Course Catalogue

View Specification Document | Reading List

This course aims to give you an overview of the state of the 'sociology of class' today. It will explore the continued relevance of class in present conjuncture, examining the role of class in the context of deindustrialisation, individualisation, neoliberalism and austerity. It will evaluate the prevailing descriptive and analytical approaches to class and examine the value in approaching class through an everyday lens to evaluate how we might develop more expansive notions of class. The first half of the course will explore foundational  and contemporary studies of class. The second half of the course examines how class manifests in our everyday lives through such things as our relationships, job, music, sports, where we live etc. It invites students to evaluate the everyday as a key analytical lens for reading class by inviting you to apply it to everyday topics and aspects of your own everyday life. We will address questions such as: how might we understand how class is negotiated and resisted in the everyday? How is class made and remade? Which forces shape the formation of the working-class subject? How might we incorporate the study of resistance, collectivity and solidarity to the study of class? How might we develop more expansive notions of class which acknowledges social reproduction and is multi-ethnic? What is the role of the sociology of class in class politics? Can the sociology of class have radical potential? 

Semester 2

Mandatory Entry Requirements

In order to take this course you need to have met the requirements for entry into our Honours Programme. Basically, this means achieving a grade of 'D' or better in Sociology 1A and 1B and a 'C' or better in Sociology 2A and 2B. You also have to comply with the College of Social Science regulations for progression to Honours.

None

None

Two summative assessments:

One 3,000 word essay

A weekly 'blog' diary critically reflecting on class in everyday life  (this would be for 5 weeks)

• to examine classic and contemporary theories of class

• to enhance knowledge of the contemporary debates and research on class inequalities

• to critically analyse key areas of class research and everyday life

• to evaluate empirical research and evidence of class within everyday social life

• to develop a complex, critical perspective on the processes which shape class today

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Demonstrate an understanding of the key sociological theories and concepts of class and evaluate their relative strengths and weaknesses

■ Critically assess the various ways in which scholars claims to be able to analyse and describe class 

■ Assess the continued relevance of the role of class analysis within social theory and social life

■ Critically analyse how class impact individuals' lived experience and manifests in everyday life

■ Apply class as a critical lens to explore various aspects of social life and investigate its empirical manifestations