We invite you to participate in a research study commissioned by the British Sociological Association (BSA) exploring the place of presence of race and ethnicity within the Sociology curricula at universities in Britain. This project is being carried out Dr Remi Joseph Salisbury, Dr Stephen Ashe and Professor Claire Alexander at the University of Manchester.

What is the aim of the research?

This study seeks to examine the presence of race and ethnicity within the undergraduate curricula of Sociology. In doing so, this study will examine:

  • The content of modules that explicitly focus on race and ethnicity, and modules that have specific content focussing on race and ethnicity;
  • The extent to which race and ethnicity are woven into general modules (e.g. modules on social theory and research methods);
  • Any distinctions in availability between modules that are compulsory or optional for undergraduate sociology students
  • The way in which modules from other disciplines are used to teach race and ethnicity;
  • The demographic profiles of staff within departments, including representation in senior roles; and
  • The professional experiences of staff teaching race and ethnicity in British Universities.

What information do we need?

In order to explore the issues outlined above, we seek access to course guides for undergraduate modules taught during the academic year 2018/2019, as well as demographic information about the people teaching these modules and their experiences of doing so.

What would I be asked to do if I took part?

All you have to do is complete an online survey. It should take no more than 15-20 minutes to complete. The survey questions will cover the topics outlined above. In doing so, we will invite you to share your experiences and opinions. Once you have completed the survey, we will remove references to any individuals, including yourself, who could be identified (such as fellow students, other project participants, as well as academic and non-academic staff at your institution).

Will the outcomes of the research be published?

The research will be published in the form of a report for the British Sociology Association (BSA). With the permission of the BSA, the research may also be used for academic publications such as blogs, book chapters and journal articles.

The survey is live and closes on Thursday, 31 October 2019.  Participate in the survey now.