Sociology and Criminology

Transcendence, Devotion and Desire

Module code: L3119A
Level 6
15 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Workshop
Assessment modes: Coursework

This module explores the human desire to go beyond ordinary experiences, starting from a phenomenological perspective—a way of studying how people experience and interpret the world around them.

We’ll examine themes like sex, drugs, death, war, cults, mysticism, secular transcendence, dreams, and false promises, looking at how devotion and desire shape human life. The module investigates how people form relationships with "gods"—broadly understood as powerful forces or ideas—and how these relationships create and influence the worlds we live in.

You’ll consider questions like:

  • What do different societies believe exists to be devoted to?
  • What stories do people use to explain their desires and devotions?
  • How do our bodies learn to crave and commit to certain ideas or forces, shaping our lives in deep ways?

The module offers a sociological approach to understanding the intense, often mysterious ways people connect with what they see as transcendent or greater than themselves.

Module learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of theories of charisma in the social sciences, and be able to apply these theories to different social phenomena.
  • Explain and analyse the contributions of Phenomenological approaches to social interaction and be able to apply these insights to different social phenomena.
  • Assimilate and apply material from recent academic research (and where relevant, personal experiences), to illustrate the theoretical approaches covered in the module.
  • Engage with the central debates introduced concerning the body, narrative, ontology and devotion, critically assessing whether the development of such a theoretical lens provides useful sociological insights concerning a variety of contemporary social phenomena.