KEVIHandsworth Wood Girls’ Academy

A Level SociologyInduction Booklet

Year 12 2019-20Induction Booklet

Summer 2019

Subject: Sociology A Level

Specification No: 7192

Minimum Entry Requirements: Usual requirements for entry into 6th form – 5 A to C GCSE grades.

B grade in English language is required.

Information about the courseAwarding Body: AQAQualification: A levelSubject: Sociology

Who is the course for?

This course is for students who have an interest in studying the individual and society. It is an appropriate course for those who wish to broaden their horizons and develop skills that will be applicable and useful across the range of Arts and Sciences.

Studying sociology will not change your life but it will change the way you look at life, at people, at society, both in this country and worldwide. It will help you develop your opinions and your ability to see both sides of an argument and to back up your points with facts, research studies and evidence. Sociology does attempts to take an objective look at the social world and avoid personal and moral preferences, values and prejudices that lie behind much journalism and TV output and political positioning.

Sociology is for students with a questioning mind who do not take everything on face value and who are able to make points logically in an attempt to be scientific and objective

Information about the units of study:

Subject content

Compulsory content

4.1 Education with Theory and Methods

4.1.1 Education

4.1.2 Methods in Context

4.1.3 Theory and Methods

4.3 Crime and Deviance with Theory and Method

4.3 Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods

4.3.1 Crime and Deviance

4.3.2 Theory and Methods

Optional

4.2 Topics in Sociology

Option 1

4.2.1 Culture and Identity

4.2.2 Families and Households (option chosen)

4.2.3 Health

4.2.4 Work, Poverty and Welfare

Option 2

4.2.5 Beliefs in Society

4.2.6 Global Development

4.2.7 The Media (option chosen)

4.2.8 Stratification and Differentiation

How you will be assessed?This is a 2 year course with exams at the end of the second year.AssessmentsPaper 1: Education with Theory and MethodsWhat's assessed?Compulsory content 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3Assessed2 hour written exam

80 marks33.3% of A-level

QuestionsEducation: short answer and extended writing, 50 marksMethods in Context: extended writing, 20 marksTheory and Methods: extended writing, 10 marks

Paper 2: Topics in SociologyWhat's assessed?Section A: one from option 1: 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3 or 4.2.4Section B: one from option 2: 4.2.5, 4.2.6, 4.2.7 or 4.2.8Assessed2 hour written exam

80 marks33.3% of A-level

QuestionsSection A: extended writing, 40 marksSection B: extended writing, 40 marksPaper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and MethodsWhat's assessed?Compulsory content 4.3.1, 4.3.2Assessed2 hour written exam

80 marks33.3% of A-level

QuestionsCrime and Deviance: short answer and extended writing, 50 marksTheory and Methods: extended writing, 30 marks

What will you learn?* Education with theory and method* Crime and Deviance with theory and method* Families and households* The mediaYou will learn about the impact of social groups including whole societies and international and global groups. Examples of areas you will consider include the relationship of the family to the social structure, domestic labour and power relationships, the nature of childhood, demographic trends, the role and purpose of education, differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society, relationships and processes in schools (with particular reference to teacher / pupil relationships, educational policies, application of sociological research to the study of education.

You will also find out about different theories of crime, deviance, social order and social control with analysis of the social distribution of crime by age, ethnicity, gender, locality and social class. Crime control, prevention and punishment All the following must be an integral part of the study of each topic area:Sociological theories, perspectives and methods the design of the research used to obtain the data under consideration, including its strengths and limitations. Attention must be given to drawing out the links between topic areas studied.

Core themes

Students must study the following two core themes:socialisation, culture and identity social differentiation, power and stratification.

These themes are to be interpreted broadly as threads running through many areas of social life and should not therefore be regarded as discrete topics.In addition, students must understand the significance of conflict and consensus, social structure and social action, and the role of values

How you will learn?

• Teacher-led classroom teaching including lectures and Power Point presentations• Individual tasks / group-work / problem solving• Homework / past exam questions / research / essays• Personal study through the internet and published materials / independent learning in preparation for university education.

2 year course with 3 final exams.

It is important to have the ability to evaluate and analyse information from a variety of sources and the ability to write essays with good sentence construction, good use of paragraphs, arguments for and against, including evidence, sociological research, relevant sociological theory, conclusion etc.

The key starting topics for your subject in September: Families and HouseholdsEducationResources that will be useful (e.g. websites, books, journals etc.)Most sociology text books cover these topics. See old AQA AS Sociology and A2 sociology textbook (published by Nelson Thornes)Also old Sociology AS and AA2 in focus (published by CP)And the weighty book Sociology Themes and Perspectives – Haralambos and Holborn (published by Collins)See also Student Support Materials for AQA Sociology on Families and Households and on Education. (Published by Collins).Many other sociology textbooks are available.

You are required to complete a piece of work over the summer break, before the start of the course in September. This is good as it helps you to focus on the requirements of the course and puts you in the right frame of mind to begin the first term. It prepares you for the beginning of the course and means that we are ready to start. It will form part of the information for a baseline assessment in the first few weeks in September.

Summer Work. Preparation for the course (July and August study)Research Families and Households – types of family, sociological views on family diversity, social class and family diversity, family life cycle, ethnic differences in family patterns, growth of single parent families, critical and positive views on single parent families. Produce a 2 page report to answer the following: 1. * What is a Family? 2. * Describe and explain what different types of family there are.3. * What are the Functions of a family?4. * What are the reasons for the growth of single parent families in Britain. (To be handed in first sociology lesson in September).

Your Name …………………………………………………Course preparation work on The Family

1. * What is a Family? (5 marks)

2* Describe and explain what different types of family there are. (5 marks)

3. * What are the Functions of a family? (5 marks)

4. * What are the reasons for the growth of single parent families in Britain. (5 marks)

NAME………………………………………………………………………………………………. TOTAL /20 Marks

Good Luck!

Have funEnjoy the research and Summer study work

See you in September , well prepared and ready to study A Level Sociology.PJB