1. Broadening
2. Power and Conflict
3. Social and Societal Studies

Social and Societal Studies

Why ‘Social and Societal Studies’?

Gender, race and class, alongside many other social identity markers, are central to the way social change is experienced by different groups of people. Patterns of inequality and oppression, as well as concentrations of wealth and privilege can be analysed through these lenses. Changes in class relations, emergent social, political and religious movements, and how poor people experience policies for economic growth all have an impact on how we experience the world today. If you are interested in these social pressures, this sub-theme offers a wide number of modules from different contexts across time and place that address these questions.  

Make the most of your discovery modules

The new discovery module PIED 1551 Power and Conflict – An Introduction teaches you to analyse the different ways in which power and conflict functions in all levels of society. The module draws on historical documents, videos, discussion boards, news clips and music.

Each two-week section deals with one of the sub-themes of the Power and Conflict Discovery Theme with material provided by specialist contributors in history, sociology, performance, geography, media, politics and cultural studies, and illustrated through historical and thought provoking case studies. 

In relation to Social and Societal Power and Conflict, you will explore how power operates through social and societal forms such as race, class, and gender, and how conflict emerges around these markers of identity.

If you’re attracted to this sub-theme, you might also like to explore the discovery modules in ‘Ethics, Religion and Law’