“The scientific study of people and societies”
Sociology: Vision Statement
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science – a term with which it is sometimes synonymous – that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social activity, often with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare.
Sociology is both topically and methodologically a very broad discipline. Its traditional focuses have included social stratification (i.e., “class”), social mobility, religion, secularisation, law, and deviance, while approaches have included both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. As all spheres of human activity are sculpted by social structure and individual agency, sociology has gradually expanded its focus to further subjects, such as medical, military and penal institutions, the Internet, and even the role of social activity in the development of scientific knowledge!
Sociology: Design Rationale
Sociology is a new subject to all students who begin their AS level at DHFS. It suits those who are curious about people and the way a society is created. Frequently, students will study this alongside other humanities subjects such as history, criminology or psychology to compliment the idea it largely studying ‘people’.
Sociology: Curriculum Map
Facilities
Sociology is taught in rooms with computers. Students will have access to a wide range of sociology books and films. The sociology area of the VLE will provide you with many extra resources. The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) also has many useful text books and journals.
Key Stage 5
Year 12
Using the exam board AQA, year 12 students begin to explore ‘Education’ to give the students the chance to explore the education system from a new perspective allowing them to develop critical thinking skills. This considers the role education plays in shaping people and examines how different sociological perspectives such as Marxism and Functionalism view the role of education. Students have the opportunity to analyse and evaluate these perspective; contrasting different ideas against each other. Students also consider factors which effect educational achievement such as race and gender, class. They assess to what extent educational policy has impacted the system and ideas around achievement.
‘Families’ as a module is also taught in Year 12. This is a module which directly relates to students lives making it a very relevant unit of the course. Here students consider a range of different features of the family such as the traditional idea of the family and how this has changed over time. A range of sociological perspectives are considered such as Liberalism, Feminism and Realism when considering the roles families play within society.
Year 13
In Year 13 students develop their knowledge further through exploring the topic ‘Crime’. Here students consider how factors such as class, race and gender effects what constitutes as criminal behaviour. Students also explore how society is designed to control and punish people as well as evaluating perspectives such as interactionism and labelling in relation to crime. Students also consider why crimes may be hidden such as state crime, environmental crime and human rights offences.
Beliefs in Society is also studied in year 13. This unit helps to give students an understanding of why society is structured the way it is; as a direct result of the influence of religion. Students consider how religion traditionally plays a role in many major key agencies of society including the education and justice system. Students explore how this has changed over time and the impact of the rise of more secular ideas, Further, they consider the influence of a range of religious organisations on society from world religions to cults or sects.
Throughout year 12 and 13 how research is carried out is explored throughout the course and applied to each unit of learning so students develop an awareness of how experimentation is carried out. Throughout the course students are encouraged to read the news and keep up with current events through news apps and media to apply their knowledge to relevant current affairs and issues.
Extra curricular activities
We endeavour to provide at least one trip for each year group every year. Examples of trips are visits to Sociology conferences, to Local Courts and to listen to ex-convicts talk about their lives and why they committed the crimes they did.
Further Information
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/as-and-a-level/sociology-7191-7192
Teaching staff
- Miss H Windle
- Mr L Lomas