AS/A2 Sociology

AS / A2 Sociology

WHY TAKE SOCIOLOGY?
Sociology is the study of society. It focuses on institutions and systems that work together to ensure the smooth running of our world. Sociology also considers how individuals can be linked by common characteristics like class, gender and ethnicity, and how their experiences and life chances may be influenced by these
characteristics.

People who choose to study Sociology may do so to explore issues like problems in family life or the quality of schooling. For others, it is a pathway to a career such as nursing, social work, the Forces and any other career where you will have to deal with people from different backgrounds. Sociology combines well with many subjects like Psychology, English, Law, Politics, and History.

WHAT ARE THE KEY AREAS OF STUDY?
The AS course has two modules: family and household, and education with sociological methods. At A2, you will study Beliefs in Society and Crime and Deviance. Each module is underpinned with sociological perspectives based on the work of key theorists. Within the family module, you will study issues like demographic trends, family diversity, and the balance of power in families. With regard to education, you will cover issues such as differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity. This module incorporates sociological methods so you will identify strengths, weaknesses and when it is appropriate to use certain methods to research issues which may arise within education.

WHAT SKILLS WILL I NEED AND DEVELOP?
It is essential to develop a good style of critical writing, as you are assessed mainly through essays. You will also need to be able to voice your own opinions and support or criticise them with the views of sociological theorists.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
There is no coursework in Sociology. Both AS and A2 Sociology are examined with one exam in January and one in May / June.

PRIESTLEY EXTRA
In 2008 and 2009, students had the opportunity to visit Egypt. Whilst there, they witnessed absolute poverty, experienced the culture and lifestyle of nomadic Bedouins, as well as taking in famous landmarks like the Pyramids.