Sociology: insight4me Sociology – Focus on Identity With University of East Anglia & University of Surrey

insight4me is a series of subject specific webinars for current Year 12 & 13 students. The sessions support students’ current studies by giving an insight into particular curriculum areas whilst affording students the opportunity to talk to different universities and make informed comparisons about how, in this case, Sociology is taught.

In this insight4me Sociology webinar for schools and colleges, University of East Anglia and University of Surrey will each have roughly 30 minutes to deliver a punchy, topic based ‘micro’ talk. Within an overall session theme of Focus On Identity, the universities have the freedom to choose their own topic and use the time to convey the key points of the case studies for the students.

Through the discussion, the universities are encouraged to provide an insight into the teaching and learning experience of this topic at university, and compare and contrast how other subject areas across the Sociology spectrum might be treated. Students will gain an insight into how these subjects continue beyond A-levels, T-levels, IB, BTEC and equivalent qualifications.

By hearing from 2 unis, students will also appreciate how the further study of Sociology can vary between institutions, contributing to the depth of their HE research and assisting informed decision making.

Full details of the universities and their talks will appear below when available. 

• University of East Anglia: Dr Carlene Cornish will present: When racism, poverty, power and prestige collide in Education: A case study of a working class, ‘Mixed’ race female student studying at a prestigious ‘White’ university in South Africa. The words, “Sorry, you’re not ‘Black’ enough” painfully alerted me to the domineering presence of institutional racism at the University of Cape Town (UCT), a prestigious university which customarily reserved access for ‘White’, affluent and international students. Positioned at the intersections of race, gender and social class, this study draws on Critical Race Theory’s counter-storytelling, using autoethnographic research to critically reflect on my childhood and educational journey in South Africa. The talk reveals painful experiences of microaggressions and overt racism, but also celebratory moments of academic success and individual resilience.
• University of Surrey: Dr Vicki Harman will present ‘Mothers on Display: Lunchboxes, Social Class and Moral Accountability’. This talk explores mothers’ narratives on their daily routines of preparing lunchboxes for their children. In this study lunchboxes are understood as an artefact linking together discourses and practices of doing and displaying mothering, media and government discourses of feeding children and broader issues of care and surveillance in private and public settings. The talk illuminates how mothers feel on display through the contents of their children’s lunchboxes, how lunchboxes provide a vehicle for displaying ‘good mothering’ and how mothers respond differently to school restrictions on lunchbox contents depending on their social class position. The study highlights how identities related to social class, gender and parenting – particularly the notion of the ‘good mother’ – intersect to create a certain set of practices and ways of talking about those practices.

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Sociology and related disciplines.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the 2 topics and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying Sociology at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Bluejeans and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: