Sociology
Rationale
Sociology is an immensely challenging and exciting discipline. Its aim is to understand how societies work. The study of sociology fosters a critical awareness of contemporary social processes and change. It investigates the structures, relations and cultures of different societies throughout the world and throughout history.
Sociology raises critical philosophical issues about how a society can ever be studied, and it charts social trends which may help us understand the dilemmas of modern life. The course provides a critical understanding of society and you will critically examine core assumptions about everyday life social life and draw on theoretical ideas to understand societies and the forms they take. You will use and then challenge these perspectives to investigate substantive problem and ethical dilemmas such as why does gender inequality persist? Why do social norms change? Why do some people commit crime? Should the mass media be controlled?
Throughout the course you will examine theories about the nature of social existence and change and explore different methods of social research and are encouraged to think critically and independently.
Overview
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Term 4 |
Term 5 |
Term 6 |
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Year 12 |
Sociological methods | Sociological methods | Education. Families and Households | Education. Families and Households | Education. Families and Households | Education. Families and Households |
Year 13 |
Sociological methods | Sociology and Science | Mass media. Crime and Deviance | Mass media. Crime and Deviance | Mass media. Crime and Deviance |
Post 16
As we aim to develop learners conceptual knowledge, critical thinking skills, intellectual versatility students will be aware of different types of knowledge in sociology and develop a sociological imagination. Students will investigate a variety of theoretical perspectives on social life. From those that hold social structures are constructed from individual action, to those that identify the properties of social interaction and structures of thought.
Students will then be able to investigate substantive problems, explore everyday aspect of social life drawing, on insights of classical sociologists as well as contemporary research. Questions such as: What explains the persistence of inequality between different ethnic groups in terms of educational attainment? What impact does the experience of education have on pupil identify? To what extent is media reality synonymous with lived reality?
Students will not only develop substantive knowledge about different sociological views views, but as teachers will help student develop metacognitive skills and a sociological imagination they also learn how to know about social world. In turn this helps build students to explore and critically reflect on their own presuppositions and values about the views, values beliefs and institutions they study. Having the ability to engage in rigorous, critical and independent thought is a skill transferable to other disciplines and whatever may be their chosen next step.
Online Resources
Exam Boards
A-Level - AQA