The Sociology Department
Sociology is a very successful and growing department at Presdales at both GCSE and A level. The subject is taught at A level and GCSE by Mrs Worthy (Head of Department) and Ms Ryan.
What is sociology?
Sociology is the academic study of the ways in which individuals and groups live in society. It is concerned with the study of social institutions e.g. the family, education system, political system. Sociology tries to understand how these social institutions operate and relate to one another. For example how the family might influence how well children perform in the education system.
The subject has two strands. The theoretical which covers a range of different views on why societies are how they are and how they work. The other strand is the empirical which refers to real research on what is happening in society. This describes patterns and events and tries to explain them.
The Department offers AQA Sociology at GCSE and A level. The teaching of Sociology should inspire, engage and challenge students. The department has high expectations of students. Students come to Presdales with a lot of questions about their society, culture, values, and our aim is to stimulate and encourage an enjoyment in learning about the development of and changing nature of the study of humans and their social interactions. The department encourages students to be open minded and willing to consider and question alternative viewpoints. Our teaching emphasises the cultural, religious and ethnic diversity of society and individuals.
Our Vision
Studying Sociology will allow students to begin to look at society and what is going on around them in a new way. They will begin to see beneath the surface and some, perhaps many, of their own views and assumptions will be challenged by what they learn. Sociology raises many questions, often involving various forms of inequality which exists between groups. For example Why do some groups of children do better in education than others? Is Britain a classless society? Why do some people earn so much more than others? Who is more likely to go to prison and why? The department has high expectations of students and endeavours to inspire, motivate and challenge students throughout its teaching.
Our Aims
- To be up to date and relevant and use current case studies wherever possible.
- To challenges students’ ideas, assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices.
- To help students think and question the world around them.
- To help students develops a range of skills. Knowledge and Understanding of theoretical perspectives, empirical research and concepts. Skills of Application, Analysis, Interpretation and Evaluation.
- To teach using a wide range of teaching resources and techniques including newspapers, websites, video clips, photographs, cartoons and statistical analysis of research.
- Encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and encourage independent study.
GCSE Sociology helps students to develop a wide range of knowledge and understanding about society, about how sociologists study and understand its structures, processes and issues. Studying sociology broadens students’ minds, helps them to see their world from a different perspective and in new and thought provoking ways. It is exciting, interesting, up to date and relevant to students’ lives. Sociology is a people based subject. It combines with a variety of subjects and is relevant to a wide range of careers including teaching, medicine, health and social care, media, politics, police and law.
What skills do Sociologists have?
By studying sociology, students will develop transferable skills including how to:
• Investigate facts and make deductions
• Develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
• Analyse and better understand the social world.
Students will also develop their analytical and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.
Course Outline
Students will follow the AQA Sociology (8192) course.
The topics we study are:
1. The sociological approach – debates within sociology, classical sociologists including Durkheim, Marx and Weber, different sociological perspectives such as feminism, functionalism, interactionism and Marxism, how to use sociological research methods and how they apply in particular contexts.
2. Social structures, social processes and social issues – Critically evaluate and compare and contrast theories, explanations or methods. Explore and debate contemporary social issues
3. Families – Function of the family, changing family forms, conjugal role relationships, divorce.
4. Education – Roles and functions, link to capitalism, educational achievement, internal processes.
5. Crime and deviance – social construction, social control, criminal and deviant behaviour, statistics.
6. Social stratification – Functionalism, socio-economic class, Life chances, Poverty, Power/authority.
7. Sociological research methods – Research design, types of data, Practical & ethical issues.
Assessment
There are two papers examined at the end of the course in Year 11. Both papers make up 50% of the total marks. Each exam is 1 hour and 45 mins long. They consist of multiple choice questions, followed by a range of short and extended responses.
Paper 1: The Sociology of families and education
Paper 2: The Sociology of Crime and Deviance and Social Stratification
