Sociology

Course summary

Sociology is the study of human society, why it works in the way it does and how we can make sense of the world around us. Sociology is a social science – it has theories, research methods and a body of knowledge that combine together to try and explain human behaviour, how society operates the way it does and why society changes. KEY UNIT TOPICS Socialisation, culture and identity During this unit you will be familiarised with many of the main concepts in sociology such as culture, socialisation and status. You will also begin to look at how different sociological theories explain society. Families and households In studying the family we examine why the family continues to be an important institution in modern society, how the family is changing and who has power in families in Britain today. Education During this unit you will examine the education system and explore a number of key issues, such as how the education system benefits society, whether everyone has an equal chance of success and how our education system has developed to meet the changing needs of society. METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL ENQUIRY In this unit we examine how sociologists research society and evaluate the methods they use. Social differentiation This unit involves examination of inequality in our society in terms of gender, age, class and ethnicity. We examine how these things may impact upon life chances and how sociological theories explain the continuing inequalities in Britain today. Crime and Deviance The study of crime is crucial to an understanding of power within society. In this unit we examine key issues such as how laws are created, which social groups commit most crime and why, and how different sociological theories have explained crime.