UNIT 1

MODULE 1: Sociology, Culture and Identity

The sociological perspective

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Sociology as a discipline

Development of sociology as a discipline The development of sociology in the Caribbean Sociology as a science

How society works

Concepts: social order (structure, function, power), social change, status and roles, values, norms and sanctions, social group (primary and secondary; in group and out group), socialisation (types and agents - school, family, peer group, mass media, religion)

Theories

Functionalism Conflict theories Interactionism

The study of society

Positivism and interpretivism Quantitative and qualitative research Surveys, observations, document study Cross sectional and longitudinal studies Sampling - probability and non-probability Ethical issues in research

Culture and identity

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Elements of culture (material and non material) Characteristics of culture Types of culture change Sub-culture and counter-culture Globalisation and culture Plantation society and culture

Caribbean socio cultural diversity: continuity and change, conflict and assimilation, Creole and plural perspectives

Caribbean popular culture (music, dance art in a historical and social context)

MODULE 2: Social Institutions

Family
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Theoretical perspectives

African and Indian heritage Social pathology Functionalism Feminist perspective Kinship ideology and practice

Ethnic diversity and Caribbean kinship

Afro Caribbean Indo-Caribbean Indigenous

Changing Caribbean kinship patterns

Rate of marriage and divorce Men and fatherhood Female headed households Single parent households Family breakdown The impact of slavery, indentureship, migration and contemporary factors

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Family and gender (the changing role of women and men) Problems associated with the family

Domestic violence Child abuse Conjugal separation Divorce Teenage pregnancy

Religion
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Types of belief systems (animism, naturism, polytheism, monotheism) Theoretical perspectives

Consensus Conflict Interactionism

Familiarity with TWO of the following in terms of emergence, character, dynamics:

Christianity Hinduism Islam Rastafarianism Vodun Shango Kumina Pocomania Revivalism Orisha

Secularism

Education
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Theoretical perspectives

Consensus Conflict Interactionist

Development of education in the Caribbean

Establishment and expansion (post emancipation, post independence) Decolonisation and indigenisation Globalisation

Problems in Caribbean education

Student delinquency Dropout rates Male academic under achievement Lack of human and material resources

MODULE 3: Social Stratification and Social Mobility

Concepts of stratification in a comparative perspective

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Class Colour Race Ethnicity Caste Gender

Theoretical perspectives
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Conflict Functionalist Weberian

Education, equality and social mobility Changing patterns of Caribbean stratification Education and gender
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Comparative male and female enrolment and achievement Feminisation of the teaching profession

UNIT 2
MODULE 1: Population Studies

Statistical concepts Relevant statistics Theories

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Malthusian Marxist Neo-Malthusian Demographic transition theory

Trends in population growth

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Composition (age, sex, ethnicity, religion, occupation) Trends )migration, urbanisation, age, nutrition and health, natural disasters implications

Population control policies

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Birth control Migration fertility

Population and development in the Caribbean

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Impact of population transition People as resources and consumers

MODULE 2: Social Order, Social Control, Deviance

Concepts
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Social order Social control deviance

Theories
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Functionalist Conflict Interactionist

Institutions of social control

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Family Education Religion Media Political system Legal system

Social distribution of crime

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By:

Age Class Ethnicity Gender Locality

Caribbean statistics and trends

Issues of deviance
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Drug abuse Juvenile delinquency Domestic violence White collar crime Corporate crime

MODULE 3: Social Development and poverty

Social development
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Definition of concepts

Development Underdevelopment Modernisation Industrialisation

Indicators of development

Health Education Welfare Social services Quality of life

Theories
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Early evolutionary Modernisation Dependency World systems Globalisation

Issues in Caribbean development

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Industrialisation Urbanisation Bureaucratisation Tourism Gender Health

Poverty
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Problems in defining

Absolute or subsistence poverty Relative poverty Subjective poverty

Problems of measuring poverty (poverty line model)

Theoretical perspectives on the causes and persistence of poverty

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Culture of poverty Marxist perspectives Conservative approach

Categories of the poor

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People with special needs Elderly woman, children and youth Unemployed Single parent families Indigenous people

Contributions of sociology to the analysis of poverty

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Social aspect Poverty alleviation policies ('needs ' and 'rights' based perspectives)