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Case studyOliver
Case study
"Sociology is my favourite subject! It asks big questions you've never considered before. The subject is really varied, covering family, religion, identity and crime - it's never boring! It can totally be applied to your own life and gave me a better understanding of the world around me. Now I want to study Sociology with Linguistics at Lancaster University."
Sociology is my favourite subject! It asks big questions you've never considered before.
Sociology (A Level)
Assessment- Year 1 & 2
100% Exam - Exam board
AQA
What Will You Learn?
Sociology asks us to take a step back from the world we live in and to question how society works. Sociologists are particularly interested in power, inequality and social order, and look at the ways in which gender, ethnicity and social class can influence our lives. If you have found yourself asking questions about the way society works, then Sociology may be what you have been looking for. You will develop your ability to evaluate the evidence, present logical arguments and deepen your understanding of the society in which we live.
Modules
Year 1
- Education
We’ll look at why we have an education system and why it is that some groups in society seem to come away with better grades and qualifications than others. You’ll gain an understanding of the role of social class, ethnicity and gender in this and how what goes on inside the school can have an impact on achievement.
- Families and Households
What do we mean by a family and why is the family seen as a key feature of any society? Other areas we’ll look at include our changing views of childhood and the ways in which families are becoming increasingly diverse.
- Research Methods
This topic focuses on the different approaches we can use to find out about society. Whether it’s using questionnaires or undercover observations, each method has its strengths and limitations.
Year 2
- Beliefs in Society
How do people make sense of the world around them? Science and religion are two major areas we’ll look at here. What do we mean by “religion” and what role do traditional religions, cults and sects have in society today?
- Crime and Deviance
How can we explain people’s involvement in criminal and deviant acts? Are crime statistics to be trusted and how might we prevent crime? We’ll also look at environmental crimes and consider the ways in which governments may be involved in criminal activities.
- Theory and Methods
Which theory to explain how society works seems most useful? Here we’ll deepen our appreciation of some of the main sociological theories such as Marxism, Feminism and Postmodernism, as well as developing our understanding of the research approaches studied in year 1.
Special Features
Sociology students have the opportunity to attend the Inter-Faith conference held at the college annually. This supports the Beliefs A Level topic area as well as allowing students to have the opportunity to listen to and interact with speakers from a range of faith groups. We also offer support workshops for student who we feel would benefit from this.
Where Will This Lead?
Sociology is a good basis for any degree course and is highly regarded, particularly for careers in social work, teaching, the police and legal professions, research, journalism, welfare, management and human resources.
Sociology will also develop a range of valuable skills, including analytical, evaluative and communication skills, as well as greater self-awareness and understanding of others.
These skills are prized by Russell Group universities.
