Sociology

Course summary

Sociology is one of the social sciences and, like history and psychology, tries to understand human behaviour in the wider context of society. Sociology particularly concerns the study of social life, offering different explanations and evidence for what affects our social behaviour. Sociologists are also interested in the historical development of societies. Sociology particularly concerns the study of social life, offering different explanations and evidence for what affects our social behaviour. In contrast, psychology tends to concentrate on the workings of individuals’ minds, although there is some overlap. Sociologists are also interested in the historical development of societies. Whilst psychologists emphasise the experimental method, and historians make great use of secondary sources, sociologists use a wider range of research techniques and sources to find out about social life. You will be expected to become familiar with these methods and answer exam questions about them. We can all see evidence of social influences and factors, and statistically, there are correlations between aspects of social life which sociologists debate. For example, it is widely known that poorer people have worse health and life expectancy than wealthier citizens – but why? It is clear that females commit fewer crimes than males – but why? These would be just two questions you might study, and there will not necessarily be any definitive answers. But there will be a lot of evidence to consider and a lot of arguments about the topics! Sociology will make you look at everyday life in lots of new ways, so be prepared to be challenged! And be prepared to contribute, too.