MA Sociology

Methodology Now will address ‘sociology-in-the-making’, examining epistemological claims, methodological processes and inventive qualitative research methods. The module aims to activate the sociological imagination so that you can critically evaluate current debates about sociological methodology. You'll study how sociological methodology is being transformed in the age of visual, digital and other technologies, as well as discuss the extent to which live or inventive forms of empirical research challenge other modes of social and cultural analysis.

Through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops, you'll explore key moments in sociological research, beginning with the formulation of problems, the idea of relevance and ethics. The course will be team-taught, with a weekly lecture, seminar and workshop which will be focused on short exercises of qualitative methods in action. You'll be assessed through a portfolio of summative assessments which are built up over ten weeks, culminating in the final assessment which will comprise of a research proposal. The modular nature of the assessment is intended to give more opportunity for non-traditional styles of learning.

Contemporary sociological thinking emerges from a rich and complex history of attempts to understand the patterns and dynamics of social life. This module will invite you to consider particular moments and relations within this history as an introduction to the sociological imagination today. We will consider key trajectories to show how current debates both continue and challenge lines of thought that have engaged sociologists. We will see how core theoretical questions of social reproduction, inequalities, subjectivity, truth, knowledge and belief systems and more have remained within the scope of sociology’s explorations while new developments have created the richness of themes and approaches that now live under the umbrella of the discipline. 

Thinking Sociologically will enable you to study core themes of sociology in-depth at an advanced level and encourage you to develop your faculties for thinking critically and sociologically.  You'll learn through close reading and discussion of key writings, and written assessment involving close textual analysis.  The module will be team-taught, with lecturers taking two weeks each to discuss particular sociological themes as represented in a classical and a related contemporary text.  The texts will be treated in-depth in seminar discussion and assessed by detailed comparison in written work.

The dissertation is a substantial piece of written work. It is intended to assess the full range of your abilities and to apply the full range of learning outcomes that you develop through your degree. In particular, it enables assessment of the ability to design, develop and write an advanced research project using primary and/or secondary materials appropriate to the topic and according to the necessary conventions of scholarly work. It requires independent motivation and self-directed learning, under supervision, and enables you to demonstrate competence for critical analysis and sustained persuasive argument.

Students on the MA Sociology, and Urban and Cultural Analysis pathways will be expected to submit a written dissertation of 12-15,000 words. Students on the Visual Sociology pathway will complete a project which combines a practice element or product with a methodological and theoretical reflection (5-6,000 words) as part of the project. As a guideline, a project should show substantial engagement with media and materials, for example it might consist of ca. 20 mins of video, a series of 20-30 photographs or drawings or an installation combining any number of objects and texts.