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St Wilfrid's Catholic School

Sociology is the study of how society is organised and how we experience life. If you are interested in the wider debates such as how social class, gender and ethnicity can have an impact on your chance of success, then Sociology may be for you. Sociology is a subject that is valuable in any career, it is the study of society after all.

This course will develop your critical thinking skills, encourage you to evaluate sociological thinking and change the way you see the world and your place in it. You will consider Sociology in the context of education, families and households, crime and deviance, beliefs in society, theory and research methods. You will also conduct in depth analysis of sociological theories and reflect on your own experience of the social world, applying it to your study of society.

Entry Requirements

GCSE Grade  6+ in English

Content

This AQA A Level has three components:

Component One: Education, methods in content and theory and methods.
Component Two: Family and households and the media
Component Three: Crime and deviance with theory and methods

Sociology is the scientific study of society and human behaviour, and you will investigate how living in a particular society affects people. Sociology is very much a “discussion subject”, and your opinions are valued on the really important issues of today: teenage gang crime, environmental crimes, domestic violence, immigration, globalisation, the use of new media and technology, and many more. In Sociology, you will focus on statistics as well as the previous work of sociologists and their theories.  You will also study key theories such as functionalism, Marxism and feminism and will be expected to apply these to explain aspects of modern society. You will be expected to use a variety of evidence and to be able to evaluate theories consistently.

In Year One you will study education, families and households with theories and methods.

In Year Two you will study the media, crime and deviance with theories and methods.

Assessment

100% Examination

3 x 2 hour papers at the end of Year 13

Am I right for the course?

Are you interested in society, human behaviour and politics? Are you interested in equality and the rights of citizens in society? Are you interested in how structures like the family and the criminal justice system work and how they evolve over time? If the answer to these questions is yes the Sociology is for you.

Course Highlights

Hands-on Experience:

We want to hear your voice and our curriculum is tailored to make the course as interactive as possible.

Personal Development:

Thinking critically; evaluating ideas; constructing and presenting persuasive written and verbal arguments; understanding human relationships; being sensitive to people and problems

Enrichment:

Conduct your own research, trips to universities and visiting guest speakers.

Where next?

Students can go on to study a variety of courses at university and enter a range of careers such as the law and criminal justice system, medicine, social work, education, government and the media.   Recent research shows more Sociology graduates in management positions than any other subject and employment rates are higher in all industries for social sciences than any other subject. 

FAQ's

  1. Do I need to have studied Sociology at GCSE?
    No, we assume no prior knowledge of the course before you start, but due to the demands of the course, we would like to see a Grade 6 in English Language as there is a significant essay writing element to the course.
  2. What is Sociology?
    Sociology is the study of human behaviour and how society shapes this behaviour. Society means the government, institutions such as family and education and the norms and values of the groups we live in. It is interesting in how these structures shape and influence your behaviour and how much control or power we as individuals have over the world in which we live.
  3. Is there anything about criminal behaviour in the course?
    Yes, a whole unit on crime and deviance.

Sociology A Level Teaching Staff

                           Mrs Lay
     Subject Leader for Social Sciences 
           ​​​​​​​  h.lay@stwilfrids.com
                    Miss Towson
          Acting Subject Leader for 
                   Social Sciences
         k.towson@stwilfrids.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 Miss Graham
           Psychology Teacher
      g.graham@stwilfrids.com
                  Miss Rice
           Psychology Teacher
​​​​​​          l.rice@stwilfrids.com