Sociology
Introduction
Sociology is a vibrant and exciting subject that will require you to think differently about the society in which we live. In this course we will look at social patterns and problems, challenge orthodox views, and examine the interesting and complex workings of society. You will learn the fundamentals of Sociology and develop skills valued by higher education and employers, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research Instead of thinking ‘What has happened?’ think ‘Why did that happen and what can be done to solve it?’.
Sociology opens up a world of opportunities for further study and careers, for example in Social Work, the Law, within the Criminal Justice System, including the police and probation services, journalism, social research, politics and many more.
Sociology is currently only available at KS5.
The Staff Team
Mr J DyeHead of Philosophy, Sociology and EPQ, he has taught a broad range of humanities and social sciences, including philosophy, religion, politics and psychology. He specialises as a sixth form tutor, and has taught sociology at GCSE, A-Level and in Adult Education. He holds a degree in philosophy from Warwick University, a PGCE from Winchester University and recently completed a Master’s with the Open University. What he loves about Sociology is that it is an applied and critical discipline that engages students politically; giving them lenses through which to view the wider world as they step into adulthood.
Mr P Ward is the Head of Sixth Form and a teacher of Religious Studies and Sociology at CNS. Having completed his PGCE at the University of Oxford in 2008, he has worked in a variety of schools in Oxfordshire and Dorset as a teacher of humanities, debating coach and Head of Department. He enjoys teaching across a range of areas, encouraging his students to deepen their learning by making connections between the ideas and concepts of different subjects.
The Curriculum
Sociology is an evidence based discipline so our ideas and theories have to be backed by facts about society. Sociologists collect data and information by using a variety of research methods. The course is demanding and as such requires a lot of work from each of its students. You will need to be organised, motivated and enthusiastic and most importantly open to new ideas and concepts.
Key stage 5
A LEVEL Sociology is a two year linear course. There is no course work requirement.
Y12– students will study:
- Education with methods in context.
- Exploring the role of education in society with in–depth review of sociological methods.
- Research methods.
- Examining the tools and techniques sociologists use to collect evidence about an aspect of social life or the causes of a social event. Students undertake their own small scale research.
- Family and Households.
- Examining the formation of the family and the relation to the social structure, nature of childhoold and changes in the Family.
Y13 – students will study:
- Global Development.
- Exploring global development, what is development all about? We examine the role of the Western states, and the processes of economic, political and cultural globalisation.
- Crime and Deviance.
- Examining crime and deviance from its historical origins to modern and postmodern ideologies. The theories of crime and deviance, globalisation, crime control, state crime, mass media and crime, the role of the Criminal Justice system.
- Theory and Methods.
- Examining sociological theories and their explanations for social life, consensus and conflict theories are studied as well as postmodern and interactionist approaches.
A level
(AQA examination board)
Students at the end of year 13 will sit three separate 2 hour exams, each exam is 80 marks and each paper represents a third of the A level qualification.
- Paper one Education with theory and methods
- Paper two Topics in Sociology
- Families and Households
- Global Development
- Paper three Crime and Deviance with theory and methods.
