Sociology
| Key Stage 5 Curriculum |
|---|
Specification: AQA (7192)
Sociology is a fascinating and increasingly relevant subject that explores the relationship between the individual, groups and social institutions, in particular the family, the education system, media and the criminal justice system.
Students explore sociological perspectives; namely Marxism, Functionalism, Postmodernism and Feminism and apply them to sociological studies, ideas and concepts.
Example questions at the heart of A-level Sociology:
- Why do people commit crime? How should criminals be dealt with?
- Why do some students outperform others in the education system?
- Why have families changed in shape and size? How is childhood changing? What impact do social policies have on families?
- How does the media shape our behaviour in the 21st century? Does the media strengthen or undermine democracy?
- How does social class, age, gender and ethnicity affect our life chances and success?
- How meritocratic is contemporary society?
- What research methods are best to research the education system?
Assessment
- Paper 1 Written Exam 2 Hrs (33%) - Education and Research Methods
- Paper 2 Written Exam 2 Hrs (33%) - Families and Households, and The Media
- Paper 3 Written Exam 2 Hrs (33%) - Crime and Deviance, and Sociological Theory
NB: There is no course work - assessment is entirely by examination
Course content
There are 3 modules which will be taught across the two years of the course.
Paper 1 – Education with Theory and Methods
- Education
- Research Methods in Context
- Theories in Sociology
Paper 2 – Topics in Sociology
- Families and Households
- The Media
Paper 3 – Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
- Crime and Deviance
- Sociological Theory
- Research Methods
Entry requirements
Since Sociology is a new course in the Sixth Form you will almost certainly have no previous experience of the subject in school. We do however require you to achieve at least grade 4 or above in English at GCSE and have an APS of 4.5 or above. It will also help if you:
- Have an interest in how society affects individuals
- Want to discuss issues in the news that affect our society
- Can work independently and on group projects
- Like to learn about how different sections of society work
- Can see contentious issues from different viewpoints
