Core modules
Choose from a range of modules to create a general degree or a degree with a specialism

You also have the option to add a of study abroad at a partner University In your final you will be ready to conduct your own independent research on a topic of your choice

This degree covers topics such as

Media
Gender
Race
Identity
Capitalism
Research methods
How society has changed over time
The relationship between individuals and society
How techniques perspectives and traditions develop
Ideologies technologies and issues that affect society
Comparing interactions between countries and global societies
The final includes a choice of optional specialisms

Sociology with Specialism in Social and Political Thought
Sociology with Specialism in Research Methods
Sociology with Specialism in Gender Studies
Sociology with Specialism in Race and Global Politics
Sociology with Specialism in Social Inequalities and Public Policy
Sociology with Specialism in Technologies and Markets
If you choose to specialise you will receive a degree certificate with the relevant specialism

Year One
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

Read more about the Sociology of Gender moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022 23 of study)

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

Read more about the Researching Society and Culture moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022 23 of study)

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

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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

Read more about the Class and Capitalism in the Neoliberal World moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022 23 of study)

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

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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

Read more about the Introduction to Social Analytics in Social Inequalities Research moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021 22 of study)

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

Read more about the Designing and Conducting Social Research moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022 23 of study)

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

Read more about the Practice and Interpretation of Quantitative Research moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022 23 of study)

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

Read more about the Modern Social Theory moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022 23 of study)

Year Three
Dissertation

Read more about this moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021 22 of study)

Optional modules
Optional modules can vary from to Example optional modules may include

Year One
Life of Media Past Present and Future
Sociology of Education
Crime and Society
Criminology Theories and Concepts
International Perspectives on Gender
Year Two
Commercial Cultures in Global Capitalism
Educational Inequalities
Relationship and Family Change Demographic and Sociological Perspectives
Becoming Yourself The Construction of the Self in Contemporary Western Societies
Media Audiences and Social Change
Political Sociology
Gender and Violence
Surveillance and Society Race Gender Class
Multivariate Secondary Analysis of Social Data
Advanced Theory in Criminology and Social Justice
Beyond the Binary Trans-forming Gender
War Memory and Society
Social Theory of Law
Policing and Society
Gender Race and Sexualities in the Criminal Justice System Policy and Practice
Year Three
Social Movements and Political Action
Racism and Xenophobia
Ethnography and the Anthropological Tradition
Transnational Media Ecologies
Race Resistance and Modernity
Sociology of Knowledge Science and Intellectuals
Punishment Justice and Control
Feminist Pedagogy Feminist Activism
Postcolonial Theory and Politics
Queering Sociology
State Crime Human Rights and Global Wrongs
Applying Quantitative Methods to Social Research
Experiments in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Sociology of End Times
Global South and Indigenous Feminisms
Social Data Science
Sociology of Green Transformations
Explore our modules in more detail

Optional specialisms
In your third you can pursue a 'Sociology with Specialism' degree This allows you to follow a particular interest or career path that interests you

Sociology with Specialism in Technologies and MarketsLink opens in a new window

Dissertation - specific to specialism
Life of Media Past Present and Future
Media Audiences and Social Change
Commercial Cultures in Global Capitalism
Capitalism and Religion
Economic Sociology
Sociology of Knowledge
Science and Intellectuals
Beastly Sociology
Transnational Media Ecologies
How Sociology Can Save the Environment
Sociology with Specialism in Race and Global PoliticsLink opens in a new window

Dissertation - specific to specialism
War Memory and Society
Surveillance and Security Race Gender Class
Racism and Xenophobia
Capitalism and Religion
Race Resistance and Modernity
Transnational Media Ecologies
Feminist Pedagogy Feminist Activism
Postcolonial Theory and Politics
State Crime Human Rights and Global Wrongs
Sociology with Specialism in Social Inequalities and Public PolicyLink opens in a new window

Dissertation - specific to specialism
Sociology of Education
Educational Inequalities
Relationship and Family Change Demographic and Sociological Perspectives
Disability Inequality and the Life Course
Social Movements and Political Action
Economic Sociology
Multivariate Secondary Analysis of Data
Punishment Justice and Control
The Sociology of Urban Life
Sociology with Specialism in Social and Political ThoughtLink opens in a new window

Dissertation - specific to specialism
Life of Media Past Present and Future
Political Sociology
Becoming Yourself The Construction of the Self in Contemporary Western Societies
Racism and Xenophobia
Capitalism and Religion
Economic Sociology
Race Resistance and Modernity
Sociology of Knowledge Science and Intellectuals
Transnational Media Ecologies
Postcolonial Theory and Politics
Queering Sociology
Sociology of End Times
Sociology with Specialism in GenderLink opens in a new window

Dissertation - specific to specialism
Becoming Yourself The Construction of the Self in Contemporary Western Societies
Gender Race and Sexualities in the Criminal Justice System Policy and Practice
Beyond the Binary Trans-forming Gender
Gender and Violence
Transnational Media Ecologies
Feminist Pedagogy Feminist Activism
Queering Sociology
Sociology with Specialism in Research MethodsLink opens in a new window

Dissertation - specific to specialism
Media Audiences and Social Change
Relationship and Family Change Demographic and Sociological Perspectives
Ethnography and the Anthropological Tradition
Multivariate Secondary Analysis of Social Data
Applying Quantitative Methods to Social Research
Experiments in the Social Sciences and Humanities
Social Data Science