Spiritual Realities - SOC00055H
Module summary
This module challenges the cultural narrative of a ‘disenchanted’ modernity by examining how and why people believe in and relate to different kinds of ‘spiritual realities’.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2025-26 |
Module aims
Did European modernity lead to the loss of belief in spirits, gods, ghosts, myths, and magic? This module challenges the cultural narrative of a ‘disenchanted’ modernity by examining how and why people believe in and relate to different kinds of ‘spiritual realities’. You will examine how widespread such beliefs and experiences are across different global contexts and be introduced to substantive and methodological issues in the social scientific study of spiritual experiences and entities. We will examine how spirits, gods, and other spiritual entities become ‘real’ to people, and consider some of the consequences of these phenomena in shaping individuals’ life experiences, and their wider social and cultural impacts.
Module learning outcomes
Demonstrate an understanding of the range, incidence, and characteristics of spiritual and paranormal experiences;
Evaluate social science approaches and methods to the study of spiritual and anomalous experiences;
Apply social science theories and methods in order to understand and analyse examples of spiritual and paranormal experiences.
Find, evaluate and draw on a range of different information sources to complete assessment tasks.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
For formative work, students will receive feedback on how to improve their skills in areas that will contribute towards their summative assessment. This formative work provides practice for the summative assignment, which entails a 3000 word essay, which is in line with the MLOs.
For summative work - essay - students will receive an overall mark and grading according to clearly defined criteria for assessing their knowledge, skills and abilities in line with MLO 1-4. They will also receive written feedback showing areas in which they have done well, and those areas in which they need to improve that will contribute to their progress.
Indicative reading
Wooffitt, R. (2006) The Language of Mediums and Psychics: the Social Organisation of Everyday Miracles. Aldershot: Ashgate.