A Level Sociology

At AS, candidates studying this specification will acquire knowledge of contemporary social processes and social changes. Students will be encouraged to develop their own sociological awareness through active engagement with the contemporary social world.

AS Unit 1 covers:

• Connections between different substantive areas of Sociology
• Culture and identity
• Families and households
• Wealth, poverty and welfare

AS Unit 2 covers:

• Topic areas in relation to the two core themes
• Education
• Health
• Sociological research methods

At A2, candidates will continue to focus on contemporary society but they should demonstrate a wider range and greater depth of knowledge and understanding and more highly developed skills of application, analysis, interpretation and evaluation.

A2 Unit 3 covers:

• Critical awareness of contemporary social processes
• Beliefs in society
• Global development
• Mass media
• Modernity and post-modernity in relation to sociological theory
• Power and politics

A2 Unit 4 covers:

• The nature of sociological thought and the methods of sociological enquiry
• Crime and deviance
• Stratification and differentiation
• The nature of social ‘facts’

Assessment

2 exams at AS

2 exams at A2

The Future

Sociology is useful for many careers. Many past students have gone on to careers in media, law, teaching, social work, personnel management and many other fields.

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