Sociology

Course summary

Sociology is the study of the actions and interactions of people in groups. It is a fascinating subject as it looks at those issues which impact directly and indirectly on our lives. Consider these issues: • For every woman in prison there are 24 men • 75% of divorce petitions are from females • People from middle class backgrounds live longer (on average) than those from working class backgrounds • 70% of British citizens still affiliated with Christianity • Women still get paid on average 20% less than men Sociology is an academic subject and can equip you with the necessary knowledge and understanding to see where you fit into society and where you may want your career to lead. If you become a sociology student you will not be provided with quick answers. What you will discover is how to think about these issues for yourself: what are the questions behind the questions? Generations of students have found that sociology makes them look at the world in new ways and this is why so many of us who teach it feel passionately about it and why it is still pioneering after more than a hundred years. To do sociology you need to be interested in such issues and have a desire to go beyond ‘common sense’ explanations. As a social science, sociology adopts rigorous methods of research and applies them to human behaviour. Sociology also relies heavily on essay writing as a form of assessment, therefore a good understanding of the English language is essential for success.