module specification

SS4055 - Protest, Justice and Social Change (2024/25)

Module specification Module approved to run in 2024/25
Module title Protest, Justice and Social Change
Module level Certificate (04)
Credit rating for module 15
School School of Social Sciences and Professions
Total study hours 150
 
24 hours Assessment Preparation / Delivery
90 hours Guided independent study
36 hours Scheduled learning & teaching activities
Assessment components
Type Weighting Qualifying mark Description
Other 20%   Digital Poster
Coursework 80%   EITHER: Research report OR VLOG
Running in 2024/25

(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change)
Period Campus Day Time Module Leader
Spring semester North Tuesday Morning

Module summary

This module addresses the question of how societies change and who changes them. It focuses on the concepts of social history such as progress, development, and social evolution. It also addresses the ongoing debate of whether change is driven by individual agency or larger societal structures. In addition, the course examines the role of ideas and ideologies in shaping social change, focusing on concepts like freedom, equality, and justice. It discusses real world examples of social protests like anti-war, women's rights, and pro-life movements, as well as the study of how these movements – like the civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and Extinction Rebellion – form and spread. Lastly, the course covers the topic of revolutions and their impact on society by examining past revolutions – from the French Revolution to the Arab Spring – and the factors that contribute to their success or failure.

Prior learning requirements

None. Available for Study Abroad? YES

Syllabus

This module will focus on the following key subjects:


● Societies in time – history as progress, development, evolution, or grand design?
● How societies change? Agency vs. structure debate
● Ideas and Ideologies: freedom, equality and justice
● Social protests: Anti-war, Women’s Rights, Pro-Life
● How social movements move? Anti-Colonial Movements, Civil Right Movement, BLM, #MeToo, Extinction Rebellion
● Revolutions: From the French revolution to the Arab Spring

Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity

Delivery of this module is through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, case studies and workshops allowing students to be actively involved in the learning process and develop their own learning style. The lecture programme provides the underpinning theoretical foundation in the subject area and thinking skills are developed through complementary activities including case studies, workshops, seminars and tutorials. Students are expected to complement formal teaching with self-directed reading and completion of specified assignments. The module will also promote the student’s self-management and a reflective approach to their learning.

This module will be supported with relevant WebLearn pages where all lecture and workshop notes, relevant literature, and other sources will be available. All sessions will be recorded with Panopto and will be available to students.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module students will:


1. Grasp and critically evaluate main sociological theories of social change.
2. Understand various factors that drive social protests and movements that shape society over time.
3. Develop skills in conducting documentary research on chosen social events.
4. Develop their abilities in summarising and presenting their analysis of a social movement or protest and offer critical evaluations of their successes or failures.

Bibliography