Sociology
Sociology aims to foster in learners an understanding and critical awareness of the social world around them. The specification focuses on the importance of social structure in explaining social issues.Section 1: Principles at Key Stage 3
Sociology is taught at KS4 only. The course requires similar types of extended writing and critical thinking that will have been taught in several subjects, including History, at KS3.
Section 2: Connectedness (linking and co-ordinating)
As Sociology is not taught at KS3 there is no subject specific knowledge that can be retained. However, a broad understanding of the UK, the education system and social inequality will help. The KS4 curriculum will draw on the student’s personal experience, for example, of their own family and their education to contextualise the course content. The core principles underpinning the WJEC Eduqas curriculum are:
- To foster in learners an understanding and critical awareness of the social world around them. The specification focuses on the importance of social structure in explaining social issues.
- To explore and debate contemporary social issues to enable them to challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and to question their everyday understanding of social phenomena.
- To develop learners’ ability to think sociologically in relation to their experience of the social world around them so that they are able to play a positive, active and informed role in society.
The Eduqas specification has been designed to for equal and fair access by all students. It has: " been designed to avoid, where possible, features that could, without jusitifcation, make it more difficult for a learner to achieve because they have a particular protected characteristic.”
Section 3: Your subject: five year impact
Sociology is taught as a two year KS4 option either in year 9 into year 10 or Year 10 into Year 11. The curriculum is limited to those aspects required by the terminal examination. Component 1 (Families, education and sociological Research methods) and Component 2 (Social differentiation and stratification, crime & deviance and applied methods of sociological enquiry) are all required content.
Section 4: Teaching and Learning
All lessons incorporate retrieval practice, constant focus on retention of key specific knowledge, explicit teaching of tier 2 as enabling language to access subject specialist tier 3 language.
New content is explored in chunks with the opportunity to embed and exemplify with think piece reading and tangible examples to help bolster and explore knowledge.
curriculum overview
| gsce sociology year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term | Content | Assessment |
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Autumn 1 7 weeks |
Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission 1.1 Key sociological concepts 1.2 Debates over the acquisition of identity 1.3 The process of socialisation |
End of first half-term interim summative assessment 20 marks 30 minutes Range of question types incorporating 1, 2 and 4 mark questions Covering content areas: Processes of cultural transmission Key concept |
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Autumn 2 8 weeks |
Families 2.1 Family diversity and different family forms in the UK and within a global context 2.2 Social changes and family structures 2.3 Social changes and family relationships 2.4 Sociological theories of the role of the family 2.5 Criticisms of family |
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Spring 1 6 weeks |
End of term summative assessment 25 marks 35 minutes Range of question types incorporating 1, 2, 4, 8 mark questions Covering content area: Families |
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Spring 2 7 weeks |
Education 3.1 Sociological theories of the role of education 3.2 Processes inside schools. 3.3 Patterns of educational achievement 3.4 Factors affecting educational achievement 3.5 Factors affecting educational achievement
Final 1-2 weeks: Introduction to Research methods |
End of term summative assessment 25 marks 35 minutes Range of question types incorporating 1, 2, 4, 8 mark questions Covering content area: Education Families (15 mark question only) |
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Summer 1 5 weeks |
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Summer 2 6 weeks |
End of Yr9/Yr10 Summative Assessment 40 marks 45 minutes Range of question types incorporating 1, 2, 4, 8 and 15 mark questions Covering content areas: Processes of cultural transmission Families Education |
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Summer Break Background Reading: Research Methods Booklet and Retrieval Questions |
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| gcse sociology year 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term | Content | Assessment |
|
Autumn 1 7 weeks |
Sociological Research Methods 4.1 Usefulness of different types of data 4.2 Methods of research 4.3 Sampling processes 4.4 Practical issues affecting research 4.5 Ethical issues affecting Applied Methods of Sociological Enquiry 7.1 The process of research design 7.2 Interpreting data |
End of term summative assessment 40 marks 45 minutes Range of question types incorporating 2, 4, 5, 12 and 15 mark questions Covering content area: Families and Education Sociological Research Method |
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Autumn 2 8 weeks |
Crime and Deviance 6.1 Social construction of concepts of crime and deviance 6.2 Social control 6.3 Patterns of criminal and deviant behaviour 6.4 Sociological theories and explanations of deviance and criminal behaviour (structural, subcultural, interactionist and feminist) 6.5 Sources of data on crime |
November/December Mock Paper 100 marks 1 hr 45 minutes (Nov 2020 Paper 1) All question types. Covering content areas: Processes of cultural transmission Families Education Sociological Research Method |
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Spring 1 6 weeks |
Social Differentiation and Stratification 5.1 Sociological theories of stratification 5.2 Different forms and sources of power and authority 5.3 Equality/inequality in relation to class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability and sexuality 5.4 Factors which may influence access to life chances and power 5.5 Poverty as a social issue |
End of term summative assessment 40 marks 45 minutes Range of question types incorporating 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 15 mark questions Covering content area: Crime and Deviance |
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Spring 2 7 weeks |
End of term summative assessment 40 marks 45 minutes Range of question types incorporating 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 mark questions Covering content area: Social Differentiation and Stratification Applied methods of sociological enquiry |
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Summer 1 5 weeks |
Revision for all content areas | Terminal examinations |