Sociology is one of our newest GCSE options to join the curriculum within our W Pathway KS4 curriculum, introduced in September 2020. As a school we believe in the power of the sociological curriculum for developing wider thinking and conceptual understanding of the society that they live in, potentially questioning for the first time the purpose and reason behind its operations and existence. Sociology lends itself to the creative and critical thinkers, further developing those students for whom questioning ‘why?’ is an instinct, Sociology allows students to explore a variety of social thinkers from those who believe in the harmonious nature in society to those that highlight inequality and injustice, allowing students to identify their own thinking through the works of others. Within Sociology, students develop their analytical and communication skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.
By studying Sociology, students develop their ability and independence to investigate facts and form deductions, developing opinions and new ideas on social issues whilst analysing and developing their understanding the social world. An ability to write in an extended form is key to success within Sociology, with the ability to debate, through writing, a variety of viewpoints and critical theories. Our aim is that through studying Sociology our students understand the relationships that exist within society, the interdependence of its layers, the tension between social structures and individuals whilst also challenging their understanding and perception of society, listening to the viewpoints of those who may have walked a different path, experiencing different elements of society to themselves – creating a more open, accepting, inclusive and empathetic understanding of the world.
Please see parental overview of the course in KS4 below.
Key Stage 4
| Year 10 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
| Topics Studied for AQA Sociology |
Sociological Approach and Research Methods Students are introduced to the principles and founding theorists within sociology alongside the study of research methods to form an understanding of the processes, reliabilty, validity and ethics behind the research they will study throughout the course, becoming critically aware. | Social Structures, Processes and Issues Students critically evaluate and compare and contrast theories and explanations, including the key features of each theory or explanation in the context of a specific topic and area of Sociology. | Sociology of the Family Students begin by exploring the changing nature and form of the family unit. Students begin to explore differing views of the fucntions of the family beginning with Marxist and Functionalist views. | Sociology of the Family Students continue to explore the changing functions of the family, incorpating the Feminist and Interactionist theories. | Sociology of Education Students explore the differing sociological viewpoints on the purpose of education, beginning with Functionalist and Marxist theories.
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Sociology of Education Students explore wider sociological viewpoints on the purpose of education, delving into data analaysis and patterns to determine strengths and weaknesses in theories. |
| Skills and Key Knowledge Taught |
-Conflict vs Consensus
-Marxist, Functionalist, Feminist, Interactionist -Durkheim, Marx and Weber -Inter-relationships within sociological fields -Society -Socialisation, -Norms and values -Roles -Qualitative and quantitative methods -Practical and Ethical Issues -Primary and Secondary Data |
-Conflict vs Consensus
-Marxism theories -Functionalism theories Feminism theories Interactionism theorists -Durkheim, Marx and Weber -Inequality -Pay gap -Class system -Bourgeousie and proletariat -Capitalism -Society as a body -Patriarchy |
-Conflict vs Consensus
-Functionalism -Parsons -Murdock -Wilmott and Young -Marxism -Dysfunctions of the family unit -Engels -Zaretsky -Rapoports |
-Feminism (Marxist, Liberal and Radical)
-Oakley -Ansley -Somerville -Dobash and Dobash -Delphy and Leonard -Divorce -Changing patterns and legislation |
-Conflict vs Consensus
-Forms of education setting -Functionalism -Parsons -Davis and Moore -Social mobility -Meritocracy -Durkheim -Marxism -Bowles and Gintis -Althusser -Capitalism |
-Conflict vs Consensus
-Feminism and Interactionism -Halsey -Willis -Ball |
| Links for Support/ Help at Home |
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| Year 11 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
| Topics Studied for AQA Sociology | Social Stratification Students explore the concept of society’s layers being exposed, contrasting sociological viewpoints and their theories on inequalities in society and their formation/ continuation. | Social Stratification and Crime and Deviance Students continue their understanding of social stratification through comparison to conflict theories. Students begin to explore the links to crime and deviance in society, making clear connections to social stratification, family and education. | Crime and Deviance Students delve further into the idea of crime and deviance as a construct, analysing and questioning data to question to what extent it exists as a form of social control within soceity and looking to explore marginalisation of groups. This concludes the course as students pull together the influence of all aspects on life chances. | Assessment Revision Class teacher to tailor to suit the needs of the class. | Assessment Revision Class teacher to tailor to suit the needs of the class. | Exams Undertaken |
| Skills and Key Knowledge Taught |
-Functionalist theory
-Davis and Moore -Effective role allocation -Socio-economic class -Marx -Weber -Life chances -Devine and the affluent worker -Poverty and a social issue -Townsend on relative deprivation -Murray’s underclass -Introduction to New Right ideas |
-Power and authority
-Sources of power -Weber on power -Weber on authority -Contrast theories -Feminism -Walby -Patriarchy -Inequality -Life chances -Postcode lottery -Crime and deviance and a social construction -Anomie |
-Structural theories, subcultural theories and interactionist theory
-Merton’s causes of crime -Becker’s causes of crime -Social control (formal and informal methods) -Heidensohn’s work on female conformity in male-dominated patriarchal societies -Cohen on delinquent subcultures -Carlen on women, crime and poverty -Violent crime, sentencing, the treatment of young offenders, the prison system -Media on crime -Official data on crime, patterns and trends in crime figures and the ‘dark figure’ |
-Accumulation of all skills and content | -Accumulation of all skills and content | -Accumulation of all skills and content |
| Links for Support/ Help at Home |
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