Sociology for New Worlds

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 7
• Convenor: Dr Margarita Aragon
• Tutors: Dr Margarita Aragon, Dr Ian Sanjay Patel
• Assessment: a 2500-word essay (65%) and 1500-word post for class blog (35%)

We face multiple and urgent forms of planetary crisis, including the resurgence of authoritarian nationalism, a pandemic that has exacerbated already ravaging inequality with deadly effect, and intensifying ecological disaster. The world we live in today will undoubtedly be profoundly changed in years to come.

In this module we engage with a range of sociological interventions that will help us understand how this world was made and the alternative worlds that have been envisioned by key thinkers and social actors. Drawing connections across time and space, the module traces the deep histories of our social world, illuminates the contemporary moment and provides resources for hope.

You will be encouraged to explore the broader ideas and issues that we engage with in specific contexts that interest you and to utilise non-traditional forms of academic writing.

Indicative syllabus

• Theorising history and dimensions of capitalism
• Climate crisis and environmental (in)justice
• Disability and health
• Human rights
• Citizenship, migration and belonging
• Revolutions and social movements

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand key concepts and areas of debate in contemporary critical sociology
• apply critical sociological analysis and frameworks to a range of contexts
• communicate complex sociological ideas to a range of audiences.