SO5016 - Live Project: Sociology in Action

With the support of the teaching team, in this module you will be helped to critically reflect on your learning and consequently be better able to understand the application and value of your sociology to real world problems. This critical reflection on the discipline and on your skills, abilities and knowledge is at the heart of this live project and will enable you to understand and meet the needs of the partner organisation, while enhancing and reflecting on your own sociological skills and understanding.

Working in small Project Teams in a workshop setting which mirrors workplace environments, and with the support of module tutors, you will be asked by a partner organisation to apply your sociological imagination, skills, attributes, and understandings to an existing challenge/problem that organisation is facing. You will develop appropriate and deliverable outcomes for that organisation.

The work associated with the live project will be developed in Project Teams and through individual reflection on contribution to the project and the sociological skills. Each Project Teams will develop appropriate and deliverable piece of substantive work (agreed by the module tutor and the partner organisation) which will include at least one of the following a) planning and completion of primary research; analysis of existing data; evaluation of a project or activity; critical analysis of a core problem for the partner organisation; development of a policy or communication strategy or any other relevant activity drawing upon sociological skills and knowledge (this can be presented in report, podcast or photo essay form).

In addition to the group-based project you will develop an individual essay that will be based on reflection on the discipline of sociology and self-reflection in relation to engagement with the project: a) prove a sociological analysis of the challenges the partner organisation faces in meeting its aims, b) evidence of understanding of the application of sociology to contemporary problems and c) critical self-reflection in relation to your personal engagement with the live project in relation to the sociological skills, understanding and attributes you hold and have applied, and indeed lack or need to strengthen.

The teaching team will meet with project teams in workshops and will provide formative feedback throughout the module: through initial induction and introduction to partner organisation, introduction to the live projects and the challenges and expectations held within the partner organisation. In addition, you will also be able to access peer support through close working with other students within the module.

As well as ongoing formative feedback from the teaching team throughout the module on your work, you will be able to access tutorial time with the teaching team to encourage you to reflect on your own performance, development and awareness of skills and attributes.

The module has an eLP site which gives guidance on sociological skills, reflection, and assessment in the module. There are regular meetings between supervisors and firm representatives to deal with any issues and the module tutor can be contacted in addition to your supervisor in respect of any problems.

Module tutors will provide ongoing feedback on your work as it develops within the Project Teams. In addition, you will be provided with written and/or oral feedback (as appropriate), throughout the workshop.

Workshops will be fully staffed and will provide a mix of lecture delivery, discussion, problem solving and supervision as the project develops. The partner organisation will provide upates and evidence to the Project Teams at key intervals throughout the module and this will be facilitated by the module leader. You will be allocated individual tutorial time by the module lead to support the development of their personal reflective essay. You will be guided and advised on how to reflect on the development of both the project and your own self-reflection (in particular in relation to the development of group and self-reflective diaries).

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:
At the end of the module you will have:

1. Developed knowledge and understanding of how sociology can be applied in the context of organisations who are seeking solutions or resolutions to real world problems.


2. Gained greater understanding of the complexity, change and ambiguity apparent in the operation and challenges facing organisations which seek to achieve social change.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

1. You will develop the skills to: Self-reflect: culminating in greater awareness of personal employability skills, knowledge, attributes and sensibilities, time management and communication, teamwork, and co-operation self-reflection

2. Communicated orally, visually and/or in writing, ideas, information problems and solutions to specialist and non – specialist audiences to an adequate level of competency.

3. Consolidated and apply sociological knowledge, understanding and skills effectively to complex problems which is of benefit to partner organisations. This will involve sociological work to ensure the accurate identification of issues which require researching, retrieval and evaluation of current, and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources including primary sources.

Summative assessment:

Performance in relation to the live project will be assessed through:

1) A deliverable outcome for the partner organisation and (agreed by the module tutor and the partner organisation) which draws upon sociological analysis, skills and understandings. This may involve, for example, the planning and completion of primary research; analysis of existing data; evaluation of a project or activity; the development of a case for organisational change; development of a policy or communication strategy/ies or other relevant activity that draws on sociological skills and knowledge. The deliverable outcome and an account of the process of its development will be presented by the working team to the partner organisation in a conference style format: 20-minute presentation. Both the outcome and its presentation of it by the group will be the focus of assessment (40% weighting)



2) An individual essay which evidences self-reflection in relation to understanding of the application of sociology to contemporary problems and in relation to the sociological skills, understanding and attributes held and applied in the development of the deliverable brief to the partner organisation. You will be required to critically reflection on your own contribution to the project and your engagement with the discipline, skills and knowledge associated with the discipline. You will be required to reflect on each stage of the process and provide a sociological analysis of the challenges the organisation faces in meeting its aims in relation to the social and political challenges facing the organisation. (2500 words). (60%)

Formative assessment

The teaching team will provide ongoing feedback on the work as it is developed by the Project Teams. In addition, you will be provided with appropriate written or oral feedback (as appropriate), as part of your reflective development in scheduled tutorial sessions

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This module is based on experiential learning, or ‘learning through doing’.

In this module, through engagement with partner organisations which seek to create social change in relation to social inequality, marginalisation, and exclusion, you will develop and apply a range of sociological ideas, concepts, and skills, to address real world problems and challenges facing that organisation. The partner organisation will be identified by the module leader and engagement with that organisation will be facilitated by the module leader.

You will develop and deepen effective workplace skills and your own interpersonal and discipline skills in supporting partner organisations to overcome challenges. Your engagement with this module will produce real outcomes for partner organisations through the application of sociological skills and knowledge. The deliverable outcomes developed by students will be shared with partner organisations to make effective change and meet needs in those organisations.

This module enables you, as new sociologists, to apply and test your skills, knowledge, and abilities in relation to ‘real world’ contemporary problems through engagement with a Live Project. You will apply your disciplinary practice and expertise through inquiry into and/or the resolution of real world/contemporary problems which are experienced by a third-party partner. You will produce solutions, services, material, or new perspectives which are of benefit to the third-party partner/s which may be from the public, private or not for profit sector.

Working in small project teams (8-10 students) you will learn in workshops of three hours. Workshops will include a taught section delivered by staff, time for project team discussion, planning and development of the live project and feedback from the staff on the progress and direction of the work. Project teams will interact with partner organisations in these workshops either face to face or, if working with overseas partners, via TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) provision.

You will be supported and supervised by the sociology team within the Department of Social Sciences. The sociology team is comprised of staff who are accomplished academics and who also have a wide range of experience of the application of sociology in paid employment, activism and advocacy in relation to research and data analysis, successful funding/bidding applications and policy development in a wider range of public, private, and campaigning settings. This module is a key aspect of the development of employability skills and forms part of thread of ‘learning through doing’ which is a core element of undergraduate sociology programmes within the University of Northumbria.

This engagement with, and contribution to, real-world contemporary problems experienced by organisation partners will enhance your:

• Knowledge of the types of challenges faced by organisations that seek to bring about social change and the differing ways in which skills, attributes and knowledge associated with sociology and sociological study, can be applied to meet, or overcome these challenges.

• Knowledge, application, and evaluation of value and potential impact of the discipline of sociology in relation of real-world contemporary challenges experienced by organisations that seek to bring about social change.

• Ability to critically self-reflect in relation to engagement with the discipline of sociology and the skills and knowledge associated with that, on the development and application of inter-personal skills and to your employability.