University of Wolverhampton
School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences
Module Code: SL2011
Module Title: Social and Cultural Changein Contemporary Britain
Semester 1
Year 2006/07
Prerequisites:SL1004 or SL1106 or any level 1 social policy or social care module
Co-requisites:none
Level: 1
Credit Value: 15
Timetable slot:Wednesday 2-5 pm
Location: Please check information at School Office
Module leader: Marci Green ()
Other staff: Jon Bernardes ()
Andy Cameron ()
Wiz / Elaine Cameron ()
David Denham ()
Availability: Please see office hours on tutors’ doors for information
Educational Aims:
The module aims to:
1Explore and link, using sociological evidence and perspectives, key aspects of the changes occurring in the social structure and cultural processes of contemporary British society.
2Contextualise contemporary issues in relation to past conditions and future possibilities.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate:
1A sociologically informed understanding and knowledge of changes in key aspects of contemporary British institutional and cultural life.
2An understanding of sociological concepts and theories of social and cultural change.
3An understanding of the connections between sociological evidence and sociological theory.
Weekly Programme
We will be exploring social structural and cultural change through lectures, discussion and Group work. The details of the program are set out in your module guide (and accompanying Group Task Guide) so please read them carefully. We will be providing some reading materials, but students are expected to engage with both journal/book materials and online resources. Also…BE SURE TO CONSULT WOLF for additional support materials.
Week 1
Introduction to the module and assessment
Lecture: Change and society: an overview of social & cultural change in contemporary Britain (Andy Cooper)
Groupwork : The theme of ‘continuity’ and ‘change’:
In groups of about 5 –
Reflecting on your own experiences, identify at least 3 changes that have occurred across the generations in your family…e.g…marital status, size of family, family beliefs and relationships, migration, social roles within the family, etc.)
Reflecting on your own experiences, identify some features of family life over the generations that have remained much the same.
Plenary
Handouts: Module Guide, vignettes of change – please read before next week
Reading (for weeks 1-3)
Abercrombie , N. and A. Warde 2000) Contemporary British Society (Polity Press: Cambridge 3rd ed)
Fulcher, J. and J. Scott (2003) Sociology -
Macionis, J. and K. Plummer (2002) Sociology - A GlobalIintroduction (Prentice Hall 2nd ed.)
Jordan, T. and S. Pile (eds) (2002) Social Change (Open University Press: Milton Keynes)
Websites for general reference: SOSIG (Social Science Information Gateway)
JRF (Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
ONS (Office for National Statistics)
Read Handouts as well
Week 2
Lecture: Social and cultural change: themes and issues. [MG]
Class discussion:Vignettes of change
How can we use these various pieces of evidence to think about the nature of change? To what, or whom, does it happen? How do we know when ‘change’ has occurred? What do we mean by ‘change’, anyway?
Groupwork: Change, continuity and experience – Working in groups of 5 from last week -
1. Are the family changes/continuities you discussed last week, linked to changes in wider society – eg culture, institutions, social systems? In what ways?
2How might you think ‘sociologically’ about the causes of these changes?
BY NEXT WEEK STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE SELECTED THEIR PRESENTATION TOPIC.
Reading – see above under week 1
Week 3
Lecture: Explaining social and cultural change: concepts and theoretical work [MG]
Discuss use of the ‘module concept sheet’
Notes on Essay Writing
Arrange group membership for case study.
Workshop: The group case study
1Discuss and select the central topic for case study
2Identify 2 linked areas of change to explore
3Reflect on what kind of evidence you might use to explore your topic.
4Allocate jobs amongst group members
4Think about what concepts (and theories) you might use….
Reading (As above week 1)
Weeks 4 – 8
These sessions will consist of a lecture on a specific area of social and cultural change, followed by group tasks and plenary. Each session will provide opportunities for the groups to work on the weekly topic in ways which will contribute to the assessments.
The group tasks each weekwill consist of the following:
Group work tasks
1Select 2 of the social and cultural changes identified in the lecture which you think are important, giving one reason for each.
2What kinds of changes are these cultural, institutional, ‘social-relational’, identity)
3What kind of evidence is available or needed to show these changes are taking place? (eg quantitative / qualitative, personal stories, sociological research, media representations, official statistics?)
4How are the changes discussed in the lecture linked to your topic area? Identify 2 links.
5What sociological concepts / theories were mentioned in the lecture.
Week 4
Lecture: Social and cultural change: ‘community’ [AAFC]
Groupwork and Plenary
Open time to discuss administrative issues [WC]
Reading :
G Crowe & G Allan (1994) Community Life. Harvester Wheatsheaf
Fulcher,J and Scott,J Sociology, Chapter 13
D Lee & H Newby (1983) The Problem of Sociology. Routledge. See chaps 2, 3, 4
Field J (2003) Social Capital, Routledge
Delanty, G (2003) Community Routledge
McGhee, D Moving to our common ground - a critical examination of community cohesion discourse in twenty -first century Britain The Sociological Review 2003 pp 376-404
Vicky Cattell and Mel Evans ‘Neighbourhood images in east London: Social capital and social networks on two East London estates’ (JRF Rowntree0
Week 5
Lecture: Social and cultural change: ‘work’ [MG]
Groupwork
Plenary
Reading – t.b.a
Week 6
Lecture: Social and cultural change: ‘family’ [JB]
Groupwork
Plenary
Hand In Essay Topic form
Mid-module evaluation
Reading:
Alanen L and Mayall Berry, Conceptualising Child-Adult Relationships, 2001, Falmer. 305.23 CON. Harrison Learning Centre.
Allan G and Crow G, “Family and Demographic Change” in Allan G and Crow G, Families,
Households and Society, 2000, Macmillan, pp 19-25, 306.8 5 ALL Harrison Learning Centre
Bernardes J. “Understanding Family Diversity”, Sociology Review, 2001, 11, 1, 10-13. Periodicals 301 Harrison Learning Centre.
Bernardes J, "We Must Not Define 'The Family'!", in Settles B et al., Concepts and Definitions of Family for the 21st Century, 1999, Haworth Press, NY. 306.85 CON. Harrison Learning Centre.
Bernardes, J, Family Studies: An Introduction, 1997, Routledge, London, 306.85 BER. Harrison Learning Centre.
Bernardes, J. 1998, “Prioritising families in the future in the United Kingdom”, In K Matthijs, The Family: Contemporary Perspectives and Challenges - Festschrift in Honour of Wilfried Dumon, 1998, Leuven University Press: Leuven, Belgium, pp 137-157. 306.85 FAM Harrison Learning Centre.
Davidoff L et al “Introduction” and “Conclusions” in Davidoff L et al, 1999, The Family Story: blood, contract and intimacy, 1830-1960, Longman, pp 3-15 & 266-269. 306.850942 FAM Harrison Learning Centre.
Ermisch J and Francesconi M, “Patterns of Household and Family Formation” in Berthoud R and Gershuny J, Seven Years in the Lives of British Families, 2000, Policy Press, pp 21-44. 306.850941 SEV Harrison Learning Centre.
Jackson S, “Families, Households and Domestic Life”, In Taylor S, Sociology: Issues and Debates, 1999, Macmillan, pp 158-179. 301 SOC. Harrison Learning Centre.
Jagger G and Wright C, Changing Family Values, 1999, Routledge. 306.85 CHA Harrison Learning Centre.
Jensen A-M and McKee L, Children and the Changing Family, 2002, Routledge. 305.23 CHI Walsall.
Lewis J, The end of marriage? : individualism and intimate relations, 2001, Elgar. 306.8 LEW. Harrison Learning Centre.
Millar J and Rowlingson K, Lone Parents, employment and social policy: cross-national comparison, 2001, Policy Press. 362.8294 LON Harrison Learning Centre.
Silva E and Smart C, The New Family?, 1999, Sage. 306.85 NEW Harrison Learning Centre.
Smart C, Changing Experience of Childhood: Families and Divorce, 2001, Polity, 305.23 SMA. Harrison Learning Centre.
Weeks J et al., Same Sex Intimacies: families of choice and other life experiments, 2001, Routledge. 306.766 WEE. Harrison Learning Centre.
Useful websites
The European Observatory on the Social Situation, Demography and Family (Note spaces are underscore character)
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
National Family and Parenting Institute (NFPI) -
One Parent Families
Week 7
Lecture: Social and cultural change: ‘health’ [WC]
Groupwork and plenary
Session on mechanics of essay writing (e.g….how to avoid plagiarism, etc.)
Reading
Acheson Report. (1998) Report of the independent inquiry into inequalities in health. The Stationery Office, London.
Bartley M (2004) Health inequality: an introduction to theories, concepts and methods. Polity Press, Cambridge
Bartley, M., Blane, D. and Davey Smith, G. (eds) (1998) The sociology of health inequalities, Blackwell, Oxford
Bury M (2005) Health and Illness. Polity Press, Cambridge. Ch 2
Davey B and Seale C (eds) (2002) Experiencing and explaining disease. The Open University Press, Buckingham 3rd edition. chs 1, 2, 4, 6, 8
Doyal, L. (1995) What makes women sick? Gender and the political economy of health.
Graham H (ed) (2001) Understanding health inequalities. Open University Press, Buckingham
Health Variations Programme. useful source for various reports on range of research topics on health inequalities from the research programme, ESRC. Lancaster University.
Nettleton, S. (1995) The sociology of health and illness. Polity Press, Cambridge, ch 3 (HIV/AIDS), 7 (health inequalities)
Shaw M et al (1999) The widening gap. The Policy Press, Bristol. Ch 4
Smaje, C. (1995) Health, race and ethnicity: making sense of the evidence. Kings Fund,
London.
Townsend, P. & Davidson, N. (1992) Inequalities in health: The Black Report. Penguin, Harmondsworth.
Week 8
Lecture: Social and cultural change: ‘marketisation’ [DD]
Groupwork
Plenary
Reading
'Markets' in Abercrombie & Ward 'Contemporary British Society (as above) pages 51-56
C.C. Williams 'The Myth of Marketization' (see above).
Abercrombie,N. & Warde, A. (2000) Contemporary British Society. (3rd ed), London,Polity
Denham, D (2005) Marx, Durkheim & Weber on Market Society. Paper given at the 37th International Institute of Sociology World Congress, Stockholm July 2005.
Taylor, I (ed) (1990) The Social Effects of Free Market Policies. London. Harvester Wheatsheaf
Taylor, I (1999) Crime in Context; A Critical Criminology of Market Societies. Cambridge. Polity Press
Williams C.C. (2004) 'The Myth of Marketization: An Evaluation of the Persistence of Non-Market Activities in Advanced Economies' in International Sociology Vol19 No. 4 December.
Week 9
Presentations and Case Study Workshop (MG and WC)
Week 10
First Group of Presentations (MG and WC)
Last Opportunity for Essay Tutorials
End of module evaluation
Week 11
Second Group of Presentations (MG and WC)
Film
End of module evaluation
Week 12
Third Group of Presentations (MG and WC)
End of module Evaluation
Learning Activities:
Lectures, group discussions and group workshops
Attendance:
The University wants all students to achieve their best performance. It offers you carefully prepared learning experiences that will enable you to meet the learning outcomes of your modules. Evidence shows that you will perform best if you regularly attend and participate in these learning experiences. It therefore expects you to participate fully in the learning experience. Where you are unable to attend for good reason you should discuss this with your module tutor who will make reasonable efforts to provide alternative arrangements (e.g. issue support materials). Where you do not attend without good reason you cannot expect your tutor to devote additional time and resources to your learning. If you are unhappy with the learning experiences provided you should make your views known through the normal channels (e.g. staff/student liaison committees, module evaluation or Student Union).
Assessment Methods and Weightings:
Component 1Essay50%
Component 2Group presentation50%
Deadlines:
Component 1 EssayWeek 12
Component 2Group presentationWeek 10, 11 and 12
Extensions:
If you experience an illness or other serious personal difficulty, which prevents you from completing an assignment, you may request an extension to the submission deadline. Where an extension is granted this will normally be for 2/3 days. In exceptional cases a maximum of seven days extension will be granted.
Requests for extensions must normally be made before the assignment deadline. To apply for an extension you must complete a POG33 form, which is available from a Campus Registry or the HLSS School Office (MC310). You must hand this form into the School Office (MC310). Senior Academic Counsellors /Associate Dean will then consider your request. You may be asked to make an appointment to see a Senior Academic Counsellor/Associate Dean. Individual module leaders cannot grant extensions.
Assessment Tasks:
Component 1 – Essay 2000 Words Maximum (50%)
Component 2 - Presentation (50%)
Component 1 Essay
Due date: This 2000 word essay is due in the final week of the module (week 12), no later than 4pm on the day the module is taught.
Title: With regard to (fill in your particular topic), what evidence is there of social or cultural change, and how have sociologists explained it?
Responsibilities: This essay allows you to build on the work you have done for your Group’s presentation. As with the presentation, the essay requires you to meet several tasks, but the essay is an INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, that explores your chosen depth in more depth. For the essay, you will focus on a particular aspect of the topic examined by your group.
The essay is expected to meet four tasks. They are:
1. Using a range of qualitative, quantitative (or both) sources, provide evidence of social and / or cultural change (relating to the topic of your choice.) In this task, you need to consider: the period of change you are mapping; the magnitude of the change your are considering; the ‘level’ of change you are describing (e.g. macro; meso; micro); the ‘domain’ in which changes have occurred (e.g. in our cultural system; our social institutions; our social relationships; our social identities).
On the matter of evidence, you are expected to consult a range of sources, some of which may be internet generated. Avoid ‘general websites’ and websites generated by students such as . Internet sources must be academically legitimate and if using electronic journals, the journals must be ‘refereed’.
2.Explore how the social/cultural changes you are describing, relate to other aspects of society. (For example, if you were to look at the rise of the number of women in the labour force over the past few decades, you might like to think about how this links to, say, family structure and relationships OR changing patterns of educational attainment OR one’s social identity OR the Women’s Movement. Etc.)
3. Identify some sociological explanations for the changes you are describing.(Think about the concepts and theories you have considered in class, and in your readings.)
4. Reflect on whether some theories are more useful than others. (Some theories that you will be learning are stronger than others in their ability to make sense of the evidence you have gathered. This, then, is an opportunity to think about what ‘works’ well as an explanation for the change(s), and what doesn’t.
Assessment Criteria for Component 1
General assessment criteria for level 2 academic writing applies. And, more specifically, we will be looking for:
- Title that identifies the content of the Essay (agreed with tutor)
- Introduction to the essay that clearly states the aims of the essay
- Organisation of the material to meet the four tasks set out above
- Evidence that you have engaged with appropriate sociological sources.
- Correct citation of sources. Be sure that when citing sources in the body of the essay, that you use the Harvard System. All the sources you consulted are also expected to be appear in the Bibliography.
Component 2: Group Presentation
Due Date: Presentations will be in class sessions during weeks 10 and 11.
Title: ‘With reference to your topic, describe and evaluate examples of social and cultural change in contemporary Britain.’
Tasks and Guidelines:
Your group will be addressing the following tasks, and organising your findings to present to the rest of the class. These tasks form the basis for your individually written essay (Component 1 above.)
1. Using a range of qualitative, quantitative (or both) sources, provide evidence of social or cultural change (relating to the topic of your choice.) In this task, you need to consider: the period of change you are mapping; the magnitude of the change your are considering; the ‘level’ of change you are describing (e.g. macro; meso; micro); the ‘domain’ in which changes have occurred (e.g. in our cultural system; our social institutions; our social relationships; our social identities).
On the matter of evidence, you are expected to consult a range of sources, some of which may be internet generated. Avoid ‘general websites’ and websites generated by students such as . Internet sources must be academically legitimate and if using electronic journals, the journals must be ‘refereed’.
2.Explore how the social/cultural changes you are describing, relate to TWO other aspects of society. (For example, if you were to look at the rise of the number of women in the labour force over the past few decades, you might like to think about how this links to, say, family structure and relationships OR changing patterns of educational attainment OR one’s social identity OR the Women’s Movement. Etc.)
3. Identify some sociological explanations for the changes you are describing.(Think about the concepts and theories you have considered in class, and in your readings.)
You will be working in groups (about 4-6 people) on a topic of your choice (but agreed with the tutor in week 3).
Over the semester, your group will work together to meet the above tasks and in the last few weeks of the module, your group will present your findings to the class.
Each member of the group will participate in the final presentation. Presentations will be about 20 minutes (15 minutes to communicate your findings and about 5 minutes to questions and brief class discussion.)
Presentations are about sharing with your colleagues, the evidence and arguments that you have assembled. So, think about how to communicate this material clearly so that other students can benefit from the hard work you and your group have done!!
At the end of your presentation, you are also expected to distribute to students, a list of the source materials that you consulted over the semester.
Assessment Criteria for Component 2
NOTE: Marks will be awarded to the GROUP’S presentation, but evidence of failure to participate in the group process will result in loss of marks for that individual.