A Level in Sociology (2015 Specification)
A Level
Distance
Description
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Type
A Level
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Methodology
Distance Learning
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Duration
2 Years
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Start date
Different dates available
Oxford College offers this full ‘A’ level course in Sociology. The Advanced Level consist of three written exam papers which must be taken in one sitting, so it is no longer possible to carry marks forward from one paper to a later exam session. There is no associated coursework with the Advanced Level award.
The course materials are comprehensive standalone content which follow the specification closely. Most students like to have a supporting text book to draw on which provides alternative perspectives on main topics and themes; text books also follow the specification closely. If you would like to purchase a supporting text book or borrow one from your local library then simply makes sure that it covers the AQA 2015 Sociology specification. There are a range of different text books to choose from and each one is slightly different in presentation and how it is written so selection will be according to individual preference so have a look at some before deciding.
The course aims to give you some fundamental and lasting insights into how human societies are constructed, and how they influence our beliefs and daily lives. Sociology is about developing a critical understanding of society, and through this understanding, providing a basis for highlighting and explaining social problems. As well as learning about how society influences individual lives, you will also learn how to express yourself coherently, how to challenge and evaluate information presented to you, and how scientific information is produced.
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Location
Start date
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Subjects
- Presentation
- Basic IT
- Sociology
- Materials
- Citizenship
- Grammar
- Writing
- Mental Illness
- Media
- A Level
Teachers and trainers (1)
Teaching Staff
Tutor
Course programme
2 hour written exam
Compulsory content assessed
33.3% of A level
80 marks
Questions:
Education: short answer and extended writing, 50 marks
Methods in Context: extended writing, 20 marks
Theory and methods extended writing, ten marks
Paper 2: Topics in sociology
2 hour written exam
Section A: one from option 1
Section B: one from option 2 (please note that the college offer stratification and differentiation and the media as choices for option2; we do not offer beliefs in society or global development as unit options)
33.3% of AS level
80 marks
Questions:
Section A: extended writing, 40 marks
Section B: extended writing, 40 marks
Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
2 hour written exam
33.3% of A level
80 marks
Questions:
Crime and Deviance: short answer and extended writing, 50 marks
Theory and methods: extended writing, 30 marks
As you progress through the course, you will be asked to complete assignments, which must be sent to your tutor for marking. The assignments in the course are designed to help you become familiar with the types of questions you will encounter in the exam.
A level unit content
Unit 1: Introduction to sociology and Education
Introduction to sociology
Key introductory ideas
Education, socialisation and citizenship
Processes and relationships in education
Theoretical perspectives on education
Differential achievement
Education policies
Researching education
End of unit TMA
Unit 2: Research methods and theory in context
Sociological research methods
Topic selection
Practical issues.
Hypotheses
Types of data
Evaluating research
Bias and ethics
Gathering data
Social survey
Participant observation
Experiments
Official statistics.
Other types of data
End of unit TMA
Unit 3: Culture and identity (exam option 1)
Different cultural perspectives
Types of identity
The socialisation process
Agencies of social control
Perspectives on identity
Labelling
Theoretical summary of identity
Leisure, consumption and identity
Theoretical summary of identity
End of unit TMA
Unit 4: Families and households (exam option 1)
Definitions of family and households
Perspectives on the family
Types of family structure
Ethnic difference in family types
Regional variations
Families of choice
Decline in death and infant mortality rates and the ageing population
Emigration and immigration
Marriage, divorce and cohabitation
Lone parents
Historical changes in childhood and childhood as a social construct
Historical changes in childhood
Inequalities in domestic labour
Power distribution and authority between couples
Cross cultural views
Perspectives on family and social policy
End of unit TMA
Unit 5: Health (exam option 1)
Social construction of the body and health, illness, and disease
Disability
Models of health
The role of medicine and health professionals
Historical improvements
Medicine and social control
Contemporary changes in health and health care
Inequalities in health
Perspectives on mental illness
Researching health
Unit 6: Work, poverty and welfare (exam option 1)
Defining poverty wealth and income
Measurements of poverty, wealth and income
Distribution of resources
Theories of poverty
Theoretical approaches to welfare
Public and private welfare provision
Voluntary and informal provision
Issues and problems
Responses to poverty
End of unit TMA
Unit 7: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods (compulsory)
Crime, social order and control
Social distribution of crime
Globalisation and crime
Crime control, prevention and punishment, victims and the criminal justice system
End of unit TMA
Unit 8: The media (exam option 2)
The new media
Ownership and control of the media
The media and globalisation and popular culture
Media representations
Media and audiences
End of unit TMA
Unit 9: Stratification and differentiation (exam option 2)
Stratification and differentiation by social class, gender, ethnicity and age
Dimensions of inequality
Defining and measuring social class
Structures of inequality: change and its effects
Social mobility
End of unit TMA
A Level in Sociology (2015 Specification)