IF0IS: Introduction to Sociology

Module code: IF0IS

Module provider: Global Academy

Credits: 20

Level: F

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Dawn Clarke, email: d.clarke@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE IF0GP (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2026/7

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 29 July 2026

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to introduce students to the idea of sociology as a social science and how it might differ from psychology and biology. Students will be introduced to a number of important sociological perspectives such as Structuralism, Interpretivism, Postmodernism and Feminism and shown how sociologists collect their data by looking at qualitative and quantitative research methods and the factors that influence the choice of research topic and method. 

The module will also look at key concepts such as social order and social change, explain the nature of social conflict and what constitutes a social group and show students how we apply these to a number of important sociological topics such as culture, identity, family, social differentiation, mass media, crime and deviance and health.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Identify common themes within sociology such as social stability and social change, social class, gender and ethnicity, structure and action, conflict and consensus, the nature of a social group. 
2. Critically appraise sociological theories including Functionalism, Marxism, Symbolic Interactionism and Postmodernism. 
3. Have an in-depth knowledge of key topics such as Culture, Identity, Family, Mass Media, Crime and Deviance and Social Differentiation.
4. Demonstrate the skills of evaluation, analysis and synthesis and apply these to classroom exercises  and written and group assignments.   

Additional Outcomes: 

1. Critically understand historical and contemporary social problems; 
2. Apply sociological thinking to aspects of social life. 

Module content

This module is designed to introduce students to the different ways that sociologists think about the social world and the research strategies that they have developed in order to investigate social issues, social problems and social behaviour. They will be shown how to apply this knowledge to selected sociological topics such as culture, identity, family, media, crime and deviance and social differentiation. 

The module will introduce students to a range of research methods which will be learned by way of practical classes, and these will include questionnaires, interviews, observation techniques and experiments. 

Students will learn about key sociological perspectives such as Functionalism, Marxism, Symbolic Interactionism, Ethnomethodology and Postmodernism and they will be shown the links between Positivism and the scientific method and Interpretivism and qualitative research. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will involve two-hour weekly lecture classes which will form interactive classrooms where the content material is taught. There will also be 2 x 2-hour weekly practical classrooms where students will develop their knowledge of the taught material in practical workshops, group work, set tasks, Kahoot, etc. Films and other media material will be used as teaching methods and students will be encouraged to search for material themselves. AI exercises will also be used to support learning. 

The classes will look in detail at the topics on the module, exploring the ideas in the course textbook, and sources elsewhere. Students will learn to understand the nature of sociological concepts, social groups, social change and social problems through analysis of core materials and through practical group exercises and discussion. 

There will be a dedicated week for students to work on the planning of the group assignment, and there will be in-person and online surgery sessions which will allow students to get extra support and feedback from their tutor. 

Study hours

At least 66 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each calendar day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three calendar days;
• where the piece of work is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in you Individual Learning Plan), the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three calendar days of the deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three calendar days after the original deadline (or a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment indicated in your Individual Learning Plan): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

Where a piece of work is submitted late after a deadline which has been revised owing to an extension granted through the Assessment Adjustments policy and process (self-certified or otherwise), it will be subject to the maximum penalty (i.e., considered to be more than three calendar days late). This will also apply when such an extension is used in conjunction with a DAS-agreed extension as a reasonable adjustment.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Whole-class and individual feedback will be given during drafting stages.

Reassessment

Additional costs