Sociologists are interested in why society works in the way that it does and the extent to which our behaviour – and even opportunities – can be shaped by our social class, age, gender and ethnicity. We question the society in which we live in order to understand the relationship between individuals and institutions such as the Education System, Religion and Crime. Why study Sociology? People study Sociology because they want to understand the world in which they live. Throughout the course, you’ll be exploring questions such as: • What is the family and what is the point of it? • Do we live in a meritocratic society? • Why is it that factors such as class, ethnicity and gender appear to impact on how well – or otherwise – we do at school? • Is Britain becoming a secular society, or is there a rise in extremism and Fundamentalism? • Why does crime occur and how reliable are official statistics? Topic 1: Families and Households - What is happening to the ‘traditional’ family? How is social change transforming family life? Topic 2: Education - What is the role of the Education system? Why are girls outperforming boys at GCSE, A-Level and Degree level? How can we account for differences in attainment by ethnicity, location and social class? Topic 3: Beliefs in Society - Is Religion still relevant to young people? What makes people join cults and sects? What factors help to explain secularisation and fundamentalism in the UK? Does Religion oppress us? Topic 4: Crime and Deviance - What does the crime rate tell us about society? Is prison the best place to rehabilitate criminals? Why is the prison population growing? Why do more males than females commit crimes? Do upper class criminals ‘get away with it’? A level sociology seeks to provide students with the necessary “tools” to make decisions and form judgements about themselves and the world around them which will be of lasting value for the successful navigation of their future.