SOC-10041 - Module Specification School of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025
SOC-10041 - Understanding Inequalities
Coordinator: Mark Featherstone Room: CBC0.014 Tel: +44 1782 7 34179
School Office:
Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26
Available as a Free Standing Elective
Co-requisites
None
Prerequisites
None
Barred Combinations
None
Description for 2025/26
How can we use our sociological imagination to make sense of the social divisions and inequalities that persist across time and are reproduced in different cultures and societies? This module introduces the theoretical foundations of sociological thinking, tracing its origins as a 'science of society' to its contemporary applications in understanding inequality. You will learn to recognise how classical theories illuminate social divisions around class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and ability.
- To equip students with the ability to apply sociological thinking to understand and analyse persistent social divisions and inequalities across different societies and historical contexts.- To introduce the foundational sociological theories that form the basis of the discipline, focusing on their origins and how they contribute to contemporary understandings of social inequality.- To examine how key social categories such as race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability are constructed, maintained, and reproduced in various cultural contexts.- To engage with the causes and impacts of different forms of discrimination, and assess how sociological theories explain the persistence of these inequalities.- To apply foundational and contemporary sociological theories to current social issues, enhancing understanding of inequality in today’s world.
Intended Learning Outcomes
Identify foundational sociological theories and their relevance to contemporary analyses of social divisions and inequalities.: 3Apply the sociological imagination to analyse how social categories such as class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and ability are constructed and maintained across different cultures and societies.: 1,3Evaluate a range of sources related to key topics in sociology.: 1,3Reflect on your own learning and contribution to group work, demonstrating the ability to synthesize ideas from both individual and collective discussions.: 1,2Analyse contemporary social issues using foundational sociological theories, demonstrating how these theories help explain persistent forms of inequality.: 1,3Engage with sociological literature to formulate arguments about the origins and impacts of social inequalities.: 1,2,3Compare different theoretical approaches to understanding social divisions and their real-world implications.: 3
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 reading, note-taking, planning, drafting and revising work.
School Rules
None
Description of Module Assessment