SOC-10037 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

Exploring the ways in which individuals interact with others to shape meaning about identities, the purpose of this module is to understand power in social relations. You will learn how to identify the relationship between institutions, groups and individuals in forming knowledge and regulating behaviour. Crucially, we consider resistance to dominant forms of meaning through an examination of deviance and subculture, culminating with a reflection of the construction of self in digital societies.

- To explore the relationship between self and society through history to the present.
- To define the role of power in social relations, particularly in shaping knowledge and controlling behaviour.
- To explore the history of media in the development of society.
- To analyse resistance to dominant norms, focusing on media and cultural forms of resistance.
- To reflect on the evolving construction of the self, particularly in the context of digital societies and online interactions.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Identify how individuals and groups interact to construct social identities and meanings.: 1,2
Analyse the role of power in social relations, identifying how institutions shape knowledge, regulate behaviour, and maintain social order.: 1
Evaluate forms of resistance to dominant social norms, focusing on subcultures, deviance, and the role of identity in challenging established meanings.: 2
Describe theoretical perspectives relating to contemporary examples of subcultures, deviance, or digital identities, demonstrating the interplay between societal structures and individual agency.: 2
Formulate a visual and written representation of an aspect of identity that integrates theory with personal or observed experiences, demonstrating an ability to communicate complex ideas in a clear, creative manner.: 1,2
Reflect on your own experiences or observations of identity formation and how they relate to broader social structures, including institutions, norms, and digital environments.: 1
Employ academic research and theory to construct a coherent argument about identity, power, or resistance in the context of social relations.: 1,2

Study hours

Active learning hours:
48 contact hours - 22 lectures, 22 seminars and 4 hours assessment consultations.
48 asynchronous learning hours - to include guided online activities, e.g. reading, quizzes, video, podcasts.
Independent study hours:
204 hours seminar and assessment preparation, includes engaging with additional readings, note-taking, planning, drafting and revising work.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment