Sociology
Head of Department: Mr J Llewellyn
Awarding Body: OCR
Entry Requirements: GCSE Grade 5 or above in an essay-based subject
Course Description
Sociology can be defined as ‘ the study of the way that people live in groups’. A sociologist looks at the relationship between people and groups and the way that the structure of society shapes behaviour. Society is presently undergoing a significant transformation in terms of technology, leisure, working and family lives. Sociologists are concerned with critically studying the effects of these changes. If you do have viewpoints about these topics, you will enjoy this subject.
If you are completing the full A-level, you will take 3 exams in Year 13. Although the topics in Modules 1 and 2 are common to both levels, the A2 modules test students at a more demanding level than the AS exams and require more in-depth study.
Module 1 – An introduction to Sociology, consisting of units on socialism and identity
Topics in these units include ideas of how we learn about social behaviour and how society regulates the things we do. We will explore the building block concepts, such as values, norms and roles. Youth culture is another topic in this unit. This involves studying the lifestyle and experiences of young people in contemporary society. We also look at the way different groups of sociologists such as Marxists and Feminists account for youth sub-culture.
Module 2 – Researching and Understanding Social Inequality
This unit looks at the very important area of the methods by which sociologists investigate the social world. This includes looking at techniques such as interviews, questionnaires and official statistics. We also look at the different approaches that sociologists take in their work. The study of social inequality is a central theme in sociology and also studied in this unit. This involves exploring and evaluating explanations for why some groups of people such as women, ethnic minorities and working-class people are excluded from aspects of society.
Module 3 – Debates in Contemporary Society
This unit is only studied by A2 students and includes the 21st century topics of globalization and digital forms of communication. Students will explore different sociological explanations of these developments and look at its impact on identity, relationships and social inequality. The final aspect of the course is the study of Education. This includes explanations for the ways it works and the reasons why some groups do better than others within the system.
Progression
Further study: Sociology is a very popular degree course and the subject is on the cutting edge of many of the debates in a society undergoing big changes. It can also be combined with other subjects at degree level.
Careers: People with sociology degrees find employment in all sorts of areas, for example, market research, advertising, computing, police, retail, charities and journalism.