S/S/176. Evaluation of Social Problem Perspectives

The paper examines the development of sociological approaches in the USA during 1935-1954 discussing how European and American sociologists differed in their views on the nature of conflict, and arguing whether conflict is a form of social interaction or a deviation from normal behavior that presupposes labeling.

E/S/28. 'Socially divided but culturally homogeneous': Is this an accurate description of Britain at any time since the Second World War?

The paper examines the changes in the make-up of the British society since the end of the Second World War discussing the issues of class-consciousness, the causes and consequences of the cultural revolution of the 1960s, the effects of the economic development of the country, etc.

C/S/39. The Urban in Sociology: Was there ever, and is there still, such a thing as an "urban" way of life?

This essay looks at the concept of the urban, the big city. It considers the attempts to define urban, and how it has been seen to contrast with the rural. Key writers around this subject are considered, specifically as to what they think are the main characteristics of urban life.

S/S/73. Dynamics in family perceptions

The paper examines the evolution of the family structure conducting a qualitative analysis of family perceptions based on primary data collection through interviews. The issues of marriage, divorce, separation, children, etc. are discussed.

S/S/66. Dissertation. To what extent does Computer Games like Tomb Raider and Manhunt Produce Aggressive Behaviour?

This dissertation involves an in-depth study of the amount of aggression that is involved in Tomb Raider and Manhunt. This has in turn allowed the study to be more critical and focus on the extreme circumstances of how aggression can be caused. BanduraÌs experiment is important as it explores how you learn from others such as role models like adults and parents. The study adopts a more all-encompassing look at how Manhunt has been linked to the much media attention with the killing of Stefan Pakeerah. Also this dissertation will determine whether there is a link between violent games such as Tomb Raider and Manhunt with aggression.

E/S/22. Is 'class' still a relevant concept in the understanding of social divisions in contemporary Britain?

The paper examines the relevance of social class in contemporary Britain providing a review of sociological, economic and ideological definitions of class, and discussing the implications of a class hierarchy with relation to education, ethnicity, gender discrimination, etc.

E/S/18. The Sociology of Durkheim, Marx and Weber in the Structure of the United States' Military

The paper reviews sociological theories of Marx, Weber and Durkheim applying them to the analysis of the US Military. The components of the US armed forces are outlined discussing their functions, division of labour, class structures, power and authority from the perspective of social organisation.

P/S/147. Relationship between social representation and social identity

The paper examines the concepts of social representation (SR) and social identity (SI) reviewing socio-psychological approaches to knowledge, social group, shared meaning, SR and SI. The relationship between SR and SI is discussed.

P/S/145. Development of labour process: upskilling or deskilling?

The paper examines the evolution of labour skills during the last twenty-five years critically reviewing the predictions of Labour Process theorists (Braverman, Taylor, Ritzer, etc.) and arguing whether the skills of the workforce have deteriorated or increased.

S/S/67. What elements of the pre-industrial community survived into the industrial pattern of life?

The term 'community' relating to the study of society presents a particular problem for sociologists in that a unifying theory of the sociology of community has never emerged. Bureaucracies and institutions of influence have long been aware of the value and worth that are historically attached to the word 'community'. The aim appears to be to construct and engineer society in a way that makes community appear natural. In this sense 'community' has become an adjective, outlining a social construction rather than a natural state; an abstraction intent on class control, rather than the nurturing of a naturally occurring phenomenon.

S/S/58. Discuss the role that the state can play in deliberate development in Less Developed Countries in the 21st century.

This paper looks at the role that the state has and should play in deliberate development in Less Developed Countries. The problematic role of the state as a provider of the public's needs is discussed and whether alternative agencies can and should fulfil this role. This paper also looks at whether the state should (or is able to) set development priorities (e.g. economic or social), and whether states have become facilitators of the development plans of international organisations. The context of World Bank Structural adjustment policies and conditionality are also discussed.

P/S/138. Effects of child abuse: survey project

The paper examines long- term effects of child abuse discussing a project for a survey among UK adults to identify whether they suffered from physical, psychological or sexual abuse during their childhood and how it has affected them physically, socially and emotionally. The background of the research and the justifications for its funding are presented; the research methods are identified; the information to be sent to the funding body is outlined.

S/S/53. How has the Relationship Between Occupation and Identity been Changing in Recent Years?

This essay aims to discuss how the relationship between occupation and identity has changed over recent years. It will first look at the class system and how people are classified, before going on to look at John Greaves’ account of coal mining and the changes he faced after the mines closed. This essay will also look at the impact of income in other areas of life such as consumption and lifestyle.

S/S/52. In what Ways Has Occupation Influenced Identity?

This essay aims to show how identity is formed and in what ways occupation plays a part in influencing the formation. First it will describe what identity is and how it is developed throughout a person’s life, it will then go on to discuss the importance of formation. Finally it will discuss the impact of class structures and what they are.

C/S/31. The effect of divorce on children

Along with reviewing the effects of divorce on children it also becomes crucial to address other issues such as the factors in divorcing families that contribute to children having difficulties and the factors that foster children's adaptation. This paper will hence take a wider perspective of the issue.

P/S/133. Impacts of ubiquitous computing

The paper examines the concept of ubiquitous computing giving its definition and reviewing related academic literature. The impacts of integrating computers into everyday routines are discussed outlining the concerns over ubiquitous computing.

P/S/131. Age demographics in UK

The paper examines demographic aspects of age reviewing the changes in the age group structure of British society, the broadening of the working age limit, the issues of older workforce discrimination, unemployment, etc. The implications of this situation for younger employees are reviewed including job insecurity, health problems, etc.

P/S/127. Life online: virtual community vs. real community

The paper investigates the differences and similarities between a real community of people and a ‘virtual community’ of ‘online life’ created by the Internet. Related academic literature is reviewed addressing the issues of public safety, the sense of community, social order, personal identity, etc. Arguments for and against the virtual community are presented.

C/S/27. Consideration of Social interactionism

This essay briefly considers the various approaches to Sociology that come under the heading ‘Social interactionism’. Including: Symbolic interactionism; Phenomenology and Ethnomethodology. It considers their basic theoretical position and some of the strengths and weakness of these approaches.

P/S/119. Changes in British youth leisure patterns

The paper examines the changes in British youth leisure patterns over the last century discussing the role of the education system, the issue of social class, the emergence of Britain as a multi-cultural nation, the role of sport in the choice of leisure participation, etc.

E/S/13. Does daily routine provide a sense of security?

The paper seeks to understand whether or not the routines of everyday life provide us with a sense of ontological security. The concept of ontology is defined; a review of academic opinions on the role of daily routine is offered.

C/S/24. Classical Social Theories and Contemporary Workplace

The following paper scrutinized the relevance of classical theories of Marx, Weber and Durkhaim in establishing practices of contemporary workplaces and employment. The discussion supports the notion that these classical social theorists are the base for different modern practices like employee involvement, organizational rules and regulations and concepts like spirituality at workplace.

P/S/111. Family life in Britain: evolution, functions, trends

The paper examine the tendencies in UK family life identifying basic family structures, tracing their evolution from the pre-industrial period and discussing the effects of industrialization on British family. A review of opinions on the functions of family is offered including those of feminists, Marxists, Functionalists, New Rightists, etc. The role of women in the family and the decline of family values are discussed.

S/S/47. What is socialisation? Discuss agencies of socialisation and resocialisation.

This paper examines what is meant by the term 'socialisation.' This is explored in terms of conflicting theoretical bases and explanations as to how and why individuals are socialised, including Freud, Mead, Piaget as well as looking at socialisation in terms of primary, secondary, the life cycle and self-identity. Special attention is placed on the agencies of socialisation and re-socialisation; these include the family, peers, school and prisons.

P/S/107. How significant is religion in modern society?

The paper examines the concept of secularisation reviewing the works of philosophers and sociologists on religiosity, secular society, suicide rates, the rise of new religious movements (NRM), social fragmentation, religious significance in modern society, etc.

P/S/105. Sociological views of Howard Parker (book review)

The paper offers a review of the sociological study “A View from the Boys” by Howard Parker describing its structure, discussing the main ideas and conducting discourse analysis of the language, modes of narration, subjectivity of the author, etc.

P/S/103. What power does a pop music celebrity have over society and why?

The paper discusses the influence of a contemporary pop music celebrity on society as a new social phenomenon providing a review of literature on common culture, the role of the media and new technologies, the role of celebrities in our daily lives, the decline in organised religion, Rap and hip-hop background, implications of consumerism, crime and violence, etc.

P/E/321. Is population growth beneficial for developing economies?

The paper addresses the issues of rapid world population growth seeking to understand if this is beneficial for the economy of developing countries. Negative and positive effects of population growth are outlined.

P/FC/21. Cosmetic surgery: fruit of consumer culture

The paper looks at cosmetic surgery as a body consumption practice revealing its social and psychological motivations related to the significance of appearance in modern society, the role of marketing and advertising images, the need for self-armouring and self-expression, etc. Theories related to the role of body in consumer culture are reviewed.

C/S/20. Social Work/Care research: Theory, philosophy and methodology

This paper offers a concise description of the major theoretical and philosophical constructs that have influenced social care research. The paper compares the various theoretical and philosophical influences on social care research. Then, the paper starts defines and describes quantitative and qualitative research as well as giving the main examples of each type of research and their advantages and limitations.

S/S/46. Actor Network Theory of Michel Callon

This essay addresses the great intellectual debate currently raging in actor-network theory about how the theory treats humans and non-humans as actors. It refers to the theory of translation that was put forward by Michel Callon.

P/S/73. Residential segregation in nineteenth-century urban Britain

The paper investigates the issues of residential segregation in nineteenth-century urban Britain focusing on the town of Guildford in Surrey. The previous studies related to the subject are reviewed; the reasons for the choice of the location and the methods of data collection are outlined. The causes of segregation are summed up.

P/S/67. Corruption

The paper is a discourse on the subject of corruption. The concept of corruption is defined; the causes of corruption are outlined. Political, social and historical conditions in Mexico are analysed from the perspective of corruption highlighting the areas that are most prone to corruption. The results of quantitative and qualitative studies of the problem are interpreted.

P/S/66. Impacts and challenges of socio-legal studies

The paper looks at the significance of the studies devoted to the influence of political, economic, social, cultural and scientific phenomena on the countrys legislation. The impacts of socio-legal research are discussed; the challenges of data collection are outlined and illustrated with examples.

P/S/65. Information Society: Technological revolution and Society split

The paper addresses the problems of the Information Society looking at the growing gap between those who have access to computers and the Internet and those who have not. Economic, educational, geographic and other aspects of this social divide are discussed. The impacts of the technological revolution are argued.

S/S/31. What impact did industrialisation have on the nature of family life?

This essay explores the various accounts of industrialisation and the family. It first outlines Parsons' functionalist account and critiques this with a number of studies, including those of historical sociologists, such as Laslett. The essay also explores the methodological difficulties of studying the past.

S/S/30. For Marx, what are the evils of capitalism, and how are they to be resolved in the future?

For Marx, the economics of a society pre-determine all social dimensions and the emotional status of the individuals within that society. Marx advocated that throughout history there was the oppressor and the oppressed in constant opposition to each other. The ruin of medieval feudal society consisting of a number of classes, lead to the modern bourgeois society in which class antagonisms simplified into the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. This change was a product of the revolution in the mode of production and exchange; markets and demand gradually increased with manufacture, and accompanied with political developments, the bourgeoisie have gained power and exclusive political influence. Marx argued that these developments were inevitable and that the failures of capitalism, including alienation and exploitation of the proletariat will induce the proletariat to revolutionise society.

S/S/29. Can the rise in divorce in Britain (and other Western countries) be explained as the disintegration of the family?

In the early twentieth century divorce existed, but it was relatively rare. In the 1950s there was approximately 3000 divorces a year, but this increased to 60 000 by 1970 and 120 000 by 1972. After this sudden and dramatic upsurge in divorces, the divorce rate continued to rise more steadily and by 1994 there were around 160 000 divorces a year. (Population Trends, 1996). This trend was not unique to Britain; the divorce rate in the USA is the highest in the world: approximately half of all marriages end in divorce, while in Britain four in ten marriages end in divorce. This essay will explore a number of factors which have affected the rise in divorce. The essay will propose that the family is not in decline, rather, the family is changing and assuming new forms. This has been influenced by changes in the law, attitudes and expectations, gender relations and the rise of institutionalised individualism.

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