Ects : 3

Enseignant responsable :

• VALERIE BERNARD

Volume horaire : 27

Description du contenu de l'enseignement :

This course will provide students with a critical understanding of some of the key theoretical debates underpinning sociology. It will explore sociological considerations of the issue of ‘free will’. The key issue of human agency will be addressed within those theories that explain social privileges and inequalities. Through discussion, individual and group tasks, participants should be able to demonstrate the different levels of complexities involved in using theory to interpret the social world. Students will be challenged to apply in-depth analysis to case studies. This will take place through the investigation of different social intricacies within the fields of education, the world of work and global citizenship. Furthermore, the unit’s discussion of the nature of sociology provides a critique for the scientific basis of this subject. The insights from this critique will prepare and therefore expect learners to engage with sociological concerns at a higher level thinking. This should be demonstrated by their ability to work with abstract theories that deconstruct assumptions about westernisation and progress. Furthermore, this course will enable learners to practically apply sociological insights, within the world of work, with professional competence.

Coefficient : 0.75

Compétence à acquérir :

By the end of this module, students should demonstrate:

Knowledge

1. Critical understanding of modern, post and late modern sociological debates 2. Clear understanding of how the issue of ‘free will’ is expressed in theory, research methods, scientific debates and post- structural discourses 3. Critical grasp of how privilege, inequity and oppression are expressed in local and global contexts. 4. A confident grasp of the enquiries that undermine the scientific basis of the sociological enterprise.

Skills

5. The ability to meet deadlines that require the management of complex sociological theories, case studies and activities. 6 . Multi-level critical evaluation skills that reflect confidence in interpreting and communicating (written or verbal) difficult sociological arguments. 7. The ability to interpret competing sociological perspectives to produce a coherent line of reasoning

 

Values and Attitudes

8. Appreciation of diverse perspectives 9. Academic objectivity capable of incorporating relevant sociological considerations of ‘taken for granted’ discourses on identities, social realities and truth.

Mode de contrôle des connaissances :

Grade Weighting

 

Participation & Engagement (10%) Mid-Term Case Study Exam (25%) Group Presentation & Report (15%) Final Exam in January (50%)

Bibliographie, lectures recommandées

Core Text Book

 

Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 11th Edition,

Kogan Press, London.