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FHEQ level

This course is set at Level 6 in the national Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

Course Aims

The Politics and Sociology joint programme aims to:
1. Enable students to understand the importance of Politics and Sociology in the contemporary world.
2. Ensure that students acquire knowledge and understanding in appropriate areas of theory and analysis.
3. Enable students to understand and use the concepts, approaches and methods of the disciplines and develop an understanding of the contested nature and problematic character of inquiry in the disciplines.
4. Provide students with the opportunity to combine the insights and methods of the two disciplines.
5. Develop students' capacities to critically analyse events, ideas, institutions and practices.
6. Provide students with opportunities to develop their intellectual, personal and interpersonal skills so as to enable them to participate meaningfully in their societies.
7. Provide a curriculum supported by scholarship, staff development and a research culture that promotes breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate.
8. Provide students with a supportive and receptive learning environment.

Course learning outcomes

Identify and describe and illustrate key approaches to the study of politics and understand the contested nature of knowledge and understanding

Identify and understand the key normative ideas and concepts which serve as the foundations of politics

Describe and illustrate the structure and operation of different political systems

Describe and illustrate the key explanatory concepts and theories used in the study of politics

Develop a familiarity with major methods of data collection in politics and sociology, and their appropriate uses

Develop a knowledge of British politics and the key concepts and approaches used to explain British politics

Critically evaluate the nature of political change in a political system or with regard to a political issue

Ability to understand and critique political philosophical arguments made by political theorists

An ability to compare different political systems in order to develop a general understanding of the functioning of politics

Plan and carry out a research project relating to a political topic which sustains a line of argument and draws on a body of academic literature

Describe and illustrate the major sociological concepts and theories, and their applicability

Develop a knowledge of different societies, and understanding of what may be learned by comparing them

Make simple analyses of qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate methods

Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of key topics and debates in a number of specialised areas of sociology

Show the ability to formulate a research question and plan how to answer it

Reflect on the relationship between sociological theory/concepts and data

Assess the strengths and weaknesses of empirical material as evidence for conclusions in specific cases

Collate a range of appropriate sources and structure material from them to answer a question

Identify and and explain general issues in concrete cases

Select and use appropriate research methods (including questionnaires, interviews, observation and content analysis)

Conduct a literature search and produce a correctly formatted bibliography

Manage their time in long-term work programmes

Analyse the ethical implications of social research in a variety of settings

Communicate research findings to an academic audience, both in writing and in oral presentations

Identify and select sociological work relevant to given social, public and civic issues or professional practices

Critically evaluate competing explanations and sociology theories in a range of contexts

Full-time course composition

Course convenors

Aleks Szczerbiak
Professor of Politics
Poland, Euroscepticism, political parties, religion

About your joint honours course

Sussex has always promoted interdisciplinary study by encouraging students to combine different subjects and different approaches to learning. Joint-honours courses are an ideal option if you want to study more than one subject in depth. A key idea behind joint-honours is to experience the range of ways that different academic disciplines use to teach, learn and research. Those differences are stimulating and challenging, but they can also be confusing, so you will find some useful information below to help you get the most out of your course.

• To find information about the individual modules that make up your course, go to the school that teaches the module. Each module is assessed by the school that teaches it, so on their website you will find (under “student information”) information about the assessment criteria being used, the referencing style you need to use for your work, contact times for your tutors, information about the student reps scheme and lots of other useful information.
• To find general information about joint honours, use the Frequently Asked Questions list
• For information about the rules and regulations that govern all Sussex students, start with the general student handbook
• For help in improving your study skills, using the library and with careers, try the Skills Hub.

And if you have any other questions, contact the convenors for your course; they are here to help you.

Useful links

• Frequently asked questions
• General student handbook
• Skills Hub