• Offered for Year: 2022/23

• Module Leader(s): Dr Bethan Harries

• Owning School: Geography, Politics & Sociology
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Aims

This course will further develop students’ knowledge of the sociology of race and ethnicity. It will explore the origins and development of racism within Britain, examining how it has shaped, and continues to shape the nature of British society. We will further examine how ‘race thinking’ has played in the production of inequalities and exclusions, as well as how it informs notions of national identity. The course engages with contemporary debates and theoretical advances, particularly in relation to Islamophobia, critical whiteness studies, and ‘post-race’.

The module aims to:
•       Advance students’ understanding of theorisations of race, racism and ethnicity.
•       Develop students understanding of the ways in which race and ethnicity interact with other forms of social difference such as nation, gender, class, and religion.
•       Encourage students to evaluate the role of racism in the structure of contemporary society.
•       Explore current theoretical debates around key issues such as institutional racism, Islamophobia, post-race, nationalism, and critical whiteness studies

Outline Of Syllabus

The course begins by deepening students understanding of the concepts of race and ethnicity. This will also involve looking at the interrelationship between ‘race’, ethnicity, and racism. The rest of the module will build on these foundations to examine how race has shaped, and continues to shape, the nature of British society in interaction with other forms of social difference such as nation, gender, class and religion. To do this we will examine a series of overlapping issues through topics such as Islamophobia, whiteness, ‘post-racial imaginaries’, cultural representation and Brexit. Many of these issues will be highly topical and students will be encouraged throughout the course to engage in contemporary debates.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures will provide students with key concepts and ideas relevant to the topic. The lectures will also discuss these in relation to topical contemporary debates and students will be expected to actively engage in these debates. Seminars will allow the students to explore the matters raised in lectures more depth and introduce them to key readings. The workshops (debate and content analysis) will give the opportunity for students to draw on the knowledge they have gained and apply this to specific practical examples. This will be useful for the development of critical thinking skills and a helpful practice to prepare for assessment.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Both essays will assess the development of sociological knowledge and theoretical concepts of race and racism, critical evaluation and synthesis of relevant literature.

Reading Lists

• SOC3099's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• SOC3099's Timetable