Course summary

The Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge is a world-class centre for teaching and research in Sociology, with a proud tradition of research grounded in engagement with contemporary real-world issues. Our department is ranked first for Sociology in the Guardian's Best Universities league table. The UK's 2021 Research Excellence Framework ranks our department second overall in the UK, and joint first for the research environment. And the QS World University rankings list our department as 6th of 330 sociology departments across the world. The MPhil in Sociology provides students with a firm grounding in theoretical and empirical analysis, which are at the core of understanding the workings of social inequality. The Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion pathway will equip students with a broad understanding of theoretical approaches to marginality and exclusion, as well as providing students with the ability to explore research-led areas of marginalization and forms of exclusion in-depth, examining their contextual specificity, their transformations over time and their impact on other aspects of social and political life. The Sociology of Marginality and Exclusion pathway, within the MPhil in Sociology, provides students with the opportunity to study the logics and processes of marginality and exclusion at an advanced level. This pathway aims to integrate the consideration of themes in social theory with the study of substantive topics, as well as give a thorough grounding in research methods. There are three elements to the pathway: 1. A core course of 8 two-hour sessions covering some of the major theoretical contributions to the sociological study of marginality and exclusion and some key substantive topics. Both core and substantive topics vary from year to year but will address the dimensions of marginalization in relation to the production and reproduction of social life as well as the exercise of power. 2. Research Methods: all students will receive training in research methods and will take a course on research methods which includes sessions on philosophical issues in the social sciences; research design; data collection and analysis in relation to quantitative and qualitative methods; reflection on research ethics and practice; library and computer skills. Students will also have the opportunity to take courses and attend lectures on many other aspects of research method and design and will select these courses in discussion with their supervisor. 3. Dissertation: all students will write a dissertation on a topic of their choice that allows for theoretically informed empirical analysis of some aspect of marginality and exclusion in contemporary societies. The choice of dissertation topic is made in consultation with your supervisor, who can advise you on the suitability and feasibility of your proposed research and on research design. A dissertation workshop provides the opportunity to present aspects of your dissertation work and to receive constructive feedback from course teachers and fellow students.