Sociology is often not a subject students have studied prior to their A levels - below there are a range of additional, engaging tasks that you can incorporate into your summer schedules that will help you to prepare to study the subject. Start to apply your 'sociological imaginations' when trying to think about everyday literature, TV shows, films and current affairs on a deeper level...
Louis Theroux Documentaries - Netflix - These documentaries select unusual, deviant case studies to focus on, which is especially true of the latest series - ‘Dark States’ which consists of three episodes about heroin users, sex trafficking and murder.
The Great Hack - Netflix - Explores how a data company named Cambridge Analytica came to symbolise the dark side of social media in the wake of the 2016 US presidential and later the Brexit campaign in the UK.
Dirty Money - From crippling pay day loans to cars that cheat emissions tests, this investigative series exposes brazen acts of corporate greed and corruption.
Flint Town - Over a two year period, filmmakers embedded with cops in Flint, Michigan, reveal a department grappling with volatile issues in untenable conditions.
13th - This American documentary film explores the intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States. It is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1865, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime.
Back Talk - This range of podcasts (available online) debate issues that Feminists are interested in today and discuss icons series such as Jessica Jones on Netflix.
STUDENT VIDEO 1.movSTUDENTS VIDEO 2.MOVFirst Year Student Quote:
"Before I started the course, I didn’t know what to expect from Sociology but it didn't take long for it to become my favourite subject! I find learning about culture and the way different groups act in society fascinating and there is always a study that is relevant to what is going on in the world each day. The lessons are always engaging and the teachers are supportive and inspiring, which has made me want to take my learning further and study Sociology at a degree level."
Access the Sociology page at the LRC which suggests additional ways to prepare for the A level at the College. We have selected a range of texts (facts and fiction!), films, podcasts, documentaries, academic journals and textbooks that the LRC can point you towards! These all relate to topics that you will cover whilst studying for an A level in Sociology.
Click here to select some additional summer reading!
Examine some of the following sociological debates. In a notebook state whether you 'AGREE' or 'DISAGREE' with the statement and try to provide reasons that support your answer - you could even reference some of your Netflix watches from above! You could also try and start a debate with people in your household!
"Education moving more online is a good thing"
"Racism creates division and inequality in the UK"
"We should only use prison as a last resort for young offenders"
"The current pandemic has led to more negative labelling of youths"
"The current pandemic has led to more negative treatment of the elderly"
"Video games cause more violence in society"
"We should redistribute wealth (through taxing the rich) to create greater equality"
"Poverty is the fault of the individual"
"Gender is no longer a source of inequality in the contemporary UK"
