Citizenship

What will I gain from this course?

This course will introduce you to the study of law, politics and sociology. You will gain an understanding of how this country is run and more importantly how to actually make a change. You will gain an appreciation of the diversity that makes up the UK and the laws and rights in place to ensure everyone can get along and live their lives.

This course will prepare you to analyse and evaluate controversial issues effectively and will also help you:

• Explore the influence of pressure groups, our government, international governments and the economy on this country
• Learn about the effects of politics and social differences upon a range of individuals and society
• Take action to stop injustice and make sure that your voice is heard by the people that matter.

How is the course assessed? (OCR)

The GCSE assessment consists of two examinations and 2 pieces of coursework.

Year one:

Unit A342: Practical campaign coursework.

With a group you will campaign on an issue and try to influence decision makers to make a change.

You will also learn a lot of exam content and make sure you are confident for your exams in year 11.

Year two:

Unit A341: Identity, Democracy and Justice

1 hour exam: This exam will look at the people who make up Britain, the rules that govern us and how people influence the government.

Unit A343: Rights and Responsibilities

1 hour exam: This exam will look at Human Rights and the responsibilities people have both locally, nationally and within the international community.

Unit A344: Leading the way as an active citizen coursework.

You will run an event of some sort to reduce discrimination in some way or improve community cohesion. There is also an extended element of this unit where you will be expected in controlled conditions to write an essay on the opinions of many groups on a controversial issue of the day.

Unit 1 (B671): Sociology Basics.

1 hour exam with two sections. One half of the exam will be looking at the basic concepts in Sociology from social norms and culture to how we are socialised. The second half is research methods giving an understanding of how sociologists find out about society.

Unit 2 (B672): Socialisation, Culture and Identity.

1 hour 30 minutes examination, 120 marks. You will answer three sections looking at the areas of the family, education and work looking at how each of these affect and are affected by people in this society.

Unit 3 (B673): Applying Sociological Research Techniques.

1 hour. Here you will be given a case study before the exam. You will be expected to use different sociological methods that you have learnt throughout the course to research a topic or issue.