A Level Sociology

• The role and functions of the education system
• Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society
• Relationships and processes within schools
• The significance of educational policies

• Apply sociological research methods to the study of education

• Quantitative and qualitative methods of research
• Sources of data
• The distinction between primary and secondary data
• The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods
• The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct of research

• The relationship of the family to the social structure and social change
• Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course
• Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society
• The nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society
• Demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900

When we consider the school system we think of studying subjects and sitting exams. We picture children sat in a class being taught reading, writing, maths and science by teachers. In this topic, you will gain an understanding of what education offers for individuals and this goes beyond a curriculum. For example, education offers a place to socialise which in turn teaches respect, teamwork and rules. It also prepares individuals for work helping them gain qualifications. It will also teach you how society works and prepares individuals for adult life. You will often find yourself debating whether education benefits everyone equally or helps maintain inequality.

• The role and functions of the education system
• Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society
• Relationships and processes within schools
• The significance of educational policies.

This topic will look at research methods particularly within a school environment. You will consider questionnaires, interviews and observations. You will also consider factors that affect research in schools along with ethical considerations.

• Apply sociological research methods to the study of education.

This topic will explain how sociologists study society and evaluate research methods and evidence. You will learn different perspectives and theories developing critical thinking about social issues.

• Quantitative and qualitative methods of research
• The distinction between primary and secondary data, and between quantitative and qualitative data
• The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods
• The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct of research consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories
• The concepts of modernity and post-modernity in relation to sociological theory
• The nature of science and the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific
• The relationship between theory and methods
• Debates about subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom
• The relationship between Sociology and social policy.

Crime refers to behaviour that breaks the law and deviance is behaviour that goes against social norms or expectations. This topic will help us to understand why people commit crime and recognise patterns of inequality in crime statistics. You will analyse how society reacts to deviance and explore global crime issues and justice systems.

• Crime, deviance, social order and social control
• The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime
• Globalisation and crime in contemporary society; the media and crime; green crime; human rights and state crimes
• Crime control, surveillance, prevention and punishment, victims, and the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies.

This topic will look into how families are connected to society and how they function. You will analyse gender roles and power in families. You will explore changes in relationships and lifestyles and learn how population changes affect society.

• The relationship of the family to the social structure and social change
• Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course, including the sociology of personal life, and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures
• Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society
• The nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900.

This topic will help you to gain an understanding of different belief systems and how they influence society. You will analyse differences in religious beliefs between social groups and debate whether religion is becoming more or less important.

• Ideology, science and religion, including both Christian and non-Christian religious traditions
• The relationship between social change and social stability, and religious beliefs, practices and organisations
• Religious organisations
• The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices
• The significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world.

This topic will provide an insight into how society shapes who we are and how a sociologist would study society.

From birth, we are taught how to behave, what is right and wrong and the roles we are expected to play. For example, boys being encouraged to like football or someone learning to raise their hand before speaking.

This process is known as socialisation and through this, we develop a sense of who we are as individuals.

As individuals become older, they will follow rules which are encouraged by society. For example laws, school rules and social pressure. Conformity means going along with these rules/pressures. An example could be wearing appropriate clothing for a job interview.

Social identity is how you see yourself and how other see you in society. For example, gender, social class, ethnicity, religion and age.

Finally, you will cover quantitative and qualitative data along with different approaches used by sociologists for gathering research. You will also investigate research issues such as ethics, practical issues and theoretical issues.

Socialisation and the creation of social identity

• The process of learning and socialisation
• Social control, conformity and resistance
• Social identity and change

Methods of research

• Types of data, methods and research design
• Approaches to sociological research
• Research issues

Different sociologists have different views about what the family does. This topic explores what the family does and how it has changed over time.

Perspectives on the role of the family will include Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism. Diversity and social change will investigate the types of families and social changes affecting them. For example, in the UK, legalisation of same-sex marriages reflected changing social values.

Traditionally, men would be seen as the breadwinners whilst women remained at home carrying out chores and caring for the family. Roles have become more equal recently where women now work full-time and some fathers stay at home. However, inequalities still exist.

Age helps shape family experiences. A vast majority of grandparents help with childcare and longer life expectancy means more grandparents are involved with their grandchildren. For others, grandparents are working until later and this means they are not able to provide help and care. In this topic, you will cover:

Theories of the family and social change

• Perspectives on the role of the family
• Diversity and social change

Family roles and changing relationships

• Gender equality and experiences of family life
• Age and family life

Again, different sociologists have different views about education. Education is often seen as a way to move up or down the social class system. The curriculum can be influenced by government policies, cultural values and economic needs. Some sociologists also talk about the informal lessons a student will learn. For example, respect for authority and gender roles.

Some will believe that differences in achievement amongst children are due to natural ability. However, a vast majority of sociologists feel that intelligence is shaped by the environment and cultural and economic factors influence performance.

Students from middle-class backgrounds often achieve higher results than working-class students. Reasons could include access to private tutoring, resources or greater parent involvement. In this topic, you will cover:

Education and society

• Theories about the role of education
• Education and social mobility
• Influences on the curriculum

Education and inequality

• Intelligence and educational attainment
• Social class and educational attainment
• Ethnicity and educational attainment
• Gender and educational attainment

Countries are becoming more connected through trade, technology, migration and media. For example, you can buy clothes made in another country or use social media all over the world. This process is known as globalisation. Some believe that globalisation helps reduce poverty and connects cultures whereas others feel that it increases inequality and exploits poorer countries.

Globalisation also affects how people see themselves and influences decisions about trade and human rights. It also has an affect on migration and crime. Criminal networks are now able to operate across borders using technology and new security challenges are created. In this topic, you will cover:

Globalisation

Key debates, concepts and perspectives

• Perspectives on globalisation
• Globalisation and identity
• Globalisation, power and politics

Contemporary issues

• Globalisation, poverty and inequalities
• Globalisation and migration
• Globalisation and crime

Media

Globalisation can also affect the media. The media spreads global culture and influences political opinions. Social media has allowed movements to spread quickly worldwide. In this topic, you will cover:

Ownership and control of the media

• Traditional media and the new media
• Theories of the media and influences on media content
• The impact of the new media

Media representation and effects

• Media representations of class, gender, ethnicity, and age groups
• Different models of media effects
• The impact of the media on behaviour

Religion

Globalisation can spread religious ideas, increase diversity and cause tensions between beliefs. Some religious movements are gaining international followers through online platforms. In this topic, you will cover:

Religion and social order

• Religion and society
• Religion and social order
• Religion as a source of social change

The influence of religion

• The secularisation debate
• Gender, feminism and religion
• Religion and post-modernity