Sociology is the study of human society and the social relationships and institutions within it. Sociology’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime, religion, and the family to education, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. Unifying the study of these diverse areas of study is Sociology’s purpose – to understand how human action and thinking both shape, and are shaped, by surrounding cultural and social structures. You will also study the techniques that sociologists use to conduct their research and sociological theories that seek to explain and understand the nature and development of contemporary Britain. Throughout this two-year course, you will acquire the essential knowledge and understanding of the central aspects of sociological thought and the core themes of socialization, culture and identity, social differentiation, power and stratification, and research methods. In the first year you will study ‘Families and Households’ which focuses on several key areas; • The relationship of the family to social structure; • Reasons for demographic changes; • Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce and childbearing; • The diversity of contemporary family and household structures; • Gender, domestic labor and power relationships, and childhood. You will then study ‘Beliefs in Society’ which involves looking at the definitions of religion and the role of religious secularisation in the UK and the global context. You will learn about the wide range of different types of religious organizations and the impact of globalization. In the second year, you will study ‘The Sociology of Education’. This topic includes; • The functions of the education system for society; • The changing nature of education and policies; • The differential achievement of social groups and how relationships and processes with the school system and external factors affect achievement. • This topic also includes an exploration of the research methods used by sociologists and their effectiveness. Next, you will study ‘Crime and Deviance’, learning about the range of sociological perspectives on crime prevention, control, and punishment. You will consider the links between crime and different social groups as well as the relationship of crime to the media, globalization, and new forms of criminality such as cybercrime. In this topic, there is also an in-depth study of sociological perspectives, sociology and science, values, and links to policy and research methods.
There is a minimum entry requirement of five GCSEs at Grade 4 and above. Grade 4 in GCSE English Language.
Assessment is by three written exam papers, consisting of a range of short and extended writing questions.
About Education Provider
| Region | South East |
| Local Authority | Surrey |
| Ofsted Rating | Outstanding |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| Address | Weston Green Road, Thames Ditton, KT7 0JB |
Sociology is the study of human society and the social relationships and institutions within it. Sociology’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime, religion, and the family to education, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. Unifying the study of these diverse areas of study is Sociology’s purpose – to understand how human action and thinking both shape, and are shaped, by surrounding cultural and social structures. You will also study the techniques that sociologists use to conduct their research and sociological theories that seek to explain and understand the nature and development of contemporary Britain. Throughout this two-year course, you will acquire the essential knowledge and understanding of the central aspects of sociological thought and the core themes of socialization, culture and identity, social differentiation, power and stratification, and research methods. In the first year you will study ‘Families and Households’ which focuses on several key areas; • The relationship of the family to social structure; • Reasons for demographic changes; • Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce and childbearing; • The diversity of contemporary family and household structures; • Gender, domestic labor and power relationships, and childhood. You will then study ‘Beliefs in Society’ which involves looking at the definitions of religion and the role of religious secularisation in the UK and the global context. You will learn about the wide range of different types of religious organizations and the impact of globalization. In the second year, you will study ‘The Sociology of Education’. This topic includes; • The functions of the education system for society; • The changing nature of education and policies; • The differential achievement of social groups and how relationships and processes with the school system and external factors affect achievement. • This topic also includes an exploration of the research methods used by sociologists and their effectiveness. Next, you will study ‘Crime and Deviance’, learning about the range of sociological perspectives on crime prevention, control, and punishment. You will consider the links between crime and different social groups as well as the relationship of crime to the media, globalization, and new forms of criminality such as cybercrime. In this topic, there is also an in-depth study of sociological perspectives, sociology and science, values, and links to policy and research methods.
There is a minimum entry requirement of five GCSEs at Grade 4 and above. Grade 4 in GCSE English Language.
Assessment is by three written exam papers, consisting of a range of short and extended writing questions.