Keele Badge

SOC-10021 - Module Specification
School of Social, Political and Global Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2022/23 Last Updated: 19 January 2023

SOC-10021 - Investigating Social Issues
Coordinator: Emma Head Room: CBC0.012 Tel: +44 1782 7 33898
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2022/23

'Investigating Social Issues' gives you the chance to explore the world around you with a distinctively sociological lens. It will make use of key sociological readings alongside a range of other sources including film, podcasts, and documentaries to explore contemporary social issues and problems.
The module encourages students to think about the different approaches that sociology as a discipline takes to understanding different aspects of social life. It will also encourage critical reflection on the methods and study skills students need to be able to formulate social issues sociologically. Indicative content: environmental catastrophe, smartphones, platform capitalism, elites and the super-rich, digital media, and the idea of `fake news¿.

Aims
- To show how social life and sociological debates change over time.
- To examine how different types of sources describe and explore social problems in different ways.
- To develop links between academic and experiential knowledge.
- To explore the wider structural force which shape social problems which can be viewed as individualised events.
- To engage students in debate and group work.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/soc-10021/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Explore the distinctive character of sociological approaches to understanding social issues in relation to other disciplines, and everyday life explanations: 1
Describe how a sociological approach highlights the connections between individual experiences and wider public events and social, economic and political forces: 1
Explore potential solutions to current social problems: 1
Use a range of academic and non-academic sources (media reports, grey literature) to explore the nature and causes of social problems: 1
1
Reflect on personally held knowledge, assumptions and practices in relation social problems and sociological and everyday explanations for these:

Study hours

22 contact hours (one hour lecture and one hour seminar weekly or a two hour weekly workshop dependent on student numbers)
44 hours seminar/workshop preparation
84 hours assessment preparation.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Essay weighted 100%
1500 word, reflective essay
A 1500 word essay where students reflect on what they have learnt about key social issues. In this essay, students will reflect on the on the ways the module has challenged or extended their understanding of social issues, using examples from the module (i.e what kinds of insights are gained by a sociological perspective). Students will be expected to consider how social issues are constructed in different sources and to reflect on potential solutions to key challenges facing contemporary societies. It is envisaged that students will focus on two or three topics from the module in their reflective work.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 19 January 2023