Sociology
Why Study Sociology?
Sociology is one of the “Social Sciences” – it tries to give a well-grounded account of the nature of society and in particular the modern world - how it has come into being, and what kind of challenges, even crises, it keeps facing, often generated by itself. In contrast to cognate subjects like Geography or Politics for instance, it focuses on the whole of society. The central relevance of Sociology, then, is to enable you to be a better-informed citizen and participant in social and political life.
Overview
Modules in Sociology cover theories and methods relevant to the understanding of contemporary society. Some deal with the classics like like Marx, Durkheim, Nietzsche, Simmel and Weber, while others present the ideas of main contemporary figures like Habermas, Foucault, Elias, Bourdieu, Goffman or Beck. You will also learn abot the chief research methods by which sociological knowledge is produced, like interviews, questionnaires, ethnographic fieldwork, discourse analysis or the study of documents. The aim of the programme is to help you develop more grounded and informed views on tehmost pressing issues in contemporary social life.
Postgraduate Opportunities
- MA Sociology
- MA Sociology Development and Globalisation
- MPhil/PhD Sociology
- PhD Social Sciences (GREP)
- MPlan (Planning & Sustainable Development)
What will you be studying?
Year 1
General Introduction to Sociology
Years 2 & 3
Apart from theory and methods, substantiative areas include: Deviance • Politics • Environment • Communication • Gender and Sexuality • Health • Irish Society • Media • Religion and Civilisation • Community • Gender and Sexuality • Culture • The City
For complete module descriptions, see the Book of Modules for Sociology.
