"The fascination of Sociology lies in the fact that its perspective makes us see in a new light the very world in which we have lived all our lives” Peter Berger.
Sociology is the science that challenges preconceptions. It encourages students to question and evaluate aspects of our social environment that are usually taken for granted. Sociology offers students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of society, and of how sociologists study and explain people's lives. Studying sociology will enable students to discuss social issues in a more informed and systematic way and it will help them to make sense of their own and other people's experiences.
Courses Offered
A level Sociology (AQA)
Syllabus Breakdown
Year 12:
- Education with Methods in Context
- Families and Households
Year 13:
- Crime and Deviance
- Theory and Methods
- Media
Subject Key Subjects
#1 Sociological Theory #2 Analysis and Evaluation #3 Social Structure vs Social Action
#4 Consensus vs Conflict #5 Culture, Norms, Values and Socialisation #6 Gender, Ethnicity, Social Class, Age
Please click here for Subject Key Concepts.
Curriculum Overview
Useful documents:
Please click here for a PDF of curriculum overview for Year 12.
Please click here for a PDF of Autumn curriculum overview for Year 13.
Minimum Entry Requirements
Students must meet our general Sixth Form entry requirements of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above and to study A level sociology, a grade 5 or above in GCSE English Language is preferable. It is not necessary to have completed GCSE Sociology to study A level. You must be prepared to read widely in areas of the course that interest you and to develop essay writing skills.
Why Study Sociology?
The core aim of the course is to enable students to acquire knowledge and a critical understanding of contemporary social processes. Students will be encouraged to question and debate the role of the education system in contemporary society, the place and influence of families and households, how beliefs factor into the contemporary world and why crime remains a prevalent issue in our world. The combination of discussion, debate and essay based tasks that lessons and homework will take offer students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding these fascinating topics. As students study the research and conclusions of sociologists in these fields, they will in turn gain a stronger sense of their own opinion and stance on many of these important social issues.
Wider Opportunities
Trips are valued highly as an opportunity to gain first-hand experience and testimony of many of the topics studied within Sociology.
In past years Sociology students have visited Sociology conferences, and visited the University of Bedfordshire for Criminology Conferences. These trips have been viewed as highly enriching and beneficial by students, and are therefore an aspect of the course that the Sociology department is keen to continue.
What Our Students Say:
'I chose Sociology as I wanted to extend my understanding of the world around us. I plan to study Sociology with Quantitative methods at the University of Warwick and am sure that A Level Sociology will enable me to fulfil this aspiration.’
'I chose Sociology A Level because I am interested in learning about society and looking at everyday occurrences through different perspectives. Taking Sociology will allow me to think critically about the world around me.’
'Sociology compliments my Ethics and Philosophy A Level. I enjoy the pace of the lessons and find the subject increasingly interesting lesson by lesson.’
What Can I Do Next?
There are many opportunities to pursue Sociology and related subjects in Higher education. Courses in Sociology are also part of training for many careers, including teaching, medicine, nursing, police, social work, personnel and management courses. The skills of research, analysis and evaluation which are emphasised during the course are useful in many jobs, such are journalism and advertising.
Throughout the course what matters is asking “intelligent” questions rather than remembering “right” answers. This is excellent preparation for the world beyond school.
