About This Course
This course will be held in partnership with GLLM as part of being on their framework.
This course introduces key sociological concepts through a comparative lens, examining both British society and global perspectives. The module explores fundamental sociological thinking and social structures, introducing students to different theoretical perspectives while examining how aspects of identity shape social experiences across cultures. Through exploring sociological research methods and evidence-based approaches, students will examine how key institutions like education, healthcare, family, and work influence lives in different societies. The module connects local and global social challenges, from inequality and technological change to environmental issues, while considering how sociological insights can contribute to positive social change.
Each weekly session includes hands-on experience with sociological research methods, from observations and interviews to data analysis, helping students understand how sociologists investigate and analyse social phenomena. Students will develop practical research skills while exploring how sociological knowledge is applied to address real-world challenges in various cultural contexts.
Learner outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Become familiar with how sociologists understand society and undertake social research
- Understand and explain some of the key social institutions and changing social structures
- Appreciate the value of sociology in providing new ways of understanding the social world and addressing social problems
Benefits of the course
For the student it offers valuable insights into how society shapes our lives and provides practical benefits for both personal and professional development, from better understanding social trends and inequalities to gaining transferable skills valued by employers in fields such as public service, education, and business.
Across the UK, Sociology remains an increasingly popular A level, and it is also hoped that short course will encourage interest and confidence amongst mature students to explore the subject further.
Dates for the course
- Tuesday 1st July
- Tuesday 8th July
- Tuesday 15th July
- Tuesday 22nd July
Tutor
Teresa Crew
Dr Teresa Crew is a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy with research interests spanning issues of social inequality, higher education, and policy. More specifically Dr. Crew's research explores the barriers faced by working class people and other disadvantaged groups in society and education. She is the author of various articles and two books
- The Intersections of a Working Class Academic Identity. A Class Apart. *Thanks to funding from Knowledge Unlatched this ebook is open access, and freely available to download https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/93383
- Higher Education and Working-Class Academics: Precarity and Diversity in Academia
Teresa is also currently co-editing a handbook about class and culture and also co-editing a book on working class people in higher education.
She has also conducted research into graduate employment and regional labour markets, as well as the exclusion and discrimination experienced by Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.
Dr. Crew's research typically employs qualitative methodologies including semi structured interviews, focus groups, ethnography and autoethnography.
In 2019 she became a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA).
In 2018 Dr Crew was the winner of the Policy Press Outstanding Teaching Award by the Social Policy Association. Alongside this, she was awarded a Bangor University Teaching Fellowship
Her PhD, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, was completed in 2014. The thesis focused on graduate inequalities in relation to class, gender and place.