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St Paul's Catholic CollegeProviding Education For The Diocese Of Westminster

Sociology A Level

Course Details

Board: OCR

Course Title: Sociology

Course Specification Code: A Level H580

Course Entry Requirements: Grade 5 in English Language

Course Content

Paper 1: Socialisation, Culture and Identity

Section A: Definitions of cultures including hybridity, how we are socialised by primary and secondary agents and what factors create an individual’s identity including class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age and disability.

Section B - Youth: Exploring why and how subcultures are formed including spectacular subcultures, deviant subcultures and gangs. Sociological explanations for the formation of youth subcultures and society’s perception of them.

Paper 2: Researching and understanding inequalities

Section A - Research Methods: Quantitative and qualitative research methods, primary and secondary data, questionnaires, interviews, observations and experiments, sampling techniques, the relationship between theory and methods, practical, ethical and theoretical issues in research, and the analysis, interpretation and evaluation of sociological data.

Section B - Inequality: Concepts of inequality and deprivation, social class, poverty and wealth, life chances, patterns of inequality in contemporary society, the impact of gender, ethnicity, age and class, and sociological explanations for the causes, maintenance and effects of social inequality.

Paper 3: Debates in contemporary society

Section A - Globalisation: The causes and processes of globalisation, economic, political and cultural interdependence, global communication and migration, global and local identities, the impact of globalisation on inequality and social change, and sociological explanations of its consequences for individuals and societies.

Section B - Education: The role and functions of education, different types of schools and educational policies, patterns of educational achievement based on social class, gender and ethnicity, relationships and processes within schools, and sociological explanations of educational inequality and its impact on life chances.

Assessment

Paper 1 - Socialisation, culture and identity -1½ hours - 30% of final grade.

Paper 2 - Researching and understanding social inequalities - 2 hrs 15 mins - 35% of final grade.

Paper 3 - Debates in contemporary society. 2 hr and 15 mins - 35% of final grade.

Higher Education & Careers

Sociology graduates are found in a wide range of occupations: Many sociology graduates are attracted to careers that centre on the challenges and demands that members of a society face. This leads to jobs in social services, education, criminal justice, welfare services, government, counselling, charities and the voluntary sector. They include charity fundraiser, community development worker, counsellor, lecturer, housing officer, teacher, probation officer, social researcher, social worker and welfare rights adviser. There are a range of specific abilities and skills associated with a degree in sociology but there are also wider transferable skills that you can develop.

Why Sociology at St Paul’s?

Sociology is a popular subject at St Paul’s and the students enjoy the lessons. Sociology is the study of societies and unlike other disciplines, it looks at how people live, behave and work together in groups. It asks questions about the world that we live in and tries to explain why it is the way it is.

It is a fascinating subject and will allow the you the opportunity to discuss and research a variety of topics of interest such as crime, family and youth subculture. In other words every day subjects which play a part in everyone's lives.

Contact:

Name: Ms C Steed - Head of Sociology

Email: csteed@st-pauls.surrey.sch.uk

Telephone: 01932 704126