Sociology

Staff

Ms S Hakim	Lead Practitioner and CTL of Sociology
Ms F Begum	Sociology and RE teacher

Overview:

Sociology is the study of society and people. It explores the relationships forged between the individual and society and looks at the role of institutions like the family and media in influencing the behaviour of individuals.

Your culture, your family and your friends also help shape your identity, and in sociology we explore what it means to be a boy or a girl and how we learn gender appropriate behaviour. What happens if we do not behave appropriately? What happens if we question authority? Why do we follow rules? In what ways are we socialised to be controlled?

The study of sociology encourages students to think independently and laterally by questioning social structures and developments. Through creative learning such as project work and debating, students are expected to develop research, explanation, analysis and evaluation skills, all the while improving their literacy through extended essay writing.

As teachers and students of Sociology we commit to active learning; we always want to learn and achieve more, we have the courage to broaden our minds and review our opinions as well as pursue progress and development and we engender the compassion to understand that norms and values are different depending on circumstance or background and it is imperative to be respectful and thoughtful.

What will students learn?

At Little Ilford we follow the WJEC EDUQAS Sociology Specification, consequently students will learn:

Year 10 (Component 1)

Understanding Social Processes - Autumn Term - Half Term 1

The Family - Autumn Term - Half Term 2 and Half Term 3

Education - Spring Term - Half Term 4

Research Methods - Half Term 6 and summer homework assignment. This will then be reviewed at the start of year 11.

Year 11 (Component 2)

Research Methods - Autumn Term - Half Term 1

Crime and Deviance- Spring Term - Half Term 3

Understanding social structures- Autumn Term - Half Term 3 and 4

Please note that for 2022-23 there will be some variation for Year 10 and Year 11 students who are on the three year GCSE course, which started in year 9 and also for classes that have two teachers.

How students are assessed:

Sociology at LIS is a popular subject; students at LIS are passionate about current affairs and the opportunity to study a relevant subject which is connected to everyday experiences. It is a challenging subject with emphasis on theoretical content and expects students to create an analysis and evaluation of key sociological debates. Students who select Sociology as an option enjoy extensive reading and writing.

Students will sit two exam papers, also known as components, each component is worth 50% of the final mark and is 1 hour and 45 mins. They will have a range of short (1, 2,4 and 6 mark) and long (8, 9, 12 and 15 mark) questions within the exam. These will be formatively (students receive feedback and opportunities to improve) and summatively assessed and practised in class before the GCSE exams.

Home Learning:

Students will receive homework in line with the school expectations, this will be posted on Satchel and Google Classroom. Students are expected to remain up to date with current affairs and to link current events to sociological concepts and learning.

How parents/carers can support their child:

Parents/carers can support their child by ensuring students are actively involved with home learning and remote applications like Satchel and Google Classroom. It will also be useful for parents to explore the GCSE Sociology Eduqas website (https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/sociology-gcse/#tab_overview) which has access to the exam specification and examples of an exam paper.

Possible Careers

Advice Worker	Community Development worker
Family support worker	Further education teacher
International aid/development worker	Social researcher
Social worker	Youth worker
Actuarial analyst	Charity fundraiser
Housing manager/officer	Human resources officer
Probation officer	Public relations officer
UX Analyst