A Level Sociology

About this A Level Sociology Course

Sociology is the study of society and its members; specifically, how members of society are affected by social institutions and, in turn, how members of society affect social institutions. This relationship between social institutions and members of society is what sociologists focus on when studying social change, what causes change and the consequences of social change. Our A Level Sociology course prepares learners for their examinations with AQA and covers all of the topics needed to prepare for your exams. These include multiple social systems, the psychology of social situations, economic impacts, education, the media and crime. With so many different aspects which interlink within our daily lives, sociology is even more relevant in the 21st century than it has ever been.

Study Time:	200 hours
Enrolment length:	24 months
Course Format:	Online
Entry Requirements:	None Specific

To get the full AQA Sociology A Level, students must enter themselves as a private candidate for the exam.

Qualification

The AQA A Level Sociology qualification is available both in the UK and internationally and is seen as a global standard for knowledge in sociological theory. The course is accredited with AQA, an industry leader with decades of expertise in academic qualifications. For more information regarding AQA, click on the AQA tab further up this page.

A Level Sociology Course Content

Included in this A Level Sociology course are the following units:

Unit 1: Introduction to Sociology

This is an introductory unit which will introduce you to the different perspectives within sociology that you will be using throughout your A-level course.

You will cover:

• Describe the main sociological perspectives including key theorists for each perspective
• Explain and analyse conflict and consensus theories
• Explain primary and secondary socialisation

Unit 2: Education

In this unit, you will gain an understanding of how sociologists view the role of education and the impact that the education system has on various groups in society.

You will focus on:

• The role and functions of the education system
• Educational achievement of social groups (i.e., social class, gender and ethnicity)
• Internal and external factors and how these impact educational achievement
• The significance of educational policies.

Unit 3: Families and Households

In this unit you will study:

• The relationship of the family, with reference to the economy and to social policies
• Changing patterns of marriage and the diversity of contemporary family and household structures
• Gender roles, domestic labour and power relationships within the family in contemporary society
• Changes in the status of children in the family and society
• Demographic trends in the United Kingdom since 1900.

Unit 4: The Media

In this unit, you will develop an understanding of the role that the media plays within society and how the media transmits a range of values.

You will focus on:

• The new media and their significance for an understanding of the role of the media in contemporary society
• The relationship between ownership and control of the media
• The media, globalisation and popular culture
• The processes of selection and presentation of the content of the news
• Media representations of age, social class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and disability
• The relationship between the media, their content and presentation, and audiences.

Unit 5: Crime and Deviance

In this unit you will focus on the following:

• Crime, deviance, social order and social control
• The social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime
• Globalisation and crime in contemporary society; the media and crime; green crime; human rights; and state crimes
• Crime control, surveillance, prevention and punishment, victims, and the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies.

Unit 6: Theories and Methods

In this unit, learners will develop an understanding of a range of methods that are used to research issues affecting society, such as:

• Quantitative and qualitative methods of research; research design
• Sources of data, including questionnaires, interviews, participant and non-participant observation, experiments, documents, and official statistics
• The distinction between primary and secondary data, and between quantitative and qualitative data
• The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods; the nature of ‘social facts’
• The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct of research
• Consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories
• The concepts of modernity and postmodernity in relation to sociological theory
• The nature of science and the extent to which sociology can be regarded as scientific
• The relationship between theory and methods
• Debates about subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom
• The relationship between sociology and social policy.

Online study and instant enrolment

All of our students are given access to our Online Campus through their own personal login and password. As soon as you complete your enrolment, you would have immediate access to your account which allows you to make a start working through the lessons. Tackle your assignments as your own pace and contact your tutor to access any help and support you need. The course itself is set out in a very simple layout, making it easy to work through the topics and complete your assessments.

Our Online Campus includes:

• Instant enrolment – access everything on your course from the moment you enrol.
• Personal account logins – login any time, 24/7.
• Full support throughout – message your tutor, use our online chat or give us a call.
• Online assignment submissions – upload work online from the comfort of home.
• Self-led learning – study at your own pace so you can pass much faster.
• Safe e-portfolio system – store all of your work in your account.
• Progression tracking – easily see what assignments you have left to complete.
• Details help centre – get instructions and guidance every step of the way.
• Unlimited attempts – submit as many attempts at your assignments as you need.

Unlimited assessment submissions

All of the assessments for this course are completed through our Online Campus. You can attempt each one as many times as needed to ensure you pass. After every attempt, your tutor will provide detailed feedback and tips on how you can improve going forward. Quickly see your progress during your studies by checking your progress bar and seeing the remaining assessments you need to complete.

On this Sociology A Level course you are required to enter yourself for the AQA examinations. This means that you will need to contact an AQA centre local to you in order to sit your exam and pay any fees that are required for this. Exam fees can vary between centres but are much cheaper when organised early so we advise to book your exams long before the actual examination date.

Get full tutor support

Throughout your enrolment with the Online Learning College, you can access support at any time you need. All students are assigned a personal tutor who will mark all of your work and provide detailed feedback after every submission. Your tutor will be an industry expert with a full knowledge of the course content and will be able to help you at any point along your learning journey. One of the best tools at your disposal is your tutor – you can ask as many questions of them as you wish to and they will be happy to help at any time.

We also have a brilliant support team on hand and available through email, online chat and over the phone. This team is there to help with any questions which are more generic, such as providing support in submitting work through your account or getting your certificate when you have completed your course. We pride ourselves on ensuring the support you receive is the best in the business – help and guidance is fast and detailed every time you contact a member of the team.

Enrolment Length

All of our courses are allocated plenty of time for students to complete their studies and all materials are self-led so that you can complete the course at your own pace, but you have access to the course on the Campus for 24 months from your enrollment date. Should you require additional time on one of our courses you can extend your enrolment by 30 days for an additional fee of £60. As well as this we operate a 14 day money back guarantee on every one of our qualifications- that’s how confident we are of how you will love studying with us!