SS5067 - Sociology of Everyday Life (2023/24)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2023/24 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Sociology of Everyday Life | ||||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | ||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | ||||||||||||
| School | School of Social Sciences and Professions | ||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | ||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2023/24(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
In this module you will learn to apply sociological understanding and methodology of observing and explaining the everyday life: its routines, rhythms and those aspects of social life that we consider familiar and known. You will be able to see the strange in the familiar, learning the practice of sociological thinking. You will be asked to suspend any taken for granted assumptions about the rules and routines of social life, and look at everyday behaviour from the perspective of an external observer. You will learn how everyday life has come to be theorised and understood by key sociological thinkers. Alongside this, you will learn about sociological approaches to topics such as home, eating, shopping, emotions, embarrassment, shame and romance.
Prior learning requirements
Available for Study Abroad? YES
Syllabus
• Understanding everyday life
• Theorising the everyday
• Method of observing the everyday
• Rituals and routines
• Home
• Emotions: embarrassment and shame
• Romance
• Eating and Drinking
• Pets
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
Teaching will comprise weekly lectures followed by exercises and reflexive discussion in seminars. Teaching will be informed by research and scholarly activities of the tutors.
Learning: Learning will be supported by the Weblearn site for the module which will include all the teaching materials and guidance for assessment.
The students will be encouraged to engage with contemporary issues and follow the current debates in the media. This will be supported by Weblearn-based materials and forums.
Learning outcomes
1. Demonstrate an understanding of some of the main theoretical approaches in the sociology of everyday life.
2. Identify and analyse the social rules, routines and the familiar that shape interaction in a particular context.
3. Demonstrate ability to apply the method of observing one of the aspects of the everyday covered in this module.
Assessment strategy
1. Portfolio: two short observations of everyday - due in week 10, 1000 words;
2. Essay 2000 words due week 13. You will develop the ideas set out in one of the observations from the portfolio, using social theory to analyse this episode from everyday life.