Sociology

Why choose AQA A Level Sociology?

Our world is changing faster than ever before. Traditional ways of thinking and acting have been replaced, as revolutions in areas of gender and I.C.T. have transformed society. Sociology tries to understand the changes occurring in modern society. By doing this it helps us to understand how our own lives are shaped and influenced by the social world around us. Sociology promotes imagination and criticism. Through an introduction to a variety of ways of looking at societies, it challenges our taken-for granted assumptions of how things are.

The sociological way of thinking about the world is different from the way natural scientists might think about it. The raw material of sociology is the experience of ordinary people in ordinary, daily life. But, it is these very daily lives which can provide us with a whole host of clues about, for example, what makes some people more likely to commit crime than others. What is important for a sociologist is the ability to evaluate evidence and choose between possible explanations.

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What will I learn in Year 12 and how will it be assessed?

The topics we will cover during year 12 are:

• Families and Households
• Education with methods in context
• Research methods

This is a new specification subject. The school’s policy is that students enrolling onto new specification courses will not be entered for external AS examinations at the end of Year 12. Please visit the FAQs for more information on new specifications, their UCAS tariff points and the ‘decoupling’ of AS/A2 grades.

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What I will learn in Year 13 Sociology

The topics we cover in year 13 are:
• The media
• Crime and Deviance
• Theory and methods

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How Sociology is assessed in Year 13

All exams for Sociology A Level take place in the summer term of Y13. The breakdown of the 3 exams is below:

Paper 1 – Education with Theory and Methods
• Two hour written exam
• 80 marks
• 33.3% of A level
• Short answer and extended writing questions

Paper 2 – Topics in Sociology
• Two hour written exam
• 80 marks
• 33.3% of A level
• Extended writing questions

Paper 3 – Crime and Deviance and Theory and Methods
• Two hour written exam
• 80 marks
• 33.3% of A level
• Short answer and extended writing questions

This is a ‘new specification’ subject. The overall result for each student completing this course to full A level standard will be based on the final Year 13 A level examinations only. Please visit the FAQs for more information on new specifications, their UCAS tariff points and their ‘decoupling’ of AS/A2 grades.

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Interesting ways in which I will learn in Sociology

You will learn through opportunities to:

• Conduct independent research
• Self- and peer-assess work
• Work on tasks independently, in pairs and in groups
• Make presentations to the class
• Take part in Master classes available through universities
• Take part in class debates on Sociological topics

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Related Degrees:

A number of students every year go on to study for a BA degree in Sociology, Criminology or Social Science or study for a degree in the related field of Social Work.

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Related Careers:

• Social researcher
• Social worker
• Welfare advice worker
• Police constable
• Prison governor
• Probation officer
• Housing officer

Did you know?
 Martin Luther King, Michelle Obama and actor Robin Williams are all famous sociology graduates

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Further Course Information:

You will benefit from wider-reading around the subject (for example, by becoming a member of The British Sociological Association and receiving their magazine or subscribing to ‘Sociology Review’- copies also available in the school library).

All students receive a range of resources including detailed notes, revision packs and examination papers. Homework is set frequently and regular assessment is a feature of the course.

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