SO120-15 Researching Society & Culture

Sociology is the study of society. But how exactly do sociologists go about practising this and, more fundamentally, what is ‘society’?

As you will discover in this module, these two questions are closely related: what you think ‘society’ is will inevitably shape the way you go about investigating and trying to understand it. Is society something external to individuals, something that shapes our existence and sets limits on the kind of things we can do and the kind of people we can become? Are there rules governing human behaviour in the same way as there are rules governing phenomena in the natural world? If so, should the detached, objective methods of the natural sciences be employed in the study of society?

Humans not only react to their environment, they consciously act upon it, continually constructing and reconstructing their worlds in creative, intelligent and imaginative ways. Should, then, the purpose of sociology be to uncover the meanings and interpretations held by individuals? And if so, what about the sociologist’s own meanings and interpretations, their own opinions and biases – should these be excluded from the research process, or form an integral part of it? Is objectivity possible, or even desirable, in the social sciences?

These are the kinds of questions you will begin to grapple with in this introductory methods module. You will also consider some of the main qualitative methods (e.g. interviews, ethnography, discourse analysis, visual methods, historical research) and will work on developing a sociological research proposal of your own.

Key Information

CORE module for all BA Sociology, BA Sociology & Criminology & Joint Honours Sociology students

15 CATS

Summative Assessment: Research Design Proposal (100%)

Teaching: 1 hour lecture & 1 hour seminar per week

Module Convenor: Andre Celtel and Lynne Pettinger