Module SOCI2241: CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES

Department: Sociology

SOCI2241: CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To critically examine the position of children, young people and families in contemporary societies, particularly the UK.
• To introduce level two students to the diverse ways in which sociological and social scientific research on children, young people and families has been applied within related policy and practice fields.

Content

• The module will address the following areas:
• Conceptualising childhood, youth and families: this part of the module provides an overview of key conceptual resources used to study children (and ‘childhood’), young people (and ‘youth’) and families. The focus will be on sociological approaches, although the teaching team will also make reference to other social science disciplines.
• Controversies and critical issues: this part of the module will present a series of lectures on areas of current debate. These lectures will be directly based on research currently taking place in the School of Applied Social Sciences. Possible topics include: childhood violence, child abuse, youth crime and justice or children, families and disability.
• Working with children, young people and families: this part of the module explores the policy and practice consequences of the research perspectives introduced in previous weeks. Students will also be introduced to some of the ways in which adults have attempted to engage and include children and young people within different practice and research settings.

Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this module, students will:
• Have knowledge of the range of conceptual approaches used by sociologists and other social scientists to study children (and ‘childhood’), young people (and ‘youth’) and families.
• Be familiar with specific theoretical and empirical studies in sociology and cognate disciplines that have had a central concern with these issues.
• Be able to apply different conceptual approaches to understand the position of children, young people and families in contemporary societies, particularly the UK, including the ways social life is structured (e.g. by age, class, ‘race’, gender, sexuality, etc.) and experienced day-to-day by children, young people and their parents/carers.
• Be able to apply different conceptual approaches to understand and evaluate how some aspects of social life become constituted as policy and practice issues.
• Be able to reflect upon the policy and practice consequences of the research introduced in the module, and recognise how sociological and social scientific research on children, young people and families has shaped existing policy and practice responses.
• Be aware of some current areas of contestation within approaches to working with children, young people and families, and be able to articulate the contribution of sociological and social scientific research to these debates.

• By the end of the module students will be able to:
• Critically evaluate sociological and social scientific arguments and evidence.
• Critically evaluate policy and practice responses.
• Demonstrate understanding of the inter-relationship between sociological and social scientific knowledge, social policy and social care practice.
• Undertake and present work in a scholarly manner and in a variety of formats.
• Convey in writing and visually the meaning of abstract theoretical concepts in ways that are understandable to others.
• Apply theoretical and empirical knowledge to a popular culture example.

• By the end of the module students will be able to:
• Demonstrate a range of communication skills including the ability to: construct informed questions; evaluate and synthesise information obtained from a variety of sources; construct coherent written arguments; and communicate relevant information visually as well as in writing.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of IT resources, including the ability to: word-process; use web-based resources (DUO); and undertake library searches for recommended and additional materials.
• Demonstrate a capacity to improve own learning and performance, including the ability to: manage time effectively; work to prescribed deadlines; and engage in self-directed and taught forms of learning.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures: introduce the main issues to be considered. They encourage students to develop skills in listening and selective note-taking. The module will introduce students to a number of different lecturers, which will help students gain an appreciation of the different ways in which material can be organised and presented.
• Seminars: provide an opportunity for students to discuss module themes in a small group setting. Students will be supported in identifying and understanding abstract theoretical concepts, and will be encouraged to apply these abstract theoretical concepts to specific topics, issues and debates. Seminars help develop a number of transferable skills, such as oral communication, group work, the ability to evaluate evidence and make reasoned arguments, as well as the subject-specific skills mentioned above. In-class exercises and discussion also provide students with feedback on their understanding and progress at regular points during the academic year.
• Self-directed study: constitutes an important mode of learning on the module. It develops many of the subject-specific and key skills indicated above (e.g. the ability to undertake and present work in a scholarly manner, the ability to improve one’s own learning and performance, etc.). Students will have access to one-to-one support during staff office hours to help ensure that self-directed study time is used as effectively as possible.
• A formative assignment: requires students to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of module topics and prepares students for the summative assignment. It will develop key communication and library skills, as well as subject-specific skills relating to policy analysis and the critical assessment of evidence. Feedback will enable students to improve their future performance in the module by identifying strengths, weaknesses and areas to improve.
• A summative essay: will enable students to demonstrate an understanding of the inter-relationship between social scientific knowledge, social policy and social care practice by applying conceptual resources introduced in the module to the analysis of a set question with policy and practice relevance. Feedback will enable students to reflect upon their learning and improve their future performance in the programme.
• A summative presentation: will enable students to demonstrate an understanding of the inter-relationship between social scientific knowledge, social policy and social care by focusing on a key issue or example. This also provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate key communication and presentation skills. Depending on module numbers, presentations will be undertaken either individually or in a small group.
• Workshop time will be made available to ensure that students understand and can learn from feedback on their formative and summative assignments.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One optional assignment (up to 1500 words).

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University