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Sociology
The central aims of the A Level course in Sociology are to examine relationships and inequalities between individuals and the effects that social, economic and political influences may have on them and to develop within students a critical understanding of society. Sociology allows you to debate current issues and is one of the rare subjects where your opinion counts! As this is a subject of past and contemporary society, Sociology also allows you to keep up to date with current affairs and the news.
Key Stage 5
EXAM BOARD
AQA
What will I study on the course?
Topic 1: Families and Households
We will examine the role of the family, changing family patterns, family diversity and the life course, families and social policy, childhood and relationships within the family and sociological theories of the family.
Topic 2: Education with Research Methods
We will study sociological theories of education, the role and purpose of education, processes within school, differential educational achievement, class, gender, ethnicity, educational policy and research methods in the context of education.
Topic 3: Media
We will investigate the new media and it’s place in modern society, ownership and control of the media, globalisation and popular culture, selection and presentation of media and how it represents age, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability and the relationship between the media and their audiences.
Topic 4: Crime & Deviance with Theory and Methods
We will analyse functionalist, strain and subcultural theories of crime and deviance, Labelling theory, Marxist theories of crime and deviance, Realist theories of crime and deviance, class, gender and ethnicity, the media and crime, globalisation, green crime, human rights and state crimes, control, punishment and victims, research methods and theory in context and how sociologists investigate and explain crime.
In year two we will also revisit sociological theory and methods.
HOW THE COURSE IS DELIVERED
Although the course is taught and you will get the opportunity to complete group work in the classroom, you will be expected to carry out independent research and learning. It is worth noting here that very few of the students starting A Level Sociology will have studied Sociology at GCSE level and therefore lessons will reflect this.