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History and Sociology BA (VL13)

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Explore our History and Sociology degree at Warwick

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VL13

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Bachelor of Arts (BA)

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3 years full-time (4 years full-time with study abroad)

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26 September 2022

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Department of History

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University of Warwick

3a

Our History and Sociology course examines history, culture and society. See how historical events, actors and institutional legacies have influenced the world we live in today.

Discover the complementary insights that can be gained from combining historical and sociological research. And explore the theory and the reality of why societies and social groups interact in the ways they do.

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This course is for you for you if you're interested in understanding the history of people, culture and societies, and their evolution in the modern era. The two complementary subjects both involve understanding people - their interests, motivations and culture - and why societies and social groups act the way they do.

You'll be taught by staff from both departments, and will draw information from sources including film, visual images, literature and television as well as written texts. The flexible course structure enables you to choose modules from a wide range of options in both History and Sociology. Core modules in your first year introduce you to research and quantitative methods, and to the study of modern history set in a global context. Sociology core modules cover the history of sociological thought, and class and capitalism. In your second and third years you can choose from optional modules, with current options examining areas such as British imperialism, slavery, the significance of gender, crime, religious conflict or health in history, and political sociology. In your final year you can either maintain a balance between the two subjects or specialise in either History or Sociology.

Students will be offered the opportunity at the start of their second year to apply for an optional Year Abroad. Following the application process, those students who are offered and take up a Year Abroad place transfer to the four-year History and Sociology (with a Year Abroad) course, with the Year Abroad as the third of the four years.

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You will be taught by staff from both departments, and will draw information from sources including film, visual images, literature and television as well as written texts. The flexible course structure allows you to choose modules from a wide range of options in both History and Sociology.

Core modules in your first year introduce you to research and quantitative methods, and to the study of modern history set in a global context. Sociology core modules cover the history of sociological thought, and class and capitalism.

In your second and third years you can choose from optional modules, with current options examining areas such as Surveillance studies, the significance of gender, crime, media, postcolonial theory and political sociology.

In your final year you can either maintain a balance between the two subjects or specialise in either History or Sociology. You can also complete an optional dissertation on a topic of your choice related to either subject.

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Teaching is delivered through lectures, seminars and tutorials, web forums, podcasts, workshops, presentations, film analysis, group work and field trips. Our use of surprising and inspiring sources is a feature of all our teaching.

For core modules there are usually two lectures and one hour-long seminar per week, and for optional modules one lecture per week plus weekly seminars.

Modules focus on important themes in political, religious, cultural or social history and most explore topics far removed from the usual A level syllabus.

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Seminar groups are small (normally under 17), providing a valuable opportunity for you to work closely with your lecturers and to learn from other students.

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For first year History modules there are usually one or two lectures a week and hour-long seminars either weekly or fortnightly. Second year modules offer an hour lecture and an hour seminar per week or two hour workshop sessions. Final year modules are taught largely through intensive two-hour weekly seminars. In Sociology there is usually one lecture per week plus weekly seminars.

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You will receive regular feedback throughout your course on developmental assignments and assessed essays, and will sit end-of-year exams. During your third year study is heavily weighted towards seminar teaching and includes an individually supervised 9,000-word dissertation. We consider feedback on written work to be an essential part of our teaching. Throughout the year you will have the opportunity to attend feedback tutorials following the submission of your essays.

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Study abroad

History and Sociology students have the opportunity to join History students in Venice for a term at the start of year three and can also apply for an intercalated year at one of the partner universities offered by either the History Department or the Sociology Department.

The Student Mobility Team based in the Office for Student Opportunity offers support for these activities, and either Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.

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Placements and work experience

Our Careers and Skills department offer a wide range of workshops, from developing confidence and interview techniques to learning how to articulate what you have to offer in order to impress potential employers. Online resources are also available, including training in drafting CVs and covering letters, practice aptitude and psychometric tests, practice online interviews, and other resources to help you research job opportunities.

You will also be able to book an appointment at any point during your degree with a careers advisor for your specific degree. Whether you have no idea what you want to do, or a clear direction in mind, you can take advantage of this focused advice and guidance.

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A level typical offer

AAB to include grade A in History.

A level contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB including grade B in History. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.

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IB typical offer

36 with at least a 6 in Higher Level History.

IB contextual offer

We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 32 including 5 in Higher Level History. See if you're eligible.

General GCSE requirements

4c

We welcome applications from students taking BTECs alongside one or two A levels, including A level History. Our typical BTEC offers are as follows:

BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate plus 2 A levels: D plus AA including History
BTEC Level 3 National Diploma plus 1 A level: D*D plus A in History

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Year One

Making of the Modern World

We live in the here and now. But what got us here? This module studies the string of major social, political, and cultural developments that established our modern world. Radical (and not so radical) ideas from the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution’s structural transformations of how we work, build and buy things, and the struggles and stumbles of imperialism, capitalism and globalisation have gone far to set terms of life in the twenty-first century. The module will also help you develop your critical voice as a historian while asking comparative questions about historical difference across the world.

Sociology of Gender

Through case studies from the gender pay gap to the politics of Christmas, this module will transform how you see gender and its impact on the world. You will explore the origins of gender ideas and analyse their effects on areas of social life including: language; media and popular culture; science; work; family relationships; sexuality; violence; education; politics; and feminist movements.

While gender is the focus of this module, you will also consider how gender connects to other dimensions of social difference and inequality, such as sexuality, race, class or disability.

History of Sociological Thought

What holds societies together? How do societies change? And how is politics in the conventional sense affected by factors such as class, status, ethnicity or religion, or the state of the economy? These are some of the questions with which you will engage with when you consider the history of sociological thought. You will gain skills of research, analysis and debate by considering the extent to which sociology may be considered a science and how the evolution of sociological thought has been shaped by events and the cultural, economic and political problems of the day.

Sociology of Race

What is 'race' and why does it matter? This module answers these questions by drawing on the wealth of expertise within Warwick Sociology, and is taught by experts who research and write about race and racism from a range of perspectives. Students will learn about both theoretical concepts and real-world examples that will help them to understand how race and racism shape the social world.

Class and Capitalism in the Neoliberal World

Protest and anger characterise the contemporary era – young people taking part in militant politics, protest parties gaining more votes, and even NHS doctors taking to the streets.

In this module, we will explore the social consequences of the economic and political transformations associated with neoliberalism that have taken place in recent decades. We will ask why these changes might be responsible for the global rise in urban unrest and dissatisfaction.

Topics will include growing inequality and elite power, militant policing, consumerism, anxiety, debt, the destruction of industrial communities, class identity, the marketisation of education, and the diminishing spaces of public life.

Introduction to Social Analytics in Social Inequalities Research

In the age of ever-increasing data availability which is paired with a growing sophistication of statistical techniques, the opportunities for social science research are vast. This module will give you an understanding of the basic elements of core descriptive statistics which will allow you not only to critically engage with quantitative findings in existing social science research, but also conduct quantitative analysis yourself. The module covers the topics of conceptualisation, operationalisation and measurement, as well as the principles of sampling and the basics of research design. You will be introduced to the process of social science research and quantitative methods in one hour lectures, and then explore these in extended seminars (2h) both through readings, and the statistical software SPSS. We will be working on real data sets, such as the European Social Survey.

Researching Society and Culture

What is society and how do you study it? Is human behaviour governed by rules similar to the natural world that you can study objectively? Or do human beings consciously act upon their environment and change the world through creativity and intelligence, driven by their own understanding and motivations. These are some of the questions that this module will explore.

You will be introduced to the core ideas behind sociological research and the practical tools to undertake research yourself. As well as looking at some of the key qualitative methods (for example, interviews, ethnography and discourse analysis), you will also examine the political, ethical and practical issues that social research inevitably entails.

Year Two

Designing and Conducting Social Research

This module will teach you the core concepts and practical skills to undertake qualitative social research in academic and professional settings. These include research design, ethnography, in-depth interviewing, documents and discourse. As well as practical skills, you will investigate how social research has changed in recent decades, considering:

• ethical questions when researching life online

• how (and whether you should) study Twitter

• effects of social media on social interactions

• how to engage diverse audiences

You will also gain analytical skills to critically evaluate previous research, and develop your ability to collect and analyse data using a range of qualitative methods.

Modern Social Theory

This module will introduce you to the main thinkers and movements in critical social theory. Topics include Marxism, post-structuralism, class and culture. The changing conceptualisation of power and class is a focus throughout the module. This helps you to see how the different theoretical approaches relate to each other, and to historical and political events.

Practice and Interpretation of Quantitative Research

Quantitative methods can help you answer questions such as:

• Is income inequality in the UK growing?

• Does marriage improve health?

• Does growing up in a poor neighbourhood affect your life chances?

Analysing representative, large-scale social surveys is crucial for sociologists to understand social processes. This module will introduce you to quantitative methods and how to analyse large data sets using SPSS Statistics software. It will help you engage with published quantitative sociological research and to undertake your own basic quantitative data analysis.

Year Three

Pathway 1 (25% History, 75% Sociology)
Pathway 2 (75% History, 25% Sociology)
Pathway 3 (50% History, 50% Sociology)

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Optional modules

At Warwick, we encourage you to go beyond simply studying history. We can guide you towards developing the worldview and analytical capabilities that mark out the most talented historians.

Our options allow you to devote attention to an area of history that really fascinates you, while providing you with demonstrable skills development. Those options can take you into unexpected and surprising areas. For example, we offer modules on ‘A Global History of Sport’ and ‘War, Sex and the US Military: from Cold War to "War on Terror"’, alongside modules on the Holocaust, the History of China, and 20th-Century Britain, and many other topics. We cover most of the globe and many, many different themes and subjects.

Your assessments will reflect the sorts of activities undertaken by professional historians in their everyday working life, as well as the many ways in which history features in the world around us. By engaging with these tasks, you’ll acquire a level of critical and imaginative thinking that’s well-suited for today’s challenging working environment.

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

Year One

A History of the United States
Latin America: Themes and Problems
Mind, Body and Society
A History of Africa, 1830-1980
History and Politics of the Modern Middle East
Britain in the Twentieth Century: A Social History

Year Two

History of Germany from Bismark to the Berlin Republic
America in Black and White? Contemporary US Race Relations
A Global History of Sport
Corruption in Britain and its Empire, 1600-1850
The Supernatural in Early Modern Britain
A History of Modern Mexico
Race and Science: histories and legacies
Freedom fighting: Race, slavery and war in the Revolutionary Caribbean, 1790-1812
Out of the ghetto: Jewish history and culture from 1650 to today

Year Three

From the Blues to Hip Hop
Feminism, politics and social change in modern Britain The Elizabethan Reformation
Conquest, Conflict and Co-Existence: Crusading and the Crusader Kingdoms
Britain in the 1970s
Socialist bodies: Dreams and realities of the physical in Soviet Russia
A History of Human rights in Latin America
India and the problem of postcolonial democracy
Statues must fall? Remembering and forgetting slavery in the Atlantic World

Examples of Sociology optional modules

Visual and Material Cultures of the Early Modern Iberian World
Life of Media: Past, Present and Future
Gender and Violence
Punishment, Justice and Control
Race, Resistance and Modernity
Postcolonial Theory

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Find out more about fees and funding.

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There may be costs associated with other items or services such as academic texts, course notes, and trips associated with your course. Students who choose to complete a work placement or study abroad will pay reduced tuition fees for their third year.

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