SYNOPSIS
The quadruple module is designed to give students experience of practical fieldwork in which they will collect, analyse and present data to form a dissertation. The fieldwork will extend from previous work within the degree and personal interest. Whilst not imperative strong recommendation is made that it bears relevance to potential future employment or further study.
INDICATIVE READING LIST OR OTHER LEARNING RESOURCES
Adams R. Dominelli, L. & Payne, M. [Eds.] (2009), Social Work. Themes, issues, and Critical Debates 3rd edn. London: Palgrave.
Albrecht, G.L., Fitzpatrick R. & Scrimshaw C. (2003) The Handbook of Social Studies in Health and Medicine. London: Sage.
Allott M. & Robb M. [Eds.] (1998) Understanding health and social care: an introductory reader. London: Sage in association with the Open University.
Armstrong D (1994), Outline of Sociology as applied to Medicine. 4th. Edition. London: Butterworth Heinemann.
Baggott, R. (2010) Public Health: Policy and Politics. London: Macmillan.
Banks, S. (2004) Ethics, Accountability and the Social Professions, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Bauman, Z (2001) Thinking Sociologically. London: Blackwell.
Beattie A. Gott M. Jones L. and Siddell M. (1993), Health and Well-being: A reader. Open University Press.
Beck, U., 1992 Risk Society Towards a New Modernity. London, Sage Publications.
*Bell, J. (2005) Doing Your Research Project: a guide to first time researchers in education (4th Edition) Oxford University Press
Bochel, H. et al. (2009) Social Policy: Issues and Developments. 2nd edn. Harlow: Pearson /Prentice Hall.
Bowling A (2009), Research Methods in Health. Investigating Health and Health Services. 3rd edn. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Bowling A. (2005) Measuring health: a review of quality of life measurement scales. 3rd edn. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Christensen, P. and James, A. (2007) Research with Children. Perspectives and Practices. Falmer Press
Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K.(2007) Research Methods in Education. Sixth edition. Routledge
Colucci, E. (2007) "Focus Groups can be Fun". The use of Activity-oriented Questions in Focus Group Discussions' Qualitative Health Review. Sage publications
Davey, B. Gray, A. & Seale, C. [Eds.] (2001) Health and disease: a reader. 3rd. Edition. Buckingham: Open University Press.
England: Department of Health 2004 Every Child Matters: The Stationary Office, London
England: Department of Health 2006 Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion, September, Crown Copyright, London
Engels, F 1986 The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, Foreign Languages Press, Peking
Fraser, D. (2009) The Evolution of the British welfare State. 4th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Garland, J. & Garland, C. (2001), Life review in health and social care: a practitioner's guide. Hove: Brunner-Routledge.
Germov. J [Ed.] (2009), Second opinion: an introduction to health sociology. 4th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gibbs, L. & Gambrill, E. (1999) Critical thinking for social workers: exercises for the helping professions. London: Pine Forge.
Giddens, A. (2002) Runaway world: How Globalisation is reshaping our lives. 2 edn. London: Routledge.
Gomm, R. & Davies, C. [Eds.] (2000) Using evidence in health and social care. London: Sage.
Gray A [Ed.] (2001), World health and disease. 3rd edn. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Greene, S. and Hogan, .D. (2005) Researching Children's Experiences. Sage
Grieg, A., Taylor, J. and Mc Kay, T. (2007) Doing Research With Children. Second edition. Sage.
Hammersley, M. (ed.) (1999) Researching School Experience. Ethnographic studies of Teaching and Learning. Falmer Press
Higginbotham, N. Albrecht, G. Connor, L. [Eds.] (2001), Health social science: a transdisciplinary and complexity perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hood, S., Kelley, P., and Mayall, P. (1996) 'Children as research subjects: a Risky Enterprise' in Children and Society, Volume 10 number 2. pp. 117-128
Kemmis, S. (2009) 'Action research as a practice based practice' in Educational Action Research, vol 17,no.3. pp.463-474.
Kerrison, S. & McFarlane, A. (2000), Official Statistics: An unofficial guide. London: Radical Health Statistics Group / Arnold
Laine, M. de. (2000) Fieldwork, participation and practice: ethics and dilemmas in qualitative research. Sage
Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S. and Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2001) Doing Early Childhood Research. International Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Open University Press
Mahon, A., Glendenning, C. , Clarke, K. and Craig, G. (1996) 'Researching Children: Methods and Ethics' in Children and Society, Volume 10 number 2. pp. 117-128
Malin, N., Wilmot S. and Manthorpe J. (2002) Key Concepts and Debates in Health and Social Policy. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Nettleton, S & Gustafsson, U. [Eds.] (2006), The Sociology of health and illness reader. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons [Current edition], On The State of the Public Health. London: The Stationary Office.
Parton, N. [Ed.] (1996), Social theory, social change and social work. Routledge,
Purdy, M & Banks, D. (2001), The Sociology and politics of health: a reader. London: Routledge.
* Robson, C. (2002) Real World Research . A resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers. Second edition. Blackwell Publishing
Scheirer, M. A., 1983 Household Structure among Welfare Families: Correlates and Consequences. Journal of Marriage Families, 45, p 761-771
Taylor, C. and White, S. (2000) Practising Reflexivity in Health and Welfare: Making Knowledge, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Unwin N. Carr S. Leeson J. and Pless-Mulloli T. (1997), An introductory study guide to public health and epidemiology. Buckingham: Open University Press.
The following Journals may be useful:
Social Science and Medicine.
Critical Public Health.
Sociology of Health and Illness.
Web-Based Resources:
http://www.who.int/en/ - World Health Organisation.
OUTLINE SYLLABUS
The student will undertake the following
1. Building on their existing knowledge, students will be encouraged to reflect in depth upon
issues that are emerging on the course
2. Students will examine different models of research appropriate to an investigation within their
selected area of study. Issues of ethics and access, developing a research focus and
research questions will be developed into an area of special interest to individual students
3. Project management skills and research skills will be further developed
4. Progress reporting
5. A research project
6. Identification of a feasible study, development of a series of research questions lined to the
literature, identify an appropriate research design/method of enquiry, negotiate access and
ethical issues
7. Analyse and reflect upon the data collected in relation to the substantive literature
8. Complete the writing and presentation of the project
AIMS OF MODULE
1. To further develop students' enquiry based research skills
2. To plan a relevant research initiative in the student's selected study area
3. To develop relevant skills to enable appropriate fieldwork to be undertaken
4. To further develop understanding of ethical issues
5. To carry out and complete a research project in the genre of a selected part-route
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The student will be able to
1. Critically discriminate key issues in the theoretical literature with reference to their research
design
2. Present a feasible research proposal for their special study, including an initial literature
search in substantive and methodological areas, and negotiating access and ethical
guidelines with appropriate people
3. Demonstrate the ability to execute and write up a substantial project study related to their
chosen field of study.
LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY
Initial general generic sessions will be held followed by specialised areas of study sessions. Students will opt for a specialised area relating to one of their part-routes. Where appropriate this may be informed by the other part-route.
Project Proposal
Workshops and reciprocal peer feedback sessions, along with lectures, groupwork, directed and independent learning will be employed. Peer support will play an important part in formative assessment and feedback. Tutorial opportunities will support students' increasing independence in managing their own learning.
Research
This will involve lectures, groupwork, directed learning, independent learning, workshops, tutorials, surgery sessions, to support students in collected, analysing and reporting their fieldwork.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
Project proposal
Assessment is by means of a research proposal, up to 3,000 words, written to a specified brief. It takes the form of a research bid. As assessment criteria protocol has been developed and is published in the module handbook.
Research
Assessment of the project, should conform to the guidelines issued in the unit handbook and be between 8,000-9,000 words. An assessment criteria protocol is publised in the module handbook.