ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book traces some of the developments that appear to challenge the autonomy of individual university teachers and the institutions in which they worked. It explores some of the debates about the purposes of teaching sociology. The book reports on the first ever survey of assessment practice in UK sociology departments. It points out that the dissertation, both in sociology and other cognate disciplines, occupies a semi-iconic status. The book offers some intriguing examples of some of the ways in which sociologists and other social scientists attempt to integrate biography and autobiography into student learning and assessment. It also addresses some of the commonly expressed objections – ranging from the epistemological to the practical. The book describes the work of sociologists engaging in the practical attempts both to innovate and to improve more traditional assessment methods.