Sociology

The following modules are available to incoming Study Abroad students interested in Sociology.

Alternatively you may return to the complete list of Study Abroad Subject Areas.

SOCL4001 - Thinking Sociologically
SOCL4002 - Framing Social Issues
SOCL4003 - Researching Society: Principles and Practices
SOCL4005 - Public Sociology: Understanding and Creating Social Change
SOCL5001 - Global Social Theory: Connecting Sociologies
SOCL5002 - Research in Action: Methods for Investigating the Social World
SOCL5003 - Designing Sociological Research
SOCL5004 - Race, Racism and Inequality
SOCL5005 - Transnational Debates on Gender and Society
SOCL5006 - Welfare States: Poverty, Policy and Politics
SOCL6001 - Advanced Sociological Theories and Applications
SOCL6003 - Environment and Society: Crisis, Justice and Change
SOCL6004 - Migration, Inequalities and Societies
SOCL6005 - Health, Bodies and Social Reproduction
SOCL7001 - Principles of Research Design
SOCL7002 - Qualitative Methods
SOCL7003 - Critical Quantitative Methods
SOCL7004 - Research Projects in Practice
SOCL7005 - Data Analysis, Presentation and Research Communication
SOCL7007 - Research Pathways: Independent Study in Social Research
SOCL7008 - Sociological Debates and Global Crises: Theories for Studying a Changing Social World

SOCL4001: Thinking Sociologically

Terms Taught: Michaelmas
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module introduces students to the distinctive ways in which sociologists understand the social world. It aims to develop students capacities to think conceptually about everyday social life, to identify and work with core sociological concepts and perspectives. Through engagement with contemporary topics and problems, the module fosters students sociological imagination enabling them to connect personal experiences with wider social structures, historical processes, and cultural meanings. The module provides a foundation for further sociological learning by cultivating analytical thinking, an awareness of the diversity of sociological approaches, and an appreciation of the disciplines distinctiveness and relevance for attending to contemporary social issues. It also aims to develop transferable academic skills including critical reading, group discussion, academic writing, and evidence-based reasoning.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the sociological imagination and how it distinguishes Sociology from other ways of knowing and explaining the world.
Identify and describe key sociological concepts and theoretical approaches used to analyse contemporary social issues.
Explain how basic sociological reasoning can be used to understand everyday experiences and current social phenomena.

Outline Syllabus

The module begins by introducing the concept of the sociological imagination and explores how Sociology differs from both common sense and other academic disciplines. Students engage with classic and contemporary sociological thinkers and ideas, and learn how these shape the ways sociologists investigate society.

These themes allow students to explore how everyday experiences are shaped by broader social structures and historical processes. The module also introduces students to core sociological debates around structure and agency, culture and power, and the role of theory and evidence in sociological thinking.

The syllabus builds progressively, enabling students to move from grasping individual concepts to making connections between them. This scaffolding supports students to begin formulating sociologically informed analyses of familiar topics and lays the groundwork for deeper exploration of theory, research, and critical debates in subsequent years.

The module draws on diverse sources and ideas, ensuring students encounter sociological knowledge from a range of global and historically marginalised perspectives. Throughout, students are encouraged to reflect on their own social positioning and how this shapes both their experiences and their engagement with sociological knowledge.

Assessment Proportions

The module is comprised of weekly 2 hour workshops, that include a lecture or input element and breakout group activities with the aim to create an interactive and inclusive learning environment. Lectures introduce key concepts, themes, and thinkers, while activities focus on applying sociological ideas through discussion, collaborative tasks, and analysis of contemporary issues and cases. Weekly preparation including reading and short writing activities support independent learning and promote the development of independent engagement with course materials.

The assessment strategy is designed to align with the learning outcomes and provide students with early feedback on their developing understanding.

The summative assessment is a concept description in which students explain a key sociological concept and explore its relevance to an everyday social issue. This assessment requires students to identify, distinguish, and apply theoretical ideas to real-world examples, demonstrating an understanding of the distinctiveness of sociological thought and its relevance.

Formative learning activities are embedded throughout workshop sessions and guided independent study, and are designed to support students in developing the skills and understanding necessary for successful completion of the summative assessment. These activities may be cumulative across several weeks or given focused attention within a particular session. Examples include short written exercises, structured reflections, and applied problem-solving tasks.

Opportunities for formative feedback are integrated into class time and may involve group discussion, peer review, and tutor-led guidance, offering students regular points of reflection and development. This approach is intended to build confidence, academic skills, and a sense of progression across the module. Summative feedback is provided to help orient students’ development and success in following modules and future years.

The programme adopts a developmental approach to formative and summative assessment: formative activity is emphasised particularly at Level 4 to support the transition into university-level study, while greater emphasis is placed on summative assessment at Level 6, where students are supported to demonstrate the advanced critical and analytical abilities developed throughout the programme.

The learning and assessment approach reflects Lancaster’s broader pedagogic priorities by embedding inclusive teaching, assessment literacy, and attention to diverse perspectives.

SOCL4002: Framing Social Issues

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer terms
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module introduces students to the process of sociological investigation by exploring how key social issues are identified, framed, and researched within the discipline. It aims to develop students’ capacity to ask sociologically informed questions, locate relevant academic sources, and recognise different ways of explaining and addressing contemporary problems informed by contrasting sociological approaches.

The module encourages students to develop the skills and confidence to explore unfamiliar or contentious topics through a sociological approach. By focusing on how particular topics, which might include: identity, family, crime, globalisation, health, climate change, or consumption, are constructed and contested in sociological debates, students learn how to identify and distinguish the assumptions behind competing perspectives.

The module also supports the development of core academic skills, including information literacy, academic reading, writing - foundations for sociological inquiry at higher levels of study.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Demonstrate an ability to identify and frame sociologically informed questions in relation to a specific social issue.
Make effective use of academic sources and online resources to explore and define different sociological positions and perspectives.
Produce coherent written work that develops a sociological argument supported by relevant concepts, evidence, and source material.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores how sociologists frame and investigate key social issues. It begins by introducing students to the concept of framing - how problems are defined, whose voices are heard, and what kinds of explanations and solutions are offered. Students then engage with a selection of important contemporary topics (which might include: identity, family, crime, globalisation, health, climate change, or consumption,) and consider how these are differently understood depending on theoretical or disciplinary perspective, methodological approach, or political context.

As the module progresses, students will learn how to identify a sociological issue of interest, distinguish approaches and how they frame research questions, and locate and interpret relevant academic literature and evidence. They’ll explore how to use online databases, select and read peer-reviewed sources, and differentiate sociological and other kinds of knowledge.

Workshops guide students through this process, helping them learn how to move from general interest to a more focused sociological investigation. Particular emphasis is placed on recognising the relationship between concepts, evidence, and questions, and on encouraging students to reflect on how their own perspectives and assumptions may shape their understanding of an issue.

The module introduces students to skills that will support them throughout the degree, such as critical reading, note-taking, referencing, and identifying and organising academic arguments and positions. It is designed to provide a scaffolded and supportive entry into the practice of sociological inquiry, rooted in current debates and diverse perspectives.

Assessment Proportions

This module is structured to guide students step-by-step through the process of framing social issues in sociological terms. Weekly workshops introduce core concepts, framing strategies, and relevant cases. Students focus on applying these ideas through group discussion and collaborative exercises.

The summative assessment is an essay in which students analyse the sociological significance of a chosen topic or issue. This task is designed to help students demonstrate their ability to distinguish a sociological reading and framing of a given topic.

Opportunities for feedback are integrated into class time and may involve group discussion, peer review, and tutor-led guidance, offering students regular points of reflection and development. This approach is intended to build confidence, academic skills, and a sense of progression across the module.

Students are encouraged to engage with a wide range of academic voices and perspectives, reflecting Lancaster’s commitment to inclusive, critically engaged, and decolonised teaching practices.

This module connects closely to Thinking Sociologically by extending students’ foundational understanding of sociology into the practice of formulating, researching, and writing about sociological problems - laying the groundwork for more advanced sociological investigation in later years.

SOCL4003: Researching Society: Principles and Practices

Terms Taught: Michaelmas term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module introduces students to principles and practices of sociological research. It aims to equip students with the foundational skills, knowledge, and ethical awareness needed to engage with sociological enquiry in both academic and everyday contexts.

By exploring a range of qualitative and quantitative methods, students will begin to understand how sociologists formulate questions, gather and interpret data, and draw conclusions about the social world. The module encourages students to develop a methodological imagination, how methodologies matter for research claims, and appreciate the social and ethical dimensions of research practice.

Through active learning, small group work, and applied examples, students will begin developing transferable research skills while also reflecting on their own role and positionality as investigators, learners, and participants in a society increasingly shaped by data and evidence.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Identify and discuss different types of sociological data and research methods, and describe their main areas of application, key strengths and limitations.
Identify sociologically informed research questions and identify compatible sources of data or evidence suitable to addressing those questions.
Recognise and reflect on ethical issues in research design and practice, including the collection, use, representation and representativeness of data.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces students to the ways sociologists investigate the social world. It focuses on the types of questions Sociologists ask, how they approach them, and the processes of producing sociological knowledge. Students are introduced to various research techniques - such as interviews, surveys, and observations - and explore how each can be used to examine a range of social issues.

The module begins by supporting students to move from general topics of interest to focused sociological questions. It then introduces basic tools for research, including how to locate and evaluate sources, distinguish between types of evidence, and understand the reasoning behind methodological choices. Students are also encouraged to reflect on how research findings can be presented or interpreted in misleading ways, particularly when context is missing or when key perspectives are excluded.

A central concern of the module is developing awareness of research as a social and ethical practice. Students explore the principles of ethical research and consider how power, voice, and representation influence how research is designed and conducted. Case studies and applied examples are used throughout to help students understand how sociological methods can be used to explore everyday social phenomena, including inequality, identity, and cultural practices.

The module provides a clear and accessible foundation in sociological research, preparing students for working with research methods at Levels 5 and 6.

Assessment Proportions

This module uses a range of workshop activities to support students in learning about sociological data and methods through examples and reflection. Students are introduced to key methodological debates and participate in collaborative exercises designed to build foundational research competencies.

The summative assessment is a reflective piece, in which students comment on a selection of applied research examples, articulating their use of methods, the rationale for their selection, and any ethical considerations. This task builds awareness of how sociological questions are operationalised and how methods are chosen to fit different research contexts and answer different research questions.

Teaching integrates diverse examples and encourages students to consider how research has historically included or excluded certain voices. Ethical reasoning is woven throughout with particular attention to the responsibilities of researchers and the impact of methodological choices.

The assessment strategy is designed to develop core research literacy while encouraging reflection and inclusive engagement with knowledge production - laying the groundwork for more complex methodological training in later years.

SOCL4005: Public Sociology: Understanding and Creating Social Change

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module introduces students to the role of Sociology beyond the university and explores how sociological knowledge can be used to understand and contribute to social change. It enables students to recognise and reflect on the public relevance of Sociology and to consider examples of sociological work that have informed public debates, policy interventions, and community action. The module aims to inspire students to consider the wider impact of sociological thinking, while developing their ability to apply concepts and evidence to real-world issues. It also introduces students to key skills involved in communicating sociological ideas to non-academic audiences, including writing for public audiences, critical reflection, and argumentation.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Identify and explain how sociological knowledge can be applied to public, policy, or civic issues.
Reflect on examples of public sociology and consider the opportunities and challenges involved in creating social impact.
Recognise how sociological insights can be clearly and effectively communicated for non-specialist audiences.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores the idea of public sociology—a form of sociological practice that seeks to engage with audiences beyond academia and contribute to meaningful dialogue and action around pressing social issues. Through contemporary case studies, students are introduced to how Sociologists have shaped important public debates, for example on issues of inequality, health, migration, environmental justice, and other key areas of public concern.

The module begins by tracing the history and purpose of public sociology, including its relationship to activism, advocacy, and policy work. Students examine the different ways Sociologists engage with the public, from media appearances and blog writing to consultancy, campaigning, and community research.

The module introduces students to a range of tools for public engagement, including the basics of writing for a non-academic audience, working with different media, and tailoring messages for specific publics. Through workshops, students explore the challenges of communicating complexity, the ethics of public engagement, and the importance of inclusivity and accountability in sociological communication.

This module creates space for students to reflect on what it means to "do sociology" in the world and how they might develop their own sociological voice. The syllabus draws on diverse examples and voices, emphasising public sociology from the global South, marginalised communities, and alternative media.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment is a review of a public-facing sociological intervention. This could be a report, campaign, media piece, exhibition, or community project. Students assess how effectively sociological ideas are communicated, what forms of knowledge are used, and what social impact is sought or achieved.

The assessment strategy reflects the aims of the module by encouraging students to connect academic knowledge to real-world challenges, to reflect on how knowledge travels beyond the university, and to develop skills in communicating sociological insight for public audiences. The module contributes to broader programme goals around the relevance of sociological enquiry, public engagement, social impact, and inclusive scholarship.

SOCL5001: Global Social Theory: Connecting Sociologies

Terms Taught: Michaelmas term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module explores how social theories and concepts have emerged, travelled, and been transformed within and across different global, historical, and political contexts. It introduces students to a diverse range of theoretical perspectives - including feminist, postcolonial, decolonial, critical race, Indigenous, and anti-capitalist theories - and equips them with the positions and ideas to engage with enduring sociological questions about power, inequality, and social change.

The module aims to broaden students’ understanding of what counts as sociological theory and to challenge Eurocentric narratives of the discipline. It develops students’ capacity to compare and analyse key thinkers, texts, and debates across global traditions of thought. It also supports students to work with theory as a tool for framing sociological questions and investigating contemporary social problems.

Through close reading, structured comparison, and guided discussion, students build confidence in working with a range of sociological concepts and deepen their appreciation of the relevance of theory for sociological practice.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Compare and contrast key sociological theories and concepts, identifying how they are shaped by different historical, geographical, and political contexts.
Apply selected sociological theories and concepts to analyse contemporary social issues from multiple theoretical perspectives.
Interpret and evaluate sociological texts, using appropriate theoretical language to construct clear, coherent, and well-reasoned arguments.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces students to social theory as a global and contested field of ideas and concepts. Rather than focusing only on European “classics,” the module explores how sociological thought has emerged from - and been continually reshaped by - colonialism, capitalism, social movements, and political struggle across the world.

The module encourages students to question what counts as theory, whose ideas are included or excluded. It considers how theory can be used to interpret and challenge normative understandings of the world, and how theory can shape our understanding of and approach to contemporary social problems.

The syllabus is structured into thematic blocks, each combining deep dives into key thinkers with broader explorations of long-standing theoretical debates. Indicative topics include:

Capitalism and Anticapitalism
Class and Caste
Surveillance and Social Control
Stigma and Social Norms
Gender, the Family and Social Reproduction
Environmental Crisis

Each block combines theoretical concepts with contemporary examples drawn from across the world. Students will learn how to engage with sociological theories and compare contrasting views and positions on contemporary issues.

Workshops foster collaborative discussion, peer learning, and practical skills in analysis, interpretation, and debate. Emphasis will be placed on recognising the embeddedness of theory in its political and historical context, and on using theory to connect sociological questions to real-world challenges.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment is a comparative essay (100%), in which students analyse and evaluate two theoretical approaches in relation to a sociological problem or theme. This assessment allows students to demonstrate their ability to work independently with theoretical texts, draw on relevant scholarship, and develop a well-reasoned argument.

SOCL5002: Research in Action: Methods for Investigating the Social World

Terms Taught: Michaelmas
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module aims to extend students’ understanding of how sociological research methods are used to explore real-world issues. It introduces a range of methodological approaches — both qualitative and quantitative — and supports students in considering how data is gathered, analysed, and communicated in different research contexts.

Building on foundational knowledge from level 4, the module helps students develop a clearer understanding of how research questions relate to methodological choices and how these are shaped by social and disciplinary contexts. Students are also encouraged to reflect on the ethical considerations involved in carrying out sociological research and the responsibilities of researchers working with people, communities, and data.

The module combines conceptual discussion with practical activities to support the development of key research skills. It prepares students for further study in research design and independent sociological enquiry in the final year of the programme.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Compare the strengths and limitations of a range of sociological research methods in relation to specific research questions and contexts.
Reflect on the ethical dimensions of sociological research, including the responsibilities of researchers to participants, communities, and data.
Apply core research techniques to a chosen sociological topic and reflect on the appropriateness and implications of these choices.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores how Sociologists use different research methods to engage with social issues and generate evidence that informs academic, policy, and public debates. Through a combination of conceptual discussion and applied exercises, students build skills in recognising the assumptions, strengths, and limitations of various research strategies.

The module is organised around cross-cutting methodological issues that students encounter across different research settings and approaches. Topics include themes such as:

Generating sociological research questions
Working with primary and secondary data
Sampling, generalisability, and case selection
Qualitative interviews and observational methods
Surveys and quantitative data collection
Visual and digital methods
Discourse analysis
Data analysis, interpretation, and visualisation
Ethical decision-making in diverse research contexts

Students engage with sociological case studies and media examples to explore how evidence is produced, interpreted, and sometimes misused. They are encouraged to think critically about the social and political implications of research design, including whose voices are included or excluded and how findings are communicated.

The module provides opportunities for practical, hands-on work with methods and data. It encourages students to develop a methodological imagination—thinking not only about how to do research, but how methods shape the knowledge that is produced.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment is a methods portfolio (100% weighting), in which students reflect on using different methodological approaches and assess their suitability for investigating a chosen sociological question. The portfolio includes an annotated bibliography of relevant literature and research examples.

SOCL5003: Designing Sociological Research

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

The module aims to develop students’ ability to formulate viable research questions, evaluate and select appropriate methods, use theory and methods to inform one another, and consider the ethical and practical challenges of data collection and analysis. Through interactive workshops, peer support, and tutor guidance, students begin to plan their dissertation projects and gain confidence in the craft of sociological research.

Proving a space for students to consolidate their reflections from other modules and apply them to their own research design, the module encourages students to think reflexively about their role as researchers and to locate their proposed research within wider sociological debates and real-world concerns.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Formulate sociologically informed research questions and propose appropriate theoretical frameworks, data sources and methods for investigating them.
Design a practically feasible sociological research project, presenting a well reasoned rationale for their research design, and demonstrating understanding of how theoretical frameworks and methods inform one another.
Understand the ethical implications of their proposed research and apply relevant guidance and frameworks to ensure responsible practice.

Outline Syllabus

This module focuses on the design and planning stages of sociological research and acts as a bridge between taught methods and independent dissertation work. Students are introduced to the key elements of research design, including topic selection, question formulation, methodological rationale, theoretical framing, and ethical review.

Early sessions help students identify potential dissertation topics, develop sociologically informed questions, and critically evaluate relevant theoretical frameworks and concepts. The module then guides them through selecting and justifying appropriate methods - qualitative, quantitative, or mixed - and thinking critically about sampling, access, and data collection strategies.

Workshops incorporate practical exercises in mapping research questions to theoretical concepts and methods, designing research instruments (e.g. interview schedules or survey questions), and writing literature reviews. Students also engage with case studies and peer-led discussions to explore the diverse range of research approaches within Sociology.

A recurring theme across the module is ethical reflection. Students are introduced to key frameworks for ethical approval, explore the challenges of power and representation in research, develop strategies for working responsibly with participants, data, and communities, and reflect critically on their own positionality.

Guest speakers - including current dissertation students and staff supervisors (not paid for external invitations) - offer insights into different research journeys and help students build confidence in shaping their own.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment is a research proposal (100% weighting), in which students outline their topic, formulate research questions, present a literature review, justify their methodological choices, and address ethical considerations. This proposal forms the basis for their dissertation project in the following year.

SOCL5004: Race, Racism and Inequality

Terms Taught: Michaelmas term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

Themes covered may include colonialism and imperialism, everyday racism, whiteness, racial capitalism, immigration and state power, as well as the politics of resistance and anti-racist movements. The module addresses contemporary forms of racism such as Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, misogynoir, antisemitism, anti-immigration and xenophobia, paying close attention to how these intersect with other forms of social inequality.

The module encourages students to engage with sociological debates that conceptualise racism as a system of power and domination and supports them to reflect on the relevance of sociological knowledge for understanding and addressing racial injustice. It also introduces relevant research approaches and considers the methodological challenges associated with conducting anti-racist and decolonial research.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Understand and describe critical concepts related to contemporary issues regarding race, racism and racial injustice and inequality.
Compare and contrast different sociological approaches to understanding race, racism, and racialisation in historical and contemporary contexts.
Understand and interpret empirical evidence—including qualitative and quantitative data—to investigate racial and ethnic inequalities.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores how ideas of race and ethnicity are shaped by and shape modern societies and continue to structure social hierarchies, national identities, and experiences of inequality. It examines racism as a system of power rooted in histories of colonialism, enslavement, empire, global capitalism and maintained through institutions, discourses, and everyday practices.

The syllabus is structured around five thematic strands:

Theorising Race and Racism: including Islamophobia, antisemitism, the far-right, Black feminist thought, intersectionality, and critical whiteness studies.
Historical Foundations: covering colonialism, imperialism, and the racial logics of modern nation-states and global capitalism.
Institutions and Inequality: exploring how racism is embedded in education, politics, economics, security, policing, health, housing and immigration policy.
Resistance and Activism: examining protest, anti-racist movements and decolonial struggles.
Methods and Data: considering how race and racism are studied, and how research can challenge, change or reinforce systems of inequality.

Students work with a range of sociological texts, data sources, and case studies from the UK and globally. The module centres the voices of scholars and activists from historically marginalised groups.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment is an essay (100% weighting) in which students develop an original argument on a topic of their choosing from a list of essay questions, drawing on theory, data, and sociological research to evaluate a contemporary issue related to race and racism.

SOCL5005: Transnational Debates on Gender and Society

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module explores how feminist theory and activism have shaped sociological understandings of gender, power, and inequality across time and place. It introduces students to key historical and contemporary debates in feminist thought and practice, with particular attention to transnational, intersectional, and decolonial approaches.

The module aims to develop students’ ability to think critically about how gender is socially constructed and experienced in relation to other axes of difference, including race, class, sexuality, and migration. It also examines feminist contributions to sociological knowledge, methodology, and social change, highlighting how feminists have challenged dominant ways of knowing and reshaped both research and activism.

Students are encouraged to make connections between theory, lived experience, and social transformation by analysing diverse sources - from academic texts to media, art, and activist materials - and through collaborative research and reflection.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Compare and explain key feminist theories and debates in relation to their historical, political, and global contexts.
Describe how feminist perspectives influence sociological approaches to knowledge production and research practice.
Apply feminist concepts to analyse contemporary social issues related to gender, power, and inequality.

Outline Syllabus

This module investigates how feminist thought and activism have contributed to challenging and reshaping dominant understandings of society, identity, and inequality. Students will engage with a range of feminist theoretical traditions, drawing on decolonial and transnational approaches to examine how gender intersects with race, class, sexuality, disability, religion, and the environment.

The syllabus brings together historical, methodological, and contemporary strands of feminist sociology. Indicative themes include the development of feminist movements and theories—such as liberal, radical, Black, postcolonial, Indigenous, trans, and queer feminisms—and the debates and tensions that have shaped them. Students will also explore how feminist epistemologies and methodologies challenge dominant models of knowledge production by centring lived experience, reflexivity, and positionality.

The module applies these theoretical and methodological insights to contemporary social issues using examples drawn from across global and historical contexts. Topics discussed will challenge students to reconsider their views around contentious issues like transgender rights, sex work, gender-based violence, reproductive justice, migration, Islamophobia, climate justice and resistance to far-right movements, among others.

Students will work with a variety of materials—from academic texts to popular culture—and will engage in workshops focused on collaborative discussion, media analysis, close reading, and reflective research. The module encourages students to develop a critical, interdisciplinary understanding of feminism as both a theoretical project and a tool for social transformation.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment consists of a feminist manifesto essay. Students begin by working individually or in small groups to produce a feminist manifesto or reinterpret an existing one. This creative piece is then used as the foundation for an individual reflective essay, in which students analyse the manifesto’s theoretical influences, consider its relevance to feminist debates across different contexts, and reflect on their own positionality in shaping its focus and form. The assessment supports the development of key academic skills, while also encouraging thoughtful application of feminist theory and sociological concepts.

SOCL5006: Welfare States: Poverty, Policy and Politics

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module introduces students to the sociological study of welfare states, with a particular focus on the UK. It explores the development, transformation, and contestation of state welfare provisions in response to changing historical, political, economic contexts. Students are invited to consider how welfare regimes reflect shifting social contracts between the state, markets and citizens, and how changes in welfare provisions, policies and practices are shaped by questions of power, economics, morality and social inequalities.

The module aims:

To examine the history of welfare practices and policies in key areas across the 20th and 21st century.
To consider the relationship between welfare and social control.
To evaluate the consequences and impacts of welfare reforms on different populations.
To introduce comparative approaches, exploring how examining different historical periods and other national models of welfare provision might illuminate the challenges and contradictions of the UK system today.

Through reflexive engagement with history, policies, lived experiences, social movements and public debate, the module supports students in understanding the relevance of sociological research to some of the most urgent and contested areas of contemporary social life.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Explain the historical and political development of the British welfare state using sociological concepts.
Analyse the relationship between welfare provision, population governance, and social control through key theoretical perspectives.
Compare welfare systems and reforms across different historical periods and national contexts, identifying patterns and differences.

Outline Syllabus

This module explores how welfare policies and practices have evolved and how competing visions of the welfare state reflect broader struggles over rights, responsibilities, and redistribution. Focusing on the evolution of the 20th century British welfare state, the module examines different periods of political consensus around welfare provision—social democracy, neoliberalism, the third way and austerity. Key features of welfare state provision will be explored, including health, housing, social security, education, disability and ageing.

Students will investigate the ways in which welfare policies are shaped by wider social norms and beliefs about citizenship, social class and gender roles. They will also examine how contested and changing beliefs about the role of state interventions in people’s lives and how ideas about ‘deservedness’, dependency, and behaviour change have shaped the delivery of and access to welfare.

The module also explores welfare through a cultural lens, analysing political speeches, media representations, and campaigns to trace how welfare has been imagined and contested over time. Transnational case studies—that might include, for example, Nordic, post-communist, and Global South models—will introduce further comparative perspectives.

Throughout the module, students will be encouraged to reflect on different methodological approaches to researching welfare, to explore and employ different kinds of data and to critically discuss the real-world impacts of welfare reform. They will also examine the public campaigns, organisations and social movements that influence welfare policies, and in class we will debate what a more equitable future for welfare might look like.

Assessment Proportions

Summative assessment is a comparative essay. Students will choose one substantive area of welfare provision studied on the module (eg. health, education, housing, employment, disability benefits, pensions), and will undertake research to produce a comparative essay focused on either:

(1) how welfare provisions have changed over time.

(2) how welfare provisions differ in two different national contexts.

SOCL6001: Advanced Sociological Theories and Applications

Terms Taught: Michaelmas term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module supports students in developing an advanced, critical understanding of sociological theory and its application to the analysis of contemporary social problems, phenomena, and debates. It enables students to refine their theoretical literacy and to make independent, well-supported choices about how theory can frame, guide, and challenge sociological inquiry.

By exploring how sociological theories are constructed, contested, and applied in both academic and applied contexts, students gain the confidence to work with theory in their dissertation projects and beyond. The module emphasises the practical relevance of theory within the sociological research process, and invites students to engage reflexively with how theoretical positions are connected to political, historical, and ethical commitments.

It also encourages students to identify, defend, and critique different theoretical approaches across a range of sociological domains - such as inequality, gender, technology, migration, health, or climate and environmental change - demonstrating how sociological theory travels across research, policy, and public discourse.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Conduct independent theoretical analysis by selecting and applying appropriate sociological frameworks to a defined research or policy issue.
Demonstrate sustained engagement with sociological literature and critically evaluate competing theoretical approaches.
Reflect on and evaluate the practical, political, and ethical implications of theoretical choices in the design and interpretation of sociological work.

Outline Syllabus

This module consolidates students’ theoretical training and prepares them to use theory as an analytical tool in independent sociological research. Each week students explore how a particular text mobilises theory and ideas in a particular study or argument. In doing so, the module helps students to understand the challenges that sociologists face in the application and development of theory at all stages of the research process and across all kinds of substantive areas – where approaches are shared and where they differ. Students are supported to develop their own ontological and epistemological stance in relation to their emerging work in their dissertation and use the module discussion to inform the theoretical developments and contributions of their own research projects.

The module places particular emphasis on helping students use theory confidently in preparation for their final-year independent projects. It challenges them to justify their theoretical choices and to understand how theoretical frameworks shape research questions, evidence, and interpretations.

Each week, workshops combine close reading of theory with applied exercises, group analysis of sociological case studies, and peer discussion of students’ own theoretical positioning.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment is a written submission that takes the form of a positioning literature review. Students will select a research question from a list provided by the module convener. The assessment allows students to demonstrate their ability to select appropriate sociological literature, engage critically and independently with theory, apply it meaningfully to a sociological issue or topic and comment on appropriate research design.

SOCL6003: Environment and Society: Crisis, Justice and Change

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

The 21st century has underscored the urgent need for the social sciences to address environmental crises in ways that are inclusive, equitable, and rooted in diverse global perspectives. This module explores how sociological thinking can contribute to understanding and responding to environmental change. It introduces students to a range of sociological theories and approaches that critically interrogate dominant responses to such change and foreground the social, political, and cultural dimensions of environmental crisis.

The module aims to deepen students’ understanding of environmental change not only as a scientific and technological issue but also as a problem of social organisation, inequality, and justice. This could include critical engagement with sociological understandings of resource-intensive ways of life; interrogating how colonial histories and global inequalities shape resource-intensive societies; and examining the evolving relationships between humans, animals, and ecosystems. The module supports students in applying sociological theory to complex environmental challenges, encourages critical reflection on their own social positioning within climate debates, and provides a foundation for independent, justice- oriented research on climate and sustainability issues

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Critically evaluate a range of sociological theories and concepts used to understand the causes, consequences, and responses to environmental change.
Apply analytical skills to evaluate the social dimensions of environmental crisis, including the role of institutions, infrastructures, practices, and publics.
Reflect on and communicate the relevance of sociological approaches to contemporary environmental debates.

Outline Syllabus

This module addresses the environmental crisis as a pressing and contested issue of social justice, institutional responsibility, and collective action. Through a sociological approach, it examines the deep-rooted societal structures and everyday practices that underpin both the causes of and responses to environmental change.

The first part of the module explores key sociological critiques of mainstream climate discourse, including the dominance of technocentric and individualised narratives. It introduces the concept of “the social life of carbon”, examining how carbon is framed, valued, and governed across economic and political systems. Students engage with theories of climate governance, transition, and risk, and consider how these intersect with questions of inequality, power, and accountability.

The second part of the module shifts focus toward practices, interventions, and justice. It investigates how practices of energy use, transport, food consumption, and activism are shaped by social norms, infrastructures, and policy regimes. Themes such as climate justice, colonial responsibility, and climate-related displacement are explored in relation to broader global inequalities.

Throughout, students are encouraged to consider their own role in climate futures and to reflect critically on their own research and consumption practices. The module offers a sociological toolkit for thinking about change - both systemic and everyday - and prepares students for deeper engagement with sustainability-related research and activism.

Assessment Proportions

Assessment is composed of two summative elements:

Critical academic essay (70%) – Students apply sociological theories and perspectives to explore a specific environmental issue in depth, demonstrating analytical rigour and independent argumentation.
Policy briefing paper (30%) – Students produce a concise, public-facing policy briefing aimed at non-academic audiences, presenting sociological insight in a clear and actionable format.

SOCL6004: Migration, Inequalities and Societies

Terms Taught: Lent/Summer term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

Students will be introduced to key theories and debates in migration studies and will develop the analytical tools to assess the social, political, and emotional meanings attached to migration. The module considers migration at a range of scales, from the experiences of individual migrants to the role of states and transnational organisations in the governance and regulation of migration.

By situating migration within sociological perspectives on inequality, global and social transformation, the module encourages students to develop independent and critical thinking, to evaluate the methodological and ethical challenges in researching mobile and marginalised populations, and to demonstrate the value of sociological thinking for understanding migration as a social phenomenon.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Critically evaluate sociological approaches to migration, citizenship, and belonging, and assess how these transform public and political understandings of migration.
Analyse and evaluate the ethical and methodological challenges involved in studying migration regimes, mobile populations, and lived experiences of exclusion and resistance.
Critically assess the value of sociological concepts and evidence for investigating the relationships between migration, inequality in societies around the world today.

Outline Syllabus

Migration is often portrayed as a crisis, but this module challenges students to understand migration as a deeply social process caught up in the production of global inequalities, impacted by policy and politics, and rich with theoretical and empirical significance for sociology. It begins with an introduction to key sociological approaches to migration, situating them within the wider interdisciplinary field of migration studies.

Indicative themes include:

Theories of migration and mobility – including structural, postcolonial, and transnational perspectives.
Methodological considerations – exploring current debates that include methodological nationalism, the politics of representation and migratisation.
Borders and belonging – examining how national boundaries are policed and regulated, and how belonging is articulated, disrupted, or denied.
Citizenship regimes – focusing on how legal status, rights, and recognition are negotiated, and how citizenship is made conditional or exclusionary.
Criminalisation and surveillance – analysing the expansion of detention, deportation, and policing, and technologies of border control.
Intersectional inequalities – exploring how race, gender, class, sexuality, and age shape migration experiences.
Resistance and resilience – from migrant-led movements to everyday acts of refusal and solidarity.

Students engage with policy debates, personal narratives, academic literature, and activist materials. The content supports them in making connections between lived experience, institutional power, and global inequality, while developing advanced skills in sociological reasoning and research design.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment comprises two components that develop and demonstrate different analytical and critical skills:

Reflective Portfolio (30%) – A set of three short reflections that apply sociological perspectives to contemporary affairs related to migration and citizenship globally. This task supports students in synthesising complex material, making conceptual connections, and critically engaging with public discourse.
Critical Essay (70%) – A written piece that explores a sociological question related to migration, drawing on appropriate theory, evidence, and method. Students are encouraged to select a case or issue of personal or political relevance and to construct a well-supported sociological argument.

SOCL6005: Health, Bodies and Social Reproduction

Terms Taught: Michaelmas term
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: None

Course Description

This module critically explores the sociological study of health, illness, and embodiment, with particular attention to how bodies are shaped by - and shape - social inequalities, institutions, and power relations. It introduces students to key debates and theoretical frameworks concerning medical knowledge, care systems, lived experience, and the politics of health.

The module aims to examine how health and well-being are produced through social structures and cultural practices, and how illness and disability are experienced across different social locations and positions. It situates the body as central to questions of social reproduction, focusing on how care, labour, intimacy, and health are interwoven in everyday life.

Students are encouraged to interrogate taken-for-granted assumptions about health and illness, and to explore how intersecting forms of inequality—such as race, gender, class, and age - shape access to care and exposure to harm. The module also supports students to analyse health-related debates through sociological theory and research methods, preparing them for independent investigation in this area.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Critically apply sociological theories, concepts, and research approaches to analyse health, illness, embodiment, and care across diverse contexts and communities.
Evaluate historical and contemporary interventions aimed at improving health, using sociological perspectives to assess their impacts and implications for inequality and lived experience.
Communicate sociologically informed insights on health-related issues effectively to non-academic audiences, drawing on relevant theory, research, and evidence.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces students to key sociological approaches to understanding health, illness, and care. It begins by exploring the body not as a fixed biological object but as something made meaningful through social processes, shaped by power, knowledge, and labour. Drawing on foundational and contemporary sociological and feminist perspectives, students consider how bodies, symptoms, diagnoses, and health practices are constructed, contested, and lived.

Across the module, students engage with a range of indicative themes, which may include:

The structural determinants of health and how inequalities related to income, housing, racism, or citizenship status impact health outcomes.
Lived experiences of illness, disability, pain, and ageing, and how these experiences intersect with gender, race, and class.
The operation of medical institutions and technologies, including how medical authority is exercised and challenged.
The role of care and social reproduction in sustaining health systems, with attention to informal caregiving, reproductive labour, and the gendered and racialised dynamics of care work.

Students will be encouraged to draw connections between theory, policy, and practice by engaging with a variety of materials such as academic literature, case studies, media reports, and activist texts. Possible case topics may include reproductive justice, trans healthcare, medical racism, long COVID, global care chains, mental health and austerity, or the governance of public health.

The module aims to equip students with the tools to critically investigate health-related issues and to reflect on how sociological research can illuminate the political and ethical dimensions of health, illness, and care in contemporary societies.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment includes two components:

A recorded individual presentation (30%) - aimed at a non-academic audience, in which students apply a sociological perspective to a health-related intervention.
An academic essay (70%) - that compares sociological arguments for and the impacts of a health intervention in different contexts (e.g. across time periods, communities, or national settings), with a clear focus on sociological approaches.

SOCL7001: Principles of Research Design

Terms Taught: Michaelmas
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module introduces students to advanced questions about how social research is conceived, justified, and practised. It aims to equip students with the conceptual tools needed to make informed and reflexive decisions about research design in the social sciences. Emphasising the relationship between theory, methodology, and methods, the module explores how different epistemological assumptions shape research questions, the choice of methods, and the interpretation of findings. By grounding these questions in the practical demands of designing robust, ethical, and meaningful research projects, the module provides a critical foundation for the MSc in Social Research and supports students in becoming methodologically self-aware researchers.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Demonstrate a critical understanding of the relationship between epistemology, methodology, and method in social research.
Evaluate different research design strategies and justify appropriate choices for a given research question.
Reflect on the philosophical assumptions underpinning qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches and their implications for knowledge production.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces key debates in research design through the lens of social theory and philosophy of science. Beginning with questions about the nature of social reality and how it can be known, the course examines a range of epistemological traditions and contemporary methodological innovations—such as positivism, interpretivism, critical realism, and social constructionism—and explores how these shape decisions about research questions, evidence, and explanation. Students will critically engage with the strengths and limitations of different research strategies (case-based, variable-based, comparative, and mixed-method designs), and consider the role of theory in formulating researchable questions. The module will also introduce foundational ethical principles and discuss the responsibilities of the researcher in different epistemic frameworks. Each topic is framed in relation to practical issues in designing a feasible and intellectually coherent research project.

Assessment Proportions

Assessment consists of a research design paper. Students will formulate a research question and write a design rationale that explains and justifies the epistemological, methodological, and ethical choices underpinning their proposed approach. The module aligns with programme-level outcomes relating to conceptual, ethical, and methodological competence and prepares students to design coherent research projects in subsequent modules and their dissertation.

SOCL7002: Qualitative Methods

Terms Taught: Michaelmas
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module aims to develop students’ critical and practical understanding of qualitative research methods in the social sciences. It introduces key concepts, debates, and approaches that underpin qualitative research design and practice. Through engagement with a range of methods—including interviews, focus groups, ethnography, and participatory approaches—students will gain first-hand experience in designing, conducting, and analysing qualitative research. Emphasis is placed on the relationships between research questions, epistemology, ethics, and practice, enabling students to make informed methodological decisions and understand the implications of those decisions in real-world research contexts. The module builds confidence in working with qualitative data and supports students in designing rigorous and reflexive research projects.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Critically assess the epistemological foundations and ethical implications of different qualitative research methods.
Design a small-scale qualitative study that includes appropriate sampling, data collection, and analytic strategies.
Demonstrate the ability to reflect on and justify methodological choices in relation to specific research questions.

Outline Syllabus

This module provides advanced practical and conceptual skills for using qualitative methods in social research. The first part of the module introduces students to the epistemological and ethical foundations of qualitative inquiry, including the role of reflexivity, positionality, and the researcher-researched relationship. Subsequent sessions explore a selection of core methods, such as ethnography and participant observation, qualitative interviewing, focus groups, participatory and co-produced research, and the use of visual, digital, and text-based data.

In each session, students critically examine case studies of qualitative research, engage in hands-on exercises, and discuss the practical challenges of access, sampling, and building rapport. The module also considers strategies for managing and analysing qualitative data, including thematic analysis and approaches supported by computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. Throughout, students are encouraged to reflect on how theoretical frameworks and ethical concerns shape qualitative research practice.

Assessment Proportions

Assessment is in the form of a Qualitative Fieldwork Portfolio, which includes two components:

Exploratory Analysis of Pilot Data (1,500-2,000 words) – Students design and carry out a short pilot study (e.g. a semi-structured interview, or brief observational fieldnote exercise). Drawing on the pilot data, students prepare an exploratory analysis using coding strategies (e.g. thematic or narrative analysis), supported by CAQDAS tools if appropriate and reflect critically on methodological and ethical challenges encountered.
Methodological Justification and Research Design (2,000-2,500 words) – A reflexive written account that situates the student’s chosen method within wider epistemological debates and outlines a design for a larger project, including sampling, ethical considerations, and analytic strategy.

SOCL7003: Critical Quantitative Methods

Terms Taught: Lent
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module equips students with the conceptual insight and practical skills needed to critically engage with the use of quantitative data in social research. Emphasising the political, historical, and ethical dimensions of quantitative methods, it challenges the idea of statistical evidence as ‘neutral’ and invites students to interrogate the role of measurement, operationalisation, and sampling in shaping what we know about society.

Rather than focusing solely on technical proficiency, this module builds critical fluency in reading and using quantitative data by developing students’ ability to ask when and why statistics are appropriate, who and what counts, and how data can be constructed, contested, or misused. Students are supported to analyse real-world datasets and apply statistical methods relevant to their own research interests, preparing them for more advanced statistical training.

The module combines conceptual debates with hands-on experience in secondary data analysis and fosters the ability to communicate and critique statistical findings clearly and effectively in policy, academic, and public contexts.

Educational Aims

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Critically evaluate how social phenomena are defined, operationalised, and measured in quantitative research, including the implications of sampling, data sources, and variable construction, and how epistemological choices impact on findings produced.
Demonstrate competence in formulating or critically engaging with research questions and testable hypotheses, the selection of appropriate data sources, and the application of statistical analyses.?
Communicate statistical findings and their limitations clearly and in keeping with Open Science principles to specialist and non-specialist audiences and reflect on how data and statistical practices can reinforce or examine and challenge social inequalities.
Critically interpret and appraise quantitative evidence, including statistics presented in tables, figures, and data visualisations, in both statistical outputs and published research.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces students to the foundations and controversies of quantitative reasoning in the social sciences. It begins by exploring the kinds of questions that quantitative research can (and cannot) answer, and what it means to examine quantifiable aspects of social phenomena—such as poverty, health, crime, or identity.

Students engage with critical debates around operationalisation, sampling, measurement error, and inference, alongside hands-on learning in statistical literacy. Key concepts such as correlation and causation, extrapolation, variable construction, and sources of bias such as missing data are unpacked through applied examples. The module also explores the sociopolitical context of statistical knowledge production, including histories of exclusion and colonialism, the politics of counting, and the implications of classification systems.

Workshops draw on real data sources, which can include the UK Household Longitudinal Study, the Crime Survey for England and Wales and the European Social Survey. In applied computer lab sessions, students learn to access, clean, explore, and analyse secondary data using statistical software. Alongside this, students analyse and critique the statistical content of journal articles, media reports, and policy papers.

A distinctive feature of the module is its attention to the ethical and political dimensions of statistics, including the use and misuse of data in public debate, and the ways in which quantitative tools can reinforce or challenge structural inequalities. Students are encouraged to situate quantitative data within broader theoretical frameworks and debates and to approach statistical outputs as socially situated representations of the world.

Assessment Proportions

The summative assessment consists of a critical data analysis report (3,500–4,000 words) with two options:

Option A: A critical review of a published research journal article or policy report that uses statistical evidence. The review will analyse how concepts are operationalised and critique the use of statistical methods and the robustness of the claims made.
Option B: A self-directed secondary data analysis project using a real dataset provided on the module. Students formulate a research question, construct and test hypotheses, generate statistics, and reflect on methodological limitations and ethical concerns.

SOCL7004: Research Projects in Practice

Terms Taught: Lent
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module gives students the opportunity to work collaboratively through the full life cycle of a small-scale social research project. From conceptualisation and research design through to data collection, analysis, writing, and dissemination, students will experience first-hand the strategic, ethical, and practical challenges involved in conducting sociological research.

Designed to simulate real-world research environments, the module enables students to apply the theoretical and methodological knowledge gained across the MSc programme to address contemporary social issues. Students will engage with practices of research collaboration, proposal writing, fieldwork, and communicating findings to both academic and public audiences. In doing so, the module prepares students for the demands of future research careers in academic, applied, or policy-facing settings.

The module also builds essential transferable skills in team working, project management, reflexivity, and professional communication.

Educational Aims

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Design and carry out a small-scale group research project, demonstrating the capacity to formulate research questions, choose appropriate methods, conduct fieldwork, and analyse findings.
Critically reflect on the research process, including the ethical, epistemological, and practical dimensions of collaborative research in real-world contexts.
Communicate sociological research findings in diverse formats for different audiences, including an assessed presentation and a written report in a format appropriate for an academic or policy-facing context.

Outline Syllabus

This module provides a practical and immersive introduction to collaborative research practice. Over ten weeks, students work in small groups to design and implement a sociological research project on a topic of their choice, supported by structured workshops and supervision.

In the first part of the course, students focus on research design and planning. Students are introduced to the principles of research strategy, proposal writing, and project management. Working in teams, they formulate research questions, develop a viable methodology, and submit a research proposal for formative feedback, modelled on ESRC-style grant applications.

In the second part, students focus on carrying out the research. Students engage in fieldwork or desk-based research, depending on their project design. Workshops during this phase cover data collection tools, ethical considerations, fieldwork troubleshooting, and practical techniques in qualitative or mixed-methods analysis. Students are encouraged to consider the political and institutional contexts in which social research is produced and received.

In the final part of the course, students focus on writing, presenting, and evaluating the research. Teams are supported to structure their findings, develop academic or public-facing reports, and deliver a formal presentation. Workshops also include peer review exercises and group reflection on the challenges and lessons of collaborative research.

Throughout, students maintain an individual reflective research diary that documents their learning and supports the development of their final individual written submission.

Assessment Proportions

Assessment is designed to capture both group and individual contributions:

Final Group Output (50%): A substantive written output (6,000–7,000 words), such as a journal-style article, or similar, co-authored by the group.
Individual Reflective Essay (50%): A critical and reflexive account (2,000–2,500 words) of the research process, including methodological, ethical, and collaborative reflections.

The assessment is designed for groups of 4 students. Adjustments will be made for groups of less than four.

SOCL7005: Data Analysis, Presentation and Research Communication

Terms Taught: Lent
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module aims to consolidate and extend students’ skills in the analysis and presentation of social research data, and to equip them with the practical and professional tools required to communicate research findings to academic, policy, and public audiences.

It provides a structured environment for students to develop confidence in interpreting and presenting different types of data, drawing on the knowledge and techniques they have acquired throughout the programme. The module also develops students’ understanding of the different forms, formats, and expectations associated with the communication of research — from visualisations, tables, and infographics to blog posts, briefings, and academic posters.

Through applied exercises, collaborative learning, and structured feedback, students will learn how to present their own research (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed) in ways that are analytically rigorous, audience-sensitive, and methodologically transparent.

Educational Aims

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

Select and apply appropriate strategies for analysing and presenting social research data, including visual, textual, and numerical forms.
Communicate research findings effectively through a range of academic and public formats, adapting style and format to different audiences.
Reflect critically on the relationship between data, analysis, and communication, including ethical and epistemological implications in the public representation of research.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces students to the principles and practices of effective data analysis and research communication in the social sciences. It is designed to build practical skills in transforming complex research findings into accessible outputs, suitable for academic, policy, and public engagement contexts.

The first part of the module focuses on data analysis and interpretation. Students will be guided through the preparation, organisation, and coding of different types of data (textual, visual, numeric), including a refresher on the use of qualitative and quantitative data analysis software (e.g. NVivo, Excel/SPSS). This section encourages reflection on the ethics and politics of data representation — what is shown, what is obscured, and what is assumed in the visual and rhetorical presentation of evidence.

The second part of the module explores how to tailor research communication for different audiences and formats. Sessions will cover writing for policy and practice, visualising data effectively, designing and presenting academic posters, and writing compelling research summaries for wider publics (e.g. blogs, op-eds, digital platforms). Students will critically assess real-world examples and learn how to navigate the challenges of communicating uncertainty, complexity, and nuance without distortion.

The module concludes with practical workshops focused on the development of assessed outputs - an academic poster and a short written brief. These workshops include peer review sessions and opportunities for individual tutor feedback.

Assessment Proportions

The assessment strategy is designed to develop a rounded portfolio of communication outputs, aligned to different intended audiences:

Academic Infographic or Poster (30%) – A visually engaging and analytically robust summary of a research project or dataset, designed for an academic conference or specialist workshop.
Policy Research Brief and Public Engagement Blog (70%) consisting of…

Policy Research Brief (35%) – A 1,500–2,000 word summary of research findings and their implications, written for a policy or practitioner audience. The brief must demonstrate clarity, relevance, and a justified framing of evidence-based recommendations.
Public Engagement Blog (35%) – A short blog post (800–1,000 words) translating research findings or a core issue for a general public audience. The piece must be engaging, accessible, and accurate in its communication of research insight.

SOCL7007: Research Pathways: Independent Study in Social Research

Terms Taught: Michaelmas
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10 ECTS
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module provides students with an opportunity to undertake a guided, independent exploration of a substantive area of social research aligned with their academic, professional, or doctoral interests. Offered as an alternative to the Contemporary Sociological Debates module, it enables students to develop a bespoke research pathway by identifying, mapping, and critically engaging with key theoretical debates, bodies of research, and methodological approaches within a chosen field.

Rather than following a fixed syllabus, students are supported to design and pursue an individual programme of advanced study. This is achieved through structured guidance from the module convenor and active participation in Lancaster’s wider research culture. Students may engage in activities such as auditing relevant taught modules across the School of Social Sciences and the wider University, attending research seminars and public lectures, participating in reading groups, and engaging in dialogue with academic staff and research communities.

The module aims to:

Enable students to identify and critically map the key debates, theoretical positions, and research trajectories within a chosen area of social research.
Develop students’ ability to synthesise advanced theoretical, conceptual, and empirical literatures into a coherent and defensible analytical position.
Support students in using Lancaster’s interdisciplinary teaching and research environment as a resource for advanced, self-directed learning.
Strengthen students’ capacity to articulate how theoretical debates shape research questions, methodological choices, and the interpretation of evidence.
Provide a flexible and intellectually rigorous pathway particularly suited to students from professional backgrounds, those seeking to deepen expertise in a specific substantive area, or those preparing for doctoral study or specialist research careers.

Through this module, students are supported to take ownership of their intellectual development while remaining anchored within a structured, research-led framework that emphasises critical engagement, reflexivity, and academic rigour.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module students will be able to…

Critically evaluate advanced and contemporary theoretical debates, concepts, and research trajectories relevant to a self-defined area of social research, situating these within their broader social, political, and intellectual contexts.
Compare and synthesise diverse theoretical frameworks and bodies of literature, identifying their underlying assumptions, points of tension, and implications for research design and knowledge production.
Demonstrate independent scholarly judgement in selecting, organising, and critically engaging with cutting-edge theoretical, conceptual, and empirical sources drawn from across disciplines where appropriate.
Construct, articulate, and defend a coherent, theoretically informed analytical position through sustained written work and/or oral presentation, appropriate to postgraduate academic and professional research contexts.
Reflect critically on the role, responsibilities, and limits of social theory in shaping research agendas, informing public debate, and addressing contemporary social and global challenges.

Outline Syllabus

This module provides a structured framework for advanced independent study in social research, enabling students to design and pursue a bespoke programme of theoretical and conceptual inquiry aligned with their research interests, professional background, or future academic plans. Rather than following a fixed syllabus, students are supported to identify, explore, and critically engage with the key debates, bodies of literature, and emerging research agendas relevant to a self-defined area of social research.

Students begin by working with the module convenor to scope and refine a focused area of enquiry, identifying its central questions, theoretical traditions, and contemporary points of debate. This may include engagement with sociological theory as well as relevant perspectives from across the wider social sciences, humanities, or interdisciplinary research fields. Indicative areas of focus might include (but are not limited to) social inequalities, governance and policy, environment and climate change, health and care, technology and data, migration and borders, labour and political economy, culture and representation, or questions of power, knowledge, and ethics in research.

Learning activities are centred on participation in Lancaster’s research culture. Students may audit selected postgraduate or advanced undergraduate modules, attend research seminars, workshops, and conferences, engage with research centres and networks, and, where appropriate, conduct informal scholarly conversations or interviews with academic staff. These activities are curated and supported by the module convenor to ensure coherence, academic rigour, and alignment with Level 7 expectations.

Throughout the module, students are encouraged to reflect on how theoretical debates shape research design, methodological choices, and the public relevance of social research. The module is particularly well suited to students seeking to specialise ahead of an independent research project or PhD, as well as those from professional backgrounds wishing to deepen their theoretical grounding in a specific field of practice.

Assessment Proportions

Assessment is designed to evaluate students’ capacity for critical synthesis, theoretical positioning, and advanced academic communication. The summative assessment takes the form of a Theoretical Position Paper (3,500–4,000 words) in which students critically map a chosen area of debate, evaluate key theoretical contributions, and articulate a reasoned and reflexive position informed by their independent engagement with a specific topic of their choosing informed by research and research-led teaching happening at Lancaster.

SOCL7008: Sociological Debates and Global Crises: Theories for Studying a Changing Social World

Terms Taught: Michaelmas
US Credits: 5
ECTS Credits: 10
Pre-requisites: Student must have completed an undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

Course Description

This module introduces students to key contemporary debates that are reshaping sociological theory and its relationship to the wider social sciences. It examines how sociologists engage with questions of power, inequality, and social transformation through theoretical innovation and interdisciplinary dialogue.

The module aims to:

Expose students to a range of cutting-edge theoretical approaches that respond to current social, political, and technological challenges.
Develop students’ ability to connect abstract theoretical debates to substantive issues and empirical research.
Strengthen students’ confidence in reading, interpreting, and deploying complex theoretical arguments in their own analytical and research work.
Foster reflexivity about the role of sociological theory in addressing global and public concerns.

Educational Aims

Upon successful completion of this module students will be able to…

Critically evaluate contemporary debates and innovations in sociological theory and their relation to changing social contexts.
Compare and contrast diverse theoretical frameworks, identifying their assumptions, implications, and methodological orientations.
Apply theoretical perspectives to analyse substantive issues, demonstrating an advanced capacity for abstract reasoning and critical synthesis.
Articulate and defend theoretically informed arguments through written and oral communication.
Reflect on the role and responsibility of sociological theory in understanding and addressing contemporary global challenges.

Outline Syllabus

This module introduces students to a range of contemporary sociological debates that illuminate how theory responds to, interprets, and contests major global crises. Each week engages with a live sociological issue, using case studies, theoretical texts, and research-led teaching to examine how different traditions evolve in relation to shifting social, political, technological, and environmental conditions.

Indicative topics may include, but are not limited to:

Race and Racialisation: Postcolonial and decolonial theories in relation to debates about reparations, Black Lives Matter, colonial legacies, the global far right, and whiteness, nationalism, and class in contemporary contexts.
Cultural Variations of Capitalism: Approaches from economic and legal sociology, gift theory, reciprocity, and symbolic capital to explore how capitalist and non-capitalist logics coexist across global settings.
Politics of AI and Data: Sociological debates on labour automation, algorithmic bias, data feminism, censorship, data commodification, data use for warfare, and state governance of technological infrastructures.
Sex, Gender, and Sexuality: Theoretical engagements with gender diversity, transgender rights, moral panics, global variations in gender norms, and the rise of digital masculinities and the manosphere.
Care, Welfare, and Social Reproduction: Feminist and political-economic perspectives on care labour, sex work, reproductive justice, welfare conditionality, and the consequences of austerity.
Surveillance, Discipline, and Governance: Using theories of governmentality and panopticism to explore visibility, securitisation, demographic control, mental health governance, and the prison-industrial complex.
Contemporary Warfare and States of Exception: Examining how sociological theory frames militarisation, AI-powered warfare, Islamophobia, borders, and the production of legitimate and illegitimate violence.
Labour, Inequality, and the Future of Work: Debates on global divisions of labour, automation, precarity, and competing diagnoses of contemporary capitalism (e.g., techno-feudalism, racial capitalism).
Knowledge, Academia, and Power: Analysing global inequalities in knowledge production, free speech politics, epistemic violence, and the sociological conditions of academic inquiry.
Citizen-Consumers and Publics: Theories of consumption, class, advertising, activism, and the rise of consumer agency and digital publics.
Media, Platforms, and Social Life: Sociological analyses of publics and counterpublics, digital participation, transnational fandoms, and the social life of media forms.
Global Health and Structural Inequality: Sociological perspectives on epidemics, humanitarian governance, structural violence, global development, and social determinants of health.
Language, Representation, and Power: The politics of speech, linguistic ideologies, representation, translation, and competing claims to truth and legitimacy in global debates.
Climate Crisis and the More-Than-Human: Decolonial ecological thought, disaster capitalism, climate colonialism, multispecies relations, food systems, and the politics of land and extraction.

Across these themes, students engage critically with classical and contemporary texts, tracing how theoretical frameworks shape sociological explanations and how they intersect with methodological, ethical, and political considerations. Workshops support students in connecting theoretical debates to real-world examples and in developing the conceptual tools necessary for analysing rapidly changing global conditions.

Assessment Proportions

Assessment is designed to evaluate students’ capacity to synthesise theoretical perspectives, develop independent arguments, and apply conceptual insights to contemporary sociological problems. The summative assessment comprises:

A Theoretical Position Paper (3,500–4,000 words): Students produce an essay that identifies, analyses, and evaluates a key contemporary sociological debate. The paper should locate this debate within its intellectual and political context, assess its implications for sociological research, and make a reasoned case for the student’s own position.