Topics covered throughout your two-year A Level include the Sociology of Education – looking at how schools can both provide opportunities and also reproduce inequalities. The study of crime and deviance covers why some groups are likely to be labelled as criminal and how different sociologists explain patterns of offending. Optional topics include the sociology of the family and the sociology of the media.
You will also look at inequality, identity, power and social change through the lenses of key societal perspectives including Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Interactionism and Postmodernism. You will also develop an understanding of the research methods sociologists use in their investigations – from large-scale surveys to in-depth interviews.
Grade 9-5 in an essay subject (GCSE English, GCSE History or GCSE RS).
A Level Sociology equips you with skills that are highly valued in higher education and in the workplace, such as critical analysis, communication and research. A Level Sociology can lead to degree courses in the social sciences and humanities. Potential careers include public relations, teaching, civil service, management and business, journalism, social work, probation service, youth and community work, and nursing.
The term ‘sociology’ has its origins in Latin and Greek. The Latin ‘socius’ meaning ‘compassion’ or ‘associate’ and the Greek ‘ology’ (from ‘logos’) meaning ‘study of’ or ‘knowledge’.