Sociology (Y12-13)
Department aims
Sociology aims to prepare students for university and the work force- students will learn many useful and relevant skills such as extended essay writing, research/presentations techniques and a host of other skills that will be invaluable for student’s future pathways.
Overview
Sociology is the study of society. It is concerned with analysing group and individual behaviour. A fundamental debate in sociology is how far does our environment shape up? How is our identity formed? Essentially the nature/nurture argument. Sociologists carry out research in order to establish whether their theories regarding issues in society are correct. For example, sociologists might use official statistics to find out trends and patterns in crime rates whereas some sociologists would prefer to ask criminals the reasons why they commit crime. Sociology has a practical side too. For example, if we know the causes of a social problem such as child poverty, sociological research can be undertaken so that the Government can develop social policy to help address gaps in provision.
AQA examining board
Education-core themes-this is a compulsory module that looks at the question who succeeds/fails within the education process and the reasons why. Methods in Context- this section of the course expects students to apply their sociological knowledge to educational research like school subcultures. Research Methods- the study of the range of research methods sociologists use and the reasons they use them. Crime and Deviance –who commits crime and why? Who are the victims of crime? Are we too ‘soft’ on criminals? What can we do to reduce crime? |
Plus additional topics Family and Households and Beliefs in Society
Sociology A level is a two-year subject.
Minimum of 5 higher grades at GCSE, including English and maths.
It is an essay based subject so a grade 4/5 in English would be an advantage. No previous knowledge of sociology is necessary. However the subject requires extended essay writing skills so a grade 5 in GCSE English would be an advantage. Sociology is very much a ‘people’ subject that is suited to many careers which involve working with others. It can lead to career paths in nursing, teaching, social work, counselling, police, probation work and a number of related careers. Sociology also blends well with many A level subjects, including Psychology, History, English and Health and Social Care.
Useful websites