Terms 1-2: Crime and Deviance, and Methods
Students will develop an in depth understanding of the terms: crime, deviance, social order and social control.
Students will analyse the social distribution of crime and deviance by ethnicity, gender and social class, including recent patterns and trends in crime.
Students will explore globalisation and crime in contemporary society including: the media and crime; green crime; human rights and state crimes.
Students will review the methods component:
- 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
Students will complete a range of short answer (4 and 6 mark questions throughout the topic. Students will regularly complete extended writing tasks in line with the exam 10 mark (with an item) and 30 mark (with an item) questions. There will be an end of unit test consisting of 50 marks.
Develop the individual:
Students will reflect on their individual understanding and experience of crime. They will explore the different influences on their understanding of what is right and wrong.
Create a supportive community:
Students will understand the impact of the law and social policy on the lives of individuals and communities in reference to gender, class and ethnicity. They will consider the impact the implementation of the law has on social cohesion.
Term 3: Crime and Deviance, Theory and Beliefs in Society
Students will explore crime control, surveillance, prevention and punishment, victims, and the role of the criminal justice system and other agencies this completing the Crime and Deviance unit.
Students will examine:
- consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories
- the concepts of modernity and post-modernity 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.
In this new unit, Beliefs in Society, students examine the relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs, and practices. Students will focus on theory and examine key concepts associated with Functionalism, Marxism and Feminism.
Students will regularly practice extended writing questions focusing on the theory and methods questions.
Develop the individual:
Student will reflect on their own understanding of religion.
Create a supportive community:
Students will reflect on how religion, as an institution, impacts social cohesion.
Term 4: Beliefs in Society
Students will continue with the Beliefs in Society unit and begin to explore the relationship between social change and social stability, and religious beliefs, practices and organisations.
Students will explore the significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world, including the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context– and globalisation and the spread of religions.
Students will analyse the significance of religion and religiosity in the contemporary world, including the nature and extent of secularisation in a global context and globalisation and the spread of religions.
Students will explore religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice.
Students will understand the main trends in religiosity.
Students will regularly practice extended writing questions including 10 mark essays (without an item), 10 mark essays (with an item) and 20 mark (with an item essays).
Develop the individual:
Students will reflect on their own understanding of a belief system and consider how it impacts their own life.
Create a supportive community:
Students will review the impact belief systems have on community cohesion and social control.
Term 5: Beliefs in Society and Revision
Students will complete the Beliefs in Society unit by exploring ideology, science and religion, including both Christian and non-Christian religious traditions. They will explore science as a belief system. Students will explore the debate: is Science and open or closed belief system?
Students will undertake systemtatic revision activites related to their progress on their PLCs.
Students will cover review all past paper questions in preparation for their external examinations.
Develop the individual:
Students will reflect on the impact understanding structuralism and social constructs has had on their everyday life.
Create a supportive community:
Students will reflect on the impact institutions have on promoting social cohesion.