Sociology

At Lutterworth College we are passionate about developing students understanding of the society they live in and wider global issues. Students will leave Lutterworth College having built up cultural capital that enable them to look at current events critically and apply their sociological knowledge. Through the study of institutions and groups in society they will be well informed members of society that do not take things at face value. We work alongside our Church of England CHRIST values to enrich how our students experience Sociology. Students can demonstrate these values at various points across the three years in the following ways:

• Being Courageous in the way that they empathise with the experience of other groups in society.

• Being Hard working through practice and development of their assessment skills.

• Being Reflective on changes in society.

• Being Inspirational in challenging other’s perceptions about stigmatised groups in society such as the underclass.

• Being Supportive in sharing their thoughts, feelings and ideas about the topics covered and sensitive to the circumstances of others.

• Being Tenacious in their exploration of the issues taught and their relevance to society today.

Key Stage 4

All students are introduced to Sociology by studying three key institutions in society: The Media, Health and The Welfare State and The Political System. We explore a range of issues within each topic area and introduce ideas that we revisit later in the course. These introductory topics enhance students understanding of society and encourage them to take an active role – from surveying different age groups about their use of social media to producing a campaign video/poster for a political party. We move from these introductory topics to explore sociological theory. We explore the origins of theory and the key concepts and writers. These theories underpin all topic areas covered subsequently. Students also explore sociological methods and conduct research throughout the course. The four topics are compulsory and are Family, Education, Stratification and Crime and Deviance students revisit concepts covered in the introductory topics such as left and right wing and agenda setting. Students consolidate their knowledge and develop their skills of application and analysis/evaluation through carefully constructed tasks.

Year 9 Sociology Curriculum Map

GCSE Sociology Year 10 Curriculum Map

GCSE Sociology Year 11 Curriculum Map

Key Stage 5

Students are given the opportunity to broaden their understanding of Sociology if they have studied it a GCSE or choose it as a new subject at A level. Education, Crime and Deviance and Theory and Method are compulsory topics. We have carefully selected our optional topics to add a greater breadth to the experience of students who have previously studied Sociology and to enable students to think critically about contemporary issues in the UK and globally. In Culture and Identity students explore what shapes our sense of identity including: gender, sexuality, class, disability, ethnicity and nationality. In Global Sociology students examine why some countries are poorer than others and whether all countries can progress. They explore the role of Transnational corporations and other global organisations such as the United Nations. They explore the impact of war and conflict on nations and their development. Global sociology enhances their understanding of other topic areas as topics such as environmental crime are covered in crime and deviance too. Throughout the two-year course students apply their knowledge of sociological theory and method to contemporary issues such as the Oxycontin scandal in America.

A Level Sociology Year 12 Curriculum Map

A Level Sociology Year 13 Curriculum Map