Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2500 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | End of Module Assessment 1500 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2500 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | End of Module Assessment 1500 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Identify the contributions of a range of key thinkers informing sociological theory.
Explain a range of dichotomies which lie at the heart of sociological thinking.
Demonstrate an understanding of, and evaluate the historical evolution of the discipline of Sociology.
Brief description
'Sociological Theory’ will introduce students to the big ideas that have inspired the social sciences. It will provide students with an overview of key thinkers and movements in different traditions of critical social theory, focusing on selected works from major 19th and 20th Century social theorists. These concerns will be grounded through a focus on the key themes that have preoccupied sociological thought over the past 150 years, demonstrating the relevance of classical sociology to the present and examining how core ideas have been developed over time. Students will also gain an understanding of how different traditions of critical social theory are linked to research methodologies of different kinds.
Content
‘Sociological Theory’ will introduce students to the big ideas that have inspired the social sciences. It will provide students with an overview of key thinkers and movements in different traditions of critical social theory, focusing on selected works from major 19th and 20th Century social theorists. Key thinkers covered in this module will range from classical sociologists such as Durkheim, Marx and Weber to feminist and post-structuralist thinkers from the late 20th and 21st centuries. The module will allow students to appreciate how all of the themes that they study across the degree scheme relate to the historical trajectories of Sociology as a discipline. The link between these historical trajectories and methodologies will also be highlighted
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Communication | The module will develop students’ written communication skills through the requirement to complete written assessments. In addition, students will develop their oral communication skills through team-working and involvement in class exercises. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Student attendance and participation in the lectures will help them to enhance a range of learning skills. The module also requires students to participate in group discussions and extensive self-directed study. |
| Information Technology | Students will be required to undertake research for the module using bibliographic search-engines and library catalogues. They will also utilize standard word-processing packages in the completion of the coursework. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The module will help students to develop a range of transferable skills including time management, self-discipline, research planning and team-working in class exercises. |
| Problem solving | The module will develop students’ problem-solving skills in a number of ways. Students will be required to analyse a range of sources and texts in class exercises and as part of their independent research and coursework assessment. |
| Research skills | Students are expected to research and synthesize a range of academic source materials in preparing for classes and for their assessments. |
| Subject Specific Skills | The module will enable students to develop and practice subject-specific skills in Sociology. |
| Team work | The classes will include problem-solving exercises and group discussions which will provide opportunities for students to develop team-working skills and discuss their thoughts with the class. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5