Our curriculum

A range of new courses and initiatives are being developed across the School. These create opportunities for students to engage with our communities, put real-life research into practice and get a taste for truly informed debate.

Each of these courses and initiatives has recently received one of our social responsibility in the curriculum grants.

Global Social Challenges

A new first year course for social science students with social responsibility at its heart

Through this course students will gain knowledge about a number of key challenges – including climate change, terrorism and global inequality – that affect everyone. They will also learn how a sociological perspective can illuminate the causes, impacts and possible solutions to these urgent issues.

Mainstream media commentaries often lack an appreciation of social context in understanding these problems and evaluating solutions. Our students will be encouraged to use the knowledge they gain to inform public debate.

Students can be ‘public sociologists’ and, in this course, will be exposed to the idea that influencing public understanding is one of the key responsibilities of academia.

All students will write two blog posts as a part of the assignment structure. The best posts will be published online and promoted via social networks. 

The Anthropology of Development and Humanitarianism

Engaging with aid practitioners

The award will support the visit of aid practitioners to the module ‘The Anthropology of Development and Humanitarianism’. In preparation, students will research the relevant organisations and issues. They will produce a website that explains how anthropology can help us better understand development and humanitarian issues . 

Political Questioning in Manchester's Public Sphere

Research on our doorstep

This project involves students going outside the University to attend public political events in Manchester.

Students observe and record the events, evaluating how well Manchester's public sphere is able to question contemporary political issues.

Data will be collected and analysed over the three-year life of the funding in a student-led research project. This will lead to a research output in the fourth year, in the form of a research paper presented to staff.

The politics of identity and difference

More than just language support

The curriculum related activity is a weekly two-hour student-led English language conversation support session. This is offered to asylum seekers and refugees living in Moss Side at The Chrysalis Family Support Centre.

These language conversation classes are given by undergraduate student volunteers who are taking the Politics course unit ‘The Politics of Identity and Difference’ and who have signed up through Multilingual Manchester’s student volunteer programme. This is run by the School of Arts Languages and Cultures.

Though the course unit students are given the opportunity to meet people in The Chrysalis Family Support Centre. This project has come out of discussions as a result of these trips. 

Forced Labour

A modern day issue

Students on the Forced Migration course will benefit from two external speakers and will  focus on the contemporary issue of forced labour.

The speakers will be an academic expert alongside someone from Refugee Action, Manchester. They will explore the academic aspects of the topic and the ways in which a local NGO works with susceptible groups, campaigns on their behalf and offers opportunities to volunteer.

Walking tour of Manchester

Exploring the economic, cultural and social significance of migration in contemporary society

Students taking Global Migration course will participate in a walking tour of Manchester. They will trace different migratory movements to the city and identify key signifiers of past and recent migratory movements.