SC203-5-FY-CO:
Researching Social Life II
2021/22
Sociology and Criminology
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 07 October 2021
Friday 01 July 2022
30
07 October 2021
Requisites for this module
SC101
(none)
(none)
SC208
SC385, SC830, SC831
BA M900 Criminology,
BA M901 Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA M903 Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA M904 Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L3C8 Criminology with Social Psychology,
BA L3H8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA LHC8 Criminology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LP33 Media and Digital Culture,
BA LP34 Media and Digital Culture (including Placement Year),
BA P300 Media and Digital Culture (Including Foundation Year),
BA PL33 Media and Digital Culture (including Year Abroad),
BA CL83 Sociology with Social Psychology,
BA CL93 Sociology with Social Psychology (Including Placement Year),
BA CLV3 Sociology with Social Psychology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L300 Sociology,
BA L301 Sociology (Including Year Abroad),
BA L304 Sociology (Including Foundation Year),
BA L306 Sociology (Including Placement Year),
BA LM38 Sociology and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA LM39 Sociology and Criminology,
BA LMH9 Sociology and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LMHX Sociology and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA L3J9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA L3M9 Sociology with Human Rights,
BA LMJ9 Sociology with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA LCJ8 Sociology with Psychosocial Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA LJ8C Sociology with Psychosocial Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA LJC8 Sociology with Psychosocial Studies,
BA L333 Criminology with Counselling Skills,
BA L334 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Year Abroad),
BA L335 Criminology with Counselling Skills (Including Placement Year),
BA LM11 Criminology with Criminal Law,
BA LM12 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA LM13 Criminology with Criminal Law (Including Placement Year),
BA L332 Sociology with Counselling Skills
This module exposes students to the methods and principles required to design and critically evaluate empirical sociological research.
This module introduces you to some of the methods commonly used in sociological research for the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. In classes you will also be encouraged to think about and discuss the issues introduced in the lectures. In the lab sessions you will learn some practical skills in statistical data analysis.
In the process of taking this module, you will develop skills that are transferable to your undergraduate project, the labour market, or postgraduate work, when you complete your undergraduate studies. You will also appreciate more how sociologists go about applying their skills and knowledge to the empirical and theoretical investigation of issues they study. Chiefly, upon successful completion of the module, you will have developed skills in:
• Understanding the principles underlying quantitative and qualitative approaches to sociology
• Locating and analysing secondary data and collecting qualitative data.
• Deriving and operationalising research hypotheses and questions using statistics and qualitative data
• Appreciating ethical issues affecting research in general, and potentially affecting your own research
• Analysing qualitative data in a systematic and transparent way
• Analysing quantitative data and use of computer software packages
Please click on the link below to view the Introduction video to SC203 Researching Social Life II
https://moodle.essex.ac.uk/mod/page/view.php?id=820671
Teaching approach
As there are still restrictions related to COVID-19 in place, some of the teaching on most modules will take place online. Most modules in Sociology are divided into lectures of around 50 minutes and a class of around 50 minutes. Some are taught as a 2hr seminar, and others via a 50-minute lecture and 2-hr lab. For the majority of modules the lecture-type content will be delivered online – either timetabled as a live online session or available on Moodle in the form of pre-recorded videos. You will be expected to watch this material and engage with any suggested activities before your class each week. Most classes labs and seminars will be taught face-to-face (assuming social distancing allows this).
Please note that you should be spending up to eight hours per week undertaking your own private study (reading, preparing for classes or assignments, etc.) on each of your modules (e.g. 32 hours in total for four 30-credit modules).
This module [SC203-5-FY] will be taught via a combination of pre-recorded lectures and 2-hour face-to-face labs (Autumn), and live lectures and face-to-face classes (Spring). Please do spend some time familiarising yourself with the Moodle page as there are lots of activities and resources available here to support your learning on this module. You will find the online quizzes on Moodle.
This module will include a range of activities to help you and your teachers to check your understanding and progress. These are: quizzes, individual and group exercises, computer exercises, data analysis reports and a research proposal.
The lecture videos provide an overview of the topic of the week, while the classes and labs will give you the opportunity to reflect on your learning and actively engage with your peers to develop your understanding further. Computer lab sessions where you will use Nvivo and SPSS to analyse data will enable you to do your own research, preparing for your final year project. The weekly classes or labs will take place face-to-face (should this be deemed safe). You are required to attend the classes as they provide an opportunity to talk with your class teacher and other students. The classes and labs will be recorded and available for you via Listen Again. However, if you want to gain the most you can from the labs and classes it is very important that you attend and engage. Please note that the recording of classes is at the discretion of the teacher.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Moodle quiz week 4 |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Moodle Quiz - week 20 |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Moodle Quiz - week 24 |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Moodle Quiz - Week 10 |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Qualitative analysis report |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Quantitative analysis report |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Research topic summary |
|
5% |
| Coursework |
Qualitative Research Report |
|
35% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Nick Allum, email: nallum@essex.ac.uk.
Prof Roisin Ryan-Flood, email: rflood@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Katy Wheeler, email: katy.wheeler@essex.ac.uk.
Professor Nick Allum, Dr Roisin Ryan-Flood, Dr Katy Wheeler
Jane Harper, Student Administrator, Telephone: 01206 873052
E-mail: socugrad@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
Dr Aneira Edmunds
School of Law, Politics & Sociology
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 179 hours, 70 (39.1%) hours available to students:
109 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
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