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Sociology
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Our Aims
Sociology is only available at Advanced Level and is therefore new to all pupils who choose to study it. This has both advantages and disadvantages in that it gives all pupils a chance to start afresh, on an equal footing and with a new subject that may well spark renewed interest in study. A good standard of written English is essential as the examination is based upon essay style questions. A fair amount of independent, but guided, reading is required to obtain the necessary detail which is needed to set issues and concepts into context.
Staff
Mrs J Robb
Curriculum
We sit the WJEC syllabus. The specification is divided into a total of 4 units, 2 AS units and 2 A2 units.
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AS Units
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A2 Units
What is Sociology?
- Sociology is the study of the social world, the groups we form and the societies in which we live. It is the study of our behaviour, as individuals interacting with others, or as members of the bigger groups that we form. We look at areas of our lives that we may perhaps take for granted, and put them under the microscope to better understand the differences and the similarities in the experiences of people within these institutions.
- Studying sociology fosters the development of critical and reflective thinking with a respect for social diversity. It provides an awareness of the importance of social structure and social action in explaining social issues.
- What is a family? Is it mum, dad and two children? Or is it a single parent with a baby? Or a family of two adults both of whom have been married before and bring their respective children together to form a new family? These are among the issues studied in L6.
- What about school? Why is it compulsory? Why do we have exams? Why do girls do better than boys? We study Education, also in Lower 6th and will be considering theories of education involving these and other issues.
- In Middle 6th we move from studying topics to which we have a close attachment and experience of, to two modules: Crime & Deviance and Social Stratification with which we have experience, albeit not necessarily directly. These topics also have great impact on the society in which we live. What is deviance? Who says a particular act is deviant? Why do we have more boys in trouble with the law than girls? Does the UK still have a distinct class system? Does your gender or ethnicity have an impact upon your social standing in society? Is class ascribed at birth or can it be changed through hard work and effort?'
Additional Information
Sociologists are often accused of just looking at issues and then stating the obvious. While we do study topics and issues that are part of everyday life, sociologists must be able to back up their statements with case-studies and examples to illustrate claims or observations. These are gained through research and a study of research methods is therefore a key part of Lower 6th and Middle 6th work. Questionnaires and interviews, participant and non-participant observation…all are looked at with relevant case studies of actual research to help us understand the advantages and disadvantages of using particular methods in certain circumstances.
What can you do with Sociology?
Sociology is a very useful subject for a wide range of careers. Students of sociology have a range of skills that are in demand, including in the field of Law, Criminology, Health, Education, Media, Police and Probation Service, Social and Welfare Provision and Business and Marketing. A sociologist’s ability to form and defend an argument, regardless of personal opinions, is helpful in all these career areas.
Studying sociology provides you with a range of skills that employers look for, including communication, interpersonal, problem-solving and analytical skills.
Get in touch
Our office is open 8:15am - 4:15pm Monday to Friday.
