Sociology

Assessment

Component 1 - Socialisation and Culture: The nature nurture debate persists and sociology offers evidence for the way behaviour is shaped by our culture. This component considers the changing nature of family life in the contemporary UK and explanations for diversity. It also takes a closer look at education, asking questions such as why some groups may have more advantages than others within the education system. Students will be introduced to sociological theories and encouraged to develop their analytical and evaluative skills when comparing them. Exam: 2 ½ hours 40% of A Level ​ Component 2 - Methods of Sociological Enquiry: This involves the study of research methods and an assessment of their value. Questionnaires may be useful on a large scale but can they provide results which are meaningful? Interviews and observations may allow detail but is this useful if they are only conducted using small samples? Students will have the opportunity to design and evaluate their own piece of research, for example, investigating young people’s attitudes towards crime and punishment. Exam: 1 ¾ hours 20% of A Level Component 3 - Power and Stratification: During Year 13 the topics became more theoretical and applied to the reality of modern Britain. Students will study a unit on Crime and deviance, considering questions such as what are the causes of crime in society. Who is most likely to be convicted, and how we can tackle the problem of crime? They will be encouraged to consider many sides of the debates on criminal behaviour and understand the complexity of this topic. Visiting speakers include representativeness from the Police. This shows students that what they learn in class has a real impact on the way society deals with crime. ​Students also study Social Inequality, still as relevant today as in any other period of history. Here they will consider sociological explanations regarding why societies have inequalities between groups. Are they inevitable and based on what people deserve or are they part of powerful groups maintaining their positions? Exam: 2 ½ hours 40% of A Level