- UCAS course code
- RL32
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
Sociology and languages are inherently tied.
No study of society can ignore language, and no study of language can be removed from its specific social context.
You will be challenged to think about the nature of the social worlds in which we live and about how language and culture build and inform such worlds.
You will study social life and social change, from the reproduction of inequalities in relation to social categories (such as race, class or gender), to the way that wider cultural contexts shape intimate relationships.
You will develop advanced language skills and learn about the cultures and histories related to that language.
In the third year of this four-year course, you will undertake a period of residence abroad, studying or working in a country that speaks your language of study.
Our aim is to help you develop analytical, investigative and linguistic skills, training you to become independent thinkers and researchers with the confidence to work in both English and another language.
The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It Is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.
Aims
- Offer a coherent curriculum in sociology that is strongly informed by leading contemporary research.
- Impart knowledge and understanding in sociological theory and methods allowing them to progress to further study.
- Develop advanced communicative skills in German based on a sound understanding of the structures of the language.
- Build knowledge and understanding of several contemporary or historical aspects of the cultures or societies of one or more countries where German is spoken.
Special features
Residence abroad
You can study and/or work for up to a year in a country or countries relevant to your chosen language(s) to improve your communicative language skills in a native-speaker environment.
Collaborations and partnerships
The University has links with language and cultural institutions across the city, including:
- Instituto Cervantes - a centre for Spanish culture;
- HOME - international and contemporary art, theatre and film;
- Manchester China Institute - promoting mutual understanding in UK-China relations through research, teaching, and activities;
- Alliance Française - home of French language and culture.
Societies
The University is home to over 30 international and language-related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences.
Teaching and learning
You'll learn through a mixture of formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, spending approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.
For every hour of university study, you will be expected to complete a further 2-3 hours of independent study.
You will also need to study during the holiday periods.
The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre .
Coursework and assessment
You will be assessed in various ways, including:
- written and oral examinations;
- presentations;
- coursework (which may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research);
- in your final year, a dissertation based on a research topic of your choice.
Assessment methods vary from course unit to course unit - see individual course unit listings for more information.
Course content for year 1
Students take a total of 40-60 credits in Sociology.
You will study our core Sociology unit, SOCY10440 Researching Culture & Society. In addition, you will study optional units (total 20-40 credits), such as:
- SOCY10441 Media, Culture and Society;
- SOCY10462 Global Social Challenges.
You will also study an additional 60 credits of Modern Language and Culture course units in your modern language subject.
Year 1 equips you with a range of important skills: linguistic expertise; the ability to read and analyse material; and skills in presentation, group work and independent language learning.
You are trained in modern spoken and written German through a core language course in which you work with German texts, write short essays and engage in discussions in German (this language instruction takes place in German and is taught principally by native speakers). At the same time you reinforce your grammar and vocabulary through monitored self-study.
You are given a detailed introduction to the German-speaking countries: their geography, politics, culture and society. You also get to explore a variety of important issues within these countries, such as the challenges faced by multicultural German society following Germany's reunification.
In addition you take a set of other broad-based courses designed to give you an essential grounding in key areas of German culture, history and linguistics. Most of the teaching on these courses is in English, so that you can focus fully on the new concepts introduced to you.
You will take only the language units relevant to your level of language in each year of study.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Researching Culture and Society | SOCY10440 | 20 | Mandatory |
| Crime and Society | CRIM10001 | 20 | Optional |
| Introduction to German Linguistics | GERM10040 | 20 | Optional |
| Revolution and Reaction in German Culture | GERM10350 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 1 | GERM51011 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 2 | GERM51022 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 3 | GERM51030 | 20 | Optional |
| Environment and Society | SOCY10201 | 20 | Optional |
| Inequalities in Contemporary British Society | SOCY10402 | 20 | Optional |
| Contested Foundations of Social Thought | SOCY10421 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
Students take a total of 40-60 credits in Sociology.
You will study one of the following core Sociology units (total 20 credits):
- SOCY20091 Qualitative Social Research Design & Methods;
- SOST20012 The Survey Method in Social Research.
In addition, you will study optional units (total 20-40 credits), such as:
- SOCY20501 Social Thought from the Global South;
- SOCY20012 Sociology of Popular Music;
- SOCY20962 Racism and Ethnicity in the UK;
- SOCY20232 Sustainability, Consumption and Global Responsibilities.
You will also study an additional 60 credits of Modern Language and Culture course units in your modern language subject.
Year 2 prepares you for the linguistic challenges of your year abroad. Within it you can continue with a study of culture and society in Germany and Austria, or take a course in business German (Wirtschaftsdeutsch).
You will also continue your programme of monitored self-study to complement your language classes.
The other courses available in your second year are more numerous and more specialised than in the first year, allowing you to explore a diverse range of areas including Weimar culture, post-1945 German and Austrian culture.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weimar Culture? Art, Film and Politics in Germany, 1918-33 | GERM20261 | 20 | Optional |
| German Long Essay | GERM20802 | 20 | Optional |
| Spectres of Fascism: Literature, Film and Visual Arts in Germany and Austria since 1945 | GERM20902 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 3 | GERM51030 | 20 | Optional |
| German Language 4 | GERM51040 | 20 | Optional |
| Work, Economy and Society | SOCY20032 | 20 | Optional |
| Social Network Analysis | SOCY20042 | 20 | Optional |
| Education and Society | SOCY20052 | 20 | Optional |
| Qualitative Research Design & Methods | SOCY20091 | 20 | Optional |
| Sustainability, Consumption & Global Responsibilities | SOCY20231 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Course content for year 4
Students take a total of 40-60 credits in Sociology from course units such as:
- SOCY30920 Dissertation A (20 credits) or SOCY30930 Dissertation B (40 credits);
- SOCY30061 Urban Sociology;
- SOCY30091 Changing Social Attitudes;
- SOCY30141 Body and Society;
- SOCY30181 Sociology of Cultural Participation and Cultural Policy;
- SOCY30191 Material Culture: The Social Life of Things;
- SOCY30241 A Sense of Inequality;
- SOCY30042 The Sociology of Human-Animal Relations.
You will also study an additional 60 credits of Modern Language and Culture course units in your modern language subject.
In your final year you resume your studies in Manchester with a core language course and choose from a wide range of specialised courses. Language study is centred on translation into and out of German, essay writing, and oral work involving discussion of texts, debates and presentations.
Also available in this year are course units that cover topics closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff, covering a broad range of linguistic, literary, historical and cultural topics.
Course units for year 4
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| German Language 5 | GERM51050 | 20 | Mandatory |
| German Dialects | GERM30341 | 20 | Optional |
| Screening the Holocaust | GERM30482 | 20 | Optional |
| Culture and Society in Germany 1871-1918 | GERM30722 | 20 | Optional |
| Dissertation in Modern Languages and Cultures | LALC30000 | 40 | Optional |
| Sociology of Human Animal Relations | SOCY30042 | 20 | Optional |
| Cities and Urban Life | SOCY30061 | 20 | Optional |
| Identity, Power & Modernity | SOCY30171 | 20 | Optional |
| A Sense of Inequality | SOCY30242 | 20 | Optional |
| Sociology of Mental Health & Illness | SOCY30261 | 20 | Optional |
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Additional fee information
Facilities
The University Language Centre is home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms, and resources for more than 70 languages.
The Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV, and extensive support and advice for learners.
Learn more at facilities