Why learn sociology?
Studying sociology helps students gain a deeper understanding of how society works and human behaviour. It allows students to develop their analytical skills by comparing and contrasting perspectives on a range of social issues. Students will develop transferable skills including how to:
- Investigate facts and make deductions
- Develop opinions and new ideas on social issues
- Analyse and better understand the social world.
There are many areas of focus in Sociology, but this course explores the following:
- Families
- Education
- Crime and Deviance
- Social Stratification (how we categorise people into different groups such as social class)
Sociology can lead to a range of careers including social worker, school counsellor, police officer, human resources, social researcher and journalist to name a few.
Sociology Curriculum Overview
Please click the year group and half-term to view additional information.
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| What is Sociology? |
| What makes us human? – nature vs nurture |
| What makes us human? – culture |
| What is cultural diversity? |
| How are gender roles socially constructed? |
| Identity – ethnicity |
| Identity – social class |
| Why are people treated differently? |
| What is social control? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of sociological theories and concepts |
| Construct reasoned arguments |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Links to prior learning |
| PSHE Units on culture and identity |
| Assessment |
| Assessment on key sociologists and their beliefs |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| Research design |
| Ethical problems |
| Primary and secondary sources |
| Sampling |
| Methodology |
| Small scale research |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| Scientific experiments in KS3 Geography fieldwork |
| Assessment |
| Assessment on key terminology and definitions for research methods |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| Families around the world |
| Functionalist view of the family |
| Marxist view of the family |
| Changing husband and wife relationships |
| Inequalities between husbands and wives |
| Gender roles in the family |
| Reasons for decline in marriage and increase in divorce |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Apply knowledge and understanding of sociological theories |
| Sociological terminology |
| Evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| PHSE units on family |
| Assessment |
| Source based questions (2 mark and 4 mark) |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| How has childhood changed over time? |
| Reasons for the decrease in family size |
| What roles do older people have in the family? |
| Is the nuclear family still the ideal family type? |
| A brief history of the family in Britain |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Demonstrate understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Links to prior learning |
| PHSE units on family |
| Assessment |
| 12 mark source based question on Families |
| Half Term 5 |
| Knowledge |
| Functionalist view of education |
| Marxist view of education |
| Feminist view of education |
| Different types of school |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Apply knowledge and understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| Initial unit on what is sociology will introduce some of these key terms |
| Assessment |
| 12 mark question on Education |
| Half Term 6 |
| Knowledge |
| Class – material deprivation |
| Class – cultural deprivation |
| Class – school factors |
| Class – labelling |
| Ethnicity – school factors |
| Ethnicity – home factors |
| Gender – girl’s achievement |
| Gender – boy’s underachievement |
| Hidden curriculum |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Construct reasoned arguments |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Demonstrate understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| PHSE curriculum Previous unit in HT4 will introduce some of these concepts |
| Assessment |
| Full paper 1(2022) Education and Families |
| Half Term 1 |
| Knowledge |
| What is crime and deviance? |
| What is social control? |
| What are the patterns in offending and victimisation? |
| What are the different ways of measuring crime? |
| What is the functionalist view of crime? |
| What is the Marxist view of crime? |
| How does Labelling Theory explain criminal behaviour? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Apply knowledge and understanding of sociological theories |
| Sociological terminology |
| Evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| Previous units on Family and education for introductions to key sociologists |
| Assessment |
| 12 mark essay question |
| Half Term 2 |
| Knowledge |
| What is the relationship between crime and the media? |
| How do subcultural theories explain crime? |
| Why do men commit more crime than women? |
| Do men really commit more crime than women? |
| What are the links between crime and ethnicity? |
| What is institutional racism? |
| What the crimes of the powerful? |
| How fair is our police and courts? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Construct reasoned arguments |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Demonstrate understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| Previous introductory units on crime and deviance |
| Assessment |
| Full mock exam paper 1 |
| Half Term 3 |
| Knowledge |
| What is social stratification? |
| What are the functionalist view on stratification? |
| Marx and Weber’s views on stratification |
| What are the feminist views on stratification? |
| What is power? |
| What is authority? |
| Does social class still matter in modern Britain? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Demonstrate understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Links to prior learning |
| Previous units will have introduced key sociologists being studied. |
| Some previous links from PHSE lessons |
| Assessment |
| Paper 2 section A |
| Half Term 4 |
| Knowledge |
| How does social class affect our life chances? |
| How does gender affect life chances? |
| How does age act as a form of inequality? |
| How does ethnicity affect life chances? |
| How does disability affect life chances? |
| How does sexuality affect life chances? |
| What is poverty? |
| Who is likely to experience poverty? |
| What are the explanations for poverty? |
| How does globalisation affect poverty? |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of sociological theories and concepts |
| Construct reasoned arguments |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Links to prior learning |
| Previous introductory topics on social stratification |
| Previous links from PHSE lessons |
| Assessment |
| 12 mark source based essay question |
| Half Term 5 |
| Knowledge |
| Recap on Key Concepts |
| Recap on Families & |
| Households |
| Recap on Education |
| Recap on Research Methods |
| Recap on Crime and Deviance |
| Recap on Stratification & |
| Differentiation |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Construct reasoned arguments |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Demonstrate understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Apply knowledge and understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| All previous units |
| Assessment |
| Source based questions for crime and social stratification (2 and 4 mark) |
| Half Term 6 |
| Knowledge |
| Recap on Key Concepts |
| Recap on Families & |
| Households |
| Recap on Education |
| Recap on Research Methods |
| Recap on Crime and Deviance |
| Recap on Stratification & |
| Differentiation |
| Skills / application of knowledge |
| Construct reasoned arguments |
| Make judgements |
| Draw connections |
| Demonstrate understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Apply knowledge and understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and methods |
| Evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods |
| Links to prior learning |
| All previous units |
| Assessment |
| GCSE exams |
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