess and quantify pollutants by using laboratory techniques for the determination of contamination in water and soil.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Sociology

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

Whiteness, Power and Privilege

This unit explores the importance of studying whiteness in order to understand racism as a system of power relationships. It explains why the construction of whiteness has become a key focus in debates about race and ethnicity and examines critically some of the key themes to emerge in this field of study. This includes exploring the historical origins of `white studies' and assessing representations of whiteness in literary and visual culture. It also includes exploring the racialised, classed and gendered boundaries of whiteness by examining, for example, the socially and politically constructed categories of `white trash' and the `chav'.

20 credits

Sociology of Evil

Despite the increasing secularisation and rationalisation of society, evil is still an all too familiar term. For some it invokes images of devils, demons and witches, for others criminals, terrorists and murderers, whilst debates on the `social evils' of poverty, prostitution and alcohol are continually recycled for each generation. This module aims to introduce students to a sociological approach to evil by asking them to develop their own innovative case-studies of evil in combination with published research. They will be asked to: explore the ontology of evil; examine how evil is explained and accounted for; investigate the consequences of evil; develop an understanding concerning the representation of evil and assess the aetiological precedents for that representation; and, ultimately, critically determine the role evil has within society.

20 credits

Digital Identities

This module explores how gender, age, race, class and other identities are being reimagined in what various commentators have called a `social media age. It provides students with an understanding of social media platforms roles in peoples identity negotiations, examining users social media identities in different global contexts, and paying close attention to the intersections between different identities. It reviews debates about identity formations from the earliest digital media moments and considers contemporary concerns, such as: anonymity and agency; selfies and sexting; censorship, resistance and collective identities; social media fandoms; masculinity and gaming.

20 credits

The Value of Sociology

This module builds on the subject-specific knowledge and skills that students have acquired at levels 1 and 2. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on both the value of Sociology as a discipline and the value of their degree programme overall. A critical assessment of the state of the discipline will be explored through a series of lectures delivered by a range of lecturers, leading to a series of workshop-type seminars in which students will reflect on the usefulness of what they have learned during their degree and how to communicate this to an external audience. Students will develop enterprise skills within the context of the discipline they are studying and enhance their understanding of the inter-connection between Sociology, the skills they have developed and their application in the wider world.

20 credits

Sociology of Health, Illness and Medicine

This module explores sociological aspects of health, illness and medicine. It will focus on issues of health inequality exploring the ways in which patterns of health and disease vary according to class, gender and race. It also provides a critical examination of biomedicine, highlighting the contemporary challenges faced by medicine as a profession. Furthermore, it will focus on new dynamic developments in science and medicine linking health with the Internet and exploring the rise of the new genetics. The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the role of health, illness and medicine within contemporary society.

20 credits

What it means to be human

New scientific knowledge in evolutionary biology, psychology and neuroscience is making powerful claims about `human nature¿ that are reconstructing how we understand ourselves. At the same time, powerful new technologies have the potential to reshape our bodies and brains. This module aims to critically engage with these developments using concepts from a number of sociological traditions. Can biology tell us anything meaningful about social interaction? What is the nature of choice and agency? Is biology relevant to understanding racial and gender differences? Does our psychology have an evolutionary basis? How are the boundaries between humans and machines changing? Should we use new technologies to enhance ourselves? The module will address and seek to answer these and other important questions.

20 credits

Intimacy and Personal Relationships

The module explores approaches to theorising and studying intimacy and personal relationships. Beginning with the Individualisation thesis and its critics, the module will go on to explore recent moves towards conceptualising personal relationships in terms of embeddedness, relationality, intimacy and linked lives. Students will also explore a range of substantive topics within the field including memory, genealogy, material culture and home, marriage and sexuality, responsibility and care, and friendship.

20 credits

Digital Health

This module looks at the social implications of digital technologies in health, considering what these mean for our experiences of health and illness as patients and as citizens, for the work of health care professionals, and for the provision of health care. The module will consider a range of contemporary areas such as self-tracking and gamifying health, telemedicine and care at a distance, health information on the net, electronic patient records, illness death and dying on the web, and health activism and online patient groups. Drawing across these, the module will consider questions about changing representations and cultures of health and illness, whether we can all be medical experts now, who has responsibility for health, how we relate to health care professionals, the commodification of health data and the relative benefits for state and industry.

20 credits

Second year core modules;

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Understanding Criminology: Advanced Level Introduction

This module introduces students who have not taken criminology core modules to key areas of criminological definition, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. It equips non-criminology students with a broad understanding and so enables them to take further criminology modules if they choose. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues.

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Social Policy

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

Whiteness, Power and Privilege

This unit explores the importance of studying whiteness in order to understand racism as a system of power relationships. It explains why the construction of whiteness has become a key focus in debates about race and ethnicity and examines critically some of the key themes to emerge in this field of study. This includes exploring the historical origins of `white studies' and assessing representations of whiteness in literary and visual culture. It also includes exploring the racialised, classed and gendered boundaries of whiteness by examining, for example, the socially and politically constructed categories of `white trash' and the `chav'.

20 credits

Digital Identities

This module explores how gender, age, race, class and other identities are being reimagined in what various commentators have called a `social media age. It provides students with an understanding of social media platforms roles in peoples identity negotiations, examining users social media identities in different global contexts, and paying close attention to the intersections between different identities. It reviews debates about identity formations from the earliest digital media moments and considers contemporary concerns, such as: anonymity and agency; selfies and sexting; censorship, resistance and collective identities; social media fandoms; masculinity and gaming.

20 credits

The Value of Sociology

This module builds on the subject-specific knowledge and skills that students have acquired at levels 1 and 2. Students will have the opportunity to reflect on both the value of Sociology as a discipline and the value of their degree programme overall. A critical assessment of the state of the discipline will be explored through a series of lectures delivered by a range of lecturers, leading to a series of workshop-type seminars in which students will reflect on the usefulness of what they have learned during their degree and how to communicate this to an external audience. Students will develop enterprise skills within the context of the discipline they are studying and enhance their understanding of the inter-connection between Sociology, the skills they have developed and their application in the wider world.

20 credits

Sociology of Health, Illness and Medicine

This module explores sociological aspects of health, illness and medicine. It will focus on issues of health inequality exploring the ways in which patterns of health and disease vary according to class, gender and race. It also provides a critical examination of biomedicine, highlighting the contemporary challenges faced by medicine as a profession. Furthermore, it will focus on new dynamic developments in science and medicine linking health with the Internet and exploring the rise of the new genetics. The aim of this course is to provide students with a critical understanding of the role of health, illness and medicine within contemporary society.

20 credits

What it means to be human

New scientific knowledge in evolutionary biology, psychology and neuroscience is making powerful claims about `human nature¿ that are reconstructing how we understand ourselves. At the same time, powerful new technologies have the potential to reshape our bodies and brains. This module aims to critically engage with these developments using concepts from a number of sociological traditions. Can biology tell us anything meaningful about social interaction? What is the nature of choice and agency? Is biology relevant to understanding racial and gender differences? Does our psychology have an evolutionary basis? How are the boundaries between humans and machines changing? Should we use new technologies to enhance ourselves? The module will address and seek to answer these and other important questions.

20 credits

Intimacy and Personal Relationships

The module explores approaches to theorising and studying intimacy and personal relationships. Beginning with the Individualisation thesis and its critics, the module will go on to explore recent moves towards conceptualising personal relationships in terms of embeddedness, relationality, intimacy and linked lives. Students will also explore a range of substantive topics within the field including memory, genealogy, material culture and home, marriage and sexuality, responsibility and care, and friendship.

20 credits

Digital Health

This module looks at the social implications of digital technologies in health, considering what these mean for our experiences of health and illness as patients and as citizens, for the work of health care professionals, and for the provision of health care. The module will consider a range of contemporary areas such as self-tracking and gamifying health, telemedicine and care at a distance, health information on the net, electronic patient records, illness death and dying on the web, and health activism and online patient groups. Drawing across these, the module will consider questions about changing representations and cultures of health and illness, whether we can all be medical experts now, who has responsibility for health, how we relate to health care professionals, the commodification of health data and the relative benefits for state and industry.

20 credits

Second year core modules:

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Environmental Pollution and Quality

This module aims to introduce the students to the origins, pathways and consequences of pollutants in the environment, their control and remediation. Pollutants are released into the environment through anthropogenic activities that include domestic, leisure and industrial practices. These pollutants are potentially harmful to the ecosystem and human health. Therefore, an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes involved during the contamination of water and soil is essential to protect the environment. This module provides an introduction on how to assess and quantify pollutants by using laboratory techniques for the determination of contamination in water and soil.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Politics

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

Civilisation, Empire and Hegemony

With American power seemingly all powerful today, this unit provides a rethink of the origins of great power politics/economics. Mainstream Eurocentric theories in International Relations view great power politics/economics as having universal materialist properties. And they view America and Britain as hegemons that provide global public goods for the benefit of all. This module problematises this view by revealing the differing moral foundations and 'standards of civilisation' that inform the various directions that great power can take. It examines Britain and China in the pre-1900 era, contemporary America, Japan, and the potential role of China in the coming decades.

20 credits

Terrorism, Violence and the State

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of the nature and legitimacy of forms of protest against the modern state. In particular the module focuses on issues of contemporary terrorism. However, in order to understand the nature and motivations of terrorism it is necessary to understand the nature of the modern state and other, non-violent forms of protest such as civil disobedience.

20 credits

Marx and Contemporary Marxism

This module will familiarise students with Marx's corpus and enable them to evaluate key historical processes-such as the development of capitalism and modernity, the birth of the nation-state and the international system-through a Marxist lens. The first part of the module surveys the development of Marx's thought against the background of the socio-economic and political transformations of the nineteenth century. The second part focuses on thematic issues, reviewing how Marx engaged with the questions of strategy, mobilisation, gender, culture, imperialism, and colonialism. This puts Marx and Marxism into dialogue with other critical approaches, including feminism, postcolonialism, and poststructuralism.

20 credits

The Making of the Modern Middle East

This module offers an interdisciplinary examination of the socio-economic and political dynamics of the modern Middle East by exploring the region's major historical developments from a non-Eurocentric perspective, and investigating how the region has been represented and analysed in the social sciences. Students will have the opportunity to reassess the imperial and colonial legacies by retracing the trajectories of state formation and economic development in the past two centuries. The overall aim is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to `de-exceptionalise' the Middle East and enable them to study it as any other region in the international system.

20 credits

Anti-Politics and Democratic Crisis

Across the world, politicians face growing challenges to their authority. The public distrust them more than ever. Insurgent populist parties challenge traditional politics. Private security firms deliver public services. The public, especially young people, experience politics in very different ways (e.g. through social media). This module interrogates these issues through the idea of anti-politics. Built through an innovative course design to mirror the progression of a research project, students will debate theories suggesting liberal democracies are in `crisis', select methodological frameworks, and use them to explain case studies of anti-politics in diverse cases, from to the state to the supermarket.

20 credits

Legitimate and Illegitimate Violence

This module examines under what circumstances political violence is deemed legitimate or illegitimate. We will not treat this as a question to be answered by normative political theory, but rather as an empirical question of power and politics. The key organizing questions for the module will thus be: when is violence treated as legitimate in the world? who gets to determine this? and how and when do the boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate violence change? Specific cases may include the distinction between civilians and combatants, the use of violence in war vs. peace-time, terrorism, torture, domestic/family violence, and police brutality.

20 credits

Narcopolitics

Drugs are big business and politically salient, yet their production, trade, distribution and regulation are understudied in politics. Narcotics are rooted in complex webs of public, private and criminal power, with diverse consequences for growth, development, security and health. This module explores this evolving panorama: it traces the political evolution of therapeutic/psychotropic substances from the opium wars to prohibition, before analysing the `War on Drugs', the attendant creation of mafia violence, and the emergence of `narco-states'. Later classes address contemporary experiments in legalisation and decriminalisation, the development of licit recreational narcotics industries, and the implications for the global prohibitionist architecture.

20 credits

Justice in World Politics

This module interrogates normative issues in world politics. We will first discuss the theoretical perspectives of cosmopolitanism, nationalism and statism, before applying these perspectives to contemporary global issues. Questions to be addressed may include: how ought we to respond to global poverty and inequality? Do we need a global democracy? What does a just global trade regime look like? Who bears responsibility for climate change mitigation? Can states' territorial claims be justified? Should there be a right to global freedom of movement? And what kinds of political institutions do we need in order to realise a globally just order?

20 credits

The Politics of Security

This module explores the changing character of security studies and global (in)security, examining the proliferation of discourses and practices of security, threat, and risk in contemporary society. It introduces a range of advanced theoretical debates about security, exploring key concepts (including discourse, practice, identity, emancipation, securitization, and risk) and how they might help us to make sense of security politics by looking at a range of cases (such as terrorism, energy security, religion, technology and development). It asks you to think critically about the function of security, and the ethical and analytical assumptions that shape how security is theorised/practiced.

20 credits

Corporations in Global Politics: Possibilities, Tensions, and Ambiguities

Corporations are ubiquitous, affecting everything from mundane individual consumption choices, to the investment decisions of both weak and powerful states. Importantly, their authority extends beyond the economic sphere and into political, as they shape and execute policies and activities for some of the world's most pressing problems. This module explores the multifaceted political roles of corporations, and challenges students to critically reflect on their implications. Drawing upon international relations, political economy, and global governance literatures, it analyses the corporation theoretically, but also empirically drawing upon diverse case studies ranging from environmental sustainability and development, to war-making and peacekeeping.

20 credits

Party Politics: Competition, Strategies & Campaigns

This module provides an in-depth analysis of party politics. It offers a detailed exposition of the multiple issues related with parties, looking at the interactions both within and outside parties. The module covers key aspects of party politics such as the different types of parties, their organization, party membership, types of party systems, political competition and issue positioning, campaign strategies, formation of new parties, the effects of cleavages, coalition formation, party financing and the number of parties.

20 credits

Parliamentary Studies

This module focuses on how parliaments and legislatures operate and is founded on the basis of theoretically-informed but policy-relevant teaching. It therefore attempts to provide students with a sense of why cultures, traditions and informal relationships matter as much (if not more) than formal procedures. Although the House of Commons and the House of Lords provide the main institutional focus for this module students will be encouraged to adopt a comparative approach whenever possible and to situate their analysis within an appreciation of the changing role of parliament within evolving frameworks of multi-level governance.

20 credits

Pandemics and Panics: Health, Security and Global Politics

In today's globalized world, infectious diseases and other health issues have increasingly come to be seen as security threats - a shift that has challenged traditional notions of what 'Security Studies' is all about. This module seeks to provide an understanding of the contemporary politics of health and security, identifying the health issues which have been seen as security threats and the major policy responses to them. The module locates health and disease within the key approaches to Security Studies (including state-centric and human security approaches), and requires students to critically engage with the politics and ethics of securitizing health.

20 credits

The Ethics of Political Leadership

This module investigates the ethics of political leadership via an engagement with the western tradition of political thought and contemporary analytical political theory. Its overall objective is to enable students to analyse and evaluate normative arguments on the significance and function of political leaders in contemporary politics. The module examines competing theories of leadership in their historical and intellectual contexts and a number of issues of contemporary ethical significance, including the problem of 'dirty hands', the nature of political integrity, and the ethics of political compromise. The approach is theoretical and philosophical and examples of political leaders will be used to highlight strengths and weaknesses of competing theories of leadership, and to emphasise their ideological assumptions and implications.

20 credits

Animals, Ethics and Politics

This unit explores the debates surrounding what we owe to animals politically. It introduces students to the main debates in animal ethics, and asks how they affect our political practices, norms, institutions and policies. Particular attention is focused on the tensions between animal welfare and other political values and goods, with students exploring such controversial policy debates as animal experimentation, animal agriculture, conservation and the use of animals for entertainment. The overall aim of the unit is to investigate the implications of taking animals seriously for current political practice.

20 credits

Sex, Race and Death: Feminist Perspectives on War, Violence and (In)Security

This unit produces a critical take on war, violence and security from feminist perspectives. Particular attention is focused on feminist theories that foreground the interconnectedness or 'intersectionality' of different power relations, including postcolonial, transnational and queer approaches. How are different forms and sites of violence connected? How do technologies of gender, sex and race shape understandings of certain forms of political violence as lawful, legitimate and necessary? What are the gendered legacies of (ongoing) histories of colonialism and imperialism? What are the (feminist) ethics of researching and possibly reproducing violence and suffering? Among the themes we will explore are the erotics of conquest and slavery; military masculinities; sexual violence in conflict; private military and security companies; torture and surveillance; women as agents of violence; Orientalism and the War on Terror; human rights and international law; imperial feminisms and just war theory; occupation and resistance.

20 credits

Contemporary Chinese Politics

This module is a comprehensive introduction to contemporary politics in the People's Republic of China, focussing on the country's domestic politics. It examines China's recent political history focussing on the politics of the Maoist era. We then move to the post-1978 reform and opening-up period, through various topics including the Chinese Communist Party, political economy, policymaking, rural governance, political reform, state-society relations, and major challenges facing the country such as environmental degradation, corruption, and ethnic unrest. It encourages students to think critically about how politics works in China, and to evaluate where China is heading politically in the short, medium, and long-term.

20 credits

Research Project 1

This module allows students to research and explore in-depth a topic studied on a semester one module. Students will meet with their supervisor individually, to undertake research and be assessed on the basis of a 5,000 word project.

20 credits

Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict

This module will address when, why, and how widespread sexual violence occurs in armed conflicts. The module will (1) examine how academics and international actors understand and research what sexual violence is and why it occurs in certain conflicts; (2) assess the international efforts to prosecute and prevent sexual violence in armed conflict; and (3) undertake in-depth case study analysis to assess the various long-term consequences of sexual violence in armed conflict for individuals, communities, and processes of reconciliation. Resultantly the module will assess what can be done to address this security issue and its numerous violent consequences.

20 credits

Political Psychology: The Personal Side of Politics

This module covers the major theories and research paradigms in the exciting subfield of Political Psychology. Rather than reviewing what happens in politics (e.g. who wins an election) or how it happens (e.g. who votes for whom), we will look at why it happens by studying the psychology of politics at the micro level (e.g. the personality of politicians), the meso level (e.g. the ideological and moral foundations of political parties), and the macro level (e.g. motivated reasoning, racism and prejudice, mass political behaviour and the influence of the media).

20 credits

Water, Climate, Energy

This module explores the place of water, climate and energy in global politics. Human-induced global climate change is one of the central challenges – perhaps the single greatest challenge – of our age. It is a consequence, above all, of our insatiable appetite for fossil fuel energy resources. And many of its most serious consequences are projected to relate to water, from increased floods and droughts to rising seas. Moreover, water, climate and energy issues are deeply political, in both their causes, and their current and anticipated future consequences. Adopting a political ecology approach, this module introduces and investigates this politics.

20 credits

Britain in the Global Economy

To what extent does Britain’s past development cast a shadow over its present and future? By taking this module, you will look at British development from historical perspectives and trace the origins, the rise and the decline of Britain as a global economic power from the 18th Century to the present day. You will then focus on a number of core problems that have intensified within Britain since the 2008 global financial crisis, including Britain’s dysfunctional economic model, its fraught relationship with Europe, the politics of immigration and culture, and contemporary constitutional challenges, such as the prospect of Scottish independence. It seems that Britain’s status as a global economic power is entering its final years, so what comes next?

20 credits

Politics and the Quality of Life

This module aims to provide students with an understanding of contemporary political debates on quality of life issues and their relation to philosophical traditions within and beyond the main British political parties. This includes analysis of how quality of life is defined and measured in different contexts and relates this debate to long-standing debates on poverty, social exclusion and social capital. Attention is paid to the quality of life aspects of public policies.

20 credits

Britain and the European Union

The course seeks to make sense of: Britain's relations with the EU; the problems within UK politics associated with the European issue; and the Europeanisation of British politics/policy. The course will cover the pre-history of membership and accession. It will set out the analytical toolkit for understanding the UK's impact on the EU and then explore Britain's European diplomacy. It will also explore the EU's impact on the UK, using the Europeanisation literature to understand the impacts on British governance, its political forces and public policy within the EU. A short comparative section will put Britain in context.

20 credits

Peacekeeping, State-building and International Intervention

This module looks at the way international intervention has changed in recent years. It draws on a number of different areas - humanitarian intervention, peacekeeping, development and state-building. It draws these areas together by exploring what they have in common and how there has been a shift in the way that international intervention deals with these issues. In particular, the international community has moved from direct involvement towards a form of governance that operates from a distance by encouraging local ownership, capacity building and resilience.

20 credits

Practical Politics: How to Make Policy and Influence People

This course will provide a practical, hands on account of how policy is formulated, implemented and why it sometimes doesn't work. Focussing on environmental politics, the course draws on the experiences of policy experts including civil servants, lobbyists and politicians. It will an assessment that mirrors tasks routinely undertaken by those within or seeking to influence government.

20 credits

Political Theory in An Age of Total War

This module presents an overview of the major figures and themes in twentieth century continental political theory, ranging temporally from Max Weber to Jacques Derrida. In reflecting on the dynamics of modernity and rationalization, contemporary European political thought responds to the atrocities of Europe's age of total war. Much of this work is an attempt to come to grips with reason and unreason in the capitalist, industrialized, mass democracies of Europe in light of the legacies of two world wars and the rise of totalitarianism. Key themes include: the legacy of the Enlightenment, the role of technology in modern life, the bureaucratization of politics, the possibility of human freedom, collective memory and forgiveness and the role of philosophy in the aftermath of mass genocide. We will approach this material both historically and hermeutically in order to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these responses to these problems.

20 credits

Framing Politics? Economic Ideas as Political Weapons

Throughout the history of capitalism political battlelines and agendas have been set by economic ideas and forms of knowledge being used as political weapons to frame what can be said, done and thought by whom. In this module students will learn how political actors have used economic ideas across time to construct institutions and policies, empower and advantage certain social groupings over others, create shared understandings and expectations amongst citizens, and project (implicit) conceptions of justice. Students will come to an appreciation of how economic thought has shaped politics past and present, and how and why ideas change over time.

20 credits

Second year core modules:

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Criminology

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

Drugs, Crime and Control

This module aims to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of drugs, crime and control by engaging with the key academic and policy literature. Students will explore a wide range of drug-related issues and debates, critically analyse the laws, policies and institutions of drug control, and situate them within the wider social context. The topics covered will include: the social construction of the `drug problem'; drugs and crime; historical and contemporary perspectives on drug policy; drugs policing from the global to the local; tackling drugs through criminal justice interventions; drug control across the world; and the legalisation debate and alternatives to criminalisation.

20 credits

Responding to Crime and Victimisation

This module examines the legal response to international and transnational crimes, from atrocities such as genocide to crimes with a trans- or international element, such as drug and people trafficking. In particular, the module will cover issues of jurisdiction, criminalisation (including contentious international crimes, such as terrorism and organised crime), justifications of international criminal prosecution and its alternatives, and concepts surrounding the implementation of the punishment of international crimes. Special attention is paid to how domestic public laws influence the applicability and `reach' of contemporary international criminal mechanisms.

20 credits

Sexual Offending and Sex Offenders

This module will explore various aspects associated with sexual offending and sex offenders by engaging with key academic literature and policy documents. The module encourages students to review and reflect on the representations of sexual offending and sex offenders across a variety of media formats, to examine current sexual offences legislations in England and Wales and responses to the ‘sex offender problem’. The module will also critique the supervision and management efforts implemented specifically for sex offenders in England and Wales as well as in other jurisdictions.

20 credits

The Rehabilitation of Offenders

Attempts to rehabilitate offenders have a long history and have taken a variety of forms. This module considers the legitimacy and effectiveness of approaches toward offenders which come under the umbrella of `rehabilitation¿. The module focuses in particular on contemporary rehabilitative approaches used in prisons and in the context of community penalties, including the current popularity of cognitive-behavioural treatment programmes. It also examines in detail the relevance and effectiveness of rehabilitation in respect of specific groups of offenders, such as those who commit sexual offences and drug misusing offenders.

20 credits

Criminal Process

The module aims to familiarise students with various criminal justice models and the nature of English criminal processes. Students will study the structure and functions of key institutions, and the role of various actors within the system. This may include modelling of the criminal justice system; values and the criminal justice system; police powers (eg, stop and search, detention); suspect rights; prosecution and pre-trial decisions; bail custody decisions; criminal legal aid; mode of trial; magistrates' court personnel and proceedings; judges and jury trial; 'system errors' and the machinery for correcting them.

20 credits

Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice

This module examines the experiences and treatment of men and women as victims and criminals. It examines whether and how offending patterns vary according to gender and explores connections between gender, offending and victimisation. The module also explores the treatment of and experiences of men and women within the criminal justice system. It argues that in order best to understand crime and criminal justice, criminologists must understand both as gendered.

20 credits

Youth Crime and Justice

This module examines youth crime and `antisocial behaviour, as well as formal responses to young people who offend. During the first half of the module, contemporary and historical views of youth crime are critically examined, attending particularly to class, ethnicity and gender, and to the historical construction of youth as problematic. The second half of the module focuses on youth justice, including the role of the police, the courts, Youth Offending Teams, custodial institutions and other bodies in regulating unruly youth and preventing and responding to youth crime.

20 credits

Police and Policing in a Global Context

The Criminology Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a criminological topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the criminology staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.

20 credits

Restorative Justice

Restorative justice is increasingly being adopted by countries around the world to deal with offending and to respond to victims of criminal offences. This module explores the development of restorative justice in theory and practice and seeks to understand the contemporary popularity of restorative justice. It considers the appeal of restorative justice to a variety of stakeholders (including offenders, victims and the wide community) and in a variety of jurisdictions, including England & Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as mainland Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and America. It looks at whether restorative justice can and should be used for more serious offences and for adult offenders. It also examines the effectiveness of restorative justice interventions and how this has been assessed by researchers.

20 credits

Second year core modules:

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Analysing Crime Data

This module does not assume any knowledge of the main data analysis computer package used by criminologists to examine survey data (Statistical Package for Social Scientists - SPSS). Using progressively more complex data-bases based on pre-existing surveys, students are taught how to enter, clean and check data, and all commands necessary to analyse survey data (frequency, cross-tabulation, correlation, select, count, etc.).

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Environmental Pollution and Quality

This module aims to introduce the students to the origins, pathways and consequences of pollutants in the environment, their control and remediation. Pollutants are released into the environment through anthropogenic activities that include domestic, leisure and industrial practices. These pollutants are potentially harmful to the ecosystem and human health. Therefore, an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes involved during the contamination of water and soil is essential to protect the environment. This module provides an introduction on how to assess and quantify pollutants by using laboratory techniques for the determination of contamination in water and soil.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Urban Studies

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

Housing Policy and Governance

The aims of this Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) accredited module are to build on substantive knowledge, theory and skills about housing. Emphasis is placed on policy, practice, strategy analysis and understanding the links between housing, planning, social policies and outcomes at national, regional and local levels. The module further aims to: increase understanding of contemporary issues and debates in housing and housing policy and strategies; understand the causes and manifestations of problems, dilemmas and conflicts in housing systems and policy processes; and to develop abilities to synthesise and apply knowledge by understanding and critically assessing potential policy approaches to addressing housing problems.

20 credits

Environmental Policy and Governance

This unit aims to help students analyse environmental policy. It provides an overview of the principal elements of contemporary environmental governance, and an introduction to the process of systematic policy evaluation in relation to a policy element of your choice. The module draws attention to the contested and complex nature of the policy environment, and the role of the competing interests in relation to policy on the environment. Through individual investigation of a specific element of policy, you will explore the multi-level nature of environmental policy, contested and competing policy goals, and one approach to understanding how policy brings about change.

20 credits

Values, Theory and Ethics in Spatial Planning

Drawing on insights from theoretical debates in planning and policy studies the module explores the assumptions underlying spatial planning practice and the challenges confronting practitioners. Firstly, it explores the values underpinning planning to understand why we plan, the nature of the challenges planning seeks to address and the dilemmas and conflicts these generate for planning practice. Secondly, it presents diverse theoretical approaches that planning has taken to address these dilemmas and conflicts. Thirdly, it examines the implications different planning theories have for the values of planning and the ethical frameworks available to planners in deciding how to act. Lectures will employ real-world cases and dilemmas faced by individual practitioners in their day-to-day work. Seminars will involve discussion based on films and other relevant material. Workshops will support students in the application of the approaches and theories discussed to specific cases, in preparation for the assignment.

20 credits

Transport and Infrastructure Planning

This module will provide students with an introduction to planning and policymaking in relation to the provision of transport and other types of infrastructure. The module develops students' ability to think critically about the framing of transport and infrastructure policy using an appreciation of historic developments, current practices and debates, transport and infrastructure planning examples from the UK and abroad. It will focus on how planners working at a range of spatial scales can give shape to effective transport and infrastructure strategies, which balance a range of environmental, social and economic objectives.

20 credits

Second year core modules:

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

Understanding Criminology: Advanced Level Introduction

This module introduces students who have not taken criminology core modules to key areas of criminological definition, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. It equips non-criminology students with a broad understanding and so enables them to take further criminology modules if they choose. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues.

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Environmental Pollution and Quality

This module aims to introduce the students to the origins, pathways and consequences of pollutants in the environment, their control and remediation. Pollutants are released into the environment through anthropogenic activities that include domestic, leisure and industrial practices. These pollutants are potentially harmful to the ecosystem and human health. Therefore, an understanding of the physical, chemical and biological processes involved during the contamination of water and soil is essential to protect the environment. This module provides an introduction on how to assess and quantify pollutants by using laboratory techniques for the determination of contamination in water and soil.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Education, Culture and Childhood

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits

Third year optional modules:

What is Learning?

The module explores understandings about how people learn, and implications that these understandings have for how we conduct key social practices, including teaching, caring for children, assessing learning, and on educating generally. We will also look 'beneath' understandings of learning to the worldviews on which they stand, particularly 'realist' and 'constructivist' positions. This matters because 'realism' and 'constructivism' carry implications for how we conceptualise things we take for granted: the nature of truth, the process and products of science, the basis for ethics, the outcomes of research, and assumptions about what is. The module will explore these challenging issues.

20 credits

Philosophies of Education

This module will explore the importance of philosophy to the study of education. It covers key moments in the history of Western philosophy, focusing on the question of modernity (What is modernity? What are its ramifications for education?). The module will investigate the consequences of late modernity for present day education, a period in which the aims and purposes of education have become increasingly unclear, leaving education open to the rise of instrumentalism and the forces of capital. Overall the module offers a critique of common assumptions in education, provoking questioning about its nature and purposes.

20 credits

Education@Sheffield

In Education@Sheffield students are invited to explore and evaluate the rich and diverse research taking place within the School of Education. Through a series of seminars presented by active researchers, students are encouraged to critically engage with research - and the researchers themselves - in the fields of educational and childhood studies. The Education@Sheffield module enables students to acquire a critical understanding of various themes, settings and methodologies which shape contemporary educational research.

20 credits

Globalising Education

This module considers the extent to which education might be viewed as a global context with a shared meaning. Moving outwards from the dominant concepts, principles and practices which frame 'our own' national, or regional responses to education, the module explores other possible ways of understanding difference. By examining 'other ways of seeing difference', in unfamiliar contexts, students are able to examine the implications of globalisation for education and explore the opportunities and obstacles for the social justice agendas within a range of cultural settings.

20 credits

Second year core modules:

Media Law for Journalists

This module provides for those wishing to be journalists, or studying journalism, essential knowledge of media law applying in England and Wales, and of regulatory codes which UK journalists should comply with. This law includes that of defamation, privacy and contempt of court, and other law governing court reporting. The codes seek to uphold journalistic standards generally, including protection of people's privacy and of the identities of sources promised confidentiality. The module also demonstrates that UK journalists can assert `human rights' which in law and the codes uphold freedom of expression, including publication of material `in the public interest'.

20 credits

Doing Quantitative Research

This dynamic inquiry-based course will provide students with practical experience of conducting quantitative social research that has real-life application to the social world. Using a wide range of national and international sources, students will work on the process of gathering, processing, and analysing quantitative data, with a particular focus on communicating findings to a wide range of audiences. This will involve working with different software to analyse and present results, using a wide range of graphical techniques, and interpreting quantitative results in social science more generally.

20 credits

Doing Qualitative Research

Qualitative research remains a key method of data collection and analysis in the social sciences and the skills and techniques that researchers use to generate qualitative data have numerous other applications in the workplace and beyond. In this inquiry-based module students will continue to develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present qualitative data by working on problem-focussed research project. Building on their experience of social research practice they have developed at level one, by the end of this module, students will have completed a team-based qualitative project from beginning to end and used the data to produce an internet-ready research newsletter 'Google Site'. More importantly, they will also demonstrate the ability to critically reflect on the process of doing qualitative research.

20 credits

Second year optional modules:

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Psychology and Learning Communities

This module explores learning as conceptualised by different approaches within the broad umbrella of psychology. It examines how and why these different approaches emerged, how they compare to one another, and how they have come to inform different understandings of what learning is, how it happens and how it might be facilitated. It also explores how these different conceptualisations have come to impact individual learners, and particular learning communities. Critical attention is drawn to the way in which language facilitates social practices including those involved in the construction of different kinds of knowledge. In this sense, knowledge relates to formal conceptualisations of learning provided by developments in scientific disciplines (e.g. psychology) and the social sciences (e.g. education and sociology). It is also concerned with informal understandings such as the continual constitution of learner's identities through social engagement. The module aims to challenge notions of learning as an individual enterprise and to support students in critical reflection upon their own learning experiences in connection to the approaches discussed.

20 credits

Geographies of Development

Development in the Global South is a major issue of international concern in the 21st century. This module explores contemporary development issues and examines the contribution that geographers, and geographical thought, can make towards understanding inequality, poverty and socio-economic change. Definitions of `development', `poverty' and `the poor' shift and are invested with political meaning which reflect specific geographies and ways of seeing the world: students develop critical understandings of such terminology and the power dynamics implicit within them. This module addresses diverse theories, paradigms and contemporary critiques of development, and explores some of the central issues affecting processes of development. Case examples are drawn from Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.

20 credits

Atmospheres and Oceans

This module will give students an understanding of the global climate, focusing on the atmospheres, the oceans, and their interaction. The first part of the module will consider the main characteristics of, and processes behind, climate from the global to the local scale. The second part of the module will examine the physical characteristics of the oceans and their geographical variation, and the role of the oceans in the climate system.

20 credits

Social and Cultural Geographies

This module builds on the Level 1 module Introduction to Human Geography. It illustrates the diversity and vitality of contemporary social and cultural geography including some of the philosophical concepts and theoretical debates that have shaped the subject. As well as demonstrating the value of a geographical perspective on a range of social and cultural issues, the module will enhance the understanding, critical awareness and interdisciplinary capacities of students. The module aims to deepen and enrich the ways in which students are able to think about geographical issues, through a critical understanding of concepts and approaches that underpin the substance and methods of contemporary human geography. The module is delivered through lectures and engagement with a variety of media. It will be assessed via an essay and an unseen exam.

20 credits

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

The Politics and Government of the European Union

This module will provide students with a working knowledge of European integration, and of the main institutions of the European Union, including the Council of Ministers, the Commission and the Parliament. The module consists of a series of lectures on the history and institutions of the European Union, and seminars to discuss issues raised in the lectures.

20 credits

International Relations Theory

This module provides an introduction to international relations theory. The module examines the beginnings of the Discipline and demonstrates how these origins have continued to shape contemporary international relations theory. The module then outlines hte key areas of theoretical debate, including Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Postmodernism, Constructivism, Neorealism, Feminism and Critical Theory

20 credits

Political Theory in Practice

This module explores key debates in political theory, and the implications of those debates for current political practice. It first examines debates surrounding justice, and what these mean for welfare and taxation policies. It then analyses disputes over the meaning of well-being, and their implications for policies surrounding disability and health. It introduces students to different ideas of toleration, and how these influence laws on free speech. It also explores controversies over multiculturalism, and in particular its impact upon women. Finally, it examines care ethics and its implications for how we value the environment.

20 credits

Sociological Theory and Analysis

The aim of this module is to build on and develop students' understanding of Sociological theory, exploring its relevance to key themes and issues in contemporary society. The course will begin with an exploration of the work of modern social theorists such as Talcott Parsons and will conclude with a focus on contemporary theorists such as Donna Haraway. In order to foster student understanding of social theory, its aims and purposes, each theorists work will be applied to substantive issues in modern and contemporary society such as family formation, urbanisation, politics, and globalization. Overall, the module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the importance and use of modern and contemporary social theory.

20 credits

Dynamics of Social Change and Policy

This unit adopts a 'sociological perspective on social policy' to provide a macro perspective on contemporary social and economic transformations in the UK and globally, with a particular emphasis on the challenges posed for social policy theory and practice, as well as the potential to imagine alternative social policy scenarios. Issues considered include: globalisation, neoliberalism, falling fertility and ageing societies, precarious labour markets and migration and mobility. The unit adopts a comparative and international / global perspective, variously emphasising not only the perspectives of International Organisations, but also the challenges faced by other types of welfare regimes.

20 credits

Spatial Analysis

The aims of the module are to provide students with a broad introduction to the basic concepts of GIS and how they can be used for the spatial analysis of a wide range of data for planning purposes. The assessments will (a) test students' individual understanding of key concepts and their ability to think about the potentials and limitations of using spatial analysis to solve planning related problems; and (b) assess students' skills in the practical application of GIS and spatial analysis to a contemporary planning-related problem.

20 credits

Urban Theory

This module aims to develop student’s imaginative engagement with the nature of urban life and human settlement. Urban theory is about how we think about and ‘see’ cities around us – ideas are critical to how we engage with the key problems of the urban world, they are also important to our understanding of how cities work in practice. Urban Theory introduces a range of ideas and key concepts in urban studies with a view to understanding how cities have developed and how they ‘work’ in broad terms. The module considers a range of thinkers, ideas and problems.

20 credits

Dimensions of Education Policy

This module looks at key issues in education policy. We will explore the origins and evaluate the success of the comprehensive system; look in detail at the debates surrounding grammar schools, faith schools, Academies and free schools; assess a range of policies designed to tackle education disadvantage; critically explore the politics of teaching and assessment; and reflect more generally on the discourse of choice and diversity that frames current education policy as a whole.

20 credits

Political Geographies

The module introduces students to contemporary debates within political geography, addressing political processes at a variety of spatial scales, from international, national, local and community politics through to individual political behaviour. Questions of power, efficacy and conflict are examined at all these scales with particular emphasis on the spatial and place-specific aspects of politics in relation to issues including: geopolitics and international relations; the state and territoriality; the politics of nationalism and citizenship; civic activism; and individual political participation.

20 credits

Environment, Society and Politics

Environmental issues continue to be a key area of contemporary public concern and current political debate. They raise fundamental questions about the relationship between society and environment, and the politics of that relationship. This module provides a geographical introduction to these issues and debates with examples from a range of scales from the global to the local. After a review of key concepts, the module is developed through inter-related sections covering debates through different empirical themes.

20 credits

Glaciers and Ice Sheets

This module examines glaciers and ice sheets of the World focussing on how they are believed to function and with some consideration of their historic and future changes.We examine how glaciers and ice sheets come into existence through an understanding of climate and the concept of glacier mass balance. We then consider how glaciers work including on topics such as ice flow, hydrological drainage, ice streams, ice shelves, glacial lakes, and icebergs. Hazards to humankind are also explored. How glaciers modify the underlying landscape is dealt with via a section on glacial geomorphological processes and landforms, and we consider how landscapes evolve under the influence of ice.

20 credits

Data Driven Storytelling

Data-driven approaches to reporting are gaining in popularity and importance in today's world. Established media institutions, such as The New York Times in the US or The Guardian and Press Association in the UK (and many more around the world) already have units that specialise in data journalism. Thus, it becomes essential for the next generation of journalists to be data-literate and to appreciate how data can be verified and used not only to find stories but to tell stories. This module is designed to make you confident and comfortable in working with data and, furthermore, to expand your journalistic toolkit for data-driven, analytic and investigative journalism.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Contemporary Security Challenges

This module examines a series of key contemporary challenges to international security. It addresses debates about the changing nature of security, analyses some of the causes of conflict and the development of new security threats, and assesses some of the ways in which states seek to manage these threats. A range of approaches are examined in order to provide students with a theoretically-informed but policy-relevant understanding of security-related issues in the twenty-first century.

20 credits

Development

This module explores development, through a focus on the key debates about, approaches to, and strategies for engendering it that have prevailed in different parts of the world at different points in history. It emphasises how development is not just about what happens in poor countries: it has always been historically, ideologically and spatially rooted. It moves forward chronologically and geographically, starting with classical debates about British industrialisation, before examining contending visions of development in the post-war era; the diverse experiences of Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean; and the contemporary rise of China. It ends by returning to Britain and its growth crisis; itself a manifestation of a peculiar development problem.

20 credits

Understanding 'Race' and Migration

The module explores the meaning of race in various social and political contexts. It examines how ideas about race help to shape and determine social and political relations and includes considering the part played by ideas about race in forming notions of self and other at the micro and macro levels. It also explores the role of race as a major source of social divisions and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. Themes explored include theories of racism, multiculturalism, Muslims, racialised identities, immigration, education and criminal justice.

20 credits

Sociology of Family: Continuity and Change

Using a sociological and anthropological perspective this unit seeks to problematise the concept of `family' as a natural and universal phenomenon. Rather, it underscores the need to explore the notion of the family as a social and historical construction and will achieve that by examining the diversity of family life in countries around the world. While acknowledging the impact of social change on different family constructions, it will also seek to show how some family structures remain the same, creating a situation where one society can have multiple family structures. In particular, it will focus on the role of the state in constructing the family and highlight the impact these different constructions of family life (and the changes they have undergone) have on particular individuals such as women, children and the elderly.

20 credits

Social Problems: Policy and Practice

This team taught unit adopts a ‘sociological approach to social policy’. Drawing on current examples and comparative references, it explores social and ideological constructions of social problems and the role of the state and other agencies in responses to them. It explores key concepts and themes in social policy and practice such as inequality, justice and fairness; individual versus collective responsibility; and welfare versus social control. It focuses on major contemporary issues, including welfare and work; housing and homelessness; and community participation. The unit aims to equip students with the necessary critical perspective and skills to understand and explore social problems.

20 credits

Digital Media and Social Change

By reviewing relevant perspectives on digital society and contemporary activism, the conceptual part of the module will introduce theories and debates used to look at the role of digital media (from email to social media) in protest and activism from the 1990s onwards. The practical part of the module will specifically focus on contemporary cases of protest and activism - e.g., #BlackLivesMatters or #MeToo - to guide students in planning and developing an empirical explorative analysis of the use and role of social media like Twitter and Facebook in campaigns aimed at social change.

20 credits

Profit, Planning and Context

The module explores the relationship between the activities of profit-seeking business, the use and development of land and the planning activity. It provides an elementary introduction to the economics of land and property development and explores how these pressures interact with lifestyle choices to shape the use of land and property and the implication for public planning. The first part provides a brief introduction to measuring the performance of businesses and investments. The remainder of the module looks at the use of land and property for housing, retail, leisure, employment and transport uses in `urban' contexts

20 credits

Third year core modules:

Free Speech and Censorship

Free Speech and Censorship critically explores the historical and contemporary status of freedom of speech and expression and the limits and constraints on this liberty. The module covers topics as varied as the philosophies of free speech; the history and significance of free speech; debates about harm and offence; the political economy of censorship; privacy and surveillance; censorship during war and informal censorship. Students taking this module should be interested in examining these debates as they apply to contemporary media and political systems. Assessment is via a case study on a topic selected by the student and approved by the module leader.

20 credits

Doing Mixed Methods Research

Research in the social sciences is increasingly using mixed methods to explore the social world. This module covers the principles and practices of conducting mixed methods research (MMR), through an enquiry-based learning approach. By designing and completing their own projects, students will learn how to apply mixed methods and appreciate the value of bringing together both qualitative and quantitative approaches in conducting research. Students will develop their ability to collect, analyse, and present MMR data, alongside critically reflecting process of using MMR.

20 credits

Gender, Feminism and the Media

This module critically examines the media through a feminist and gendered perspective. It considers how women, ‘femininity’ and women’s issues are constructed in the media across a variety of cultural contexts. It introduces theories and approaches with which to analyse a variety of media including newspapers, magazines, and social media. Students will comparatively analyse traditional and social media from a feminist, intersectional, and postcolonial perspective. They will consider the role of the media in both perpetuating, but also challenging, normative ideas about gender. The module draws on a variety of case studies. Topics include LGBTQI+ identity, activism, and the body.

20 credits

Research Dissemination in Social Sciences

This unit is focused on students preparing and presenting a body of work in various forms, and to various audiences. The aim of the unit is to develop students' ability to disseminate the findings of their L3 dissertation/independent project to both specialist and non-specialist audience, and in a variety of written and verbal forms. This will culminate in a conference towards the end of the year.

20 credits

Dissertation in Applied Social Sciences with Journalisim

This module requires the student to prepare, organise, research and report a piece of original work on a social science topic. The student will decide on the topic and will either be expected to collect original material in order to investigate it, or to perform secondary analysis on information drawn from existing source (and in both cases using quantitative methods to analyse the data). The finished product is presented in the style, and at the length, associated with academic journal articles.

40 credits