Staff

Mrs M Fitzpatrick (Leader of Learning)
Mrs T Warwick
Miss B Brown

Studying sociology will provide you with the answers to these questions and many more about the society you live in today.

Everyone is part of society. Society has helped shape who you are and how you experience life – but how much do you understand about it?

High crime rates in our inner cities, ‘binge drinking ladettes’, boys’ underachievement in school, the effects of divorce on children, racism and the police, the effects of the media on violent behaviour… these are among the great debates of today. They are the subject of countless views and opinions, many of which are ill-informed or prejudiced, most expressed simply from personal and often very limited experience.

This is where Sociology comes in – because these are all SOCIAL issues. The Sociologist sets off to try and understand our human world a little better. This task is often challenging and controversial, but to many it is also fascinating and rewarding.

Sociology, then, is the study of people in society.

By learning how society operates you will be learning how the world works, you will be putting your current life in context and preparing yourself for what society may have in store for you, you will gain the knowledge, analytical and debating skills to add your voice to the great popular discussions of our time in areas such as the family, education, the police/judiciary, the media, religion and politics.

Entry Requirements

To be a successful sociology student you must:

• Be willing to express your views in class discussions, debates and presentations.
• Be able to listen to and respect the views of others.
• Keep up to date with current issues by reading a newspaper or watching TV news.
• Be able to summarise research evidence in your essays to present a clear, two-sided argument which reaches a clear conclusion.
• Keep up to date with the homework that is set each week

Remember that sociology is a purely exam based subject which requires you to write essays. You will be given clear guides on how to write essays, but please note that an ability to express ideas in writing is essential.

Your commitment and enthusiasm will be rewarded with an excellent GCSE grade.

How the subject is assessed?
Unit 1: Understanding social processes (50%)

• Written paper
• 1 hour 45 minutes

Questions
A written assessment with a mix of short answer, structured questions and extended response questions, all compulsory. The extended response questions will require candidates to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across the relevant specification content.

Unit 2: Understanding social structures (50%)

• • Written paper

• 1 hour 45 minutes

Questions
A written assessment with a mix of short answer, structured questions and extended response questions, all compulsory. The extended response questions will require candidates to draw together different areas of knowledge, skills and/or understanding from across the relevant specification content.

Requirements of the Course:
To be a successful Sociology student you must:

• Be willing to express your views in class discussions, debates and presentations
• Be able to listen to and respect the views of others Ø Keep up to date with current issues by reading a newspaper or watching TV news
• Keep up to date with the homework that is set each week
• Your commitment and enthusiasm will be rewarded with an excellent GCSE grade
• Good results in Key Stage 3 assessments in English, provide a sound basis for study and success at GCSE Level

Additional Information
Many students who study GCSE Sociology can go on to study advanced level Sociology and this works well with other subjects like Media, Politics, Health and Social Care, History and Geography.

In addition, Sociology is an extremely valued subject for higher education entry and future careers. Sociology students are in demand for people centred occupations which demand analytical skills hence Sociology students have gone into wide ranging careers such as Media Research, Law, Police, Journalism and Teaching, Local Government, Policy Making, Advertising and Nursing, Social Work and Youth Work.