HGS Sociology
Course Overview
During the course you will be encouraged to develop your own sociological awareness through active engagement with the contemporary world. Sociologists are interested in explaining why society works the way it does and the extent to which our behaviour, experiences and life chances are shaped by our social class, age, gender, ethnicity and locality. Those interested in the subject will want to understand the world in which they live – how and why it functions as it does and who has power and who does not.
Course Content
The subject is a two-year linear course which will enable you to demonstrate a wide range and depth of knowledge and understanding and develop skills of application, analysis, interpretation and evaluation.
The topics studied in the first year are education, research methods and your teachers will choose from a choice of topics including families and households, culture and identity, health and work or poverty and welfare.
In the second year theory, research methods and crime and deviance are compulsory and teachers again will choose from a choice of topics including beliefs in society, global development, the media or stratification and differentiation. All units are assessed by written examination.
Sociology is a well-respected academic discipline. The course will be excellent preparation for further study at university and is useful for a number of careers including law, teaching, social work, journalism, television, the police, nursing, the civil service as well as the world of business and commerce.
Course Entry Requirements
5 or above at GCSE
5 or above in English Language or Literature
Course Specification
AQA 7192
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/sociology/specifications/AQA-7191-7192-SP-2015.PDF
Homework
At A Level, students are expected to complete a minimum of 5 hours of study a week on top of their allocated lesson time.
Additional information about HGS Sociology
What is Sociology
Very simply sociology is the study of society. Sociologists are interested in explaining why society works the way it does and the extent to which our behaviour, experiences and life chances are shaped by our social class, age, gender and ethnicity.
Why study Sociology?
Because you have an interest in and want to understand the world in which you live – how and why it functions as it does and who has power and who does not. Sociology is a challenging yet inherently interesting and relevant subject. During the course of your studies sociology will get you to look at the world in new ways. You may begin to question some of your long held and taken for granted assumptions about how society is organised and in whose interests it works. At the end you will certainly have a better understanding of the world around you and hopefully the motivation, confidence and skills to work to improve it! In the course of your studies you’ll be asking questions such as:
What explains the rise in the divorce rate and what consequences does the growth in single parent and reconstituted families have for our society?
Do we live in a meritocratic society where everyone has an equal chance to succeed or do some groups have more opportunities than others?
Why is it that factors such as class, ethnicity and gender appear to impact on how well – or otherwise – we do at school?
What explains the rise in extremism and religious fundamentalism in the world sometimes leading to terrorism?
Why does crime occur and how reliable are official statistics? Were the riots of 2011 simply the result of greed or can they be explained by more complex social factors? What can be done to reduce offending and anti-social behaviour?
How powerful is the media in getting us to think and behave in certain ways? Is our behaviour controlled to a certain extent by advertising?
What careers is sociology useful for?
Sociology is a well-respected academic discipline and is excellent preparation for a number of careers including law, teaching, social work, journalism, marketing, the police, the civil service as well as the world of business and commerce.
1558 MLMF Sociology 2022.pptx.pdf1558_My Learning My Future_Sociology_Completed.pdf