Sociology

Course summary

Sociology is the study of society. Sociology looks at how our social characteristics affect our chances and experiences in life. We study gender, ethnicity and social class and ask why different groups of people are less likely to have good health, achieve good qualifications, have social status and be more likely to commit a crime, be poor or die at an early age. Sociology combines well with other Social Science or humanities courses such as Psychology, Government and Politics, Media Studies, Geography, History and Economics. Candidates should be prepared to debate contemporary social issues and write in detail about such issues. Learning Beyond the Classroom: • Revision conferences run by expert sociologists • Debating is ideal for A-level sociology students, as debates cover a range of topics and themes, often with a contemporary agenda. • Visit to the Old Bailey to explore the criminal justice system • Guest speakers • University links Skills and Qualities for Study at KS5 and beyond: • Sociology is the study of life in this society. It is therefore relevant to all students who will live and work in this society in their future. • After taking A Level Sociology, students go on to study a wide range of degree subjects and go on to careers in health, education, police/probation work, business, personnel, marketing, recruitment, care work, law, journalism and media. • Students will develop essay writing skills in this course, debating current social issues. They will begin to understand more about the world in which they live, from a variety of points of view. • All of these skills are not only useful for any university course, but for life in general. A Level Sociology gives you a strong foundation for further study of a range of academic subjects at degree level. Students can progress to degree courses such as Anthropology, Criminology, Journalism, Law, Social Policy and Sociology. Sociology can lead to a job in a variety of careers such as teaching, social work and social policy making, law, journalism, the civil service, Policing, Law, Journalism, Teaching, Nursing, Politics, Social Work, Business, Human Resources, Advertising and Public Relations.