Advanced Sociology

Sociology will appeal to students who are interested in social issues. It explores many aspects of social life and provides a framework for understanding different explanations for human behaviour. Students will have the opportunity to look at a number of studies carried out by sociologists.

You will need to meet the usual Sixth Form entry requirements for AS Level, as well as a grade C in English.

The Programme of study

At AS Level, students study the topics of Families and Households, Education andResearch Methods. Included in this will be debates, such as changes in family structure, patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing, the role of the

education system, explanations of the different education achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity. Research methods allow students to explore the range of ways in which sociologists study the social world around them.

At A2 Level, students will study religion and beliefs, the role of cults, sects and churchesand their relationship to religious activity and whether or not religion is in decline in today's society. In Theory and Methods, students will consider the key research methods

available to sociologists to study society and the major theories which aim to explain the social world in which we live. In Crime and Deviance, students consider the different explanations of crime, deviance, social order and social control, explanations of the social distribution of crime and deviance by age, social class, ethnicity, gender and locality, the social construction of crime including the role of the mass media and sociological issues arising from the study of suicide.

Higher Education and Career opportunities

Sociology combines well with a range of AS/A2 Levels from the fields of Arts, Languages, Humanities and Sciences. It is a popular choice at University, either as a Single Honours or as part of a combined Degree. It is also a suitable subject for courses that lead into social work, nursing or the teaching profession. Other career possibilities include the media, marketing, business administration and personnel.