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Introducing Social Psychology - SOC00004C

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  • Department: Sociology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. James Cummings
  • Credit value: 30 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23

Module aims

To introduce the discipline of social psychology, identify the different perspectives within social psychology, and consider how these perspectives conceptualise the relationship between the individual and society.

This module will introduce you to the discipline of social psychology and how it helps us to make sense of the social world. In the first term you will be presented with a distinctively sociological social psychology (SSP). SSP draws from sociology and philosophy and examines the social, historical, and cultural context of behaviour and observes people in their own social worlds. You will be introduced to approaches which have redefined contemporary social psychology; social constructionism, ethnomethodology, and symbolic interactionism, and start to think critically about different ways of understanding the relationship between the individual and society. In the second term, we will examine the more traditional psychological social psychology, which tends to use experiments and observes people in laboratory settings in order to establish laws about human behaviour. We will encourage you to think critically about approaches to studying human social conduct.

Module learning outcomes

This module will enable students to:

  • Understand sociological and social psychological theory and methods;
  • Call upon sociological and social psychological approaches, methods and concepts to deal with and understand events and occurrences
  • Place and understand social phenomena in a wider social context.
  • Appreciate the foundations and contemporary debates in the disciplines of sociology and social psychology.
  • Synthesise various literature so as to construct coherent arguments

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Assessment 1 - 1000 Word Essay/Exercise		 N/A 20
Essay/coursework
Assessment 2 - 1500 Word Essay/Exercise		 N/A 30
Essay/coursework
Assessment 3 - Introducing Social Psychology		 N/A 50

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

This module will be assessed via a two hour examination. The questions for the exam will be made available to students via the VLE two weeks in advance of the examination date, but the examination itself will be taken under 'closed' conditions - that is, no source materials will be available to students inside the examination room.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Introducing Social Psychology		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Complete feedback will be provided by the first week of the term following the teaching of the module. It will usually consist of four main components:

1. SEMINARS: Your tutors will complete a report for each module giving her/his judgment and comments about your performance and progress during the term in relation to various indicators and skills/abilities. The aim is to encourage students to improve their study skills, to build confidence in their intellectual abilities and their capacity to express participate constructively in group discussion. You will be shown the report forms for the previous term s modules at supervision meetings at the beginning of each term. For this reason, it is vital that you attend these meetings.

2. MODULE MARKS: You will receive these from the Departmental Office. They will be based on your essay and will enable you to judge the relative standard of your work since the same marking scheme is applied to summative Finals Assessment.

3. ESSAY COMMENT FORM: Your tutor will fill this out in detail, commenting on your essay's style, organisation and structure in line with the Department's published marking criteria. Together with your mark, these detailed comments should enable you to judge your performance according to the learning outcomes specified by the Department for each module. You should take these forms with you to your meetings with your supervisor in order that s/he can provide you with overall feedback on your termly performance.

4. EXAMINATIONS: When you meet with your supervisor in Week 1 of Term 4, s/he can arrange to have your examination scripts available from Term 3. You will have the opportunity to receive verbal feedback on your performance from your supervisor, together with the breakdown of your achievement in each component of the examination. You will need to let your supervisor know in advance if you wish to do this.

Indicative reading

Some Indicative Reading

  • Franzoi, S.L. (2009) Social psychology. London: McGraw-Hill.
  • Goffman, E. (1969). The presentation of self in everyday life. London: Allen Lane Hewitt, J.P. (2010) Self and society: A symbolic interactionist social psychology. London: Pearson.
  • Hollway, W., Lucey, H., & Phoenix, A. (2007) Social Psychology Matters. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
  • Rohall, D.E. Milkie, M.A., and Lucas, J.W. (2011) Social psychology: Sociological perspectives. London: Pearson.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.