SOCI54630: Public Sociology: Theory and Practice

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• The module aims to provide students with an advanced knowledge in:
• 1. core concepts in social theory and sociological inquiry, their historical genesis and relevance for understanding contemporary societal transformations;
• 2. the range of theories and perspectives that inform and shape sociological knowledge and its application and their relationships to political and social context in which sociological knowledge is created and applied;
• 3. methodological, epistemological and ethical questions raised by the diverse applications of sociology and social sciences in the social world;
• 4. the politics of disciplinary knowledge production, authority and expertise, and how they inform the practice of public sociology;
• 5. social and political processes shaping the development and application of sociological knowledge (neoliberalism, climate change, inequality, etc.)

• The module combines advanced introduction to core concepts and theories in sociological knowledge and inquiry, with advanced knowledge of how these concepts and theories were both shaped by and used to shape social change. The first part of the module introduces some of these key concepts (capitalism, colonialism/empire, class, inequality and injustice, gender, ethnicity/race etc.) and their applications in diverse contexts. The second part of the module delves deeper into the production and application of disciplinary knowledge, addressing questions of power and expertise, authority and politics of knowledge, climate crisis, digital technologies, and diverse modes of engagement with the social world.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• At the end of the module, students will:
• have an advanced understanding of the range of theories, perspectives and debates that inform and shape sociological work, and their relationships to public sociology and social transformations;
• understand the methodological, epistemological and ethical implications of such theoretical approaches.
• have an advanced understanding of how sociological inquiry is communicated, disseminated and used to inform and activate social change at the local, national and global level.

Subject-specific Skills:

• be able to use these approaches to understand and analyse power, social divisions, social diversity and social inequality;
• be able to use these approaches to conceptualize the relationship between the individual and the social world;
• to be able to apply sociological concepts to contemporary issues, inform and support social action and collaborative practice, and develop strategies to inform public debate and activate social change.

Key Skills:

• Be able to evaluate critically evidence and ideas at the forefront of research and thinking in the subject;
• Be able to deal with highly complex issues and communicate conclusions to specialist and non-specialist audiences;
• Demonstrate a high degree of self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems;
• Be able to continue to acquire knowledge and understanding at an advanced level.

• Lectures: introduce key concepts, perspectives and debates in social theory, and examine their application to social practice and public sociology. Lectures also highlight the methodological, epistemological and ethical implications of key concepts and approaches;
• Seminars: enable students to evaluate sociological arguments and evidence, and to consider what is distinctive about sociological approaches. Students will be encouraged, within seminars, to develop their own sociologically-informed questions and analyses, and to present complex scholarly work orally in a coherent and accessible manner. (note that the module runs in a continuous 2-hour session, which has been shown to have a positive effect on in-class dynamic and student engagement, which means lectures and seminars are not always strictly delineated);
• Independent Study: allows students to read widely around different topics, drawing on debates within scholarly journals and research monographs, and developing skills in critically engaging with literature and dissemination;
• The essay will demonstrate students' ability to engage in independent analysis of complex issues and relationships related to social transformations and public sociology;
• The oral summative assessment will assess both depth of understanding, breadth of knowledge and students ability to synthesize knowledge, construct an argument and communicate this coherently and effectively within an oral seminar presentation. Assessment of oral presentations will be carried out by the course team.

Students will receive direct feedback in relation to their oral contributions to lectures and in seminars. They will receive formative assessment in relation to written preparatory tasks and seminar presentations. Individual surgery sessions will be timetabled in relation to students' plans for their summative assignments.

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