Lead in Sociology: Mrs C Owen

 

Sociology – A-level

Sociology Curriculum Overview

Why should I study Sociology?

Sociology is the study of society. We explore how people develop their individual identities through socialisation and how this varies between different cultures. As Bourdieu says, “sociology opens our eyes to a whole world that we thought we understood, but soon realise is much more nuanced and exciting than we ever knew.” This course is ideal for anyone interested in working with people, whether in public services such as social work, teaching, police or health care, or in a private sector role requiring understanding of how people think and act.

What will I learn during my two year course?

Component 1 is the introductory unit, introducing socialisation, culture and identity, then applying this to study youth culture and subcultures, including crime and deviance.

Component 2 focusses on exploring social class, gender, ethnic and age inequalities. Students learn how to carry out sociological research as well as exploring the impact these inequalities have on life chances and more.

Component 3 starts with the study of the digital social world, exploring the impact of online communications on identity, inequalities and relationships, including social media and virtual worlds. The second section focusses on education, including its role and why some groups in society attain higher results than others.

What is the entry requirement?

Grade 5 or above in GCSE English.