NUI Maynooth Ireland

MA in Sociology

The Sociology department at NUI Maynooth - a centre of sociological teaching, research and public debate has a long history, going back to 1930, when a Chair of Sociology was established in Maynooth College.

Sociology is a varied subject, with almost any area of social life open to sociological analysis. It is more a way of thinking about the world than the study of any specific area. For C. Wright Mills the ‘sociological imagination’ enabled us to link the individual and society, biography and history and to show how ‘private troubles’ are shaped by ‘public issues’.

Understanding Social Change: Politics, Culture, Community.

The Department of Sociology offers this one-year taught Master of Arts course in Sociology on the theme of ‘Understanding Social Change: Politics, Culture, Community. The ‘Celtic Tiger’ years have heralded dramatic changes such as of the growing impact of globalization, the rise of consumerism, new technologies, the growth of the suburbs, and immigration in Ireland. Understanding the nature of these social changes is central to understanding Irish society. But Ireland also presents itself as a particularly fascinating ‘laboratory’ for studying broader patterns of global change.

The M.A. on Understanding Social Change will be structured around three interrelated themes: politics, culture and community. Major changes in the organization of society are usually highly controversial and are an outcome of political struggles, and the first theme explores the politics of change. Secondly, these political and social changes have important cultural dimensions, as new discourses and cultural forms emerge and are struggled over. And finally, even the most controversial social changes must become embedded in local communities to really take hold and transform a society. By
understanding the political, cultural and community dimensions to social change, we can come to a deeper understanding of the factors shaping contemporary societies.

The M.A. programme will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills for understanding and researching contemporary societies and the many changes they are experiencing. Over the course of the year-long programme, you will take courses on the political, cultural and community dimensions of social change. Courses run from early September to May.  

A special emphasis is placed on research methodology. Courses on research methods will provide the research tools to enable you to investigate social relations and social structures. You will get the chance to bring together this knowledge and skills in writing a research thesis on a topic of your own choosing.

We believe that this postgraduate programme:

• Offers students an opportunity to acquire a high level of understanding of
  concepts and knowledge in the discipline of sociology

• Equips students with intellectual skills which will enable them to think
  critically about society, and to assess and evaluate competing perspectives

• Gives students a broad range of skills in social research including skills in
  computing and data analysis, teamwork and presentation.

NUI Maynooth is a dynamic and innovative university of some 5,500 students from every county in Ireland as well as an increasing number of international students. Situated 25km west of Dublin, it is located in Ireland's only university town, Maynooth, which combines the historical legacy of its medieval origins with a present day location on the fringes of Dublin, adjacent to the Irish and European headquarters of many multi-national high technology companies.

CONTACT

Department of Sociology, NUI Maynooth,
Maynooth Co. Kildare Ireland

Tel: 353+1+7083659

Fax: 353+1+7083528

Email: sociology.department@may.ie

Website: www.nuim.ie/academic/