SOCI3607: Feminist Anti-Violence Activism: Theory in Action

• SOCI2281 Violence and Abuse in Society (otherwise must be taken as a corequisite)

• SOCI2281 Violence and Abuse in Society (if not previously completed and passed)

• None.

• To introduce Level 3 students to the history of feminist anti-violence activism in national and international contexts.
• To develop student understandings of the connections between anti-violence activism, socio-historical context, and key theoretical and methodological debates in sociology and criminology.
• To explore the real world application of feminist sociological and criminological theory.
• To deepen students' abilities to carry out academic and policy-related research in the context of violence and abuse.

• This module will explore the history of feminist activism on violence and abuse and its connections with key developments and debates in feminist sociology and criminology. Orientating around the concept of 'useful knowledge' it will draw on case studies from the UK and internationally to develop student understandings of how theory and research can be applied to generate social change.
• It will look at activism across three historical contexts: the 1970s-80s; the 1990s-00s; and from 2010-modern day. The differences and similarities across time periods will be examined, as will the ways in which feminist activism can be seen as both a product of and producing some of the key social issues of the time.
• In doing so, this module will provide an in-depth example of how sociological and criminological theory has been applied to real world problems, and help to deepen student understandings of some of the core concepts and debates surrounding the study of violence and abuse.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• By the end of the module students should be able to:-
• critically assess the relationships between socio-historical context, sociological theory, and feminist anti-violence activism.
• analyse the role and importance of different historical, social, and political contexts to activism on violence and abuse.
• identify and discuss the contributions of feminist theory to sociological and criminological research on violence and abuse.
• Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated:-
• an understanding of key historical and contemporary sociological and criminological debates on the study of violence and abuse.
• an understanding of how sociological and criminological theory can be applied to social change.
• core skills of critical analysis, evaluation and conceptual argument.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Undertake and present criminological and sociological work in a scholarly manner.
• Locate sociological/criminological theory and its application within its wider social context.
• Apply theoretical and /or empirical knowledge to an appropriate sociological/criminological question.
• Convey in writing the meaning of abstract theoretical concepts in ways that are understandable to others.

Key Skills:

• Demonstrate a range of communication skills including the ability to: evaluate and synthesise information obtained from a variety of written sources; communicate relevant information in different ways.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of IT resources, including the ability to word-process, use and interpret basic statistical tables and graphs, and use web-based resources (Blackboard Learn Ultra).
• Demonstrate a capacity to improve own learning and performance, including the specific ability to manage time effectively, work to prescribed deadlines, engage in different ways of learning including both independent and directed forms of learning, gather necessary information from a range of bibliographic sources.

• During periods of online teaching, for asynchronous lectures in particular, planned lecture hours may include activities that would normally have taken place within the lecture itself had it been taught face-to-face in a lecture room, and/or those necessary to adapt the teaching and learning materials effectively to online learning.
• Weekly lectures will introduce students to a socio-historical account of feminist anti-violence activism. Three time periods will be explored in detail: the 1970s-80s; the 1990s-00s; and from 2010-modern day. For each period, lectures will explore the relationships between the social context (nationally and/or internationally), the landscape of sociological and criminological theory and research on violence and abuse, and the practical developments in feminist anti-violence activism. Case studies, academic research, activist accounts, and policy materials will be drawn on. Students will have access to Blackboard Learn Ultra where they will be able to access a reading guide and electronic resources (if applicable) for each lecture.
• Seminars will be organised to enable a closer examination of the key concepts and debates in the lectures. Students will be provided with readings, online material, discussion questions, and other small tasks in advance of each workshop (via Duo), and will be expected to contribute to related class discussions and activities.
• Students will also spend time in self-directed study as they prepare for specific seminar and essay assignments.
• Formative: An essay describing an example of feminist anti-violence activism (500 words, optional). This formative assignment requires students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of module topics. The feedback provided on formative work enables students to reflect on their knowledge and understanding, and to improve their performance where appropriate.
• Summative: A summative essay requires students to demonstrate more detailed and extended knowledge of module topics. It also provides an opportunity for feedback.

Students will have the option of submitting an essay describing one example of feminist anti-violence activism (500 words, optional), to obtain guidance and feedbacks from the module conveners.

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