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BSc Sociology

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Introduction

In today’s world there are many unanswered questions to societal problems. Sociology is about understanding the “big picture”. Sociology integrates the findings of economics, political science, psychology and history. There is nothing in the world that goes on that Sociology cannot address, be it the crisis of capitalism, social network analysis, integration of sociology with the biological sciences, communication networks, economic crisis and globalization to name a few. Sociology as a scientific discipline can help to provide solutions to many of these issues through scientific research. Students will develop strong research skills using the scientific method, while receiving an appreciation for the wider context within which social enquiry occurs.

About the Programme
The Bachelor of Science in Sociology is geared towards preparing participants to develop a comprehensive understanding of research skills in conducting sociological inquiry while appreciating the functional usefulness of sociological perspectives in contextualizing the social issues surrounding human social existence and institutional relations. This programme will be suitable to those persons pursuing professional degrees in areas of law, business, education, health and medicine, social work and counselling.

Who is this programme for?

The programme targets persons who are engaged in social research, persons who are currently working in any of the numerous areas of the social sciences within governments, non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, businesses or health related organisations and recent school leavers with an interest in the field.

 

Programme Structure

Duration of Programme

The programme will be offered over 3 years (full-time) and 5 years (part-time).

Award of Degree
In order to be awarded the BSc Sociology degree, students must successfully complete the 90 credits as specified in the programme structure.

Delivery Mode

All courses will be delivered fully online. However, some courses may have face-to-face final examinations.

 

When will the programme start?

August and January of each academic year.

 

Entry Requirements

Applicants must meet the University’s normal matriculation requirements in order to be accepted into the programme.  They must satisfy the requirements in either (a), (b), (c) or (d) below:
 

(a) Holders with CXC/CSEC and CAPE/GCE A Level qualifications having:

An acceptable pass in CXC/CSEC English A or CAPE Communications Studies; AND
An acceptable pass in CXC/CSEC Mathematics or its equivalent; AND
One of the following minimum qualifications:

either five subjects (at least two GCE A Level or CAPE) and the remainder acceptable passes in CXC/CSEC or GCE O’ Level; OR
 four subjects (at least three GCE A Level or CAPE) and the fourth an acceptable pass in the CXC/CSEC or GCE O’ Level

 Note: Grade requirements for CXC/CSEC subjects are General Proficiency - Grades I or II prior to June 1998 and Grades I, II, or III from June 1998       
  (b)  Holders of five (5) CXC/CSEC or GCE O’ Level passes or equivalent, not necessarily obtained at the same sitting      
  (c) Entrants with a Diploma, Certificate or Associate Degree from UWI or an approved Caribbean tertiary level institution    
  (d) Persons over the age of 21 who have been out of school for at least five years, on the basis of their overall academic and professional attainments

 

English Language Proficiency Examination

The English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is used to assess whether persons applying to pursue

undergraduate degree programmes at the UWI Open Campus possess a satisfactory level of writing

and reading proficiency in English for university academic purposes. For detailed information on the

ELPT, see English Language Proficiency Test.

 

Academic Preparation

Introduction to the Learning Exchange

Programme Delivery Department (PDD) Orientation

IYMS1001 Improving your Math Skills (if applicable)

ECON0001 Remedial Mathematics (if applicable)

 

Course of Study
Level 1 
PSYC1001
Introduction to Psychology

Assessment:

Coursework - 25%

Final Exam -75% (face-to-face)

SOCI1004
Logic of Social Inquiry

This course addresses those general philosophical questions which form a necessary grounding to the understanding of these techniques and procedures which follow. It will not be dealing with those methodological issues featured in faculty introductory courses. Some of the topics include: epistemological issues and theories of knowledge, Weberian and other perspectives, causality and association, social sciences as a science, induction and deduction, the distinction between a social problem and what is socially problematic.

ECON1010
Mathematical Thinking and Introductory Statistics

Assessment:

Coursework - 60%, Final Exam - 40% (face-to-face)

 

Political Science students are asked to take this course in semester 2.

The  summer offering will depend on the students’ registration number.

GOVT1000
Introduction to Political Institutions and Analysis
YDEW1000
Youth Development Work: Introduction to Theory and Practice

This is the first of three core YDEW courses which focus specifically on developing effective and reflective practitioners. It is followed by YDEW2000 in Year 2 and YDEW3000 in Year 3. This course introduces students to the foundations of the profession by exploring the theoretical principles which underpin the concept of youth and youth development work through an exploration of the history of youth development work with special reference to the evolution of practice in the Caribbean. The course will examine definitions and labels attributed to youth including child, youth, juvenile, adolescent and young person and will highlight issues affecting special categories of youth. By engaging in study on the contemporary status of Caribbean YDW, students will understand the significance of professionalisation and competencies, the roles and responsibilities of the youth worker, the dynamics of working with youth individually and in groups, special ethical issues and current institutional values and organisational structures for YDW in the Caribbean. It will introduce students to the rights-based approach to youth development.  Students will begin a Learning and Professional Development Journal outlining their professional goals and objectives, which they will use and update as they progress through their programme.

 

Competencies:

YDWCYP0343: Promote equality of opportunity, participation and responsibility

YDWCYP0493: Work as an effective and reflective practitioner

SOWK1001
Introduction to Social Work

Exempted if completed ASc. In Social Work

ECON1000
Principles of Economics

This course introduces students to the basic tools and concepts of economics. Students will be exposed to the core principles of economics: the role of incentives; the idea of scarcity; how to measure the cost of a choice; what is a market; and the purpose of prices. Students will be introduced to the toolkit of methods used by economists. At the end of this course students should be able to engage the core principles of the methodology of economics in everyday use.

FOUN1101
Caribbean Civilisation

This course is designed to develop an awareness of the main process of cultural development in Caribbean societies, highlighting the factors, the problematic and the creative output that have fed the emergence of Caribbean identities. It also develops a perception of the Caribbean as wider than island nations or linguistic blocs and stimulates students’ interest in, and commitment to Caribbean civilization and to further their self-determination.

 

Credits: 
3
SOCI1002
Introduction to Sociology

This course will introduce students to classical social theory through an understanding of the work of writers such as Auguste Comte, Max Weber, Karl Marx and George H. Mead. The main focus of this studying is to understand the central ideas of these writers and to reflect on the usefulness of their theory in contemporary Caribbean societies. This reflection will support students’ further investigations of the explanations given for issues on the front line of Caribbean societies’ development agendas. At the same time, students will learn about the central ideas and perspectives of writers such as Edward Kamau Brathwaite, M.G. Smith and George Beckford. The combination of classical and Caribbean schools of social inquiry will set the tone for a synthesizing of perspectives on race, class, gender, ethnicity and the family in society. This process will assist students with developing their theoretical base in social theory, as well as independent thought on happenings in Caribbean society.

Credits: 
3
FOUN1001
English for Academic Purposes
FOUN1501
Foundations for Learning Success
Credits: 
3
Level 2 
SOCI2032
Population Studies

This course is a general introduction to the fundamental principles of population studies (demography). The major focus of the course will be on population growth, trends and its distribution. Interrelations between demographic, social, cultural, and economic factors will be examined. The hallmark of population studies includes the study of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration (geographic mobility).

Credits: 
3
SOCI2006
Qualitative Research Methods

In this course, students will learn a variety of qualitative research methods to investigate the social world and to comprehensively understand the use of qualitative methods in sociological research. Through the exploration of the topics covered in the course, students will be introduced Academic to the various tools that scientists use to conduct research within a given society to produce knowledge. They will explore theoretical meaning and underlying principles of qualitative inquiry in sociological research. The course will address several of the basic issues of the qualitative research process, ethical dilemmas and procedures for collecting and analyzing data. The definitive goal is to provide students with practical research experiences that will allow them to critically examine the process and methods of qualitative research in their social world.

Credits: 
3
SOCI2000
Classical Social Theory

This course critically examines the theoretical perspectives of 19th and early 20th century pioneers of sociology like Comte, Spencer, Durkheim, Du Bois, Marx, Weber, Martineau and
Addams. The main focus is an understanding of the transition from traditional to modern society and its attendant challenges such as class, race and gender inequality. Theorists’ works would be analysed within their own specific social and historical context as they addressed the central concerns of social order and change. Specifically, the course provides an understanding of past and contemporary social issues as well as the roots of social scientific thinking and the basis for theory building. It will examine the philosophical (ontological, methodological, epistemological) bases of sociological theories. During the course concepts, related to theory building, like axiom, tautology and taxonomy will be defined.

Credits: 
3
SOCI2001
Modern Social Theory

This course aims to give students an introduction to contemporary trends in sociological theory. At its core, the course examines a range of theoretical debates that have acquired international prominence in recent years. Sociological theory unavoidably has to be approached from an international perspective. This is due to, on the one hand, the universalising claims inherent in many contemporary theoretical approaches and, on the other hand, the proliferation of sociology, sociologists, and sociology departments throughout the world. At the same time, however, questions remain as to the scope of relevance of internationally dominant theories that emanate from leading sociology departments and publishing houses in Western Europe and North America. The present course addresses this tension by introducing students to a broad range of contemporary theories and interrogating their importance to social research in the Caribbean.

Credits: 
3
SOCI2037
Principles of Sustainable Development

This is a Level 2 course. It covers the concepts, principles, objectives and practical applications of sustainability and sustainable development from an environmental, social, economic, corporate and political perspective. There is a natural environmental orientation to an overarching course of this nature, however, it seeks throughout to identify and analyze relationships between environmental sustainability and socio-economic factors, most centrally, the relationship between resource consumption (individual and collective) and sustainable livelihoods. The course examines, inter alia, the origins of sustainability, sustainability concepts, terms, standards and indicators, economic activity/output and sustainability, the role of industry and issue of waste, the issues of energy, water and clean air; environmental issues, political implications and decision-making and discourse/policy trends in energy, resource use, pollution, climate change and water; the three ‘E’s’ – environment, economics and equity; the environmental-social nexus – current and future resource availability and constraints, livelihoods and policy-making; sustainability in the business world – resource allocation, investment, stakeholders, shareholders, public and/v private-sector actors, the role of NGOs, multilaterals, bilaterals. The course also examines the global political economy of sustainability: individual versus collective state action, the tragedy of the commons, sustainable development, rights, obligations, sacrifices, opportunity costs as viewed by the developed and developing world.

Credits: 
3
SOCI2036
Ethical Literacy in Behavioural Sciences

This course is premised on the rationale that ethics can be learned. Ethical literacy is a critical priority in a world where some of the greatest challenges graduates will face will not be matters of fact but rather matters of value and judgement. Knowledge of the ethical rules associated with the Behavioural Sciences will equip students with the necessary tools to engage the moral self with professional rules of ethics. Included in the concept of a psychologically literate citizen, for instance, is an expectation that undergraduates will learn to behave ethically and humanely at work and in other everyday contexts. The same holds true for other Behavioural Science areas. Learners will therefore be given the opportunity to relate practical solutions to ethical dilemmas. Students will be able to distinguish ethics from ethical literacy, apply ethical skills to current situations and issues, use ethical actions to resolve conflict.

ECON2027
Intermediate Statistics
SOCI2035
Research Methods in the Behavioural Sciences
GEND2111
Gender in the Caribbean Social, Political & Economic Relations

Assessment: 100% Continuous Assessment.

Level 3 
SOCI3050
Family Sociology

This course presents and examines the social and cultural forces that have implications for the formation and maintenance of social relationships. It exposes students to the concepts,
theories, and methods involved in studying the family. It provides an opportunity for students to critically examine issues associated with marriage and the family so that they can derive a
clearer understanding of marriage and the family as critical institutions in society. The course helps students to apply theoretical perspectives to go beyond personal experiences and view
the family from diverse social contexts.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3045
Theories of Development II

This course is geared towards elucidating the complexities that exist in the systemic nature of capitalism. It underscores the developmental challenges that confront modernity.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3044
Evaluation of Social Programmes

This course is designed to equip students with a myriad of methods to conduct formative and summative evaluation of social programmes. In so doing, students are exposed to intervention
strategies in contextualizing treatment plans to effect desired change. The efficacy of the methods will be brought into question and their relevance to cultural context will be examined.
Special attention is placed on evaluating the extent to which social programmes address issues of social justice, ethics, diversity and empowerment across diverse populations and settings.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3043
Theories of Development 1

This course is designed to provide students with a historical understanding of development and its antecedents of the modern world. We will examine development as a concept and practice in the era beginning around 20th century. This epoch is considered to be the heyday of ‘development thought and practice’. New thinking about social change associated with improvements in the quality of life of the less well off in the global village emerged as major contestants to Development. However, in order to properly understand these and the ways in which post-colonial societies such as Caribbean are changing in the 21st century, it is necessary to understand earlier thinking on the subject.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3000
Research Projects in Sociology

When we allow ourselves to be curious about life around us we are doing social exploration. We are discovering the substance and fabric of our social reality. Social exploration is an iterative
process of learning, reflecting and documenting our observations. Deep social exploration makes us a student of life. Sociologists must practice deep social exploration so that we will
have a body of knowledge about how we live in society. This course will help you to enjoy the art and practice of research as deep social exploration. The course is designed to give students an appreciation for conceptualizing contemporary issues from a sociological perspective and the opportunity to integrate sociological theories and research methods to investigate selected issues. The course covers the three main components involved in doing research: preparing a research proposal, completing the research, presenting the findings to the audience. Using an iterative process, learners will be supported through the steps involved in moving from a research idea to a research project. Learners will design a research study, collect and analyse information gathered and share that information with different audiences. The chosen topic has to be relevant, important, and have a sociological perspective.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3008
Industrial Sociology 1: Theories and Practices

SOCI 3008 Industrial Sociology 1 is concerned with the interrelationship of society and industry or industrial activity. It involves the application of sociological theory and method to the problems that arise in the process of producing goods and services in modern society. These arrangements emerged with the industrial revolution and marked the beginning of the societal form that we have come to call industrial society. The course begins by locating industrial society in the context of human development. Associated with this is the emergence of sociology as a way of understanding the profound changes in human relations and social organization associated with the industrial revolution. In the sections that follow, the course examines the sociology of work, the sociology of industrial relations, industrial and post industrial society, the sexual division of labor in the Caribbean, industrialization in the Caribbean, technology
and its effect on relations at the workplace and the impact of the technological revolution of the late twentieth century on the organization of industrial production.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3049
Social Development

This course presents students with the opportunity to comprehensively understand the nature, scope and dynamics of social development and its interplay on the lives of individuals, families, communities and groups. It interrogates the contributions of education, income, health, technology and welfare system in contributing to an egalitarian society with opportunity and mobility for all.

Credits: 
3
SOCI3035
Caribbean Social Problems
Credits: 
3
SOCI3028
Caribbean Social Structure
Credits: 
3
SOCI3048
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Credits: 
3
ECON3080
Advanced Statistics

This course extends on the introductory and intermediate courses completed in Levels 1 and 2, respectively. It is the first course presented as a specialization in the Psychology programme. This course covers the design of experiments in psychology and appropriate statistical methods to analyse the data. This course will include training in analysis of variance, regression analysis, factor analysis and more advanced statistical methods employed in psychology such as path modelling.