Sociology Department

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Sociology examines evidence of the extent towhich individuals and groups are influenced by‘society’. It looks at ‘culture’ what it is, how we learn to become part of it and the idea of ‘high’ and ‘low’, ‘mass’ and ‘folk’ cultures. It also looks at how our ‘identity’ is shaped by factors like age, gender, social class and ethnicity, and asks to what extent do these factors affect our chances in education, employment and health, or even our likelihood to commit crime! ?What are the effects of the mass media or the school, on the individual - or do we function more as social groups than individuals? How far are rich countries to blame for poverty in the poorer world, or rich social classes to blame for the relative poverty of the rest of the population? What is happening to society? Do we live in a meritocratic society? Are we living in a more criminal society? These, and many other areas of social life, are examined on a local, national and international scale.

All this is carried out in terms of a debate as to whether or not Sociology is a science. Is ‘society’ able to be examined in a way which is possible in the natural sciences, or do human beings defy reliable or valid scientific examination? Sociology looks closely at different research methods, and you will be encouraged to examine howdifferentmethods can be applied to the topics you study at AS and A2.

You can bring to the course your own life experiences, so enhancing the quality of what you are investigating, and take fromit a greater awareness of how society operates. It will also encourage you to consider how society might change for the better. If you study Sociology you will be encouraged to question many assumptions about the way society does, or should, operate. If you enjoy taking part in lively and informed debate about many of the issues that dominate local, national and international society, investigating social issues and trying to make sense of it all, Sociology could well be for you!