“I don’t understand theory!”

Most postgraduate social science students do not feel comfortable with theory! Whether you’re studying sociology, criminology, politics or social policy, you’re likely to have some anxieties around theory.

But it's a tool that can unlock higher grades, so it’s worth putting the effort in to get comfortable with it!

You can do this in three easy steps.

(1) Understand what theory is and what it does

Think of different theories like different sets of lenses you might swap and change in a pair of glasses or spectacles. Each one will give you a different perspective because it focuses your attention in a specific way.

We put our theory spectacles on when we want answers to this question: why?

Why are things like this? Why are there high levels of poverty in this area? Why does this person keep going back to prison? Why does this group of boys do so badly in education? Why is this type of family stigmatised? Why is this person excluded? Why does this person get away with it whilst this other person doesn’t?

We try on these different sets of glasses and each set will will reveal different answers to that question.

(2) Get to grips with the core theories in your discipline

Talk to your professors and lecturers - drop them a quick email, arrange to see them in their student consultation hours. They’ll likely recommend that you focus on a specific group of theories. They’ll probably give you some really helpful tips and advice too, that have come from years or decades of working in the field you’re studying in. You’ll likely come away with some theory hacks that will be incredibly valuable for you that you wouldn’t read in any textbook.

Also read the course handbook that comes with your degree - that will identify particularly theories that are important to your course.

(3) Find your go-to theory resource

This is going to be an introductory theory textbook. It will have a title like. “Introduction to Sociological theory”. Or “Contemporary Social Work Theory”.. There are usually a good number of different textbooks like this in every discipline. You’ll find at least one which resonates with you, that’s easy for you to read, that gives good examples, so try a few out.

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Theory Boss Digital Course

My self-study, digital course empowers smart social science students on taught postgraduate programmes, who don’t feel they’re getting the grades they deserve, to master theory and crush critical analysis so they can ace their assignments and write dazzling dissertations! Click here to find out more.