Sociology A Level

Course Description

Sociology is the study of how society works. If you find yourself wondering why governments make the decisions they do, from Brexit to smartphone bans in schools, lowering the voting age to 16 or age limits on social media, Sociology gives you ways to explain them, using theoretical approaches such as Feminism and Marxism. We also ask how the media shapes our lives, whether it benefits society and where its dangers lie.

It is perfect for anyone interested in politics, the news, social media trends, what we believe and how we treat each other. Sociologists call this whole way of life culture, and the course asks where it comes from, how it shapes us and who it benefits. You will also learn a whole new vocabulary for analysing and evaluating the world around you.

Sociology will suit you if you enjoy essay writing and liked the GCSE English or History topics that deal with power and inequality. Popular combinations include English, History, Economics, Psychology and Art, although Sociology combines well with any subject.

Above all, Sociology helps you understand the world. It gives you the knowledge and confidence to form your own opinions, to take part in debates and to become an informed, critical thinker.

Further Information about our courses including results

Three year average 55% A*-B

Course Content and Teaching Units

Culture and Identity: What makes you who you are? You will look at how family, friends, school and the media teach us how to behave, and how your social class, gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, nationality or disability shapes the way you see yourself and the way others see you. You will consider what subcultures are, why people join them, and whether shopping, brands and globalisation are making us all more alike.

Crime and Deviance: Why do people commit crime, and who is most likely to do so? You will study the theories that try to explain it, and the different types of crime, including emerging cybercrimes and crimes committed by governments. You will look at how crimes come to be labelled and prosecuted, who is most likely to become a victim, and why violence against women and girls has been described as a national emergency in the United Kingdom. You will also weigh up how successful prevention, surveillance and punishment are in reducing crime.

Education with Methods in Context: Why do some students do better at school than others? You will explore how social class, gender and ethnicity shape achievement, and whether the causes lie at home or in the classroom. You will question the things schools take for granted, such as uniform rules that seem to have little to do with learning, and ask what education is really for: opening up opportunity, or teaching us to fit in and follow rules? You will judge whether government policies such as Ofsted inspections and academies have made schools fairer.

The Media: Who owns the media, and do they control what we think? You will look at how the news is chosen and shaped, and how groups such as young people, women, ethnic minorities and disabled people are shown on screen and online. You will ask whether the media has the power to swing elections, and debate whether it encourages violence or can help to reduce crime.

Theory and Methods: Functionalists see society as working in harmony, Marxists see a conflict between social classes, and Feminists focus on inequality between men and women. Interactionists look at everyday encounters and the labels we give each other, while Postmodernists argue that society is now fragmented and driven by choice. You will also learn how sociologists carry out research, using questionnaires, interviews, observation and official statistics, and how to judge how far their evidence can be trusted.

Financial Information

Potential trip cost around £50.

Trips, visits and extra-curricular

In some years we can offer a visit to Shrewsbury Prison, which brings the Crime and Deviance unit to life. The trip costs around £50.

Throughout the course we recommend documentaries and news articles to help expand your knowledge beyond the classroom and give you current examples to use in your essays.

Sociology is assessed entirely by examination, with no coursework.

At the end of Year 13 you sit three papers:

Paper 1: Education with Theory and Methods

Paper 2: Topics in Sociology: Culture and Identity, and The Media

Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

Each paper lasts 2 hours, is worth 80 marks and counts for a third of the final grade.

Each paper lasts 2 hours, is worth 80 marks and counts for a third of the final grade.

At the end of Year 13 you sit three papers:

Paper 1: Education with Theory and Methods

Paper 2: Topics in Sociology: Culture and Identity, and The Media

Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

Each paper lasts 2 hours, is worth 80 marks and counts for a third of the final grade.

Grade 5 or above in English Language and English Literature.

Previous students have gone on to study and build careers in:

Law and justice: law, criminology, probation and policing

Politics and policy: politics, international relations and government policy

Education and research: teaching and academic research

Business and media: business, marketing, human resources, public relations, journalism and the media

Health and care: medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, social work and youth services

Sociology is about understanding people, so it is relevant to any job where you work with customers, clients or the public, or to any role that involves analysing data.

Law and justice: law, criminology, probation and policing

Politics and policy: politics, international relations and government policy

Education and research: teaching and academic research

Business and media: business, marketing, human resources, public relations, journalism and the media

Health and care: medicine, dentistry, nursing, midwifery, social work and youth services

Sociology is about understanding people, so it is relevant to any job where you work with customers, clients or the public, or to any role that involves analysing data.