Entry Requirements: Individual Merit.
Subject Area:
Sociology
Assessment:
Exam
Location:
Woldgate and Longcroft
Entry Requirements: Sociology is a rigorous academic subject that is also rooted in the real world. Sociology is the study of how society is organized and how we experience life. It has been taught in British universities since the very beginning of the twentieth century. Studying A Level Sociology enables you to develop critical thinking skills, to analyse and interpret the world around you.
A Level Sociology offers students the opportunity to develop the essential knowledge and understanding of central aspects of sociological thought and methods. It is designed to encourage students to demonstrate the application of a range of skills and consider the integration of sociological themes, they are as follows: Socialisation, Culture and Identity. Social Differentiation, Power and Stratification.
Additional Course Information
Unit 1 – Families and Households
Students will consider the changing nature of families including whether or not the nuclear family is and should be the norm, the relationships between the family and the state, for example, what roles family perform, the nature of childhood and power relationships within families.
Unit 2 – Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods
Students will consider issues such as whether or not the education system is fair, the educational achievement of different social groups and the impact of policies and pupils’ experiences of school. The strengths and weaknesses of different research methods will be examined in isolation and in the context of education.
Unit 3 – Beliefs in Society
Students will examine belief systems and ideologies in society. In this unit there is a strong, though not totally exclusive, focus upon the study of religion along with an exploration of the debate about whether or not there has been a decline in religiosity. Students will also explore the changing nature of religious beliefs and practices and the increasing number of diverse religious organisations in today’s society.
Unit 4 – Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
Students will consider the social distribution of crime and deviance, globalisation and crime including human rights and state crime, crime control, prevention and punishment and the sociological study of suicide. Examination of research methods will be in more depth than in Year 1 and include the consideration of the extent to which sociology can be regarded as scientific. There is no coursework on the course, the assessment being examination.
Paper 1: Education and Methods
- 2 hour exam
Paper 2: Topics in Sociology
- 2 hour exam
Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
- 2 hour exam
The specification provides a smooth transition from a wide range of GCSE subjects and lays an appropriate foundation for further study of Sociology and related subjects in higher education. In addition, it provides a worthwhile course for candidates of various ages and from diverse backgrounds in terms of general education and lifelong learning.
Equally, material studied would be useful for candidates intending to pursue careers in the field of Social Sciences, including Teaching, Medical Practice and Social Work.
