Overview

This programme at the University of Leeds examines the connections between individuals and the wider society they inhabit, exploring the social, cultural, economic, and political processes that shape identities, inequalities, and policy. Students bridge big ideas with practical problems, using classical, contemporary, and emerging sociological thought to make sense of pressing issues facing the world today.

What You'll Learn

• Foundational sociological concepts, debates, and the methods and techniques of social research

• How modern societies formed and developed over time

• Key sociological thinkers and traditions, alongside ideas of social integration, power, and social change

• Contemporary social issues such as crime, disability, family, gender, racism, and climate change

• Social inequalities and struggles over power and protest

• Optional specialist areas ranging from decolonial theory and gender studies to the climate crisis and culture

• Independent research culminating in a substantial dissertation

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to think sociologically, applying classical and contemporary theory to question everyday assumptions about social life. They will be able to critically analyse social inequalities and the processes of power, resistance, and change that shape societies. Students will also be equipped with practical research skills, including the ability to design and carry out an independent piece of sociological research on a topic of their own choosing.