REGULATIONS FOR MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY (MSO)

Duration:	18 Months
Actual Credits Minimum Credit Load:	270 270
Maximum Credit Load:	360
Maximum MBKS Credit Load	234
ZNQF Level:	9

 

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAMME

This joint degree programme offers a grounding in Sociology and Social Anthropology. The two subjects provide a deep understanding of people’s culture, identity, social change and the institutions that make up everyday life. The Masters programme equips students with knowledge of empirical studies in social research helping them to address contemporary issues such as the problem of poverty, structural inequalities, effects of climate change on people’s livelihoods and even the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals within specific societies. The programme also equips students to play an important role in disease outbreaks and pandemic response due to their ability to assess social, economic and political factors in local contexts. Students taking this programme will be required to do desk-based and individual research studies which are aimed at addressing institutional voids within their local communities, workplaces, government and Non-Governmental operations. Apart from the ability to design unique, locally based development trajectories for both rural and urban setups, this programme will prepare students for a wide range of career options within Government institutions, Community-based development initiatives, Non-Governmental operations, Social research careers, Human Resources as well as careers in distinguished Academic fields. Students are supposed to be in a position to analyse an industrialising society including identifying innovative social dimensions for effective industrialisation

Entry Requirements:

Normal Entry

At least a 2.2 degree or equivalent in Sociology or Anthropology from a recognised university.

PROGRAMME CHARACTERISTICS

Area of Study

Issues in Sociology and Social Anthropology

Sociology and Social Anthropology’s major focus is on finding solutions to complex societal problems through research, data analysis and high-level critical thinking. The two disciplines foster creativity, innovation, critical thinking, analytic problem-solving, communication skills, and intercultural and interpersonal relations. Students will be exposed to different theoretical and practical underpinnings to help them develop new models suitable especially for local communities.

Research Methods

Research is key in understanding issues to do with societal challenges and coming up with effective solutions to the problems. Students will be exposed to In-depth Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods as well as methodological concepts in Sociology and Anthropology which will give them a better understanding and approach to social science research.

Rural and Urban Development

Another focus of the programme is to provide a conceptual and empirical basis from which to understand rural and urban ‘problems’ and critically evaluate the prescribed ‘solutions.’ Students will develop an understanding of how rural and urban development theories have changed over time, and how these theories combine and conflict in their application to real-world situations. Students will be encouraged to appreciate a wide range of policy intentions and outcomes in the context of gender, ethnicity, social justice and democracy.

Specialist Focus:

Sociology and Anthropology, Social Research, Rural and Urban Development

Orientation: Research and Innovation oriented. Teaching and learning focus on equipping students with an in-depth understanding of complex societal challenges as well as coming up with solutions to address these problems. These challenges range from inequalities in access to resources and access opportunities, Gender-Based Violence, and Rural and Urban poverty to issues relating to and not limited to climate change and disease outbreaks.

Distinctive Features: The programme builds the research-technology-innovation continuum and focuses on knowledge development and application using a student-centred approach.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

The MSc degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology is designed for academics, researchers, policymakers, government and non-governmental organisations as well as rural and urban development experts. The disciplines of Sociology and Social Anthropology offer opportunities in a wide range of career paths. This entails that the graduates will enter the job market with a considerable advantage due to their possession of an array of practical skills that are valuable to many industries and careers. Students may expect to work as social researchers, data analysts, enumerators, educators, field officers, monitoring and evaluation officers, customer experience officers and human resources among other vocations. Both disciplines have been used in multiple ways by governments, and public and private organisations. Their utility has been in national issues relating to governance from winning elections to selling consumer goods, human and wildlife conflict, health communication, and understanding mass movements among other societal issues.

FURTHER EDUCATION

Graduates of the programme can enrol for Doctor of Philosophy Studies in Sociology, Anthropology, Childhood Studies, Gender Studies, Rural and Urban Development and other related fields.

5.0. PROGRAMME DELIVERY

Teaching and Learning Methods: Lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work, presentations, public lectures, practical activities, guest lecturers, dissertation, lecture notes, assisted private studies and individual independent study.

Assessment Methods: Written and oral examinations, tests, seminar presentations, continuous assessment, dissertation.

LEVEL 1 SEMESTER 1

 

Code            Module Description                                                                         Credits

MSO701                  Issues in Anthropological and Sociological Theory                         18

MSO702                  Advanced Qualitative Research Methodology                                    18

MSO709                  Social Development Issues                                                                18

MSO707                  The Sociology of Rural Development                                            18

MSO710     Gender and Development                                                                         18

 

 

LEVEL 1 SEMESTER 2

 

MSO703                  Advanced Social Theory                                                                18

MSO706                  Urbanisation and Development                                                      18

MSO708                  Industrial Sociology                                                                       18

MSO704      Social Policy and Social Administration                                                     18  

MSO711          Advanced Quantitative Research Methods                             18

 

LEVEL 2 SEMESTER 1

MSO801      Dissertation                                                                                      90

 

MODULE SYNOPSES

MSO 701 Issues in Anthropological and Sociological Theory 

This is an advanced course in sociological and anthropological theory which discusses classical works in depth with an emphasis on the application of theory. Key themes by classical theorists are considered and interrogated in terms of relevance and applicability in today’s society. The module provides an in-depth examination of the development of sociological and anthropological theoretical approaches with an emphasis on the application of theory. Through a critical analysis of the classical works of theorists such as Weber, Marx, Durkheim, Parsons, Malinowski, Boas, Mauss, Strauss among others, students will be afforded the opportunity to engage at a more advanced level in issues relating to acquisition, production, and uses of sociological and anthropological knowledge. The module brings to the fore debates concerning sociological and anthropological description; philosophical underpinnings as well as historical and political antecedents.  Some key themes to be examined in sociology include stability, conflict, change, plurality, subjectivity, identity and cultural repertoires. Key themes to be examined in anthropology include: affect and materiality, subjectivity, rationality, integration, and agency.

MSO 702 Advanced Qualitative Research Methodology     

This module builds on students’ knowledge of qualitative research methods by introducing them to advanced methods and techniques commonly used by qualitative researchers. The module seeks to foster an advanced level of understanding of, and expertise in the use of, the key methods of qualitative data generation. Using a theoretical and practical learning approach, students will be further equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to critically engage with complex concepts relevant to the advanced aspects of qualitative research such as critical appraisal of research output.  Topics covered will include phenomenological/interpretivist and subjectivist philosophical foundations of qualitative epistemology and ontology, action research, ethnographic and observational research, discourse and conversation analysis, documentary and archival analysis, participatory research, grounded theory, narrative interviewing, visual and other technology-based methods of data collection as well as fundamentals of qualitative data analysis.

MSO 703 Advanced Social Theory

The main thrust of this course is to impart analytical skills, attitudes and knowledge to students, who will in turn deploy these skills in engaging in an analysis of theoretical debates on the chosen topics, in an informed and rigorous manner. Thus, this course invites students to ‘theorize’ on key themes, using key theoretical propositions of social theorists in the field of sociology and related fields.  The module is grounded on contemporary sociological and anthropological theory. The module will focus on the scholarship of Theodor Adorno, Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Jurgen Habermas, Judith Butler, Slavoj Zizek, Zygmunt Bauman, Julia Kristeva, Anthony Giddens among other contemporary social thinkers.  The main themes to be interrogated include power, freedom, media, individual agency, feminism, network society, communicative action, relativism, post-modernism, and critical theory. The overall goal is to teach students to propose their own theories or to theorise rather than to think of it as an enterprise of the mighty and the extraordinary, involving abstract thinking. Departing from tradition as with most Theory courses, rather than have classical theories and theorists determining the subject, the course has defined the subject that key theorists can be enlisted as analytical tools for intellectual understanding and explication of issues. Selected topics or themes encapsulate what can be viewed as core or trending social issues in society today as well as in the discipline of sociology today.

MSO704 Social Policy and Administration

This course focuses on examining the different perspectives on social policy and their implications for understanding and addressing major social problems in society. The main issues to be considered include a focus on the history of social policy, poverty, urban development, education, health, social welfare, housing, social security and international development, social justice and social change. Special emphasis will be on adopting a comparative approach in order to understand the formulation and practice of social policy in both developing and developed countries, the evolution of the welfare state, and the rationale and values that support different approaches. By the end of this course, students should be able to examine how different social, economic and political contexts affect social policy.

MSO 705 The Sociology and Anthropology of Childhood

This module critically examines children and childhood in a globalized world through sociological and anthropological lenses. Children have been left out of several evaluations and discourses on Child rights and policies concerning them. This module is designed in such a way that students understand how children shape and are shaped by the social worlds in which they live. Emerging discourses such as the New Sociology of Childhood will be studied and discussed in greater depth. Topics to be discussed may include child exploitation, sexual exploitation, migration, challenges of vulnerable children and issues pertaining to child fosterage.

MSO 706 Urbanisation and Development                     

The course aims to provide a conceptual and empirical basis from which to understand urban ‘problems’ and critically evaluate the prescribed ‘solutions.’ Students will develop an understanding of how urban and development theories have changed over time, and how these theories combine and conflict in their application to real-world situations. Students will be encouraged to appreciate a wide range of policy intentions and outcomes in the context of gender, ethnicity, social justice and democracy.

MSO 707 The Sociology of Rural Development

The course offers an in-depth understanding of the rural sociology theoretical evolution, and changing trends influencing the nature of rural development both in the developed world and the developing world. The student gets to understand the philosophies and ideologies behind rural development, how social change has evolved and how the quality of life has also changed. This gives the analytical frameworks for understanding the discourse of rural sociology regarding issues of rural poverty, livelihood development, policy development and quality of life for rural populations.

MSO 708 Industrial Sociology

This module critically examines trends in the workplace or organisations. The module equips students with the ability to bring about positive change within workplace settings. In addition to that, students are acquainted with issues to do with Human Resources, Management Models and Organisational Compliance to regulations Paying particular attention to industrial dynamics and developments from the First Industrial Revolution up to the 4th Industrial Revolution including the impact of technology. The module also expounds on workers’ rights, associations and safety in the workplace which have become volatile issues in the past decade.

MSO 709 Social Development Issues

The module focuses on social development for enhanced understanding and planning for socially sensitive development. Global attention to social development, such as the World Bank’s plan and the World Summit on Social Development will be explored. Thus, this course acquaints students with the concept of social development and then examines key concepts (including social change, human social development, transformative social policy, human capabilities, social inequalities, modernity and globalisation) and sectors in social development. These include the role of non-government organisations, government and the private sector in relation to education, health, food security and trade. This course also introduces students to the history of the concept of poverty, the culture of poverty, the causes of poverty and its effects. Intersections between poverty and health, human rights and education will be explored in a variety of international contexts

MSO 710 Gender and Development

Gender studies and development studies are both interdisciplinary in orientation, and they overlap on issues as diverse as work and family life, health and population, labour and international economic change. This course will open room for debates, and discussions on issues affecting both men and women in as much as development is concerned. This course will interrogate Gender and Development in light of Sustainable Development Goals, equal treatment before law as well as fair access to resources and opportunities mainly in the Zimbabwean context, regional and international community.

MSO 711 Advanced Quantitative Research Methodology

This module focuses on the concepts, positivist and realist philosophical foundations underpinning quantitative epistemology and ontology, methods and skills central to the successful design and implementation of quantitative research projects in the social sciences, including data collection approaches and concept operationalization. It builds on issues around probability sampling, sampling error and statistical inference. Furthermore, this module aims to produce careful and considerate researchers who understand and appreciate the key issues in the craft of applied work and are able to critically appraise quantitative social research in their respective fields. Topics covered include data collection approaches, surveys, case-control and cohort studies, data types and distribution, access and ethics, hypothesis testing, samples and populations, approaches to analyses including comparisons, regression and correlation; analysis of categorical and continuous data and combining results of independent studies.

MSO 712 Anthropology of Health and Medicine

The module aims to acquaint students with how health and medicine are contextualised across various cultural domains. It combines theoretical themes and ethnographic studies. The theoretical themes are grounded in sociological theory particularly structural functionalism, Marxism, symbolic interactionism, feminism, neoliberalism, and post-modernism. The module considers issues of knowledge and power that underpin discourses and practices around health and wellbeing. The module also emphasizes the local in relation to the global (global-local dynamics). Topics to be covered within the module include an in-depth study of the social construction of biomedical knowledge, issues of global health, gender, indigenous knowledge systems, faith and healing, alternative medicine, symbolic paradigms, trans-cultural psychiatry, disability studies, and public policy. By the end of the module, students will be able to critically understand the cultural construction of health and medicine within various social contexts.

MSO 713 Applied Sociology and Anthropology

The module aims to acquaint students with the use of sociology and anthropology as tools for intervention and enhancement of social life. The module equips students on how to formulate solutions to social problems that are theoretically grounded. The module adopts a practise-oriented approach by offering students a range of activities that involve the area of sociology and anthropology for example policy and research, analysis, programme evaluation, and organisational assessment. Some of the themes to be covered include evaluating social action, modelling social phenomena, and advancing the adaptability of alternative social forms. The module will enable students to identify social problems and proceed to analyse those problems using sociological and anthropological approaches.

MSO 714 Mixed Methods Approach

This module bridges the gap between quantitative and qualitative research methods by focusing on how the two can be simultaneously and/or sequentially integrated in social inquiry. The focus is on how the two methods including their philosophical underpinnings can be combined to give a comprehensive appreciation of social research and analysis. Topics include pragmatist epistemological and ontological philosophy, mixed research methods and techniques, design, presentation and dissemination. Issues surrounding mixed methods’ reliability and validity are also critically discussed.

MSO 801 Dissertation

Research is a key component in designing models, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies and programmes both at global, regional and national levels. The purpose of the Dissertation is to enable the students to showcase their ability to conduct innovative research. Each student is expected to come up with a research problem from which they derive a research topic, write the research proposal, clearly articulate either the qualitative research methods or the quantitative research methods or both, the research design(s), research tools, data management and analysis, presentation and discussion of research findings. The dissertation gives the students an opportunity to provide valuable recommendations for policies and programmes that would result in the positive transformation of the socioeconomic, religious and environment of the population. Such recommendations from the dissertation course would subsequently enhance societal innovation and industrialisation.