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A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY

Exam Board

AQA

 

Overview

In sociology you will look at a range of issues across education, family, media and crime. You will look at issues like:

  • Why are males more likely to commit crime than females?
  • How are certain groups targeted by the police?
  • How is the media controlled by wealthy businesses?
  • How does are education system teach us to conform in society?
  • In what ways is the idea of childhood disappearing?

 

Why Choose This?

Sociology encourages you to think about your role in society and how your identity is shaped by age, ethnicity and social class. You will examine interactions on a small scale and a large scale, gaining a greater understanding of how people interact in different ways in different social situations. This will help understand how British society operates and why inequalities develop in society.

 

Former students have gone on to study a wide range of subjects including criminology, politics, international relations, psychology and social policy. Sociology is also studied as part of the training for many jobs including business management, advertising, journalism, prison work, teaching, law, nursing, the police and social work.

 

Areas of Study & Assessment

Education

  • Different theoretical explanations of the role of education
  • Reasons for differences in achievement in education
  • The impact of political policies on education

Family and households

  • Different theoretical explanations of the role of the family
  • Reasons for differences in family types and trends in the family
  • The impact of political policies on the family

Crime and deviance

  • Different theoretical explanations of criminal behaviour
  • Reasons for differences in offending rates amongst different groups in society
  • The impact of the media and globalisation on crime

Media

  • Debates around the importance of media ownership
  • Debates around different ways the media represents different groups in society
  • Different explanations of how the media influences society

 

All assessment is exam based.  There are three examinations, each two hours and each worth 33% of the final grade.

Paper 1- Education, theory and methods

Paper 2- Family and Media

Paper 3- Crime & Deviance, theory and methods

 

What Our Students Say

Studying A level sociology has allowed me to gain a greater insight into how society functions and what I find most enjoyable about studying it is that I am able to look at events happening around the world in modern society and question why it is occurring. The fact that we study a variety of institutions such as education, family, crime and mass media has given me a rounded and objective view of how we use and operate within these spheres. I would recommend studying A level sociology because, not only is it enjoyable learning about how society functions and the different perspectives taken, but it builds up core skills such as critical thinking, being able to interpret information and apply it to everyday situations, as well as developing independent learning and communication skills.

 

Knightlow Road,

Harborne,

Birmingham,

B17 8QB

 

0121 429 2838

sfc-enquiry@lordswoodtrust.co.uk