Sociology and Criminology

Education and Inequality

Module code: L3115B
Level 5
15 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Coursework

On this module, you’ll explore a range of sociological perspectives on education, training, and schooling, with a primary focus on the UK. You’ll examine both formal and informal education across private, public, compulsory, and non-compulsory contexts, as well as the history and philosophy of education alongside empirical sociological research.

The module covers:

• sociological debates and normative and critical theoretical perspectives
• how experiences of education are shaped by factors such as social class, race, ethnicity, gender and migration history.

Module learning outcomes

• Understand and evaluate different theoretical approaches to education.
• Apply these approaches to a range of contemporary educational concerns.
• Analyse the ways in which experiences of education are shaped by a range of social variables.
• Reflect on their own experiences of education in a critical and theoretically-informed way.