Sociology is available as an option in the Sixth Form (years 12 and 13). Sociology gives you an understanding of important aspects of society, and of how sociologists study and explain people’s behavior. Studying sociology will enable you to disucss social issues in a more informed manner. It will also help you to make sense of your own and other people’s experiences. Sociologists attempt to answer many questions such as:

a) Who commits crime and why?
b) How can the increasing divorce rate be explained?
c) How have our views on childhood changed?
d) Do males commit more crimes than females?
e) Is the education system fair or teachers tend to favour some kinds of students over others?

Course Content

Year 12- AS (3 written papers)

Module 1- Families and Households

We have found sociology to be one of the most beneficial subjects we have studies at A-Level. As well as being interesting, it is also very useful within today’s society and helps to develop personal skills such as organisation and understanding of how society changes and works. We also find the staff to be very supportive if we ever need help with the subject.

This module covers many different aspects of family life by trying to answer questions such as;

  1. Today, are husbands and wives equal?
  2. Is the position of children today better or worse than in the past?
  3. Why has the size and structure of families changed?
  4. Why are the figures for divorce, cohabitation and the births outside marriage changing?

Module 2- Education

This module covers the four main questions that sociologists ask about education. These are;

  1. Why do some pupils achieve more than others?
  2. What is the role of education in society?
  3. How do gender, race and class affect an individual’s experience of school?
  4. How do the government’s policies affect students in education?

Module 3- Sociological Methods

The different techniques that sociologists use to collect information on society are explored. These techniques include observation, questionnaires, interviews, official statistics, case studies etc.

Year 13- A2 (3 written papers)

Module 4- Sociology of Religion

This module covers the main theoritical approaches to religion and questions if religion is a force for social change. It distinguishes between different religious organisations and evaluates the different explanations for their development. It also considers if the importance of religion has changed in society today.

Module 5- Theory and Methods

The various theories in sociology are evaluated and their usefulness in explaining human behavior in society is considered. The methods that sociologists use to gather information are also analysed in more detail and the links between the different methods and theories are explored.

Module 6- Crime and Deviance

This module provides the opportunity to explore the different meanings of crime and deviance and how it is represented by the media. The various explanations for crime and deviance are evaluated and the sociological studies of suicide are evaluated.