Sociology

  

Key stage 5

Introduction
One of the most important reasons for studying Sociology today is that it helps make sense of our rapidly changing world.  Every year about 31,000 students start A Level Sociology courses.  About 22,000 start a university degree in the subject. It is clearly popular, so what is it? Sociology is the study of society and the social behaviour of the people in it.  Everyone knows something about society – they are part of it.  However, sociologists look beyond “common sense views” to study society and its structures in a reasoned and disciplined way, trying to explain what lies beneath the surface.

What do students study?
A large part of our Sociology syllabus involves studying our society, both local and global, through news and current affairs. Some of the topics we cover are:
Socialisation– how do we learn and become who we are?
Culture– what ways of living are there?
Identity– who are we and how do others see us?
Families and relationships– what structures exist and how are these evolving?
Social research– how can we find out about society?
Social inequalities– is our society fair and are people treated equally?
Globalisation and the digital social world– how is technology impacting us?
Crime and Deviance– how should society define, monitor and react to crime? 

How are students assessed?
The A Level qualification is linear and will be assessed over two years. The assessment is made up of written examinations, which include source material, short answer and extended writing.
 
There are three papers, all equally weighted:

• Socialisation, culture and identity
• Researching and understanding social inequalities
• Debates in contemporary society

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