Sociology
Details
Qualification
A LevelExamination Board
AQASpecification
What Do I Need To Study This Course?
5 or above in English Language
What Will I Study?
A Level Subject Content
The first year begins with sociological theory, discovering a variety of sociological viewpoints and debates that will be used throughout the two-year programme and underpins the course.
The education topic studies the role of education in today’s society from various theoretical perspectives. Students will also study how the education system has evolved from its origin to its present state, and the factors that affect differences in educational achievement between different social groups. We will then study research methods, exploring all the methodologies that are utilised in sociological research, how to analyse data and the usefulness of various methods when studying education.
The second year contains optional units, such as families and households and media. The families and households unit starts with looking at how different theoretical perspectives view the family and then progresses to look at more controversial themes such as domestic violence, divorce and family diversity, that make this module a fascinating aspect of the subject area.
Within the media topic we discuss the increasing impact that the media has had on our lifestyles and consumption patterns. Students will study themes including – media content and audiences, representations of social groups, new media and culture and globalisation.
Finally, students will study the crime and deviance topic. Students will explore different sociological theories of crime and social control, such as debating the success of prisons and the power that surveillance has on regulating our behaviour. In addition, the social distribution of crime by ethnicity, gender and social class will be analysed using current trends. As the unit progresses, students will study the impact that globalisation has had on a range of criminal activities committed by individuals, big businesses and even governments!
How Will I Be Assessed?
The course is assessed in three exams. Each exam is made up of 6 essay questions where extended essay writing is required. Each exam lasts 2 hours and is worth 33.3% of the total grade. There is no course work.
Paper 1: Education with Theory & Methods
Paper 2: Topics in Sociology
Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory & Methods
What Next?
With a Sociology degree potential careers include: Researcher, Teacher, Counsellor, Policing, Civil Service, Social Worker, Probation Officer, Journalism, Management, Recruitment Consultant, Human Resources and Advertising.
Suggested Reading List
A Glasgow Gang, James Patrick
Folk Devils and Moral Panics, Stanley Cohen
Chavs. Owen Jones.
Gang Leader for a Day, Sudhir Venkatesh
Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs, Paul Willis
Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison, Michel Foucault
A few Kind words and a loaded gun, Razor Smith
British Sociological Association https://www.britsoc.co.uk/
All aspects of the Sociology course relate to our everyday life, making the subject engaging and accessible for students. Sociology is an incredibly interesting and relevant subject which enables students to think critically about the world in which we live, providing empathy and understanding for those who experience barriers in society and an understanding of the inequalities we face. Students acquire a wide range of transferable skills such as the ability to write clearly and analytically about complex issues and to engage effectively in debates. Sociology provides an excellent set of skills for entry to most university degrees including those related to Social Sciences, Criminology and Politics.