CURRICULUM
Sociology
Sociology Curriculum Intent
Sociology equips students with the knowledge and understanding of key social structures, processes, and issues. Core concepts include the study of families, education, crime and deviance and social stratification. Students develop their analytical, assimilation and communication skills by comparing perspectives on a variety of social issues, constructing reasoned arguments, making substantiated judgements and drawing reasoned conclusions.
Key Strands
Social norms and values
Students will study the norms and values of society and will look at how society functions. Students will look at the difference between what is law and what society upholds as a norm that must be meet. Students will look at how norms and values can differ between different societies and why this occurs.
Students will look at the different methods used by sociologists to undertake research, this will include the different ways sociologists engage people within research and the critical analysis of these methods.
Research methods
Key Skills
Evaluation
Students can analyse and come to a critical judgement on a source, opinion statement or view. This allows students to consider the validity or strength of an argument, and reach their own conclusions using evidence to support their critical analysis.
Students can interrupt a text, reaching a conclusion from the evidence provided. Students can use this understanding to respond to question based upon the source and offer critical analysis of source validity referring to supporting evidence from within the source.
Source analysis
Explanation
Students can explain key sociological ideas and explain the rationale of the argument and its validity.
Curriculum Structure
We follow a interleaved model for GCSE in year 10 and 11.
Year 11
Families (Revision)
In this unit students will revise content on families they have previously studied. Students will look at different family types and how family units have changed over time, studying key sociologists such as Ann Oakley.
Skills -
Throughout the sociology GCSE students will use the same skills across each unit, these skills will be explanation, evaluation, and source analysis.
Education (Revision)
In this unit students will revise content on education they have previously studied. Students will look at how the education system has evolved over time and how policy reform has changed education across the UK. Students will study education from key sociological perspectives such as Halsey, Ball and Willis.
Skills -
Throughout the sociology GCSE students will use the same skills across each unit, these skills will be explanation, evaluation, and source analysis.
Crime and Deviance- Revision
In this unit students will revise content on crime and deviance they have previously studied. Students will look at how crime effects the UK and how patterns and trends in crime are identified. Students will also study key sociological perspectives such as Heidensohn and Carlen and their views and attitudes on crime.
Skills -
Throughout the sociology GCSE students will use the same skills across each unit, these skills will be explanation, evaluation, and source analysis.
Social Stratification (Revision)
In this unit students will look at the layers of society and how society is constructed. Students will look to evaluate the different social systems and how these work within modern society. Students will also study key sociological perspectives such as Marx, Murray, and Weber.
Skills -
Throughout the sociology GCSE students will use the same skills across each unit, these skills will be explanation, evaluation, and source analysis.
