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Sociology

Our vision is to cultivate resilient, tolerant, and respectful young people who possess emotional intelligence and compassion. We aim to empower our pupils to understand themselves and the world around them, equipping them with the skills needed for future work and study. By fostering independence and ensuring every student has a voice, we aspire to create an environment where all pupils feel valued and capable.

Our staff are committed to actively reflecting on and improving their practices for the benefit of our pupils. We aim to place a strong emphasis on frequently and effectively considering student voice in our decisions. We maintain high aspirations and expectations for all pupils, guiding them to achieve their fullest potential in both their personal and academic lives.

Staffing

Head of Department: Ms S Jafar (Head of Social Sciences) 2nd in Social Sciences: Mr R Soteriou

Teacher of Social Sciences: Ms S Ifzaal

SENDCo: Mr S Ahmed

Key Stage 4

Sociology is consistently popular subject at KS4. AQA GCSE Sociology examines society and how it shapes our lives. Your social class, your ethnicity and gender may be important factors in determining what qualifications you gain, what job you get and how much money you earn. Sociologists examine issues that concern us all, they examine the social world and ask questions about why things are the way they are.

This qualification:

• Provides a sound understanding of Sociology at an introductory level
• Develops analytical and critical thinking skills
• Develops analytical, assimilation and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.
• Provides a strong basis for progression to our A-level Sociology specifications
• Helps students to gain knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes and issues through the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification.
• Develop transferable skills including how to: investigate facts and make deductions, develop opinions and new ideas on social issues and analyse and better understand the social world

The subject content consists of the following topics:

• The sociological approach
• Social structures, social processes and social issues
• Families
• Social research methods
• Education
• Crime and deviance
• Social stratification

The skills pupils develop

Pupils will develop their understanding of how individuals are affected by groups, institutions and society. We will examine the nature of co-operation and conflict, why things stay the same and why society changes. We will expect students to reflect on their own experiences of the society in which they live and acquire knowledge and develop analytical skills. Sociology is a relevant subject which relates to everyday life, news and the world around us.

How pupils are assessed

Paper 1 – sociology of families and education

Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

100 marks

50% of GCSE

Paper 2 – The sociology of crime and deviance and social stratification

Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes

100 marks

50% of GCSE

Homework

Pupils will receive homework once a week. This can last up to an hour and a half. The aim of homework at GCSE is to develop confidence with the concepts and studies taught and discussed in lessons, it will also give students an opportunity to apply sociological theory to the current affairs they see every day. In addition to homework, pupils should also review and revisit previous content as part of their revision, throughout the year.

How parents can help

Sociology is by its very essence a contemporary subject. Many of the issues being discussed in class can be linked with what is occurring in the real world. Often parents have enjoyed discussions with their children on issues such as the unfair nature of bankers’ bonuses or why it is that men still get paid more than women.  If you can encourage your children to watch the news, documentaries and read a broadsheet or access the information online this will really help. You could also help test your child with some of the tricky Sociological concepts.

Wider Reading

Textbooks

AQA GCSE 9-1 Sociology Student Book (AQA GCSE (9-1) Sociology) Paperback – 29 Mar. 2017 by Pauline Wilson (Author), Simon Addison (Author), Allan Kidd (Author)

AQA GCSE (9-1) Sociology, Updated Edition Paperback – 30 Aug. 2019 by David Bown

Grade 9-1 GCSE Sociology AQA All-in-One Complete Revision and Practice (Collins GCSE 9-1 Revision) Paperback – 25 Aug. 2017 by Collins GCSE

AQA GCSE 9-1 Sociology Workbook (Collins GCSE 9-1 Revision) Paperback – 2 Nov. 2018 by Collins GCSE

Revision Notes: AQA GCSE (9-1) Sociology Paperback – 31 Aug. 2018 by Ian Woodfield (Author), Rosie Owens (Author)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news – BBC News: Up to date information on the social, political and cultural events of the UK

https://www.ted.com/topics/sociology – Ted Talks: “Ideas worth spreading” – short talks on current Sociology topics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qy05/episodes/downloads – Thinking Allowed Radio 4 Podcast: Series covering new research on how society works

https://www.theguardian.com/society/social-trends – Guardian Social Trends: Journalism focusing on the changes and patterns in contemporary society

This is a list of readily available classic and seminal texts that will help introduce pupils to sociology, stimulate their ‘sociological imagination’ and develop their ability to compare and contrast different sociological perspectives. These are not the only texts that can be studied.

Families

Delphy C and Leonard D, Familiar Exploitation, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1992

Oakley A, ‘Conventional families’ in Rapoport et al. (eds), Families in Britain, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1982

Parsons T, ‘The social structure of the family’ in Anshen R N (ed.), The Family: its Functions and Destiny, New York, Harper and Row, 1959

Rapoport R and Rapoport R N, ‘British families in transition’ in Rapoport et al. (eds), Families in Britain, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1982

Willmott P and Young M, The Symmetrical Family, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1973

Zaretsky E, Capitalism, the Family and Personal Life, London, Pluto Press, 1976

Ball S J, Beachside Comprehensive. A Case Study of Secondary Schooling, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1981

Ball S J, Bowe R and Gerwitz S, ‘Market forces and parental choice’ in Tomlinson S (ed.), Educational Reform and its Consequences, London, IPPR/Rivers Oram Press, 1994

Bowles S and Gintis H, Schooling in Capitalist America, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1976

Durkheim E, Moral Education, Glencoe, Free Press, 1925 (republished 1973)

Halsey A H, Heath A and Ridge J M, Origins and Destinations, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1980

Parsons T, ‘The school class as a social system’ in Halsey et al., Education, Economy and Society, New York, The Free Press, 1961

Willis P, Learning to Labour, Farnborough, Saxon House, 1977

Crime and Deviance

Becker H S, Outsiders, New York, The Free Press, 1963

Carlen P, Women, Crime and Poverty, Milton Keynes, Open University Press, 1988

Cohen A, Delinquent Boys, Glencoe, The Free Press, 1955

Heidensohn F, Women and Crime, London, Macmillan, 1985

Merton R K , Social Theory and Social Structure, New York, The Free Press, 1938 (republished in an enlarged edition in 1968)

Social Stratification

Davis K and Moore W E, ‘Some principles of stratification’ in Bendix R and Lipset S M (eds), Class, Status and Power, 2nd edition, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1945 (republished 1967)

Devine F, Affluent Workers Revisited, Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press, 1992

Marx K, (selected writings 1857–1867) in McLellan D, Karl Marx Selected Writings, 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000

Murray C, Losing Ground, New York, Basic Books, 1984

Townsend P, Poverty in the United Kingdom, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1979

Walby S, Theorizing Patriarchy, Oxford, Blackwell, 1990

Weber M, The Theory of Economic and Social Organizations, New York, Free Press, 1947 (republished 2012)

Data

Crime survey   (data on the changing levels of crime over the last 30 years).

Data.gov.uk   (with a focus on social trend statistics).

Ipsos MORI   (social researchers).

Office for National Statistics   (UK’s recognised national statistical institute).

Office for National Statistics: 2011 Census   (2011 Census statistics).

Office for National Statistics: divorce statistics 2014   (divorces in England and Wales in 2014).

Sutton trust   (research in educational inequality).

UK data service blog: the Great British class survey   (blog introducing the survey, with links to the ‘class calculator’ and further articles.

Websites

British Sociological Association   (subject association).

Simply psychology   (psychology articles for students).

Sociology central   (resources website).

YouTube: Sociology   (bank of videos relating to various topics).

Fawcett society   (charity for women’s rights).

Gov.uk: modern slavery   (the government’s work to end slavery).

Gov.uk: Social Mobility Commission   (promoting and improving social mobility in England).

Parliament: general elections   (information on general elections: what they are, when they occur, how to find results).

BBC 

The Guardian

Key stage 5

OCR Sociology A Level

The OCR specification is currently being delivered to our A- Level pupils. It is a two year course and pupils will undertake 3 exams at the end of the second year. This qualification will allow pupils to achieve a grade A*- E. It offers an engaging and effective introduction to Sociology. They learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills valued by Higher Education (HE) and employers, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research. The emphasis is on applying knowledge and understanding, thereby developing pupils’ transferable skills of analysis, evaluation and critical thinking. At A Level there is a range of topic based options which bring together explanations from different approaches and engage pupils in contemporary Sociology.

This qualification:

• Develops strong critical thinking skills and enables students to consider issues with a global outlook. This is of a huge benefit to students moving forward, whether this is in further education, the workplace or society in general.
• Enables pupils to recognise that their sociological knowledge, understanding and skills help them to develop an understanding of the interrelationships between individuals, groups, institutions and societies
• Allows pupils to analyse critically the nature and sources of information and to base reasoned judgements and arguments on evidence
• Encourages pupils to organise and communicate their knowledge and understanding in different and creative ways, and reach substantiated judgements
• Allows pupils to develop skills that enable them to focus on their personal identity, roles and responsibilities within society

This is a two year A level course which broadly divides into two sections: compulsory content which looks at the various strands of sociology such as research methods, culture and identity, and social inequality. There are also specialised units such as family and crime and deviance. This course is wholly assessed through examination.

Assessment (100% exam)

Pupils will complete three papers at the end of year 2.

Paper 1: Socialisation, culture and identity – 1 hour 30 minutes (30%)

Paper 2: Researching and understanding social inequalities – 2 hours 15 minutes (35%)

Paper 3: Debates in contemporary society – 2 hours 15 minutes (35%)

Homework

Each lesson pupils will receive homework that is designed to extend and consolidate their knowledge in relation to the unit that they are studying at the time. This will vary and will include researching content relevant to the course, applying their knowledge to real life situations and practising revision skills in order to prepare for the main assessments. 

Literacy

Pupils will develop a number of literacy skills whilst studying Sociology. These will enable them to express critical analysis and information clearly, precisely, accurately and appropriately in spoken and written communication. Some of the skills pupils will be required to develop are listed below;

• form independent views and challenge what is heard or read on the grounds of

reason, evidence or argument

• understand and use the conventions of written language, including grammar,

spelling and punctuation

• explore questions, solve problems and develop ideas
• engage with and make fresh connections between ideas, texts and words
• experiment with language to create effects to engage the audience
• reflect and comment critically on their own and others’ use of language.

Mathematics

Pupils will develop their numerical skills in Sociology in a number of ways. Some examples of the skills that they will develop are listed below;

• translate information between graphical and numerical form
• design and use data-collection sheets, including questionnaires, for grouped,

discrete or continuous data, process, represent, interpret and discuss the data

• extract and interpret information from charts, graphs and tables
• understand the idea of probability
• Graphs
• Handling Data
• Arithmetic and numerical computation

Resources that will help pupils extend their knowledge – Additional reading, websites, activities

OCR A Level Sociology Book 1 (includes AS Level)  Author: Steve Chapman, Sue Brisbane, Katherine Roberts, Paul Taylor, Jannine Jacobs-Roth, Nayda Ali ISBN: 9781908682765 Publisher: Hodder Education Date: August 2015

OCR A Level Sociology Book 2  Author: Sue Brisbane, Katherine Roberts, Paul Taylor, Laura Pountney ISBN: 9781471839450 Publisher: Hodder Education Date: April 2016

The Impact of Social Media  Author: Laura Pountney, Tom McDonald ISBN: N/A Publisher: University of Hong Kong Date: 2019

A-level Sociology specification – https://ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/sociology-h180-h580-from-2015/specification-at-a-glance/

Delphy C and Leonard D, Familiar Exploitation, Cambridge, Polity Press, 1992

Parsons T, ‘The social structure of the family’ in Anshen R N (ed.), The Family: its Functions and Destiny, New York, Harper and Row, 1959

Zaretsky E, Capitalism, the Family and Personal Life, London, Pluto Press, 1976

Durkheim E, Moral Education, Glencoe, Free Press, 1925 (republished 1973)

Ball S J, Beachside Comprehensive. A Case Study of Secondary Schooling, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1981

Carlen P, Women, Crime and Poverty, Milton Keynes, Open University Press, 1988

Heidensohn F, Women and Crime, London, Macmillan, 1985

Marx K, (selected writings 1857–1867) in McLellan D, Karl Marx Selected Writings, 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000

Townsend P, Poverty in the United Kingdom, Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1979

Possible Careers

Cross-Curricular Links

There are a number of cross curricular links with Mathematics, Geography, Citizenship and English.

SMSC

Sociology develops a wide range of SMSC skills, knowledge and understanding by focusing on society and behaviours within society. This subject will enable pupils to explore their own development and encourage pupils to focus on developing an understanding of British society and the development and use of sociology within it.