Sociology

Subject Leader: Miss Muir

If you wish to learn more about our curriculum please contact the Subject Lead by clicking on their name above.

Key Stage 5

GCE Advanced Level Sociology

Exam Board: OCR
Level: 3

Course Overview

Sociology is the study of society and looks at how everyday experiences shape our lives. In particular, students will study patterns of behaviour within social groups and the impact of class, gender, ethnicity and age on social relationships. The focus of the course will be the UK, but references will be made to other cultures as well.

Unit 1- Socialisation, culture and identity 

  • Section A – introducing socialisation, culture and identity. 
  • Section B – chosen topic: The Media.

Unit 2 – Research methods and researching social inequalities

  • Section A – introduction to range of methods, sources of data and factors influencing the design of sociological research
  • Section B – Understanding social inequalities

Unit 3 – Content of debates in contemporary society

  • Section A – Globalisation and the digital social world
  • Section B – chosen topic: Crime and Deviance.

Assessment: 100% examination.


Curriculum Content

A Level Sociology (Year 1) Y12 - Paper 1, Paper2:

Term 1:

  • Introduction to Sociological Theories – what does each sociological perspective bring to our understanding of society? 
  • Paper 1- Socialisation, culture and identity: Culture: concept of culture, norms and values, cultural diversity, cultural hybridity, popular and high culture – what is culture?
  • Paper 2: Research Methods and researching inequalities: positivist approach, interpretivist approach, factors influencing the choice of research topic, the choice of research method – how do theories and methods influence each other?

Term 2: 

  • Paper 1- Socialisation, culture and identity: Socialisation: nature/nurture debate, primary socialisation (family) – how influential are the agents of socialisation?
  • Paper 1- Socialisation, culture and identity: Identity: gender identity, social class identity, age identity, sexuality, disability, nationality – what makes your identity? / which type of identity is most important to you?/ what evidence is there to suggest that identities are changing?
  • Paper 2: Research Methods and researching inequalities: aim, hypothesis and research questions, sampling, questionnaires, interviews – what are the main stages of the research process?
  • Paper 2: Research Methods and researching inequalities: observations, secondary data: official and unofficial statistics, media products: content analysis, ethnography, mixed methods (triangulation/methodological pluralism) – which methods are used in sociological research?

Term 3: 

  • Paper 1- Socialisation, culture and identity: Socialisation: nature/nurture debate, primary socialisation, secondary socialisation, formal and informal social control– how influential are the agents of socialisation?
  • Paper 1- Section B - The Media: media representation: gender, ethnicity – how are different social groups represented in the media?

Term 4: 

  • Paper 1- Section B - The Media: media representation: social class, age – how are different social groups represented in the media?
  • Paper 1- Section B - The Media: theoretical views of media representation – how do sociological theories view the media?
  • Paper 2 – Understanding social inequalities - Social Inequality: Patterns and trends: social class inequality – what are the main patterns and trends in social inequality?

Term 5:

  • Paper 2 – Understanding social inequalities - Social Inequality: Explanations of patterns and trends: social class inequality – how can the patterns and trends in social inequality and difference be explained?
  • Paper 2 – Understanding social inequalities - Social Inequality: Patterns and trends: gender inequality - what are the main patterns and trends in social inequality?
  • Paper 1- Section B - The Media: Theoretical views of media effects: direct, indirect, active audience – how does the media influence you?

Term 6:

  • Paper 2 – Understanding social Inequality: Explanations of patterns and trends: gender inequality - how can the patterns and trends in social inequality and difference be explained?
  • Paper 2 – Understanding social Inequality: Patterns and trends incl. explanations: age inequality – what are the main patterns and trends in social inequality? How can the patterns and trends in social inequality and difference be explained?
  • Paper 2 – Understanding social Inequality: Patterns and trends incl. explanations: ethnic inequality - what are the main patterns and trends in social inequality? How can the patterns and trends in social inequality and difference be explained?

A Level Sociology (Year 2) Y13 - Paper 3 and consolidation:

Term 1:

  • Consolidation of social inequalities.
  • Paper 3 - Globalisation and Digital Communication: definitions of globalisation and developments in digital forms of communication in a global context – how are globalisation and digital communication connected?
  • Paper 3 - Globalisation and Digital Communications: Applying sociological theories to digital forms of communication: Marxist, feminist, postmodernist perspective – how are globalisation and digital communication connected?
  • Paper 3 - Globalisation and Digital Communications: The impact of digital forms of communication on identity and culture – how have the digital forms of communication affected the world?

Term 2:

  • Paper 3 - Crime and Deviance: defining crime and deviance, measuring crime – how would you define and measure crime and deviance?
  • Paper 3 - Crime and Deviance: patterns and trends in crime – social class, gender, age, ethnicity; global context – what are the patterns and trends in crime?
  • Consolidation of social inequalities.

Term 3:

  • Paper 3- Crime and Deviance: Theoretical views of crime and deviance: functionalist explanation, subcultural explanation, interactionist explanation – can you explain crime and deviance?
  • Paper 3- Crime and Deviance: Theoretical views of crime and deviance: Marxist explanation, neo-Marxist explanation, radical criminology, New Right, left-realism, right-realism – can you explain crime and deviance?

Term 4:

  • Paper 3 - Crime and Deviance: white-collar crime, gender crime – incl. feminist explanation, age and crime, ethnicity and crime – application of theoretical views – what are the patterns and trends in crime?
  • Paper 3 - Crime and deviance: social policy and crime: right wing and left-wing solutions – what can be done to tackle crime and deviance?
  • Crime and Deviance: Topic consolidation and revision

Term 5:

  • Topic consolidation and revision for final examinations

 

Useful Information

Out of School Learning (OSL) and Extra-Curricular Activities

A Level revision will take place lunch times and after school throughout the year.

Suggested Revision Guides and Books

Sociology A level for OCR book 1 Written by K.Roberts, P.Taylor, S. Brisbane, N. Ali, S. Chapman, J. Jacobs-Roth (Hodder Education)
Sociology student guide A level year 1, Researching and understanding inequalities written by S. Chapman (Hodder Education) 
Sociology A level for OCR book 2 Written by K.Roberts, P.Taylor, S. Brisbane, L. Pountney (Hodder Education)
OCR A level sociology: my revision notes written by S. Chapman (Hodder Education)