Social Sciences

Year 10 and Year 11

GCSE Sociology at Loxford offers students the chance to explore different aspects of the society in which they live. This includes looking at: social structures, such as families and schools; social processes, such as the ways in which we learn the norms and values of our culture; and social issues, such as racism and poverty.

Students following this course will learn:

Year 10

• Studying Society – introducing what sociology is and how sociologists conduct their research.
• Families – examining the different types of family, the different purposes of a family, and how families and family relationships have changed over time.
• Education – exploring the purpose of education, how education in the UK has changed over time, and the different influences on achievement.

Year 11

• Crime and deviance – exploring what we mean by crime, who commits crime, and why they commit crime.
• Social stratification- discussing the different types of social inequality, how social inequality is measured, and why social inequality exists. Investigating politics in the UK, the Welfare state, and other power relationships, such as those between parents and children.

Specification details

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/sociology/gcse/sociology-8192

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 80% grades 9-4

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 81% grades 9-4.

Sociology encourages students to be interested, engaged, and critical of the world around them.  The social sciences also cover a broad range of skills as students conduct research in a scientific manner, analyse the results using their numeracy skills, and write reports and essays.  These are desirable traits and skills in any employee.

In terms of a specific career path, sociology lends itself to: working in the Criminal Justice System; working in human services, such as social services; counselling; education; research and/or policy; business.   More information about careers in sociology can be found on the British Sociological Association website

• Daily drop-in sessions at lunchtime and after school
• Google classroom

General sociology

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (Fiction)
Explores class conflict and youth subcultures—great for understanding working-class identity and deviance.

Respectable: The Experience of Class by Lynsey Hanley (Non-fiction)
A personal and accessible look at class, education, and social mobility. Best for higher readers.

Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class by Owen Jones (Non-fiction)
Popular sociology that explores media representations of class—useful for crime, media, and social stratification.

Families and Households

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (Fiction)
Challenges traditional power structures and shows how family, race, and class intersect.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (Non-fiction)
Highlights gender roles, family values, and education globally.

Education

Educated by Tara Westover (Non-fiction)
Memoir of a girl denied formal education who eventually earns a PhD.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (Fiction)
Though focused on race and crime, it also explores the role of education in shaping identity.

Crime and Deviance

Monster by Walter Dean Myers (Fiction)
A young Black teen on trial for murder—explores labelling theory, the criminal justice system, and stereotyping.

Talking to My Daughter About the Economy by Yanis Varoufakis (Non-fiction)
Simplifies economic inequality and social structures

We are constantly surrounded by sociology and psychology. Make sure your watch, read, and listen to the news regularly, keeping an ear out for things that you think are relevant to your lessons.  Share these with your teachers!

Try some of these other websites for more sociology and psychology resources:

• www.newscientist.com/section/science-in-society
• www.sociologytimes.com
• www.tutor2u.net/sociology/gcse-sociology.html
• www.crimlinks.com/index.htm
• https://www.poverty.ac.uk/
• https://www.jrf.org.uk/
• www.sociology.org.uk/