The Sociology and Social Science programme is concerned with social dynamics, social processes and social change as these manifest themselves in the relationship between individuals, groups and institutions. Different social class and ethnic cultures; power; social divisions and inequalities; social and political movements; moral dilemmas - the subject matter is diverse and interesting.
Material is inter-disciplinary, involving sociology, philosophy, politics and, to a lesser extent, psychology. This programme sharpens perceptions of and understanding of the world; sharpens thinking and grasp of conceptual as well as practical issues and enhances the person's role as an informed citizen, the importance of the latter being an aspect of education currently being stressed by the government. Being able to apply a variety of social theories to the world is essential, but also, training in and encouragement of search skills is given - what percentage of the prison population is male? What are the major areas of crime for which women are imprisoned? Which areas of Britain have the highest Coronary Heart Disease/Cancer rates? How high is Britain's teenage pregnancy rate? Where would you easily find on 'the web' the latest report on ethnic groups and health? Government, health, social security, crime, education - reports and figures on these are readily available, but fluency in search and find is a skill appreciated by a wide number of employers.