Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2116: Sociology and Demography of Religion

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

Students in this module gain in-depth knowledge of central theories and current debates in the sociology of religion. In addition, this module provides an opportunity to enhance practical skills in data analysis and improved competence in using R software. These tools enable students to pursue their own independent research.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of current theories and debates in the sociology of religion. 2. assess empirical studies in the sociology of religion.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Demonstrate understanding of key concepts in sociology. 4. demonstrate understanding of relevant research methods employed in the study of religious trends.
Personal and Key Skills	5. demonstrate competence in using R software for data analysis 6. Demonstrate written analytical skills by producing a research report on deadline.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Is God dying? The secularization paradigm and its critics
The paradox of religion in Europe
Measuring religion across time and space
Data sources on religion (computer lab session I)
Religion and gender
Religion and socioeconomic status
Religion, health and well-being
Religion and the family
Religious statistics and correlations (computer lab session II)
The future of religion
Spirituality and New Age religions

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	22	Weekly 2 hour lectures\computer lab sessions where we go over topics and materials
Guided Independent Study	48	Reading and preparing for seminars (4-6 hours per week);
Guided Independent Study	80	Study tasks directed by the module leader: e.g. 20 hours for the practical exercise and 60 hours for the final research report.

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

Pew Research Centre, Religion and Public Life: http://www.pewforum.org/

European Social Survey Cumulative File, ESS 1-7 (2016). Data file edition 1.0. NSD - Norwegian Centre for Research Data, Norway - Data Archive and distributor of ESS data for ESS ERIC. https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/

Inglehart, R., C. Haerpfer, A. Moreno, C. Welzel, K. Kizilova, J. Diez-Medrano, M. Lagos, P. Norris, E. Ponarin & B. Puranen et al. (eds.). 2014. World Values Survey: Round Six - Country-Pooled Datafile Version: www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSDocumentationWV6.jsp. Madrid: JD Systems Institute.

ISSP Research Group (2018): International Social Survey Programme: Religion III - ISSP 2008. GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA4950 Data file Version 2.3.0, doi:10.4232/1.13161