Social and Cultural Research MSc

About the Course

What does it mean to become a ‘researcher’?
How do we learn the "craft" of social research?
In what ways might social and cultural research be evaluated?

Recent years have been characterised by a significant expansion of opportunities to undertake social and cultural research. Such an expansion has contributed to the call for improved research education and training. The aim of the degree is to provide a strong theoretical and practical introduction to the world of sociological, social and cultural research. You will be exposed to the range of general academic research skills and expertise expected of the professional researcher in the social sciences.

Aims

The degree is a valuable preparation and qualification for a career in social research. It is also an excellent primer for those candidates planning to undertake a PhD in Sociology, Cultural Studies and cognate disciplines.

Enquiries

Course enquiries
Email sss-pgenquiries@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 265951

For applications already submitted
Contact Admissions online
Tel +44 (0)1895 265265

Course director: Dr Jason Hughes

View the School of Social Sciences website

Related Courses

Special Features

The course is based in the School of Social Sciences, and is largely taught by members of the Sociology and Communications subject group within the School.

The group was awarded a 5 in the last Research Assessment Exercise, which indicates a very high level of research excellence, and consists of lecturers all of whom are active in producing research. To find out more about the people who will be teaching you, visit our staff page.

Staff Research Interests

Dr Matthew David: New media; new genetics; science and technology; popular culture.

Dr Monica Degen: The sociological and cultural study of urban environments; the politics of public space, material culture; sociology of the senses, sociology of everyday life; the social and spatial aspects of European identity.

Dr Lesley Henderson: Sociology of the mass media; public issues and media representations; television fiction; media audiences.

Dr Jason Hughes: The sociology of emotions and of the body and health; sociological theory, and organisational sociology. Emotional reflexivity in the 'new' workplace, emotional labour and aesthetic labour; new managerial discourses, risk and leisure commodities (particularly tobacco); addiction.

Professor Chris Jenks: Culture, social theory, childhood.

Dr Sharon Lockyer: Ethics and aesthetics of humour in everyday life; media comedy. Particular interest in instances where humour and comedy excite social tension and moral controversy. Explores theoretical, practical and methodological issues related to the study of humour.

Dr Sarita Malik: Cultural diversity and public service; broadcasting, reality TV, cultural pluralism.

Dr Timothy Milewa: Democratic practice, citizenship and governance in British health policy/ health management; health policy, values in social policy

Dr John Roberts: Public sphere in historical and contemporary settings; different forms of free speech in the global world; social theory.

Professor Chris Rojek: Celebrity culture; sociology of leisure and recreation; publishing.

Dr Sanjay Sharma: Critical multiculturalism and anti racist pedagogy; politics of identity; subjectivity and difference, youth and popular diaspora culture.

Dr Peter Wilkin: Issues in World Systems analysis; political economy: communication; furniture and health; pornography and the Internet', security/ development; Tory or Conservative anarchism and political satire.

Course Content

Typical Modules (subject to change)

Core

Qualitative Methods in Social and Cultural Research 

Main topics of study: developing research questions; research philosophies (positivism, phenomenology, reflexivity); ethnography; internet research; interviews; biographical methods; focus groups; surveys and sampling; qualitative data analysis; politics and ethics of research.

Quantitative Data Analysis

Main topics of study: Collecting data, data forms, data entry and data management; univariate statistical measures and tests; basic bivariate analysis – correlation, association and statistical significance; basic regression – i.e. linear regression; multiple regression and data-modelling; logistic regression, life-tables and hazard modelling.

Graduate Research Skills and Professional Development 

Main topics of study: reviewing research aims and objectives; choosing research methods; study design, sampling, and analytical issues in the use of such methods; appropriate resources for such studies; using information technologies; managing a research project, presenting research information.

Dissertation 

Recent examples of dissertations by students taking this course include:

Facebook and the mediated presentation of self.
The cultural contingency of lay understandings of happiness.
Veiling: second generation Muslim women and the crisis of multiculturism.

Elective (three from)

Issues and Controversies in Media and Communications

Main topics of study: media ethics, media and moral panics, media power, media effects.

Media and Globalisation

Main topics of study: theorists of globalisation; globalisation and media; critics of globalisation; intellectual property and global media/culture industries; global Internet regulation; globalisation and media culture.

Creative Industries

Main topics of study: the rise of the creative class, the symbolic economy, immaterial labour, gentrification of cities, and advertising and branding.

Making Web Cultures

Main topics of study: The politics and social characteristics of online social networks; analysis of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogging culture; impact and use of web technologies for collaboration, e.g. wikis; problems of surveillance and privacy in the internet age.

Media Audiences

Main topics of study: television audiences and contemporary public issues (news and political communication, health and illness, sexual violence); ‘youth’ audiences and politics; audiences as citizens, consumers, producers. These case studies are explored in the context of wider debates concerning media effects/ influences; active’ audience theory.

Principles of Media Research

Main topics of study: key principles and ethics of media and communications research; focus groups in research practice; design and conduct of semi-structured interviews; analysing media content; analysing media discourses, audience surveys.

Popular Culture

Main topics of study: distributed power, global networks and cultural resistance; global internet culture critical; celebrity culture; psychological and social consequences of celebrity; mediation and social memory.

Assessment

Assessment is by coursework. Some of these are in a traditional essay format, while others allow you to complete projects or research exercises. A dissertation of approximately 15,000 words is completed over the summer period in consultation with a supervisor. You are encouraged to conduct primary research in an area relevant to the course in preparation for the dissertation.

Careers

The course is designed to lead you to two kinds of subsequent career, depending on which one is of interest to you.

First, it will prepare you for PhD study in sociology. The course is designed as a primer and provides a thorough grounding in the craft of social and cultural research plus an opportunity for students to develop an original thesis of their own.

In addition, this course will prepare you for a career in social research. There are many opportunities in this field. Social research in many subject areas (for example: health, education, social work, criminology) is done by government agencies, charities, academic institutions and others. The best way to find out about available UK jobs in social research is to examine job advertisements in the Tuesday or Wednesday editions of the Guardian newspaper. See also the web site of the Social Research Association: www.the-sra.org.uk

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £5,800 full-time; £2,900 part-time

International students: £13,500 full-time; £6,750 part-time

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements

Normally a good Honours degree from a UK institution relevant to social research; an equivalent overseas qualification or an equivalent professional qualification. Students whose first language is not English must have IELTS of at least 6.5 or equivalent

English Language Requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
TOEFL Paper test: 580 (TWE 4.5)
TOEFL Internet test: 92 (R20, L20, S20, W20)
Pearson: 59 (51 in all subscores)
BrunELT 65% (min 60% in all areas)

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.

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