* To introduce students to some of the major theories and perspectives on how social life can be studied and understood;
* To encourage reflection on the ways in which sociologists seek to approach studies of phenomena, with particular reference to the major philosophical underpinnings of social science relative to knowledge production.
* To give students an appreciation of the ways in which sociologists use theories as a way to support empirical inquiry.

(LO1) An ability to evaluate the contribution of a range of influential thinkers and perspectives on the organisation of social action and social structure.

(LO2) Familiarity with major traditions within the philosophy of social science, and the position of key thinkers therein.

(LO3) A capacity to problematise taken-for-granted accounts of knowledge (relative to both ‘everyday’ and ‘scientific’ understandings).

(LO4) An appreciation of the relationship between theory and method in the context of some of the major classic and contemporary sociological accounts

(S1) Critical thinking and problem solving - Creative thinking

(S2) Critical thinking and problem solving - Synthesis

(S3) Critical thinking and problem solving - Critical analysis

The syllabus is informed by a desire to develop a flexible approach to teaching and learning the major epistemological and ontological debates that have char acterised sociology’s claims to knowledge of the social world. Embedding these discussions in classic and contemporary sociological studies of themes/social phenomena is designed to allow the interdependence of theory, method and the wider politics of knowledge production to be drawn out ‘in situ’.     The teaching programme is organized around engagement with the major conceptual frameworks that have characteristic of sociological research relative to a number of key themes (such as culture and meaning; structure and agency). These key themes are used to organise the sociological contributions to our understanding of major features of modern social landscapes, and allow for a ‘way into’ discussion of key thinkers (Adorno, Benjamin; Simmel; Bourdieu; Wacquant; Skeggs; Spivak; Ha raway; Beck; Bauman; Foucault) and their respective approaches to the production of ‘social scientific’ knowledge.

Teaching Method 1 - Lecture
Description: Lectures are designed to provide you with a firm grounding in perspectives and studies to explore further independently.
Attendance Recorded: No

Teaching Method 2 - Seminar
Description: The seminars will be student led, and the topics of the lecture - framed by a key reading or two - will be discussed and debated by the group. and students are expected to come to seminars having prepared thoroughly.
Attendance Recorded: Yes