This A Level Sociology course at Broadway Academy will allow candidates to acquire the essential knowledge and understanding of central aspects of sociological thought and methods, together with the application of a range of skills. The Sociology A-level course integrates sociological themes, such as Education, Families and Households, and Crime and Deviance, and beliefs in society and provides appropriate foundation for further study of Sociology and related subjects in higher education. In addition, it provides a worthwhile course for candidates of various ages and from diverse backgrounds in terms of general education and lifelong learning. Equally, material studied would be useful for candidates intending to pursue careers in the field of Social Sciences. To Study Sociology A’ Level there is no prerequisite that students need to acquire at GCSE. Instead, candidates who have Grade C in English Language or similar attainment at Key Stage 4 will find that those skills will suitably equip them for the study of this specification. No prior learning is necessary for candidates to undertake a course of study based on this specification and will need no previous attainment in this subject. Year 12 (AS) Students are expected to be familiar with sociological explanations of the following content: AS Paper 1: Education with methods in context  The role and functions of the education system, including its relationship to the economy and to class structure.  Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society.  Relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil identities and subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organization of teaching and learning.  The significance of educational policies, including policies of selection, marketization and privatization, and policies to achieve greater equality of opportunity or outcome, for an understanding of the structure, role, impact and experience of and access to education;  The impact of globalization on educational policy.  Students must be able to apply sociological research methods to the study of education. AS Paper 2: Research methods and Topics in Sociology Research Methods  quantitative and qualitative methods of research; research design sources of data, including questionnaires, interviews, participant and non-participant observation, experiments, documents and official statistics  the distinction between primary and secondary data, and between quantitative and qualitative data  the relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods; the nature of ‘social facts’  the theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct of research Families and Households  the relationship of the family to the social structure and social change, with particular reference to the economy and to state policies  changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, childbearing and the life course, including the sociology of personal life, and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures  gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society  the nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society  Demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900: birth rates, death rates, family size, life expectancy, ageing population, and migration and globalisation. Beliefs in Society  ideology, science and religion, including both Christian and non-Christian religious traditions  the relationship between social change and social stability, and religious beliefs, practices and organisations  religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice  the relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices  The significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world, including the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context, and globalisation and the spread of religions. Paper 3: Crime & Deviance with Theory & Methods  Crime, deviance, social order and social control.  The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime.  Globalization and crime in contemporary society; the media and crime; green crime; human rights and state crimes.  Crime control, surveillance, prevention and punishment, victims, and the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies.