WHY STUDY THIS COURSE? Sociology helps you develop a deeper understanding of how society functions, including its structures and processes. It allows you to see how and why society interacts and will give you the chance to explore inequalities, social change and institutions. You will learn to think critically, challenging any of your preconceived notions and assumptions about the world around you. You will consider and question social norms and values, examining the different theoretical explanations for this and evaluating the relevance of these perspectives. You will have the chance to explore social issues, such as those found in education, globalisation and environmental sustainability. Tolerance and empathy is promoted through exploring topics such as ethnicity, age, class and gender, delving into why inequalities exist in these areas and considering how we might combat them. COURSE DESCRIPTION Sociology is the study of societies. Looking at relationships and institutions, sociology is a diverse subject ranging from crime, to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. Unifying these diverse topics, the purpose of sociology is to understand how people shape and are shaped by the world in which they live. Over the course of the A-Level you will engage with sociological theory, data, sociological studies and current affairs to explain social phenomena. You will also consider how the work of sociologists is carried out which will provide a valuable insight into research methods. In addition to learning about research methods, you will learn a range of other transferable skills including the ability to analyse, evaluate, summarise, interpret data and to apply knowledge to construct an argument. The course explores sociological basics and family in Paper 1, research methods and inequalities in Paper 2 and, finally, globalisation and education in Paper 3.