Dr Michael R.M. Ward is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at Swansea University. His work centres on the performance of working-class masculinities within and beyond educational institutions. He is the author of the award winning book, From Labouring to Learning, Working-Class Masculinities, Education and De-industrialization. Mike is the editor of Boyhood Studies, an interdisciplinary journal.
This module aims to introduce students to the role of education in society and the impacts of recent educational policies on access to educational opportunities, the governance of educational institutions and on wider social well-being. Through the examination of contemporary educational issues from Britain, students will develop a greater appreciation for the role of education in society.
This module introduces students to key thinkers and theoretical orientations that have impacted both sociological thought and society itself from the Enlightenment to the mid-twentieth century. Using biographical sketches, historical vignettes, and applications to historical and contemporary events, the module aims to acquaint students with the history of sociological thought and its significance to understanding both the present and the past.
This module will focus on social consciousness and an awareness of gender diversity within a complex society, focusing on exploring the gender spectrum and the global social world. Current and historical theories, debates and critical discourses on gender, identity, masculinity, femininity, and the position of gender as a social construct will be explored, with reference to legal and social issues around gender in a global context.
While the majority of scholarship on gender has focused on women, in this module we will critically interrogate, through a sociological analysis, men and the constitution of masculinity. This tack is crucial to understanding gender inequality because men as a group benefit from the gender order, and enactments of masculinity tend to reproduce power and dominance. The module will investigate different meanings of masculinity and in its plural form masculinities, how these meanings change historically and over the life course. At the same time, it will consider how intersections with other dimensions of inequality such as class, race, place, and sexuality complicate masculinities and position men differently in relationship to gender dividends. Special attention will be paid to the way power works in the making of gendered selves. Topics in the module will cover: Week 1 What is Masculinity? ¿ Masculinity in Context Global and Local Masculinity Week 2 Theorising Masculinities ¿ Hegemonic, Inclusive, or Toxic? Week 3 Extending Masculinity Research and Theory- Beyond Male Bodies Week 4 Childhood and Youth- Learning Masculinity Week 5 Masculinity, Race, and Class Week 6 Sexuality Week 7 Media, Popular Culture, and Subculture Week 8 Sports, Health, and Violence Week 9 Intimate Relationships, Harassment, and Gender-Based Violence Week 10 Moving forward: Toward Healthy Masculinity and Gender Equality? Week 11 Conclusion
This module provides the student with an opportunity to develop a research proposal relevant for research in health and social care.
This module aims to provide students with an overview of the range of data collection methods available to individuals undertaking research and to enable the student to consider the implications, application strengths and weaknesses of the various data collection methods. The module will also provide insight into the ways that such methods may be applied effectively and ethically in social research.
