SOCIOLOGY

A-LEVEL

It’s only human.

12,000 years ago the largest society numbered about 100.

Today we’ve got megacities peopled by more than 24 million.

How did we get here? And how has our world changed as a result of societal evolution?

Welcome to Sociology – the scientific study of society and human behaviour.

Everyone’s an armchair sociologist – opining on how society works based on their own experiences.

As a real sociologist you’ll be asking moral and political questions about how society works, defining hypotheses and then conducting research using four very different methods to prove or disprove those theories.

On this course you’ll explore in great detail these research methodologies before carrying out your own.

The wide range of topics you’ll study on this course also includes socialisation, sociological enquiry and power.

Socialisation defines influences and how they inform our identity.

When we’re young, typically families are our entire social world, with our parents or guardians the source of primary socialisation. But television, the internet, and the wider media are also huge influences on our personality and behaviour – and we’ll study how, and why, as part of this course.

We’ll also look into societal challenges such as inequality.

We got started today looking at the first examples of society – hunter gatherers. As time passed, we became first a horticultural and pastoral society, then agrarian, and through the revolution of the same name, industrial. And today, we live in a post-industrial society, where wealth is generated not by manufacturing and raw materials, but by knowledge, services and technology.

As societies changed, so surpluses grew, and with them – inequality.

It is often argued that societal change is driven by technological change. But technology also drives inequality. On this Sociology A-level course we’ll assess how society holds together – or goes askew – during intense phases of political, cultural and technological change, population growth, and economic disruption.

Why do people go to university?
Why do some people like hip hop, while others prefer musicals?

We sometimes need a microscope, sometimes a telescope, to answer sociological questions.

To demonstrate your understanding you’ll be writing lots of essays and devouring research that seeks to understand patterns. The skills you’ll learn on this course will prepare you wonderfully well for the academic rigour of degree-level studies.

During the course you’ll have the chance to learn from visiting lecturers and enjoy trips to the Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives, and Manchester Crown Court – where you’ll have the chance to enact a criminal case and reach a sentencing verdict.

LESSON TIME!

Today’s lesson is an introduction to crime and deviance and investigating why the BAME community is overrepresented in the prison population.

Study data in ethnicity and crime including statistics shared by the Ministry of Justice showing the arrest, stop and search, prosecution and sentencing rates vary greatly between ethnicities.

Do the police and courts treat social groups differently? There are no right and wrong answers in Sociology. Analysing societal issues from different perspectives is an important part of being a sociologist.

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What’s next?

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CAREERS

As a sociologist your skills will be put to good use in such diverse areas as crime scene investigation, social research, youth work, probation services and the criminal justice system.

Popular roles among Sociology graduates include:

COURSES

Degrees popular among Xaverian Sociology students include:

Business and Management
Psychology
Law
Marketing

INTERESTED IN APPLYING?

I love all my subjects but my favourites are sociology and law. I love sociology because it helps us understand the differences in social behaviour and the subject itself is diverse and it covers areas of race, gender, ethnicity and social class. This subject has given me a better understanding of how society works and has changed my viewpoint. It’s also amazing to hear other students stories when it comes to law and sociology.

Esther Nzuzi, applying to the University of Manchester to study Criminology.

Pre-U courses

Choose this A Level and during your second year at Xaverian take advantage of a eight-week crash course in undergraduate life through our close ties with Manchester University.

Weekly two-hour sessions during your autumn term focus on some of the most important study skills for your university success – including critical thinking, oral communication, essay writing and interpreting complex information.

You’ll learn through methods familiar to higher education students – including lectures, reading tasks and interactive group discussion.

Taking part in the Pre-U course and you’ll also receive a one A-level grade reduction in the standard entry requirements if you apply to Manchester University.

RELATED COURSES

If you’re considering SOCIOLOGY you might also want to check out:

COMPLEMENTARY COURSES

YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING COURSES ALONGSIDE SOCIOLOGY:

English Language

A-Level

View Course

Drama and Theatre

A-Level

View Course

Business

A-Level

View Course

SOCIOLOGY

It’s only human.

LESSON TIME!

What’s next?

Paper 1: Socialisation and Culture

Paper 2: Methods of Sociological enquiry

Paper 3: Power and Stratification

Entry requirements:

Course specific entry requirements:

Course duration:

Assessment methods:

Course type:

Exam board:

INTERESTED IN APPLYING?

Esther Nzuzi, applying to the University of Manchester to study Criminology.

Pre-U courses

RELATED COURSES

If you’re considering SOCIOLOGY you might also want to check out:

Psychology

Media Studies

Criminology

Business

COMPLEMENTARY COURSES

YOU MIGHT ALSO WANT TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING COURSES ALONGSIDE SOCIOLOGY:

English Language

Drama and Theatre

Business

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