Subject Pages
Sociology
Sociology is the study of our social lives, of groups and societies. Sociology is a subject that explores many of our experiences and relationships that we have with each other and how these can shape our life. Sociology is interested in how we relate to each other as social beings: in families, at work, in education for example; and what shapes this interaction? Are we the product of our society or do we shape our own lives? It is a subject that is relevant to life today.
Sociology has the potential to change our thinking about ourselves and how we structure our lives in our modern societies. ‘The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden.’ - Pierre Bourdieu.
Students need to approach sociology with a willingness to discuss social issues and debate their impact on our lives; reading and being informed about current affairs is also expected.
Through Sociology, students learn a number of skills that can assist them in their future career paths: critical thinking, the ability to analyse and summarise and to question and evaluate are key skills. The ability to write essays and use conceptual terms confidently.
Click here for more information about the skills Sociology can give; from the British Sociological Association.
Staffing
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Subject Lead |
Mrs J Bridgland |
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Teachers
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Mrs J Bridgland Mr B Mac |
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Prefects
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Linett Ciara Mia |
Curriculum Map
Click here for the Sociology Curriculum Map
A Level
Course content
The course provides students with the opportunity to study contemporary issues and debates about modern society. The following are the units of study and key areas for study.
Education: What is the purpose of education; what factors inside and outside school - such as wider society and home backgrounds impact achievement; why are some students anti-school; how have government educational policies impacted educational achievement.
Research methods and methods in context: What methods to sociologists use to conduct their research, how do sociologists use research methods investigating educational issues – such pupil subcultures for example.
Families and Households: How has the family changed in the last 50 years – what the different types. Marriage, divorce and childhood – how has this changed. How does an ageing population impact family life. Are relationships equal within a family.
Beliefs in Society: What is religion and how does it impact our modern society today. What are the characteristics of a religion – what function does religion serve in our modern lives today. Can religion be a force for positive change or maintain the status quo.
Crime and Deviance: How can crime be caused by the society in which we live. What are the causes of crime and deviance; and who is more likely to commit crime. What is the impact of globalisation of crime. What is green crime. How should society manage crime.
Theory and Methods: debates within Sociology such as should sociology be scientific as a subject, do we now live in a postmodern world, can sociology impact government policies.
Click here for course specification.
Assessment, Marking and Feedback
Assessment and Exam format:
Students sit three 2-hour examinations at the end of the course; each worth 33.3% of their grade.
Paper 1: Education, Methods in Context, Theory and Methods
Paper 2: Topics in Society – Families and Households, Beliefs in Society
Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
Exam board: AQA
There is no coursework
Marking and feedback during the course:
Assessments during the course aim to develop the skills and knowledge needed for high level essay writing. Essays and short exam questions will be set in-line with AQA exam questions. These may be set as a timed activity in class; as homework and for end of unit assessments. They are set regularly and are marked using the AQA marking criteria.
Feedback will involve recognition of knowledge and skills by the student and areas for improvement based on the criteria established by AQA. Whole class verbal feedback will be given and opportunities for 1:1 discussion should students require this. The school reward system will be applied as appropriate. Marking will be completed within the school marking policy of two weeks. Where appropriate example exemplars will be given to students to model high level answers. Markschemes for all examination questions will be made available so that students are aware of the criteria for the different levels of achievement. The raw marks will be given for each assessment which is an exam focused question; for mock exams an A level grade will also be given. The school reward award system will be applied as appropriate.
Additional assessments may be in the format of completed knowledge organisers in order to test students learning and google forms. Feedback for knowledge organisers will be through comments and sharing of completed detailed knowledge organisers. Google forms will be knowledge based and will provide answers.
Past exam questions, and revision notes for the course will be available to students via google classroom.
Click here for AQA past questions and markschemes.
Specification
Please click here for the AQA A Level Sociology specification.
Reach Stars
Exam Support
Advice
The exam formats can be found here
Students are all provided with a pack of past questions and example questions to use when preparing for the exam. We recommend that students focus their revision both on reviewing key content and practising how to apply this to exam style questions. To help with this, we have developed a bank of likely questions which can be found here
Past papers
Please click here for the AQA A Level Sociology past papers
Useful external links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qy05/episodes/downloads
Careers
Potential careers
The British Sociological Association website contains useful information such as university courses, career options and other sociology websites which may be of interest.
Downloads
| Subject Documents |
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| Sociology at Highworth |
| Discover Sociology |