The aims and objectives of the AQA GCE Advanced Sociology are to enable students to: • Understand society and its relationship to the individual through the study of interesting and diverse topics linked by the overarching concepts of (i) socialization, culture, and identity and (ii) social differentiation, power, and stratification. • Have the skills and theoretical understanding to conduct their research. • Develop knowledge and understanding, skills of application, analysis and evaluation. Students are introduced to Sociology by learning about key sociological perspectives, theories of socialization, and the impact of class, gender, ethnicity, and disability. Students will be expected to apply their knowledge to particular topics but also keep abreast of current events and relate their learning to developing issues. Knowledge and understanding are deepened in Year 2 and students take three two-hour exams at the end of that year. Many Sociology students go on to take degrees in Sociology or a related field such as Anthropology, Criminology, or Education. Sociology is also considered good preparation and an acceptable entrance qualification for other courses at the degree level. Common career pathways taken by Sociology graduates include: • Journalism • Charity developmental work • Law • Teaching • PR and marketing • Social work • Social Research • Nursing • Politics • Charity developmental work It is also a useful subject for those not wishing to go to university and wanting to follow careers such as the police, armed forces, civil service, and working with children or the elderly. Theme 1: Education: • The relationships between class, gender ethnicity, and educational achievement • Recent reforms to the educational system Theory and methods • The nature of sociological thought • The methods of social inquiry • Methods in context Theme 2: Families and households: • The different family structures over time and place and current trends regarding marriage and divorce • Demography • Childhood and relationships Theme 3: Media • The significance of new media including social media • The relationship between ownership and control of the media • The processes behind the selection and presentation of the news • Media representations of age, social class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disability • The effects of the media on their audiences Theme 4: Crime and deviance • Contemporary society through a detailed study of crime and deviance • The processes behind the selection and deviance • How crime is socially distributed, explained and reduced Theory and methods • The nature of sociological thought, the methods of social inquiry