Sociology
Qualification
A Level
Exam Board
AQA
Entry Requirement
- Grade 5 in English
- Grade 5 in any Humanities subject (History/Geography/RS)
- No previous knowledge of Sociology is required
Course Overview
Sociology is the critical study of society. Students will explore the interaction and relationships between individuals and society in terms of the way in which social institutions such as the family, education, mass media, religion and the economy influence the ways that people behave and live their lives. Sociology will encourage you to develop critical insights into the way in which society operates. You will be looking at the different approaches that sociologists take to research and understand how society works including observation techniques, interviewing, social surveys and personal documents. This is a great opportunity to study how society works - as well as what happens when it doesn’t.
Assessment Methods
Learning will involve research activities, presentations, debating and a range of classroom group work. Students will be encouraged to develop academic skills including written and oral contributions. You will sometimes work in teams and develop sociological research strategies, as well as having the chance to carry them out in the real world while exploring contemporary social issues relating to crime, education, family life and faith. The course uses many different media sources for analysis including: film, music, advertising and TV. You will be sharing your ideas and working together in developing important skills of evaluation.
This is a two-year course. The syllabus is divided into three equally-weighted components, and assessment is entirely by examination - there is no coursework.
- Paper 1: Education with Research Methods
- Paper 2: Culture and Identity (Year 1), the Media (Year 2)
- Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Method
QE6 Extras / Co-Curriculum Opportunities
In Sociology at QE6 we offer a range of co-curricular opportunities including: guest lectures from experts in the field; curriculum related trips; access to further reading lists and work based opportunities in sectors related to sociology.
Progression
Sociology students often aim to develop careers working in the community and progress to take career routes in social work and probation work. Sociology is also relevant to a range of professional roles including legal work, teaching and management. The subject is recognised by all universities and can be included for entry into degree courses ranging from Psychology to Business.