SOCIOLOGY - learning journey & curriculum

Sociology at Cleeve develops the student’s sociological imagination, so they understand the social world and our behaviour within it. Sociology at Cleeve will challenge students thinking and develop their understanding of how social processes and structures in society work and how societies influence people and shapes lives.

Sociology creates wonderful opportunities for students to think critically about the society they are part of on a micro and macro level. We seek to do this by helping students make sense of the society they live in and to explore the diversity that exists within society and the impact this can have on, for example, life chances and in this way can truly transform lives. Also, to explore the different sociological ways of explaining how society functions, who it benefits and whether it could be changed for the better. Applying issues in current affairs to topics is an important part of the learning journey to enable students to understand the relevance of the subject to their lives.

Human societies are diverse and complex and shaped by beliefs and actions. We seek to equip students with the ability to critically analyse sociological perspectives, through consideration of evidence and logically structured arguments. The students will be able to think, talk and write like a sociologist as we will provide them with the knowledge and vocabulary, which they can apply to their study of sociology but also their everyday and future professional lives. Through all of this we desire to facilitate a passion for Sociology, to inspire futures and an inclination to make the world a better place.

The department is ambitious for its students and offers a combination of academic excellence and support for personal growth. Each year, a number of Sixth Form students are supported by the department to pursue degrees in sociology or related fields at some of the UKs best universities.

At GCSE students begin their journey with the sociological approach which delves into exploring the modern theories, such as Marxism, Functionalism and Feminism. This is further enhanced at A Level by examining more contemporary theories, such as Late and Post-Modernism. As well as this, we explore Positivism vs Interpretivism culminating in the debate about sociology and science at A Level. We ensure our lessons provide opportunities to ‘think deeply’ and to critically analyse and evaluate complex social issues, such as the impact of globalisation on the family, education and crime.

We develop a strong emphasis on a vocabulary rich curriculum. Access to challenging texts and media broadens students’ vocabulary, which enables to them talk and write like a sociologist.

We aim to foster an inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity and encourages dialogue across different perspectives and backgrounds. Our curriculum represents and addresses a diverse range of experiences, perspectives, and identities within society. For example, students in KS4 and KS5, debate the theories that reflect the right (Functionalism, New Right) and left (Marxism, Radical Feminism) of the political spectrum. All units of work, include readings, key studies, and discussions that represent a wide range of sociological points of view, including intersectionality. This ensures that students are exposed to a variety of viewpoints and can critically engage with the social issues cited in the specifications.

In Year 13 students learn the Global Development topic which means they explore sociological issues from a global and transnational perspective, examining how social phenomena are shaped by processes of globalization, migration, colonialism, and imperialism. This includes studying development theories such as dependency theory, modernization theory and neo-liberalism. They also analyse the interconnectedness of societies and cultures around the world, as well as the impact of global economic, political, and environmental forces linked to topics such as gender, war and conflict, demography and aid and trade.

The AQA sociology curriculum is designed to build upon knowledge and skills acquired at GCSE as students’ progress to A Level. At GCSE students are introduced to the concepts, theories and methods in sociology. For example, they study Marxism, Functionalism, Feminisms and New Right theory. They explore core themes such as culture, identity, social class and topics such as Families, Education, Crime and Deviance, all of which are more fully developed at A level.

The A Level requires students to master the ideologies of the theories in more detail. They are assessed on this separately, but this is also a synoptic feature of the course. The A Level also requires an understanding of more contemporary theories such as Post-Modernism, Critical Criminology, Right and Left Realism. The A Level demands a deeper and more sophisticated understanding of topics, including the work of sociologists.