Sociology

Sociology A level – introductory video

In this short video interview, Carolyn Newton (Head of Sociology) gives an introduction to Sociology A level.

What is Sociology A level about?

On 16 April 2007, Cho Seung-hui killed 32 people and wounded 25 on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg before turning his weapon on himself. This apparently individual act might seem best explained by a psychologist, who would look at his background and his mental state to try to explain his actions. But in fact, a sociologist would argue that we need to look at the wider social fabric to try to get to grips with this seemingly incomprehensible act. For instance, Cho was an immigrant from South Korea, and had been labelled as an outsider throughout his time at school. The incident was the deadliest in a bloody US history of school shootings, a culture where violence is arguably normalised.

Lastly, Cho filmed himself mimicking scenes from his favourite violent movies, suggesting a powerful effect of the media on his own actions. These different aspects of his life raise debates that are covered in Culture and Identity, Education and Training, Crime and Deviance and the Mass Media, all of them part of Sociology (and in fact all modules we offer at A-level).

In Sociology, we study the way people are affected by society, and how society is affected by people. Some sociologists see the behaviour of individuals as determined by how they are raised and educated, what media they are exposed to, whether they are rich or poor, men or women, black or white. Others see individuals as powerful in shaping society, and look at the power of some people in labeling others as crucial. What is undeniable is that, as individuals, we spend almost all our time in groups, and in order to understand our behaviour we have to look at the impact of those groups and institutions on us.

Embracing the whole of society, sociology is, by its nature, an incredibly wide subject, looking at everything from why Britain's religious cult movements are growing to why women in Tibet marry more than one man. We have cherry-picked the most interesting aspects from a range of modules available at sixth form.

What does the AS consist of?

Culture and identity

What effect do the family, education and the media have in teaching us what to believe in and what values to hold? Is our identity truly unique or simply a reflection of the groups we belong to? What is culture (one of the most complex words in the English language!)? Has mass culture turned adults into children and children into adults? Why are young men drawn to form distinctive groups that rebel against the norms of society? And why are more and more girls forming groups like these now, too?

Education and methods

What is the role of the education system in wider society? Some sociologists argue that we are learning more than just history and geography at school; we are also learning how to be good workers, obedient citizens and respectful of authority. Who might this benefit? Why do girls do better than boys throughout school and university but earn less than them ten years after graduating? Should independent schools be allowed or do they damage and divide society?

Sociologists have to do research and provide evidence for the claims they make. We look at how sociologists do this and the usefulness of different methods in sociological research. For instance, how would one go about researching gangs in Glasgow?

What does the A2 consist of?

The mass media

When teenager Warren Leblanc battered a 14-year-old to death with a claw hammer, his victimÕs parents said Leblanc was mimicking a video game called Manhunt. Should games like that be banned? Women have most often been seen in the mass media as objects of desire, but recent research shows that this is changing. Have men become sex objects too? If the American media were owned by separate individuals, there would be 25,000 owners; instead, just 5 huge corporations own almost everything. Does this matter? How has new technology changed the way we produce and consume the media?

Crime & deviance and methods

Official statistics show that most crime is committed by young, working-class men, but most victims are young working-class men, too. Why? And why is the same act regarded as normal in one situation but criminal in another. For instance, a male spectator streaking across a cricket pitch might be regarded as a bit of a prat, but a male spectator exposing himself to the crowd will be labelled a pervert. Why are there more boy than girl gangs, and why are the numbers of girl gangs growing?

What exams will I take?

You will write one exam for each module, and each exam is a mixture of short answers and essays. We therefore spend considerable time teaching you essay-writing skills, and skills of analysis and evaluation, a very valuable toolkit to take away to university or any number of careers.

Sample questions

Identify 2 ways in which mass culture differs from folk culture (4 marks).

Outline some of the reasons for the educational underachievement of boys (12 marks).

Examine the problems sociologists may find when using participant observation in their research (20 marks).

What books can I look at to get a sense of the subject?

Our AS textbooks are a good guide: 'AS Sociology' (Webb, Westergaard, Trobe and Steel; published by Napier Press), and 'Sociology for AS AQA' (Browne, published by Polity). If you want to get an idea of what it is like researching crime and deviance, 'Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Crosses the Line' (Venkatesh, published by Allen Lane), is a great read.

Who will teach me?

Teaching is currently shared between:

Carolyn Newton has been teaching Sociology at d'Overbroeck's for five years. Carolyn started as a journalist in South Africa, writing and editing for a range of magazines and newspapers including the sister magazines to Cosmopolitan and The Guardian in South Africa, and editing the feminist journal Agenda. On moving to England she pursued a career in academic publishing before turning to teaching. Carolyn has degrees in English and Journalism from universities in South Africa and an MPhil in Criminology from Cambridge. Carolyn is particularly interested in gender and the emergence of different masculinities rather than just one single masculinity.

Abby Loebenberg is new to d'Overbroeck's College, having taught at the University of Cape Town and Oxford University previously. Abby came to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2006 (South-Africa-at-Large and Hertford College) and completed an MPhil in Material Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at Oxford. She is currently completing her doctorate in Social and Cultural Anthropology, also at Oxford. Abby is particularly interested in the intersections between Sociology and Anthropology and works on urban childrenÕs cultures, particularly in the light of the influence of the mass media and mass consumption on children. An inspiring and interesting book Abby recommends for those interested in doing sociological research is Arlie Hochschild's The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling.

Whom does the subject suit?

Anyone who has an interest in understanding how the world around them works, and who enjoys critical thinking and exploring ideas from different viewpoints. Students who have shown an interest in and ability for English and/or History almost always do well in Sociology, although success in the subject is not limited to such students. Sociology is an excellent complement to other subjects on social sciences and humanities, such as Psychology, Politics and Communication Studies, but it also provides a good balance if your other subjects are mainly science-based.

What might the subject lead onto?

Sociology is an academic subject which nevertheless equips students with a range of skills beyond those of the core curriculum. In our classes you will learn to think critically, to question common-sense assumptions, to solve problems, to work independently and as part of a group and to write a clearly structured, analytical essay. All of this is excellent preparation for university or for a whole range of careers.

Sociologists go on to work in the media, law and other institutions of criminal justice, public relations, market research, social work, foreign aid and development and teaching; many of course are inspired to stay in an academic environment researching aspects of sociology for the remainder of their careers!

...And a last thought

You will take away from Sociology a completely different way of thinking about the world, and a much more informed way of thinking about it, too. You will learn to be able to think about key debates from a number of different points of view, and here is a promise: you will never look at the world around you in the same way again.