Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC3030: Sociology of Art and Culture

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

The aims of the course are:

1 to provide students with a solid understanding of key themes in the sociology of art and culture, and to familiarise them with the central ways of thinking in this field

2 to allow students to develop their sociological skills in the context of a rigorous and analytical comprehension of artistic and cultural matters

3 to enable students to build on previously acquired sociological knowledge, taking these to an advanced level

4 to facilitate students in understanding key contemporary social and cultural processes and forms

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 Skills1. demonstrate competence in working with diverse sociological approaches to art and culture;
2. demonstrate knowledge of classical contributions to, and recent developments in, the sociology of art and culture;
3. demonstrate the ability to understand and evaluate some of the major ways of analysing cultural forms, and to interpret specific cultural forms in light of these forms of analysis;
Discipline-Specific Skills4. demonstrate an analytical understanding of key sociological concepts;
5. demonstrate an ability to understand diverse expressions and manifestations of human life as cultural in nature;
6. demonstrate the capacity to evaluate empirical data in light of theoretical bodies of knowledge ;
Personal and Key Skills7. develop and deploy argument, grounded in theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence, identifying problems of reliability and bias;
8. participate in oral discussions; present and evaluate complex arguments and ideas orally; digest, select and organise material for oral presentations; and
9. focus on and comprehend complex texts. Undertake independent research and demonstrate ability to work to deadlines, producing accurately referenced written work.
10. demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specific task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Introduction
Classical Sociology and Culture
Mass Culture and Popular Culture
The Frankfurt School: Culture as Propaganda
Semiotics: Studying Hidden Meanings
The Production of Culture
The Sociology of Art
Class and Cultural Consumption: The Sociology of Bourdieu
Cultural Hegemony and Resistance
Understanding Audiences
Cultural Globalization

Learning and Teaching

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
24126

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity 22Weekly two-hour lecture/seminars will consist of a lecture element introducing key theories and issues and a seminar element
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity 2Exam revision session
Guided Independent study36Readings for seminars and tutorials
Guided Independent study10Preparation for seminar presentation
Guided Independent study40Researching and writing the essay
Guided Independent study40Readings and revisions for exams

Online Resources

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