Sociology

Assessment

Students will work towards being assessed in three advanced-level examinations: Paper 1: Education and Theory and Methods This paper investigates how variables, such as social class, ethnicity, and gender, can shape educational outcomes. It examines and evaluates how research methods and theoretical perspectives are employed to interpret the effects of government policies, school factors, and home circumstances on student achievement. Paper 2: Topics in Sociology Topic 1 Families and Households - The focus of this unit is on which types of families are common, whether there is such a thing as a ‘normal’ family, and the damage that can be done within the private sphere of family life. Topic 2 Beliefs in Society - This unit concentrates on the significance of religion in the contemporary world, including the nature and extent of a reduction in religious beliefs, the spread of religious fundamentalism as well as questioning if science has reduced the need for religion. Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods This paper looks at the various theories on why people commit crimes, the differences in the profiles of criminals, why certain people are more likely to commit a crime or be labeled as a criminal, and how our definition of what is criminal has changed with new technology.