SS5153 - Sociology and Current Affairs (2024/25)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2024/25 | ||||||||||||
| Module title | Sociology and Current Affairs | ||||||||||||
| 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 2024/25(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) | No instances running in the year |
Module summary
In this module you will learn to apply a range of contemporary social theories and concepts to the understanding of current affairs. The module will provide you with the conceptual tools to critically assess representations of social groups and events in virtual and print media and other portrayals of contemporary social life, political events, and social issues. The module will allow you to develop a conceptual toolkit drawn from semiotics, phenomenology, post-structuralism, among others, to explore representations of difference and power and to appreciate how they acquire ‘newsworthiness’. You will learn how to view current affairs – ranging from coverage of debates on global poverty and social exclusion to migration and terrorism – through a sociological lens in order to look beyond the spectacle or apparent banality of the news.
The module will contribute to the development of your practical skills in critical analysis by exploring [a] the way that social issues are represented for public consumption; and [b] the value of applying social theory to achieve in-depth interpretations of events and roles of social actors. In an age of multiple media platforms, the ‘quick news fix’ of social media, and the proliferation of fake news, ‘Sociology and Current Affairs’ will encourage you to develop and use innovative and imaginative approaches to gain and communicate better understandings of the complexity of the world around us.
Prior learning requirements
Available for Study Abroad? YES
Syllabus
● Understanding and interpreting media discourses
● What makes news ‘newsworthy’?
● Power and news production – reproducing stereotypes and constructing meaning
● Audiences – consuming spectacle or deconstructing meaning?
● Representations in the media – from the local to the global imagination
● Lifeworlds and contextualisation – reading the news phenomenologically
● Visual politics – ‘seeing’ the news through the photographic lens
● Fake news – postmodern conditions and the vulnerability of truth
● The ‘Twittering Machine’ – from ‘unwanted’ infromation to conspiracy theories.
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
The teaching and learning strategy for this module is intended to stimulate student interest in applying knowledge of contemporary social theory to real life contexts. Delivery is through a combination of lectures and seminars addressing key concepts and case studies complemented by workshops that allow students to be actively involved in the learning process and to develop their own learning style. The lecture programme provides the underpinning theoretical foundation in the subject area and thinking skills are developed through paired activities across seminar discussion, formative and summative assessments.
Students are expected to balance formal teaching with self-directed reading and completion of specified formative tasks and one summative assignment. The module will also promote the student’s self-management and a reflective approach to their learning. Teaching and learning are integrated with the assessment and in accordance with the university’s learning and teaching strategy. The module is supported by a comprehensive range of supporting material including core reading lists and supplementary resources available on Weblearn along with lecture recordings and slides.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will:
LO1: Develop competence and creativity in applying a range of theoretical perspectives and concepts in sociology for understanding representations of current affairs.
LO2: Be able to make reasoned and evidenced arguments relating to the social processes underpinning the production of knowledge of current affairs.
LO3: Recognise the relevance of sociological knowledge in relation to enhancing public understanding of current affairs.
LO4: Be able to identify how media representations contribute to the social shaping of identity and difference.
Assessment strategy
1. Summative (25%): either record a 15 minute podcast OR produce a PowerPoint presentation that discusses a recent newsworthy event. Your podcast or PowerPOint presentation should [a] provide a narrative account of what happened, key actors, and settings; [b] explain the broader social contexts that may be useful for understanding why the event occurred and what makes the situation relevant as a piece of news.
2. Summative (75%): Write a 2,500 word essay that critically explores contemporary debates around the production and consumption of current affairs stories. The essay should draw on key sociological arguments discussed on the module. Students will choose their topic from a list of questions published on Weblearn.