Sociology

Sociology is a challenging A-Level subject which will develop your discursive writing skills alongside an understanding and critical analysis of the structures and functions of society. You will explore some of the big sociological questions such as ‘why are there gender differences in education?’, ‘How does the media influence and shape our understanding of the world?’ ‘Why are there so few women in British prisons?’ and many more. You will have the opportunity to challenge your understanding of how society works by interpreting, applying, analysing and evaluating key arguments in the major topic areas as you progress through the course.

In the first year of the course, you will study Education with Theory and Methods which will explore key questions about education, such as why there are class, gender and ethic differences in educational achievement as well investigating the role of education in society. This topic will be underpinned by an exploration of the research methods used to conduct research in Sociology, and the core Sociological theories on which investigation of society and culture is based. The second unit in Year 1 will focus on the role of families and households in society exploring theoretical viewpoints of the social construct of childhood, division of labour in the home and the changing role of the family in modern society.

In the second year of the course you will study the role of the media and its influence in society. Some of the themes explored in this unit are the media representations of gender, sexuality, disability, ethnicity, social class and age and how these may misrepresent such social groups. You will also look at the role of the news and news organisations in reporting and reflecting relevant stories and issues in society. The final unit is Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods. The focus of this unit is to understand the sociological theories of crime exploring how sociological theory explains the existence of crime as well as understanding the roles of gender, social class ethnicity and the media on criminal behaviour. It looks to explore whether the statistics paint a true picture of the nature of crime in the UK and whether the criminal justice system functions fairly for all.

Students are assessed at the end of the two-year course:

Many students who complete a Sociology A-Level course will go on to complete a degree course in Sociology, Criminology, Psychology, Social Work or Teaching.

Career opportunities are varied and include

• Educational settings – teacher, teaching assistant or special educational needs teacher.
• Criminal justice system – criminologist, police officer, or crime scene investigator.
• Politics/Civil Service – policy advisor, parliamentary assistant or researcher.
• Advertising and market research.
• Charity sector.