BSc (Hons) Sociology (Black Studies)

This course provides you with valuable knowledge and the ability to think critically about a range of topics within Sociology. You will also gain transferable skills, which will provide you with a solid background to starting your career in different fields.

We use a range of assessments that include essay writing, critical analyses of websites, blogs and presentations. The Sociology degree incorporates formative assessments in the form of a quizzes, peer assessed presentations and annotated bibliographies. About 75-90% of your assessment will be coursework depending on your year of study and option choices.

Year 1

Semester 1

• Global Issues in Sociology
  This module provides students with a grounding in key issues in contemporary society, with a particular emphasis on the societal effects of globalization. These effects are dynamic and global in nature and impact on the key themes addressed in the module. These include: migration and 'race', gender, class, the changing nature of citizenship, sexualities, religion and the mass media. An important focus throughout the module is on how inequalities are reinforced but may be challenged via active citizenship and civic engagement around social justice issues.
• Power, Inequality in Civil Society  
  In this module we will explore a series of problems related through the general ideas of power and inequality. We will explore how power and inequality are related through a series of case studies. We will examine both how these issues are contested and the implications of these problems for society and for politics. Seminars and workshops will be used to develop students understanding of these related problems in a way that will help develop both analytical and practical skills for learning.
• Social Science in the Contemporary World: Themes, concepts and higher education skills.
  This module is an introduction to some of the major themes and events in modern world history. It begins with an examination of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. It moves on to look at the Industrial Revolution, national unification movements in Italy and Germany in the nineteenth century, Empire, the First World War and the ideologies of Fascism, Nazism and Soviet Communism. It looks at the impact of key historical figures such as Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler and their impact on the shape of the modern world.

Semester 2

• Researching London life
  How does sociology actually do research? In this module you will learn some of the major qualitative methods used by sociologists and others. You will develop your understanding of, and skills for, interviews, focus groups and visual contents analysis. We’ll do this through lots of activities from running your own focus group to visiting London city spaces and taking photos. This will not only help develop your methods skills in a really practical and interesting way, but will also set you up with some key employability skills. We will use London as our laboratory!
• The sociological imagination: from revolutions to big data
  Students will be introduced to some of the main questions raised about human societies.  The module invites students to explore significant aspects of the origins and development of sociological inquiry within a historical context.  They will be encouraged to read specifically selected pieces about key concepts and approaches to the study of social action in our societies.  
• Social justice in action
  This module develops students’ understanding of the concept of social justice (as a goal and a process) and its wider implications. The module also encourages students to focus on their interests, motivations, skills and abilities in employability terms and make connections between their studies and their future careers. Central to the module is a career and networking event. This event will provide students with the opportunity to meet and speak with individuals working in organisations concerned with social justice, particularly individuals who have themselves overcome challenges relating to their gender, race, class, age, sexuality, religion etc. Front line staff such as police officers, probation officers, social workers; activists, campaign work, researchers to voluntary sector representatives will be involved. Alumni will also contribute to the event.

Year 2

Semester 1

• Gender, sexualities and society
  This module focuses on sociological understandings of the related concepts, gender and sexuality. It offers comprehensive theoretical overviews of gender and sexuality. It challenges the binary distinction of gender construction by exploring alternatives such as transgender and gender fluidity. The module explores the intersections of gender and sexuality with race, ethnicity, social class and geographic location and how they can reproduce inequalities. An in-depth approach to the study of gender and sexuality is provided by covering the following areas: masculinities, femininities, bodies and sexualities: homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality and their historical, cultural, social and political dimensions
• Social Research Methods 
  This module introduces students to key concepts, methods and techniques used in social research. Students learn how to evaluate the methodological choices of researchers and to conduct their own social research. Students are introduced to both qualitative methods in the first half and quantitative methods in the second half. Within each half the module focuses on evaluative criteria (e.g. ethics and measurement validity) for social research, data collection methods (e.g. qualitative interviews and surveys) and data analytic methods (e.g. grounded theory and statistical methods).
• Decolonisation and Legacies of the British Empire
  The contested legacies of the British empire shape both Britain and the spaces it formerly colonised. This module allows students to explore the social, cultural, political and economic impact of British imperialism across a range of geographies, as well as their interconnectedness past and present. Post-colonial theory will serve as a basis for understanding how the history of colonialism has shaped ideas about race and nation, and material realities in the colonies and the metropole. Students will consider the impact of empire on the colonised communities that lived through and with it, including the issues relating to religious and ethnic identities, the division of land and the establishment of new nations. Students will also consider how the experience of empire has shaped the politics of whiteness in the present.

Semester 2

• The Making of Modern Society: the dark and the light
  Modern societies see themselves as beacons of light and ‘goodness’. But is there darkness, danger and harm built in to being modern?  This is the fundamental question of this module. Along the way we will also ask: How did societies become modern? What does being modern mean? Have modern societies lived up to their own ideals of liberty, opportunity and respect for the individual?
• Working in the Social Sciences
  This module provides an opportunity for students to work in settings related to their studies and, more generally, gain meaningful workplace experience in which to apply their social scientific learning. It will also reinforce their studies through the application and integration of relevant workplace experience into the academic context. Voluntary and community sector organisations, charities, academic research and most political organisations are particularly suitable for work placements, although much can also be learned from placements in commercial settings. Students who do not secure a formal external placement will form groups to work on an applied project related to LSBUs 9 identified UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Optional modules

• Environmental Justice, Sustainability and Climate Crisis  
  This module addresses the social and political dimensions of ecology. It examines defining features of the concept of (environmental) sustainability, introducing various political perspectives. We will see how local and global environmental risks demand new forms of urban, national and international governmentality. The module will discuss how societies affect and are affected by changes in the natural environment. Finally, we will engage with how climate change impacts on our understanding of time, including how we imagine the end of the world. Throughout the module, we will research and look at the activities of organisations and movements involved in environmental sustainability.
• London: crime and social exclusion
  This module uses London as a case study for a discussion of the cultural, social, and spatial effects of crime and social exclusion. Using both historical and contemporary examples the course will discuss the following themes: poverty & crime, spatial stigma, race & policing, gender, sexuality & crime, security and urban design, the city at night, cultural representations of criminal London. Through these themes the course will explore how social difference and criminalisation interact to produce the city. Students will develop the capacity to relate debates surrounding crime and criminology to the spatial & social politics of urban space.
• Youth, crime and delinquency  
  This module provides an overview of the development of youth crime as a specific area of criminological inquiry and a distinct jurisdiction within the criminal justice system. The Module considers the development of ‘delinquency’ as a specific field of intervention and investigation. It gives particular attention to the evolution of youth justice policies and examines current literature in relation to the strengths and limitations of the contemporary youth justice system.

Year 3

Semester 1

• Research project
  This level six double module covers two semesters and consists of the research for and completion of an academic project with a 9000-word limit. Each student chooses a subject relevant to the study of Sociology or Criminology in which they wish to specialize, and then uses the skills and knowledge that they have accumulated and developed through modules studied at previous levels to undertake and complete the project. During the whole process, from choice of subject to final submission, each student will have the support and guidance of a supervisor allocated for this purpose.
• Sociology for the 21st century: from networks to artificial intelligence
  The world is changing. Huge advances in areas such as information technology, computing, communications, mobile devices, transport, and building techniques are changing the way we interact, do business, work, organise cities, and go about our daily lives. How do the theories that have dominated sociological thinking relate to and comprehend these changes? Do we need new theories? This module will look at the latest sociological theories that are trying to understand what these changes are, how they affect society, and how sociology itself might have to change.
• Black Political Thought and Activism 
  This module explores the Black political thought and the ways in which it has shaped different forms of activism over time. You’ll critically examine concepts relating to the construction of race including theories of ‘political blackness’, the ‘Black Atlantic’, ‘Pan-Africanism’, ‘intersectionality’ and ‘decolonisation’. You will explore key areas of political campaigning including antislavery, decolonisation, civil rights, education, criminal justice and Black Lives Matter. Films, documentaries, music and political speeches will be analysed. You’ll visit libraries and archives including the Black Cultural Archives.

Semester 2

• Research project  (continued)
• Politics and protest
  This module will examine forms of social and political conflict characteristic of contemporary western societies. The main focus will be on understanding social movements and forms of political contention in the changing social structure of these societies. Although it has a contemporary western focus the course will situate discussion also in the context of historical and comparative material on social movements. The emphasis throughout however will be on examining the ability of social and political theory to understand the nature of political identity and its expression in social movements.
• Race, Culture and Identity
  This module addresses the centrality of race and ethnicity (including whiteness) to social relations. It provides an analysis of race and ethnicity within a changing scholarship and within their historical, cultural, political and theoretical contexts. Theoretical understandings of the intersectionality of race, gender and sexuality will also be explored, highlighting their impact on all aspects of people’s lives. The complexities of analysing race, gender and sexuality are applied to representations in cultural forms, such as media and film. The module also demonstrates how the concepts covered have been influential in shaping public policy.

Career opportunities

A sociology degree gives you the freedom to choose any number of career paths, including, and media-related work, including journalism.
Our courses –prepare you for a range of careers in the media, education, local government, the civil service, research, public relations, advertising, management, marketing, teaching, social work, public administration, the voluntary sector and more.  Enhance your employability by taking part in our employability events and choosing a work placement module in Year 2.

Our graduates have forged exciting careers in research, public relations, teaching, advertising, retail, management and the civil service. Others have continued their studies with Master programmes.

Improving your employability

We’ll enhance your employability through our thriving volunteering project, where students can work for the police service, the prison service, legal advice, victim support, domestic violence and child abuse agencies, as well as for youth offending and youth mentoring schemes.

Recent graduates from this course have become Research Assistants, School Teachers, School Student Mentors, Charity Workers and Marketing Assistants.

Employability Service

At LSBU, we want to set you up for a successful career. During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you’ll have access to our Employability Service, which includes:

• An online board where you can see a wide range of placements: part-time, full-time or voluntary. You can also drop in to see our Job Shop advisers, who are always available to help you take the next step in your search.
• Our Careers Gym offering group workshops on CVs, interview techniques and finding work experience, as well as regular presentations from employers across a range of sectors.

Our Student Enterprise team can also help you start your own business and develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.

Study hours

Year 1 class contact time is typically 9 hours per week. In addition, you'll be expected to devote time to independent study and attend personal tutorials.

Brief assessment outline

All modules are assessed by a combination of coursework, essays, exams, presentations, reports, case-studies, reviews and final year dissertation. About 75-90% of your assessment will be coursework depending on your year of study and option choices.

Research active academics and Open Research Groups

You'll be taught by research active academics whose work is internationally recognised and informs the course curriculum. Recent work includes work on identity, race and gender, and an investigation of the British Aristocracy that has had national media attention: https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/aristocrat-uk-britain-families-double-wealth-empire-exclusive-study-498179

You'll be encouraged to attend and participate in the research seminars and events organized by various different research groups including;

• Race, gender and sexualities
• Space, place and society
• Crime and justice
• Critical autism/disability studies
• Sustainability: policy, practice and pedagogy
• Law and access to justice
• Education and social justice

Sociology staff are actively engaged in research and organise research events, conferences and seminars at LSBU and other universities throughout the year. There are several research groups regular research discussion, and occasionally larger events open to the public. Over the past two years we have welcomed Prof. Alex Vitale from New York as a visiting professor and held a public event with Prof. Alex Vitale and Gary Younge, editor-at-large for The Guardian newspaper.

Online learning resources

We also provide extensive virtual learning resources with access to core texts whenever you need it. You'll be assigned a personal tutor to help you settle in, and a wide range of support is available through LSBU's student services.

Personal Academic Tutoring

As an undergraduate Law and Social Science student, you will be allocated a named tutor during your first semester at LSBU.  The role of your tutor is to be your primary contact for academic and professional development support.

Your tutor will support you to get the most of your time at LSBU, providing advice and signposting to other sources of support in the University. They should be the first person at the university that you speak to if you are having any difficulties that are affecting your work. These could be academic, financial, health-related or another type of problem.

You will have appointments with your personal academic tutor at least three times a year for 15 minutes throughout your course.  You can contact your tutor for additional support by email or sign up for an appointment slots advertised outside your tutor's office.

• A Level BCC or:
• BTEC National Diploma MMM or:
• Access to HE qualifications with 9 Distinctions and 36 Merits or:
• Equivalent Level 3 qualifications worth 106 UCAS points
• Applicants must hold 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English, or equivalent (reformed GCSEs grade 4 or above).

We welcome qualifications from around the world. English language qualifications for international students: IELTS score of 6.0 or Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced Grade C.

For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for undergraduate students.

Please check your fee status and whether you are considered a Home, EU or International student for fee-paying purposes and for our regulatory returns, by reading the UKCISA regulations.

See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 391 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 775 KB).

Possible fee changes

The University reserves the right to increase its fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions.

The fees for international students are reviewed annually and the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fees in line with the RPIX measure of inflation up to 4 per cent.

Scholarships

We offer several types of fee reduction through our scholarships and bursaries. Find the full list and other useful information on our scholarships page.

The individual fee for this course is shown above. For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for postgraduate students.

See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 391 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 775 KB).

We have a range of PhD Scholarships available in partnership with businesses and organisations; read notices of PhD studentships.