AQA

The following themes run through both the AS and the A2 courses:-

• Evidence of theories and perspectives and the sociological explanations for each individual area studied
• The design of the research used to obtain the data under consideration, including its strengths and weaknesses.
• Socialisation, culture and identity
• Social differentiation, power and stratification

Topics for special study at AS are:-

In Unit 1 you will study

• Families and Households (The Relationship of the Family to the Social Structure and Social Change, Changing Patterns of Marriage, Cohabitation, Separation, Divorce and Childbearing and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures, The Nature and Extent of Changes in the Family with reference to Gender Roles, Domestic Labour and Power Relationships, The Nature of Childhood and Demographic Trends in the UK since 1900 including changes in Birth Rates, Death Rates and Family Size.

In Unit 2 you will study

• Education (The Role and Purpose of Education in Contemporary Society, Differential Educational Achievement of Social Groups by Social Class, Gender and Ethnicity, Relationships and Processes within school, The Significance of Educational Policies and the Application of Sociological Research Methods to the Study of Education.
• Sociological Methods (The Strengths and Limitations of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods of Research Design, Sources of Data and the distinction between different types of data, The Relationship between Positivism, Interpretivism and Sociological Methods and the Theoretical, Practical and Ethical Considerations influencing Research.  

Topics for special study at A2 are:-

 In Unit 3 you will study

• Mass Media (The Relationship between Ownership and Control of the Mass Media, The Mass Media, Globalisation and Popular Culture, The Process of Selection and Presentation of the News, Media Representations of age, social class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability, The Relationship between Mass Media and its Audience and the Role of New Media

In Unit 4 you will study

• Stratification and Differentiation (Different Theories of Stratification, including Stratification by Social Class, Gender, Ethnicity, Age and Disability, Dimensions of Inequality, Class, Status and Power and Differences in Life Chances, The Problems of Defining and Measuring Social Class, Occupation, Gender and Social Class, Changes in Structures of Inequality, The Nature, Extent and Significance of Patterns of Social Mobility and the Connections between Sociological Theory and Methods and the Study of Stratification and Differentiation.
• Theory and Methods (The Strengths and Limitations of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods of Research Design, Sources of Data and the distinction between different types of data, The Relationship between Positivism, Interpretivism and Sociological Methods and the Theoretical, Practical and Ethical Considerations influencing Research.  

You do not need any specific GCSE's to take the course. However, candidates who have a Grade C in English Language will find that those skills will suitably equip them for the study of this specification.

Assessment will take the form of written examinations at both AS and A2 level. Examinations for AS Unit 1 will consist of 1 question that consists of 5 parts and will have a duration of 1 hour. Unit 2 consists of 1question that consists of 4 parts regarding Education, 1 question on Social Research Methods in the Context of Education and 1 question that consists 4 parts on free-standing research methods and will have a duration of 2 hours. Whilst Unit 3 at A2 level has an examination of 1½ hours duration and consists of 1 question with 3 parts on Mass Media and 1 essay question on Mass Media. Unit 4 has an examination of 2 hours duration consisting 1 question with 2 parts on Stratification and Differentiation and 1 question with 2 parts on Sociological research Methods in the context of Stratification and Differentiation and 1 essay question on Theory and Methods.

Sociology complements many other subjects particularly History, Geography, Religious Studies, Politics, Psychology, Economics and Business Studies.

There are literally hundreds of degree and sub-degree courses available in the Social Sciences. Sociology is often combined with linked areas such as Criminology, Education, Psychology, Economics or Business Studies.

Sociology is a subject which, by its very nature, relates directly to all areas of human experience and is particularly relevant if you are considering careers in Market Research, Human Resource Management, the Police or Probation Service, Social Services and Journalism.