“The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden” — Pierre Bourdieu 

Sociology is the study of society — how it works, why it works, and how it could change. It is a fascinating subject that covers all aspects of modern life on the planet.  

It explores the multiple forms of power and inequality in the world today and how they affect the lives of all of us. By joining together the social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of social life, Sociology gives you the tools you need to understand the key events of our time and how they are linked to the main forces and institutions that shape the modern world. 

At Radnor House we study the AQA Sociology course (Code: 7192). The course covers a dynamic range of topics and areas for students to engage with over the two-year course. 

The topics covered are: 

Education with Theory and Methods (covered in Year 12)  

Health (covered in Year 12)  

Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods (covered in Year 13)  

Global Development (covered in Year 13)  

The topics are taught over two years and will be externally assessed at the end of Year 13 in three different papers with each being two hours long. During the course there will be a range of internal assessments to help students to help identify progress and areas for development. 

Sociology and careers 

Sociology related careers, both degree and non-degree are incredibly varied and a brief list of only some of the job paths that benefit from a Sociology degree are listed below: 

Police and probation services 

Local and central government 

Social and market research 

Charitable, counselling and voluntary organisations 

Public relations, journalism and communications 

Media and marketing 

Law firms and the criminal justice system 

Teaching and education 

Sociology and wider reading 

Beware the man of a single book — Bertrand Russell 

Students who want to study sociology will gain a great advantage by reading around the topics that we cover, but also reading and investigating wider society. We encourage students to read the news as much as possible and to read anything which challenges how they perceive the wider world. There is reading lists provided to help get started, but students are encouraged to read about the topic in a way that develops their interest.