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Churchill Academy & Sixth Form

Sociology*

Sociology is the scientific study of society. It encourages political and social engagement with contemporary social issues and is a subject which students find both challenging and stimulating. A wide range of topics is offered, from families and relationships, crime and deviance, to new forms of social media, and social inequality. A Level Sociology is very good preparation for university where strong essay writing skills are important.

Course Information

Course Name:

Sociology
Course Type: A Level

Examination/Coursework: 

100% External examination 

Exam Board:

AQA Sociology GCE A-level

Entrance Criteria: Standard Sixth Form entry plus grade 5 in GCSE English (Lit or Lang)

Topics & Areas Covered: 

Year 12

Education with Theory and Methods 

Students will study the following areas:

  • the role and functions of the education system, including its relationship to the economy and to class structure 
  • differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society 
  • relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil identities and subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organisation of teaching and learning 
  • the significance of educational policies, including policies of selection, marketisation and privatisation, and policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome, for an understanding of the structure, role, impact and experience of and access to education; the impact of globalisation on educational policy.

Families and Households: 

Students will study the following areas: 

  • the relationship of the family to the social structure and social change, with particular reference to the economy and to state policies.
  • 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: birth rates, death rates, family size, life expectancy, ageing population, and migration and globalisation.

Year 13

Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods 

 Students will study the following areas: 

  • 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.

Beliefs in Society

Students will study the following areas: 

  • 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, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice. 
  • 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, including the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context, and globalisation and the spread of religions
Career Pathways: Universities recognise that Sociology A Level provides students with a very good foundation in social, political and policy knowledge. Graduates of Sociology have higher levels of employment than many other subjects. Teaching, Police Force, Medicine, Politics, Civil Service and Journalism

AS/A-Level:

This course can only be studied as a two year qualification. It cannot be studied as a one year course.