“Sociology is the study of human society and human social behaviour”. Sociologists strive to go beneath the surface of what seems obvious, common sense or natural, to discover and understand what is really happening.

The fascination of sociology lies in the fact that it makes us see in a new light the very world in which we live … It can be said that the first wisdom of sociology is this – “things are not what they seem” (Berger).

Sociologists are interested in a wide range of social issues, such as whether prisons really deter criminals, why levels of inequality are increasing, why boys are underachieving at school, whether families are less important nowadays and if social class differences have disappeared. If any of these issues interest you, then you are bound to be fascinated by Sociology and may wish to find out more.

WHERE DOES IT LEAD? 

A Sociology qualification is regarded as a respected academic A Level and is acceptable and valuable when applying for courses in Higher Education or for direct entry into a job.

It is especially helpful for those wishing to pursue careers in Social and Welfare Work, Journalism, Nursing, the Police, the Probation Service, Human Resources, Research Organisations or Teaching, and for those hoping to study Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy or Speech Therapy. It is also beneficial to those studying social sciences and many other courses at College or University, especially Sociology, Criminology and Social Policy.

 WHAT WILL YOU NEED TO DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

A Grade 5 in GCSE English is necessary as comprehension and essay writing skills are particularly important. You must be willing to undertake plenty of background reading and to read a quality newspaper regularly. Keeping up-to-date with relevant sociological matters is also necessary so watching the news and some editions of TV programmes such as Panorama can add to your knowledge of issues in present day society.