Sociology

Course summary

Sociology aims to unleash every student’s sociological imagination, or “the quality of mind essential to grasp the interplay of individual and society, of biography and history, of self and the world,” (C. Wright Mills). From day one students are expected to engage critically with the structures and processes all around them that make social life possible. Scratching beneath the surface of taken-for.granted assumptions and developing the skills to analytically question social phenomena are at the core of this A Level. The course explores the education system, asking difficult questions such as whether the current structure is fit for purpose for our economy, or whether all students in the UK have equal opportunities for success, regardless of gender, ethnicity or class. The social institution of the ‘family’ in the UK is also explored, along with global religious belief systems in the 21st Century. Finally, crime and deviance is studied, along with sociological theory and research methods. Students are also expected to demonstrate sociological curiosity and contemporary awareness by linking subject knowledge to current affairs in both formal assessments and class discussions.