Sociology

Course summary

Sociology is the study of society. Most people take the way the world works for granted, but sociologists like to look beyond “common sense” explanations and ask questions to help explain why things happen. Sociological questions include “What different types of family exist in modern Britain?”, “Why has the divorce rate risen?”, “Has the role of women really changed?”, “Why are girls achieving more at school?”, “Does social class affect educational achievement?”, “Is the crime rate rising and if so, why?”, “Why is religion declining in western society?” Sociology teaches students how to interpret and analyse information, to reach a conclusion based on careful evaluation of evidence, to recognise bias in evidence, and to be able to evaluate evidence critically. Students also learn research skills and how to structure their written thoughts in a logical fashion.