Curriculum Leader: Mr R Rhodes
Course Content
The course takes a linear approach and is therefore studied over two years. It consists of three papers that all contribute to our understanding of the world in which we live.
Year 1: There are three units studied in Year 1, the first being families and households. This unit aims to look at the relationship between families and households and the changes that they have been through over the past 100 years. It will explore the division of labour and domestic relationships that take place in the home, alongside the role of childhood and key changes that have occurred. Education is another key unit that is studied here, exploring the reasons as to why certain groups do well or underachieve in education, with specific focus on class, gender and ethnicity, exploring the internal and external factors. There will also be a strong focus on social policy and how this affects the world of education. Finally in Year 12 research methods will be explored, looking at the different methods sociologists use, alongside key pieces of research.
Year 2: There are again three units studied in Year 2, the first being beliefs in society. Here students will explore the relationship between religion and society and the role it has in uniting people. There will also be a focus on cults and sects and how they can impact on society, alongside the role of globalisation and the impact of fundamentalism. Another key unit is crime and deviance; students will explore the sociological theory explaining why crime occurs in society. The notion of class, gender, age and ethnicity will also be examined here, looking in particular at the stereotypical criminal and challenging that concept. Finally theory and methods will be studied, looking at the theoretical background of sociology. Key discussions will focus around the debates that sociology can be a science, the value ladened nature of sociology and the impact it has on social policy.
Why Study Sociology?
Sociology aims to open students’ eyes to the world that is often hidden from view, challenging perceptions and encouraging students to question what they see. It is also an essay based subject which therefore provides valuable analytical skills that can be transferred to any degree.
Assessment
At the end of the two years students will sit three papers all lasting 2 hours consisting of a number of different question styles both short answers and essays, all equally weighted at 80 marks per paper.
Entry Requirements
Due to the academic nature of this subject students will be expected to have 5 grade 5’s including English.