Module SOC3107 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
SOC3107: Culture and Wellbeing
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The central aims of this module are to enable you to build an understanding of positive aspects of life and efforts to flourish, often in adverse circumstances; and to critically evaluate claims about wellbeing and the assumptions that underwrite them (including policy statements, political claims, and economic agendas). The module thus aims to seek a balance between critical and constructive approaches.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the current state of anthropological and sociological debates related to wellbeing; 2. Show a critical understanding of specific issues related to the understanding of wellbeing such as care, work, creativity, or hope based on anthropological, sociological and related literature |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Link theoretical concepts with grounded examples; 4. Critically assess claims about wellbeing; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Communicate concepts and ideas clearly both orally and in writing; 6. Work independently and in groups, within a limited time frame, to complete a specified task |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Seminar Presentation | 10 minutes | 1, 3-6 | Oral (in class), additional feedback on request in office hours |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 1500 words | 1-6 | Written feedback |
| Examination | 50 | 1.5 hours | 1-6 | Written feedback |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Examination | Examination | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Corsín Jiménez, Alberto, ed. 2008. Culture and well-being: Anthropological approaches to freedom and political ethics. London: Pluto.
Ahmed, Sara. 2010. The promise of happiness. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Diener, Edward, and Eunkook M. Suh. 2000. Culture and subjective well-being. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Fischer, Edward F. 2015. The Good Life: Aspiration, Dignity, and the Anthropology of Wellbeing. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Jackson, Michael. 2011. Life within limits: Well-being in a world of want. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Robbins, Joel. 2013. “Beyond the suffering subject: Toward an anthropology of the good.” Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (N.S.) 19 (3): 447–62.
Skidelsky, Robert, and Edward Skidelsky. 2012. How much is enough? The love of money and the case for the good life. London: Penguin.
Suh, Eunkook M., and Shigehiro, Oishi. 2004. “Culture and subjective well-being: Introduction to the special issue.” Journal of Happiness Studies 5 (3): 219–22.
Thelen, T., 2015. Care as social organization: Creating, maintaining and dissolving significant relations. Anthropological Theory
Hallam, Elizabeth and Tim Ingold (eds.). 2007. Creativity and Cultural Improvisation. Oxford: BERG
Kavedzija, Iza and Harry Walker. 2016. Values of Happiness: Towards an Anthropology of Meaning in Life. HAU Books, University of Chicago Press.
