Sociology is a great way to explore the inner workings of society, i.e. to look behind the obvious façade of statistical figures and published facts. It tries to explore the root causes of phenomena such as school drop-outs, high divorce rates, knife crime, rising inequalities between rich and poor, or the societal reasons behind domestic violence. It is a very academic subject and you will develop good essay-writing skills, as well as analytical skills and the ability to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various theories. Critical thinking, i.e. doubting taken-for-granted assumptions, should hopefully be the main outcome of taking this subject. Studying Sociology offers an insight into the social and cultural issues that surround us, helping you to develop a multi-theoretical understanding of the following issues: education, family and research methods during the first year as well as religion, crime and sociological theories during the second year. These topics are assessed entirely by two essay-based examinations of the duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes at the end of year one and three 2 hour long essay-based examinations at the end of year two. Sociology is useful for a whole range of subjects and professions. Firstly, it will provide training in essay-writing and making reasoned, balanced arguments, i.e. any job where these skills are essential will benefit, e.g. law, journalism, analyst, university or market researcher, etc.. Secondly, as the subjects studies individuals in a social setting, the insights it provides could be very useful in any profession that involves a significant contact with people, such as health-care professionals, teaching, public relations, psychologists, and so on.