Year 12
Exploring Socialisation,
Culture and Identity
In your first year, you will investigate the ways culture is formed and how it influences identity, drawing on both global and cross-cultural comparisons. You will explore whether aspects of identity, such as class, gender, ethnicity, and age, are shaped by inherent factors or by social influences, including education, family, and peer groups. This includes studying the sociology of youth, looking at how youth cultures form, their diversity, and their theoretical explanations through perspectives such as Functionalism, Marxism, Neo-Marxism, and Feminism.
You will also examine the impact of gender, class, and ethnicity on deviant behaviour, considering why young people participate in subcultures such as gangs or anti-school movements. Alongside this, you will be introduced to sociological research methods, learning how to analyse data, apply theory, and evaluate research quality. This involves identifying trends in areas such as income, social mobility, and employment, and linking them to broader social structures.
Year 13
Globalisation, Digital Media
and Inequality
Your second year builds on this foundation by focusing on the relationship between globalisation and digital communication. You will investigate the impact of technological change, including digital media, virtual communities, and social networking, and evaluate their influence on identity, relationships, and inequality. This will be studied from multiple theoretical perspectives, assessing both positive and negative consequences.
You will also explore crime and deviance, learning about how crime is measured, the role of official statistics and victim surveys, and the patterns and trends of offending linked to class, gender, age, and ethnicity. This includes topics such as global organised crime, cybercrime, and the social construction of criminality. You will examine how different sociological theories explain crime, and the implications for crime prevention, control, and punishment.
Assessment is through written examinations, where you will apply sociological theory and research methods to real-world issues, developing strong analytical skills valued in higher education and careers.
Contact
The Thomas Adams School
Lowe Hill
Wem
Shropshire
SY4 5UB
Tel: +44 1939 237000
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