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Choosing which papers to take to make the most of your Sociology major

Compulsory papers at 100-level

The following two papers are compulsory in the Sociology major and cover a broad range of issues in the discipline.

Papers at the 200- and 300-levels offer an opportunity for in-depth engagement with some of the topics covered at 100-level.

Choosing which papers to take in order to make the most of your Sociology major is an exciting challenge. In order to facilitate this process we have outlined a number of options below, and these are organised according to particular pathways/areas of expertise in our programme.

We strongly encourage you to include at least one theory paper and one research methods paper in your Sociology major.

Further advice on complementary papers and degree options

Culture, Identity and Inequality

Description: How do social structures influence what we do, and how does our everyday behaviour, in turn, shape social structures? Learn more about the ways in which we engage with one another – and increasingly with 'non-human others' in virtual spaces – to construct the social realities that profoundly influence who we are.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Gender Studies, Social Work, Social Anthropology, Human Geography, Psychology.

Papers:
SOCI 203 Young People and Society
SOCI 205 Social Inequality
SOCI 213 Concepts of Self
SOCI 313 The Subject in Postmodern Society
GEND 311 Interventions in Sexual Violence
SOCI 310 Social Movements and Popular Protest
SOCI 304 Crime, Culture, and Technology

Social Theory

Description: There is no single way to look at society; how we think about the social world depends on the lens we use. Classical and contemporary theoretical approaches offer a range of ways of exploring social structure, social change and the relationships between individuals, groups and wider social processes.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Gender Studies, Media, Film & Communication, Politics, PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics).

Papers:
SOCI 202 Big Ideas in Sociology
SOCI 211 Colonisation, Globalisation and Social Justice
SOCI 213 Concepts of the Self
SOCI 302 Theories of Social Power
SOCI 313 The Subject in Postmodern Society
SOCI 310 Social Movements and Popular Protest

Social Policy

Description: Social institutions play a significant role in our lives. Understanding how policies and structures shape collective and individual decisions will put your own life in perspective, as well as leading the way to meaningful social change. This change can also result from what people value in life and the structures through which they believe these values can be supported.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Criminology, Politics, Law, Public Health, Education, Data Science.

Papers:
SOCI 205 Social Inequalities
SOCI 204 Sociology of Health
SOCI 201 Sociological Research in Practice
SOCI 306 Public Sociology
SOCI 319 The Global Politics of Food

Social Contention

Description: Frustration with the status quo can lead people to conceptualise social alternatives and engage in collective action to bring about social change. This pathway explores the dynamics of power, the political economy of food and agriculture, popular politics, grassroots resistance and social transformation.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Environmental Studies, Law, Human Geography, Gender Studies, Politics.

Papers:
SOCI 208 Environmental Sociology
SOCI 211 Colonisation, Globalisation and Social Justice
SOCI 302 Theories of Social Power
SOCI 310 Social Movements and Popular Protest
SOCI 319 The Global Politics of Food

Family

Description: Families are key social structures, linking individuals and wider society. We all have experiences as family members, and these can add an understanding of the diversity of family lives, their functions and dysfunctions in our own society and around the world.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Gender Studies, Social Work, Public Health, Education.

Papers:
SOCI 203 Young People and Society
SOCI 207 Families and Society
SOCI 305 Family Demography

Research Methods

Description: Sociology is an empirically rich discipline where researchers routinely collect and analyse data to create or advance social theories. Research methods can be qualitative (unstructured interviews, observation, photovoice, autoethnography) or quantitative (questionnaires, regression analysis) or a mixed methods approach where the primacy of the method depends on the research question. SOCI 201 and SOCI 301 are specialist research methods courses whereas the others focus on the analysis of empirical data.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Gender Studies, Media, Film & Communication, Politics, Human Geography.

Papers:
SOCI 201 Sociological Research in Practice
SOCI 204 Sociology of Health
SOCI 205 Social Inequalities
SOCI 301 Mixed Methods
SOCI 305 Family Demography
SOCI 306 Public Sociology

Environmental Sociology

Description: Growing concern about our environment is matched by a broadening understanding of how we interact with our environment and ultimately how we can influence it.

Minors/Double Majors to Consider: Environmental Studies, Law, Human Geography, PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics), Science Communication.

Papers:
SOCI 208: Environmental Sociology
SOCI 310: Social Movements and Popular Protest
SOCI 319: The Global Politics of Food

Postgraduate Study

Description: If the idea of expanding your intellectual horizons even further excites you, then you should consider planning for a postgraduate degree. During your undergraduate study you should build a solid foundation in theory and methods, combining these papers with any of the pathways above or with a selection of papers you are interested in.

Career Opportunities: An Honours degree is the gateway to further postgraduate study, which can lead to a Masters degree by thesis or a PhD. A Coursework MA degree is a practical degree. Both give you an opportunity to choose a research project on a topic you're interested in. This independent project, along with advanced knowledge, demonstrates to potential employers that you are capable of complex projects and intellectual leadership.

Papers:
SOCI 202: Big Ideas in Sociology
SOCI 302: Theories of Social Power
SOCI 201: Sociological Research in Practice
SOCI 301: Mixed Methods
SOCI 306: Public Sociology or HUMS 301: Internship

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