Sociology A Level

Course Highlights:
Students have the opportunity to carry out their own research and become a ‘real’ sociologist observing and interviewing participants.

Desirable Skills:
An interest in current affairs.

Other subjects that work well with this course are:

• Psychology
• Health & Social
• History
• English Literature
• Ethics & Philosophy

Why study Sociology A Level?
Sociology is an exciting subject which explores human social behaviour and the societies in which human beings live. Human behaviour is very complex but much of it is ‘patterned’; people do not generally act randomly. Sociology is interested in these patterns and what causes people to act in certain ways. It is also interested in how society influences people and how families, peers, television etc.. can all influence us and mould our thoughts and behaviour.

Course overview

• Students will be encouraged to engage in lots of debates and discussions on topical issues. There will be opportunities to undertake group work and independent work. A research task will be set to enable students to get a feel for what it is like to be a sociologist.
• Students will study four main topics: Families and Households; Education; Crime and Deviance and Beliefs in Society.
• Sociology involves asking lots of questions about the society of which we are a part such as: Why do girls outperform boys in education?; Is religion a force for good or bad?; Why do we punish people?; How have government policies impacted on education?; Do the media encourage more crime to take place?; To what extent have our views about childhood changed in recent years?
• Students develop evaluation skills and a critical awareness of the society in which we live

Students studying sociology will:

• Have a chance to widen your understanding of the society in which we live and be able to discuss complex issues from a range of perspectives.
• Explore issues in changing family structure, globalisation, class, gender and ethnic differences in educational achievement, strategies to prevent crime, reasons why people join sects and cults.
• Investigate different theoretical perspectives such as Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Postmodernism and be able to apply these theories to a range of topics.
• Apply knowledge to your own experiences and understand more about the factors which shape our lives.

Progression routes and future careers

• Transferable skills – Sociology students become skilled in critical thinking and analysis and have a much better understanding a range of social and political issues.
• Possible careers – Sociology can open doors to careers in education, social work, criminology, law to name just a few. Many degree courses, from Nursing to Architecture, contain element of sociology.

Subject Leader(s)	Sonia Chater
Curriculum	Unit 1- Education with Research Methods Unit 2- Families & Households, Beliefs in Society Unit 3- Crime & Deviance with Theory and Methods
Specifications	AQA Sociology 7192
Facilities/ Equipment	Napier Press- AQA A Level Sociology Book One and Two
Revision	All students are provided with revision booklets and past exam questions booklets. A revision book can be purchased online from Napier Press Succeed at A Level Sociology Book One Succeed at A Level Sociology Book Two