Undergraduate

Introducing the social sciences

On this page

• What you will study
• Entry
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Study materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Students also studied
• Future availability

This key introductory Level 1 course is an ideal introduction to the social sciences – psychology, social policy and criminology, geography and environment, politics and international studies, economics and sociology – through study of contemporary UK society. Using a blend of text, audio, DVD and online materials, you’ll explore a wide range of topics, including questions of society’s relationship to the environment, questions of identity and issues of social order and governance – all considered in their national and international contexts – that will equip you with a range of skills for independent study and for your personal and working life.

Course facts

Register for the course

This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.

What you will study

Introducing the social sciences provides an approachable and contemporary introduction to the disciplines and subjects that form the social sciences, as well as the questions and issues that social scientists investigate and explore. It is ideal preparation for Level 2 courses in a range of social science and related qualifications.

The first course-wide question is: How is society made and repaired? This question asks about how people make society in their relations with one another and with the material world, and how, in turn, society shapes people. The second question is: How are differences and inequalities produced? People making and being shaped by society generate differences between and inequalities among groups and individuals – where do these come from and how do they change? And the third question is: How do we know? That is, how do social scientists set about investigating and answering questions about society? Social science answers to these questions are explored by looking at three strands of study materials called: Material Lives, Connected Lives and Ordered Lives.

Material Lives considers how the making of society involves not only relations between people, but also relations between people and things and their environments; how society shapes and is shaped not just by humans but by material objects and the environment; and some of the consequences of the fact that our lives are influenced by both the human and material worlds. In the first half of the course this strand is developed through an examination of consumption and consumer society, questions of power and markets, and issues of waste and sustainability. In the second half of the course the strand considers whether increased material consumption contributes to greater happiness and well-being, and whether our material lives are becoming more or less sustainable, how we live with and respond to the risks and uncertainties of our material environment, and how global problems such as climate change can be addressed in a world of many, competing states.

Connected Lives also considers people’s connections to material places but the focus is on the people themselves and how they are connected and disconnected from one another, how they see themselves and others, where they live and the mobility of things and people involved in making and breaking connections. In the first half of the course this strand is developed through an examination of questions of identity in relation to personal and social lives, issues around our connections to place and the natural and built environment and the social life of neighbourhoods or communities. In the second half of the course the strand considers migration and the making of identities, places and institutions, the contested nature of British identity in a national and international context and the changes of identity involved in the lifecycle especially in relation to motherhood and mothering.

Ordered Lives explores some of the different ways in which social life is ordered and governed through the rules, norms and expectations people have of one another in day-to-day interaction and how these arise and are sustained; how does social order and ordering vary in time and place; and how is social order contested, challenged, sometimes broken and repaired, including by institutions that claim various kinds of expertise and authority. In the first half of the course this strand is developed by an examination of day-to-day ordering in daily lives, through the issue of the anti-social as a certain kind of challenge to normal ways of ordering and by looking at aspects of how governments seek to assemble and regulate their populations. In the second half of the course the strand considers how various kinds of authority seek to govern social order, the role played by political authorities (states) in claiming certain kinds of legitimate authority to govern and questions of order and disorder in relations between states in transnational and international interactions.

You will learn

You will learn about the nature of the social sciences and the ways they develop through a process of questions, arguments, evidence and evaluation. You will also learn about some key issues and debates at the centre of life in the contemporary UK. You’ll develop an awareness of a range of different disciplinary approaches in the social sciences. You will gain confidence and skills in studying and accessing information from a range of sources; constructing arguments; reading, interpreting and evaluating evidence; and presenting and communicating ideas and information in a variety of formats. You will also practice how to manage your time effectively and organise and complete a programme of work, how to learn from feedback and reflect on your own learning and have an opportunity to plan a study pathway leading to personal and/or career goals.

Vocational relevance

After this course, further study in the social sciences could open up employment opportunities in a wide range of occupations in business, banking, insurance, education, health professions, administration, law, social services, voluntary and campaigning organisations, the media, public relations, public service organisations and government (national and local), planning and environmental management, the criminal justice system, and social welfare organisations. The course builds a strong basis of vocationally oriented skills that are transferable to the job market: clarity of written communication; critical thinking; ability to analyse, reflect on and present arguments, evidence and theories; problem-solving; evaluating issues; time management; self-motivation; and basic numerical skills.

Entry

This is a key introductory Level 1 course. Level 1 courses provide core subject knowledge and study skills needed for both higher education and distance learning, to help you progress to courses at Level 2. 

You are strongly advised to start your OU studies with a Level 1 course – either this course or the two 30-credit courses Introducing the social sciences - part one (DD131) followed by Introducing the social sciences - part two (DD132). As interdisciplinary approaches to the social sciences and because of their integrated teaching of key study and skills, these courses provide a firm foundation for further study at Level 2.

If you are new or a less confident learner, start with either Starting with psychology (Y183), Understanding children and young people (Y176) or Understanding society (Y177). These are Openings courses, also at Level 1 but worth 15 credits. Designed with lots of support and no examination, they will give you a gentle introduction to this subject and to OU study. If you successfully complete one of these Openings courses, you’ll be ready to study DD101.

Alternatively, if you're unsure whether social sciences is for you, try our diagnostic quiz at Are you ready for DD101? to help you decide. You can also find more information about the course, including frequently asked questions. 

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Preparatory work

If you register for the course we will send you Preparing for Study, which will help you to get ready for studying DD101. It offers guidance on how to plan your studies and offers insight into the skills and techniques for study at university level. It also contains material and exercises that will indicate whether your reading, note-taking and other study skills are sufficient to cope with the early parts of the course.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.

You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Study materials

What's included

Course books, other printed materials, audio CDs, DVDs, and website.

You will need

Audio CD and video DVD playback facilities.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor is particularly concerned to help you with your study methods. We will also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.

Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a ‘substitution score’. In DD101 this rule can apply to one assignment. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Exploring psychology (DSE212)
• The arts past and present (AA100)
• Welfare, crime and society (DD208)
• Discovering psychology (DSE141)
• Child development (ED209)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012 and February 2013. We expect it to be available twice a year.

Fees 2012

See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.

Study explained

Financial support

- find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.

Study explained

- all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.

A taste of OU study

Student Reviews

The topics covered in DD101 are very interesting and it is a great course to start with. You will feel ...
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I've got to admit, this course nearly convinced me to quit an Open Degree. I found it incredibly tedious and ...
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Your questions

We may have already answered it in our frequently asked questions.

Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35

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