Sociology makes you question your taken for granted assumptions about living in society. It makes you question the legitimacy of the powerful in society and the vulnerability of the weak. We examine the myth of family as a warm and safe environment. We question the taken for granted assumptions about gender roles, those that you learn and those that you perform. We study education and investigate the myth of meritocracy and the extent to which education legitimises inequality. In theory and methods you will study Marxism, Feminism, Functionalism and Social Action Theories and decide whether or not it is we who control society or society that controls us. In Crime and deviance we apply these ideas to the study of Criminology, who deviates and why and the impact of the media on crime. The beliefs topic considers the power of beliefs and the nature of knowledge in post modernity.
Key Stage 5
There are three units studied during the first year of the A level course: Families and Households, Education, and Research methods (in the context of education). There are a further three topics studied during the second year of the A level course: Crime and Deviance, Beliefs in Society, and Theory and Methods.At the end of the second year there are three written exams that will cover each of the units studied. There is a combination of short answer questions, ten mark questions and extended essay questions.
Staff
- Ms S Bardy (Head of Department)
Intent & implementation
In Sociology we aim to add value for all students through maximising their academic and personal potential. The passionate and well qualified teachers in the department strive to make learning engaging, enjoyable and illuminating. Sociology aims to help students make sense of the society that we live in and understand the cultural and identity issues that affect us all. Students learn a number of skills including the use of evidence to support arguments, how to investigate facts and critical thinking. Our curriculum offers topics that are relevant to the society that we live in, topics like Crime and Deviance, Beliefs in Society and how beliefs help to determine behaviour, the nature of science and of truth, the impact of Post Modernity on sense of ‘Self’ and identity and the role and purpose of the contemporary family today. Students also engage in their own personal Sociological Research Project in order to explore different avenues in Sociology, to test their common sense understandings of society and human interaction and to develop their knowledge and assessment of methods in research, the relative reliability and validity of ‘social facts’ in a world of fluidity, choice and ‘fake news’.
In Year 12 students study the topic of ‘Education’. They investigate why different social groups achieve differently in school, how boys and girls achievement and subject choice differs and the possible reasons for this, the ‘hidden curriculum’, institutionalised racism and education policy. They study ‘Family’ in its different forms, the reasons for why our understanding of what family is exists, familial ideology, the Feminist approach and the ‘Dark Side of the Family. Students will also learn about methods of research, about researching education and will also complete their own research project in the Summer term.
In Year 13 students will build on their knowledge of the year 12 topics and develop an in depth and critical understanding of Sociological theory. The relative usefulness of Structural approaches such as Functionalism and Marxism and Action approaches like Symbolic Interactionism and Phenomenology in a Post Modern world. They will also study Beliefs in Society and Crime and Deviance, which looks at why crime exists in society, why people and corporations commit crimes and how as a society we deal with crime.
Developing Cultural Capital
In sociology the importance of cultural capital for the educational success of all students is intrinsic to the understanding of the content of the course. Students are encouraged to demonstrate elaborated code when speaking and writing and to use key terminology in their oracy and literacy. Knowledge of culture is developed through learning about the different cultural contexts of ethnicity, gender and social class and through the exploration of theoretical perspectives such as Feminism and Marxism and students are encouraged to develop and share their views on current social and political issues. Wider reading is encouraged through the provision of a range of text books and revision guides and the Sociology Review journal. In addition, the department is working with the library to develop a stock of contemporary sociological literature to develop and stimulate learning.
Careers Education
In sociology, our students are encouraged to develop the skills required for work. We foster ambition and a desire to be the best we can through high expectations and the delivery of high-quality teaching.
By completing the A level course of study students develop skills in analysis and evaluation. They also learn to understand the world differently and with greater clarity. On completion of the A level course sociology students have a sound understanding of how different groups in society may experience the world differently and the importance of quality of interaction. Many students complete the A level and go on to start university degrees in related subjects such as Sociology, social work, law, teaching and criminology.
