Sociology

Head of Department: Miss J Mead - j.mead.scs@osborne.coop

GCSE Sociology helps students to gain knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes and issues through the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification.

Students will develop their analytical, assimilation and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.

By studying sociology, students will develop transferable skills including how to:

  • Investigate facts and make deductions
  • Develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
  • Analyse and better understand the social world.

Students study key ideas of classical sociologists including Durkheim, Marx and Weber, referencing their view of the world and their contribution to the development of the discipline.

Students will also learn how to apply various research methods to different sociological contexts. They will be introduced to sociological terms and concepts concerned with social structures, social processes and social issues.

Year 11 Course Title: GCSE Sociology

Exam Board & Code (first GCSE will be taken in 2019): AQA 8192    Full GCSE Course Specification (PDF)

Assessment is by examination only:

Paper 1: Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes -100 marks: 50%
Paper 2: Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes -100 marks: 50%

Curriculum Map - Sociology

GCSE Course Study Breakdown (Key Stage 4)

Year 11 Course Title: GCSE Sociology

Exam Board & Code (first GCSE will be taken in 2019): AQA 8192    Full GCSE Course Specification (PDF)

Assessment is by examination only:

Paper 1: Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes -100 marks: 50%
Paper 2: Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes -100 marks: 50%
 

Year 10

Term 1: An introduction to the Sociological Approach

  • debates within sociology including conflict versus consensus.
  • how sociological knowledge and ideas change over time and how these ideas inform our understanding of the social world .
  • the contextualised work (a sense of time and place) of key classical sociologists Durkheim, Marx and Weber referencing both their view of the world and their contribution to the development of the discipline.
  • different sociological perspectives on social structures, social processes and social issues, including those informed by: feminism, functionalism, interactionism and Marxism as specified in the topics listed below and key arguments.

Term 1: Sociological Research Methods
 

Term 2: The Sociology of the Family

  • identify, describe and explain the functions of families (sexual, reproductive, economic and educational).
  • describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on the functions of families (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).
     

Term 3: The Sociology of Education

  • identify, describe and explain the functions of education including serving the needs of the economy, facilitating social mobility and fostering social cohesion.
  • identify and describe a variety of different types of school including primary and secondary, state and private.
  • describe alternative forms of educational provision including home schooling and de-schooling.
  • describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).

 

Year 11

Term 1: The Sociology of Education (continued)

  • identify, describe and explain the functions of education including serving the needs of the economy, facilitating social mobility and fostering social cohesion.
  • identify and describe a variety of different types of school including primary and secondary, state and private.
  • describe alternative forms of educational provision including home schooling and de-schooling.
  • describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on these issues (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).
     

Terms 1-2: The Sociology of Crime and Deviance

  • identify, describe and explain various sociological explanations of crime and deviance including anomie, labelling, structural theories, subcultural theories and interactionist theory.
  • explain the social construction of concepts of crime and deviance.
  • describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on the social construction of crime and deviance (interactionist, functionalist, feminist and Marxist).
     

Terms 2-3: Social Stratification

  • identify, describe and explain socio-economic class divisions in society.
  • describe, compare and contrast a variety of sociological perspectives on socio-economic class (functionalist, feminist and Marxist).
     

Term 3: Revision/exams