What Can I Use to Help Prepare for a Level Sociology?

Brighouse High Sixth Form College A-Level Sociology Induction

Introductory Topics : Theory & Family & Households Education Research Methods : Big Theories: Positivism & The relationship of the The role and functions Micro & Macro approaches quantitative family and social change of the education Functionalism data including the economy and system, Marxism, state policies Feminism, Interpretivism & Differential Modernism qualitative data Changing patterns of educational Post Modernism marriage, cohabitation, achievement of social Key concepts in separation, divorce, & groups by social class, the research childbearing gender & ethnicity process

The diversity of Relationships and Sampling contemporary family & processes within Socialisation ,Culture & Identity: techniques eg households schools including Norms & Values random, gender roles, domestic teacher/pupil Cultural diversity & subcultures snowball labour and power relationships, Cultural Hybridity convenience relationships within the pupil identities & Nature versus Nurture family in contemporary subcultures, the Socialisation- Primary & secondary society hidden curriculum, Control- Formal & informal types of schools, Identity The nature of childhood, and setting and streaming changes in the status of children in the family and The significance of society educational policies, Research including policies of methods eg selection, observation marketisation & interviews, privatisation, and Social differentiation, Power and questionnaires policies to achieve Stratification: & focus groups. greater equality of Equality & Life chances opportunity or Measuring social class outcome, Social class & inequalities Demographic trends in the Wealth, poverty and inequalities United Kingdom since 1900: The impact Social mobility & the poverty trap birth rates, death rates, of globalisation on Social class inequalities & theoretical family size, life expectancy, educational policy. explanation ageing population, and migration and globalisation. What can I use to help prepare for A level Sociology?

To most students this will be a completely new subject so it can be a bit daunting. A key starting point is to look carefully at the outline of the Yr 12 course so you become familiar with what you are going to be studying. You may also want to visit the AQA website : http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/as-and-a-level/sociology-7191-7192.

Another top tip to get ahead is to look carefully at the content and identify any terms used which you do not understand and see if you can find out what they mean for example: marketization , demographic or stratification.

Above all watch the news and try and read different newspapers so you have an idea of what is going on in the world around you!

Independent Study Task : You should prepare a mind- map, poster or a power- point presentation which has the central theme ” Things which shape our identity”. You need to explore 3 aspects of this question , trying to give examples from our society. The 3 aspects are : Norms, Values & Beliefs. There is a short explanation of each outlined below:

Norms: a norm is a form of behaviour, a common form of behaviour which most people in a society follow. Norms have generally been established over time, passed on from generation to generation; for example saying please and thank you.

Values : are general principles or beliefs which the majority of society agrees on. They are widely accepted beliefs that something is worthwhile for example upholding democratic principles.

Customs: are associated with tradition and regular norms of behaviour associated with specific social occasions, events and anniversaries which are often accompanied by rituals and ceremonies for example think about how we celebrate birthdays and religious events ( even if we do not really believe) such as Easter and Christmas.

In addition to this we would like you to write a response to the statement below. We are really interested in the quality of your ideas, your “debate” and how you support this with examples from the world we live in. The response should be in the form of an essay and be around 500 words in length. If you use the internet as a research tool you will find lots of academic articles and newspaper articles about young people and the use of social media , this is an example given to help you get started.

The identity of young people in Britain today is influenced too much by social media. Discuss this statement .