Sociology

What is Sociology?

Sociology is the study of society, human social behaviour and its origins, development, organisations, and institutions. A goal for many sociologists is to conduct research which may be applied directly to social policy and welfare to address a problem within society, for example poverty. 

Studying Sociology will allow you to develop an understanding of how the world in which we live can influence our experiences of it. This course encourages you to question society and the world around you, providing you with the opportunity to develop a range of transferable skills and a level of understanding of central aspects of sociological thought and methods. You will investigate various aspects of our social world in an attempt to look beyond common sense perceptions and uncover the ‘true’ nature of our society and the reasons why it is the way it is.

When can I learn Sociology?

At JHNCC we are lucky to offer sociology at both GCSE level and A Level. This means that you can choose to study sociology when you pick your options in year 9 or your options when you enroll for 6th form. 

Is the subject right for me?

Sociology at JHNCC is a high performing subject and can open your eyes to the world around you to help you explain what is happening in your everyday life and the reasons why you may experience life in the way that you do. It is an essay based subject with lots of long answer written questions. At GCSE level you will be given a statement question and asked for the theories that agree or disagree with that view in a long answer format. At A Level you will be asked to evaluate the contribution of a particular theory or concept to our understanding of society. Because of this, we ask for a high level of literacy and writing skills to allow you to be highly successful. We offer lots of opportunities to put your studies into practice with trips to Universities to hear from leading Sociologists in their field, Shrewsbury Prison to understand the criminal world as well as trips to Birmingham’s courts to put the theory into practice. 

What does the course lead to?

Sociology acts as a good foundation for further study in the social sciences or related subjects, such as history, law, business, politics, psychology or criminology.

Typically, people with sociology qualifications gain employment in careers that involve working with people. These could include: community worker, housing officer, journalist, personnel manager, prison officer, probation officer and social worker to name but a few.

What will I learn?

In year 10 and 11, we study Eduqas GCSE Sociology which covers the following topics:

Year 10 Year 11
Introduction

  • What is sociology
  • What are the main sociological theories?
  • What is our identity and how is it formed?
  • What are the different aspects of our identity?
  • How do we know how to behave?

Family

  • What are the different family types we have in the UK?
  • How has the family changed over time and what are the reasons for this?
  • Are less people getting married and more people getting divorced?
  • What is childhood like?
  • What do the sociological theories believe about the family?

Education 

  • What is the role and function of the education system?
  • Why does the educational achievement change depending on the social class, gender and ethnicity of a person?
  • What are the relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil identities and subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organisation of teaching and learning and how do they affect achievement?

Research Methods

  • How do we study society?
  • What are the positives and drawbacks of different methods of research?
 Crime and Deviance

  • What is crime, deviance, social order and social control?
  • Is the social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class equal?
  • How do we control crime? 

Social Stratification

  • What are the different ways a society can be structured?
  • Does everybody have an equal chance in society?
  • What are the inequalities in society based on your class, age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability?
  • What do the sociological theories believe about inequality in society?

In Year 12 and 13 we complete the AQA A Level in Sociology. We offer the full A Level (no As level) meaning that exams are all at the end of year 13. There are three 2 hour exams. We study the following topics:

Year 12  Year 13
Education 

  • What is the role and function of the education system?
  • Why does the educational achievement change depending on the social class, gender and ethnicity of a person?
  • What are the relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil identities and subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organisation of teaching and learning and how do they affect achievement?
  • How does the government affect education through educational policies?

Culture and Identity

  • What are the different conceptions of culture? 
  • What is the socialisation process and the role of the agencies of socialisation?
  • Is your sense of self and your identity both socially caused and socially constructed?
  • What is the relationship of identity to age, disability, ethnicity, gender, nationality, sexuality and social class in contemporary society?
  • What is the relationship of identity to production, consumption and globalisation?

Theory and Methods

  • How do we study society?
  • What are the positives and drawbacks of different methods of research?
  • What is the relationship between sociological research and government policy?
  • Can Sociology be considered a science?
  • Can a sociologist keep their values out of their research?
 Crime and Deviance

  • What is crime, deviance, social order and social control?
  • Is the social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class equal?
  • What is the relation between globalisation and crime in contemporary society?
  • How do we control crime? 
  • How do we prevent crime?
  • What is the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies?

Beliefs in Society

  • What is the relationship between social change and social stability, and religious beliefs, practices and organisations?
  • What are the different religious organisations and what is their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice?
  • What is the relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices?
  • What is the significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world?

What Grades do I need?

There are no entry requirements for GCSE Sociology but remember that writing is an important skill. For A level, if you have studied sociology at GCSE, you must have a minimum of a grade 6. If not, you must have achieved a grade 5 in English and the 5 grade 5s to study A Level subjects at JHNCC.