Module: SOC4001-20 Visualising the 21st Century World

Level: 4

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: Patrick Turner

Module Tutor Contact Details: p.turner3@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

To be able to understand, interpret and present evidence is essential to all social science practice. This requires the imaginative ability to form a picture of – to visualise and tell a story about - our social life and worlds. We can find the origins of this in our taken for-granted capacity for sense making and interpretation – both in relation to our own and other people’s norms and values. From here we can move on to the more specialist task of interpreting actual examples of social research data. But not only that: we can also do interpretative work on the very public things that get turned into social research data. That is, we can pay close attention to what makes social actions, trends, beliefs, practices and material objects meaningful for humans. In carrying out this activity we can achieve two important goals:

1. We can investigate how all of these things as social data ‘visualise’ – form pictures of and tell meaningful stories about – the 21^st century world.

2. We can turn some of these investigations into our own visual representations of social data using a variety of formats.

The module will be both theoretical and practical in nature. In it you will learn to interpret both publicly available data and other sources of social action and beliefs. You will develop your knowledge of interpretive theories and concepts and your skills in visual understanding and representation. You will have the opportunity to communicate this effectively in oral, written and visual form.

2. Outline syllabus:

• Routine social interaction

• Contemporary religious beliefs

• Contemporary political beliefs

• 21^st century work as cultural practice

• Consumption and consumerism

• Homelessness

• Contemporary youth fashion

3. Teaching and learning activities:

The module is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshop sessions, on-line activities and the use of other digital learning technologies. Lectures will be used to convey key information. Seminars/workshops will be practical and interactive. They will include discussions, group work, presentations, individual and group problem-solving activities. Where necessary, seminars/workshops will be scheduled in computer labs.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Group resource bank contribution (1600 words)

• % Weighting: 40%

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Final project (2400 words)

• % Weighting: 60%