Sociology

Course Information

Overview

Sociology is a popular subject at A Level, chosen by students who want to combine traditional academic study with a discipline that offers fresh insights into human behaviour and society.

Sociology seeks to understand how society shapes our actions, beliefs, and opportunities. From birth, we are influenced by powerful institutions, such as the education system, the media, religion, and the law, yet we often take their role in our lives for granted. By studying Sociology, you’ll learn to question the world around you and examine how these structures affect people's experiences and life chances.

The role of the sociologist is to investigate patterns and trends, highlight inequality, and give a voice to those often ignored by mainstream society. Sociology develops your ability to think critically, analyse evidence, and challenge the status quo.

What we’ll study

Studying Sociology raises big questions about the world we live in, including:

• Why are some social groups, like young males, more likely to become involved in criminal behaviour?
• Are differences in behaviour between males and females natural, or are they shaped by society?
• What are the causes of mental illness? Do they stem from individual factors, or is society contributing to poor mental health?
• Why is there a persistent gap between the rich and the poor? How is the cycle of poverty maintained? Why are some groups marginalised or excluded?
• How do the media influence the way we think and behave? To what extent do they shape our identities, create stereotypes, or exploit vulnerable groups?
• What factors influence a pupil’s educational achievement? Have recent changes in education helped to make the system fairer?

This course is ideal if you're curious about people, power, culture, and inequality—and if you're ready to think independently and challenge assumptions.

The course is split into three exams with five topic areas, giving you the opportunity to experience a variety of topics that relate to society.

Over the two-year A Level course you will study:

• Work, poverty and welfare
• Media
• Education
• Crime and Deviance
• Theory and Methods

Your future

Sociology is a fascinating subject that also opens up a number of career areas, it is a highly respected subject and through studying Sociology students gain a wide range of employability skills and experience, including communication and analytical skills, team working skills, and time-management skills.

We find many students go on to study Sociology or Criminology at many universities around the country.

Working with people is a common theme; such as teaching, social work, business, and personnel management. Architects, lawyers, medical students and engineers all have some introduction to the sociological aspects of their work, and these professions are taking a greater interest in sociological research so that they can plan their work more effectively.

How you’ll be assessed

You’ll sit three written examinations at the end of your second year.

Factfile

Level: A Level

Examining Board: AQA

Entry Requirements:

General College entry requirements.

GCSE English at grade 4 or above.

Great subjects to partner Sociology A Level:

Psychology, Law, English, History, Geography, Theology, Philosophy & Ethics and Politics all work well with Sociology.

To discuss whether this course is right for you, please get in touch.

Contact: Ms K Palfrey