This unit is an introduction to the discipline, with a specific focus on using sociology to reflect on everyday life. Through the analysis of substantive social issues and institutions the unit explores the role of a sociological perspective in moving beyond 'common sense' and taken-for-granted understandings of society. Broad topics covered include: the nature of sociological knowledge; experiencing everyday life through gender, family and the body; the relationship between conformity, deviance and social control; and the role of social class and the mass media in shaping how we interpret and understand the world. -- Course Website
Instructor: Dr Harry Ballis