Sociology
Sociology studies human behaviour in society. Understand how people behave in groups, like families, gangs or communities. Explore how our groups influence us; and what makes you “you”.
What will I be doing? The course explores how society shapes our ideas and behaviour. You discover how different and complex people can be. You develop thinking and communication skills in discussion; and learn research skills through practical activities. You build an intelligent understanding of society – and how all this shapes each one of us.
You will study units on: how we are influenced by society, the family, education and youth culture;how society responds to crime and deviance; and how sociologists use research methods. For more details on the course click the link below: GCSE Sociology Course Outline
Assessment
You take two written examination papers:
- Paper 1: The sociology of Families and Education (1 hour 45 mins) 50%
- Paper 2: The sociology of Crime and Deviance. Social stratification. (1 hour 45 mins) 50%
- Both papers involve multiple choice questions and a range of short and extended response questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can this course be useful for me?
This GCSE provides an intelligent understanding of society and how it affects us all – very useful for future studies and most careers. Develop skills to support your further studies and employment. Make better sense of your own attitudes and values – and the person you want to be! Most people understand their world in a new way after studying sociology.
How can this course improve my career prospects?
Learn to handle questions that don’t have easy answers; understand different people and perspectives; and argue your case. This GCSE prepares you to work with and deal with people - very useful for careers such as the police; lawyers; journalism; management; health care, social workers and other caring professions; teaching; the media; and the armed forces.
Will I enjoy the academic challenge?
Crucial to your success in Sociology is an interest in understanding the human world around us. This involves observation, analysis and discussion. It involves evaluating different theories and perspectives. Your own ideas are helpful, but your note-making and essay writing must include sociological evidence – you must be willing to read, make notes, revise and produce the best essays you can.