Sociology

Sociology aims to help students develop a fundamental understanding of the world around them. In an increasingly diverse and ever-changing world students can apply academic methods to better understand human behaviour and begin to discover for themselves why people do what they do. We are always asking why in Sociology, it is a theme that runs deep into the curriculum itself.

The course follows the AQA specification studying the core topics, Education, Crime and Deviance and Theories and Methods. Of the optional topics in we have selected Beliefs in Society and Families and Households, we believe this breakdown of the units is the best one to develop the curiosity of our students as well as to build on the School Ethos and the skills and interests of our students with a central focus on contemporary UK society and changes within a globalised context.

The course is challenging by its very nature and changes the way students perceive the world, it is contemporary, and teachers refresh the curriculum regularly to ensure it is both relevant and topical. Students are encouraged to make links with their other subjects and develop their opinions as well as their evaluative skills. Sociology is an excellent foundation for many different academic pathways and supports the development of students beyond their A levels.

Exam Board: AQA

Sociology Curriculum

Year 12Year 13
Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
Induction:

Norms, values, roles, status, socialisation, Social Class.

Education

Education: Class and differential achievement, Ethnicity and differential achievement

Class and educational achievement

Gender and educational achievement

Ethnicity & Educational Achievement

An introduction to sociological perspectives

The role of education including

Functionalism and Education

Marxism and Education

Education, Globalisation and Privatisation

Social Policy

Research Methods

Introduction to research methods

Reliability, Validity, Positivism & Interpretivism Quantitative Primary Research

Qualitative Primary Research Methods Secondary Research Methods

Methods in context

Families and households

What is the family?

Couples

Childhood

Theories of the family

Demography

Changing family patterns

Family diversity

Families and social policy

Exam Technique AS only

AS Exam Preparation

Introduction to beliefs in society

Religion over time, defining religion

Religion as a Conservative force, functionalism, Marxism, USA

Autumn 1
Autumn 2
Spring 1
Spring 2
Summer 1
Summer 2
Beliefs in Society:

Religion and Social Change- Neo Marxism, Liberation Theology, Protest

Secularisation

Postmodernism and Fundamentalism

Social Groups and participation

Science and Ideology

Crime and Deviance

Functionalism, strain theory and subcultural theory

Interactionism and labelling theory

Class power and crime

Realism and crime

Crime and deviance

Gender, crime and justice

Ethnicity crime and justice

Crime and the media

Globalisation, green crime, state crime and human rights

Control Punishment and Victims

Theory

Positivism V Interpretivism

Functionalism

Marxism

Feminism

Interpretivism

Postmodernism and globalisation

Social Policy

Quantitative V Qualitative

Objectivity and methods

PET

Value freedom v Value laden

Exam

 

Future Careers

Journalism, Police, Law, Nursing, Healthcare, Media, Personnel, Management, Public Relations.

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