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• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

Overcoming the challenges in understanding individual and collective human behaviour

• Module code: XX3001
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 3
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

This is a core module for all students following the Foundation in Social and Behavioural Sciences programme. The module is designed to introduce students to the wide spectrum of disciplines and approaches that encompass the social and behavioural sciences. The module will address both common features across the social and behavioural sciences (ie. the study of collective and individual human behaviour), as well as the defining features of the individual disciplines. A key focus will be on the overlapping and somewhat artificial nature of the boundaries between the different disciplines in the social and behavioural sciences. In addition, the module will allow students to engage with key qualitative methods used in the fields examined. At the conclusion of the module students will have acquired a comprehensive overview of the social and behavioural sciences as a field of study, of the individual, yet overlapping, disciplines within the field and how they are examined.

Aims

• To introduce students to the concept of the social and behavioural sciences and what is distinctive about the study of collective and individual human behaviour compared to other fields of study (eg. natural science).
• To introduce students to the challenges involved in understanding collective and individual human behaviour.
• To introduce students to the common qualitative methods used in the social and behavioural sciences.
• To introduce students to the differences and commonalities of the individual fields of study within the social and behavioural sciences and the key features of each.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Identify what makes the study of collective and individual human behaviour different from other fields of study.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the challenges involved in understanding collective and individual human behaviour.
• Demonstrate an awareness of the qualitative methods employed in the study of the social and behavioural sciences.
• Demonstrate a general knowledge of the disciplines making up the social and behavioural sciences.
• Demonstrate a more detailed knowledge of one chosen field of study within the social and behavioural sciences.

Curriculum content

• The emergence of the social and behavioural sciences.
• What is scientific about the social and behavioural sciences?
• Key theories of human behaviour.
• The nature of knowledge in the study of human behaviour.
• Key ways of doing research on human behaviour (ie. research methods), including, but not limited to:
  • Discourse analysis.
  • Content analysis.
  • Interviewing.
  • Participant observation.
• Similarities and differences in social and behavioural science disciplines.
• Comparing and contrasting how the disciplines with in the social and behavioural sciences view and respond to contemporary issues and controversies.
• Other fields in the social and behavioural sciences.

Teaching and learning strategy

Teaching is delivered through lectures and tutorial classes with the students being taught by small group delivery in the latter. Each lecture will provide an overview of a given topic and seminars will provide a supportive space for raising questions and discussing key concepts, ideas and controversies. The module will be start with a general introduction to the social and behavioural sciences as a whole, and an overview of the individual disciplines, with a special emphasis on those taught in the School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. The module will then examine how human behaviour is studied, including an introduction to some of the key methods used. It will then move on to looking at cases drawn from current events and discuss how each discipline would analyse and approach these. The cases will be varied each year to take account of what is going on in the UK and beyond at any given time; and to fit with other events in the School such as the Themed Week.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

Formative assessment will be through the discussion of weekly worksheets. Summative assessment will be through two essays: one will be a general essay on the study of human behaviour in a broad sense; the second will be focussed on a specific discipline available for study in the School. The first essay will focus on the overall nature of the social sciences, their commonalities and differences. The second will allow the students to engage in more detail with their chosen discipline, whilst still making links across disciplines. Both essays will develop and assess topic specific knowledge, and academic study and writing skills.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

R. Trigg, Understanding Social Science: A Philosophical Introduction to the Social Sciences,  2nd Edition (Oxford, Blackwell, 2001)

K. Woodward, Social Sciences: the big issues (Oxford, Routledge, 2003)

Portfolio of articles.