Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of society: how it is structured, how it changes, how it produces inequality, and how culture, institutions and social relationships shape the possibilities available to individuals and groups. It examines the patterns that emerge when people interact within particular historical, economic and cultural contexts, and it asks why some groups consistently do better than others, how power operates, how social norms are constructed and enforced, and what holds societies together or drives them apart. It is a discipline that develops both analytical rigour and a critical awareness of the social world.
At the University of Gloucestershire you will study sociology over three years of full-time study, developing knowledge of the major theoretical traditions in the discipline, from classical sociologists to contemporary frameworks, alongside the empirical research methods that sociologists use to study the social world. You will examine topics such as class, race, gender, globalisation, deviance, culture, media and the sociology of everyday life, developing the conceptual vocabulary and analytical skills to understand social phenomena at multiple levels of analysis. The typical tariff of 104 reflects a programme that is accessible to students with genuine curiosity about society and the intellectual commitment to analyse it carefully.
Sociology graduates work across a very wide range of sectors. Social research, the civil service, local government, social work, education, journalism, the voluntary and community sector, human resources, marketing research and public policy are all significant destinations. The analytical and communication skills developed through sociological study are genuinely transferable, and the ability to understand social contexts, analyse evidence and communicate findings clearly is valued across virtually every professional environment.
Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in sociology, social policy, social work, criminology, education or related social science fields.