Sociology

 

Curriculum intent
  • To have uncompromising aspirations for every individual and for our school to be an exceptional and inspirational community of lifelong learners.
  • To ensure all students have the knowledge to critically engage with the conversation of humankind.
  • Purpose
  • Sociology deals with the structure and functioning of societies, the nature of social interaction, the relationship between the individual and society, and the nature of change in human societies.

 

Purpose

Students will study the nature of sociological evidence and the methods used by sociologists to understand and explain society and make conclusions on the impact of class, gender, age and ethnicity on individuals and society.

Through creative teaching in a positive atmosphere, the Sociology department will provide students with an increased understanding of their place in the world and a heightened curiosity about why individuals, groups, communities and whole societies work the way they do.

 

Key concepts that underpin the Sociology curriculum
  1. Research methods
  2. Social policies in theory, Education, the Criminal Justice System, Families and Family life and Social Inequality.
  3. Sociological key thinkers and contributors
  4. Sociology of social groups; age, class, disability, gender and ethnicity
  5. Key sociological theories and perspectives – including the nature and views of functionalism, feminism, Marxism, interactionalism and postmodernism.

 

ACADEMIC END POINTS 
Year 10 By the end of year 10 students will have completed their first year in sociology, a subject with which they would have had little prior knowledge, having not been taught it previously. Students will have had an introduction to research methods and would have knowledge of a range of different methods that sociologists use. Students will be aware of the strengths and limitations of these methods. Students will examine the units Families and Households and Education. Whilst examining these units, they will be introduced to the major sociological perspectives, including functionalism, feminism, interactionalism and Marxism. Students will have examined a range of classical texts and will have some knowledge of key thinkers such as Durkheim, Marx, Oakley, Parsons and Weber. Whilst exploring the units of Families and Households and Education, there will be some examination of the interaction of this with various social groups such as social class, ethnicity and gender. Students will begin to develop skills of interpretation and application, students should be able to read condensed texts and identify knowledge of theories and research methods. Students will begin to develop skills of analysis and evaluation, students will judge perspectives against each other.
Year 11 By the end of year 11 students will have completed their sociology GCSE. Students will feel confident about research methods, the theories of research methods and being able to apply research methods to simple contexts, such as being able to give strengths or weaknesses of using interviews to research children’s attitudes to parents. Students will feel confident with various sociological perspectives which were started in year 10, students will apply these perspectives in year 11 to the units of Crime and Deviance and Social Stratification. Students will continue to examine a range of key thinkers for those units. Students will explore with greater depth the relationship of social class, gender and ethnicity to concepts of crime and poverty. Students will feel confident with application and interpretation and will be able to confidently read text, identify theory and apply relevant sociological concepts. Students will feel confident with the skills of evaluation and analysis.
Year 12 By the end of year 12 students should have started to develop skills in the sociology A Level, becoming more confident in the way that sociology explores the social world. Students who pick the A Level will be introduced to a range of research methods that are used by different sociologists, exploring the practical, ethical and theoretical strengths and weaknesses. Students will begin to explore a range of sociological theories and those with prior knowledge will build upon key principles that were covered during the GCSE. Theories will include a range of structural and action theories that are employed by sociologists to understand the social world. Students will explore a range of thinkers, contributors and sociologists, some of which students may have knowledge of from taking the GCSE and subjects such as History (in relation to Marxism). Students will begin to develop skills of knowledge, understanding, application, interpretation, analysis and evaluation.
Year 13 By the end of year 13 students should be fluent in the language of sociology and have a passion and determination for the subject, recognising it in everyday life and in a variety of contexts. Students will have expert knowledge on all research methods, students will know the practical, ethical and theoretical strengths and weaknesses of each method and how it can be applied to a range of different contexts within the education system. Within research methods students will understand the debate between positivism and interpretivism, including the methods and motivations of both theories in relation to research methods, values and the question of whether sociology is a science. Students will have an in depth knowledge of the sociological perspectives, including theories such as functionalism, Feminism, Marxism, the New Right, Left and Right Realism, Postmodernism and Interactionalism. Students will be confident with a range of sociologists and contributors, understanding the perspective and methodology of each and their place within sociology. Students will be secure in knowledge and understanding and have a sound, conceptually detailed range of sociological knowledge and concepts. Students will apply sociological knowledge with accuracy and sensitivity to a range of topics. Students will be able to show skills of analysis and evaluation, this will be explicit within the work that they produce. Evaluation will be developed and frequent and analysis will show clear explanations.

 

Click here to visualise the Sociology learner journey

 

What will you see in Sociology lessons?
  • Real world application lessons
  • Analysis and evaluation through questioning and discussion.
  • Lecture style
  • Synoptic links being made between topics within Psychology
  • Exam practice lessons
  • Skills based lessons
  • Creative lessons: Videos, Quizzes.

 

What will you see in Sociology books?
  • Practice exam answers
  • Pre-reading notes
  • Acting on feedback (red-pen).
  • Peer assessment (green pen).
  • Information handouts
  • Writing frames
  • Example answers

 

What formative assessment will you see in Sociology?
  • Quizzes (Satchel one, Kahoot, Blooket).
  • Questioning (e.g. cold-calling).
  • Essay practice (12 and 16 mark).
  • End of topic tests.
  • Reviews of Learning.

 

What is the department currently reading and why?

  • AQA GCSE Sociology 9 – 1. Student book.
  • AQA book 1 Sociology A Level.
  • AQA book 2 Sociology A Level.

 

Click here to download the Sociology Curriculum map