A Level Sociology
Subject Leader:
Mrs H Gibb
Exam Board:
AQA
Entry Requirements.
Grade 4 in GCSE English and a Humanities subject.
Why choose A Level Sociology.
Sociology is a mature and thought-provoking subject.
You will learn a great deal about how the society you live in really works. Some of the key questions we explore in Sociology include:
- Why are some people rich while others are poor?
- How does culture shape an individual?
- What is the purpose of education?
Sociology complements other subjects well, such as Psychology, Health and Social Care, History, Geography, English, Maths, and Business Studies. Students who do best in Sociology are those who are interested in people, enjoy reading newspapers and following the news, ask questions, enjoy reading, voice their opinions, keep an open mind, and are not intimidated by graphs, charts, and tables.
What you will study in A Level Sociology.
- Education, topics include: - functions and types of school, class, gender and ethnic issues, differences in achievement and social policy.
- The role of the media and family in society today.
- Research methods topics include questionnaires, observation, interviews and data analysis.
- Looking at the different perspectives in Sociology – Functionalism, Feminism, Marxism, Interactionism and Post Modernism.
- Crime and Deviance topics include patterns of crime in the UK today. Different theories about the causes of crime, and issues relating to social class, gender and ethnicity.
How you will be assessed in A Level Sociology
Paper 1: Education with Methods in Context
2 hour written exam, 80 marks, 33.3% of A-level
Paper 2: Topics in Sociology – Media & Family
2 hour written exam, 80 marks, 33.3% of A-level
Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
2 hour written exam, 80 marks, 33.3% of A-level
Progression and Careers linked to Sociology
Careers where it could be of benefit include marketing, journalism and the media, law, police, armed services, probation service, social work, nursing and teaching. With the growth of social media there has been a massive increase in the analysis of on-line data. Sociology students are extremely well equipped to analyse such information both numerically and in terms of meaningful assessment. There has never been a better time to be a social scientist.