Sociology

Welcome to the Sociology Department

"Neither the life of an individual nor the history of a society can be understood without understanding both." - C. Wright Mills

Head of Sociology

Ms Malik

e-mail: smalik114.310@parkhighstanmore.org.uk

KS4

GCSE Sociology is a fascinating area of study that focuses on the complexities and behaviours within society. GCSE Sociology helps students to gain knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes, and issues, through the study of:

Families
Education
Crime and deviance
Social stratification
Research methods

GCSE Sociology aims to broaden your mind by helping you to see the world from multiple points of view. This will give you a different perspective on society and challenge you to examine and analyse society in new and thought-provoking ways. Students will develop their skills of analysis and communication by comparing perspectives on a variety of social issues such as poverty and crime. Sociology fosters a respect for diversity and inclusivity in our globalised society and encourages students to develop their own sociological awareness beyond the classroom. By studying sociology, students will develop transferable skills including how to:

investigate facts and make deductions
develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
analyse and better understand the social world

Year 10

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Introduction to Sociology: Culture Socialisation Race and ethnicity Functionalism Marxism Feminism Research methods: lab experiments, case studies, statistics, longitudinal studies, primary and secondary data ethical issues in research, questionnaires, interviews, covert and overt observations, experimental method.	Families: Research methods continued Family diversity Relationships within the family and the division of labour Theories of the family including functionalism, Marxism and feminism Changing family patterns including marriage and divorce Cultural differences Education: Functions of the education systems Functionalist and Marxist views Factors that impact differences in achievement – gender, class, and ethnicity	Education continued: Impact of policies on educational access to education, attainment, and experience. Impact of globalisation on educational policy Revision of year 10 content Crime and deviance introduction: Introduction to year 11 topics. What is crime and deviance? How do we measure crime? Theories on explanations for criminal behaviour The role of prisons
Assessment
Retrieval practice weekly Multiple choice & short answer questions Exam questions as home learning End of topic assessment (timed)	Retrieval practice weekly Multiple choice & short answer questions Exam questions timed in lesson and home learning End of topic assessment (timed)	Retrieval practice weekly Multiple choice & short answer questions Exam questions timed in lesson and home learning Mock exam

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Introduction to Sociology:

Culture
Socialisation
Race and ethnicity
Functionalism
Marxism
Feminism
Research methods: lab experiments,
case studies,
statistics, longitudinal studies, primary and secondary data
ethical issues in research,
questionnaires,
interviews,
covert and overt observations,

experimental method.

Families:

Research methods continued
Family diversity
Relationships within the family and the division of labour
Theories of the family including functionalism, Marxism and feminism
Changing family patterns including marriage and divorce
Cultural differences

Education:

Functions of the education systems
Functionalist and Marxist views
Factors that impact differences in achievement – gender, class, and ethnicity

Education continued:

Impact of policies on educational access to education, attainment, and experience.

Impact of globalisation on educational policy
Revision of year 10 content

Crime and deviance introduction:

Introduction to year 11 topics.
What is crime and deviance?
How do we measure crime?
Theories on explanations for criminal behaviour

The role of prisons

Assessment

Retrieval practice weekly
Multiple choice & short answer questions
Exam questions as home learning
End of topic assessment (timed)

Retrieval practice weekly
Multiple choice & short answer questions
Exam questions timed in lesson and home learning
End of topic assessment (timed)

Retrieval practice weekly
Multiple choice & short answer questions
Exam questions timed in lesson and home learning
Mock exam

Year 11

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Crime and deviance: Measuring crime Reliability of crime statistics Different sociological theories on criminal behaviour Patterns of offending and victimisation in relation to social class, age, gender and ethnicity Formal and informal forms of social control The effectiveness of prisons Criminal behaviour of young people and societal reactions Debates of the age of criminal responsibility The role of media and crime.	Social stratification: What is social stratification? Functionalism – social stratification as believe a ‘universal necessity’ Who is the upper-class? Middle class? Working class? Marxist view on social class Factors that affect our life chances Social mobility Relative poverty and the underclass Globalisation and the impact on the UK. The welfare state Political power Patriarchy	Revision: Practice exam questions Tackling tricky questions Review exam structure Command words Application questions Multiple choice questions Long answer questions Final examinations.
Assessment
Retrieval practice weekly Multiple choice & short answer questions Exam questions as home learning End of topic assessment (timed)	Retrieval practice weekly Multiple choice & short answer questions Exam questions timed in lesson and home learning End of topic assessment (timed)	Retrieval practice weekly Multiple choice & short answer questions Long answer questions Tackling tricky questions Exam structure and command words Final exams The Sociology course will follow the AQA specification. The exam papers have a mix of a multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions. Paper 1: The sociology of families and education (1 hr 45 mins) –50% Paper 2: The sociology of crime and deviance and social stratification (1 hr 45 mins) – 50%

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Crime and deviance:

Measuring crime
Reliability of crime statistics
Different sociological theories on criminal behaviour
Patterns of offending and victimisation in relation to social class, age, gender and ethnicity
Formal and informal forms of social control
The effectiveness of prisons
Criminal behaviour of young people and societal reactions
Debates of the age of criminal responsibility

The role of media and crime.

Social stratification:

What is social stratification?
Functionalism – social stratification as believe a ‘universal necessity’
Who is the upper-class? Middle class? Working class?
Marxist view on social class
Factors that affect our life chances
Social mobility
Relative poverty and the underclass
Globalisation and the impact on the UK.
The welfare state
Political power
Patriarchy

Revision:

Practice exam questions
Tackling tricky questions
Review exam structure
Command words
Application questions
Multiple choice questions
Long answer questions

Final examinations.

Assessment

Retrieval practice weekly
Multiple choice & short answer questions
Exam questions as home learning
End of topic assessment (timed)

Retrieval practice weekly
Multiple choice & short answer questions
Exam questions timed in lesson and home learning
End of topic assessment (timed)

Retrieval practice weekly
Multiple choice & short answer questions
Long answer questions
Tackling tricky questions
Exam structure and command words

Final exams

The Sociology course will follow the AQA specification. The exam papers have a mix of a multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.

Paper 1: The sociology of families and education (1 hr 45 mins) –50%

Paper 2: The sociology of crime and deviance and social stratification (1 hr 45 mins) – 50%