That's about it. Just ask if there is anything that you don't understand. And if you can think of any improvements, or you find sociological material on the internet that we can all use, just give or email me the details!

A2 Sociology

In your second year of studying sociology you will be given the opportunity to re-take any of your AS units that you did last academic year, but wish to improve upon. The main aim, however, is to take three new units which will, when combined with your AS units, lead to the award of the full A level.

You are strongly advised to have a look at the AQA Specifications, which give a detailed account of what you are expected to know in order to pass the exam. There is a link to the AQA website below. In particular, you should be familiar with the Assessment Objectives, which are what you gain marks for in the exams and coursework.

AO1 is Knowledge and Understanding: you will be required to remember and understand some of the ideas, concepts, theories, authors, and studies that we encounter during the year.

AO2 is Identification, Analysis, Interpretation & Evaluation. Having understood and remembered some sociology, this tests your ability to use it fruitfully. For example, can you apply what you have learnt to other areas? Can you look at the different aspects within it? Can you criticise/evaluate/debate it, saying what makes it good or bad sociology?

The units that we will be doing in your second year are as follows:

• UNIT 4 is a one-and-a-half hour exam consisting of a short Data Response Question and an Essay. You will take it in January 2003, with the option of a re-sit in June 2003; your best mark counts towards the final grade. The topic we will be doing is RELIGION. This unit is worth 20% of the total marks for the A level. The Unit Entry Code (which you will need to write on your exam entry form) = SCY4.
• UNIT 5 is the coursework, which is an individually completed project on a topic of your choice. We will all work on this over nine weeks; from the end of November to February (See the calendar for further details!). We will do one section at a time, so that people don't "drift". A rough draft will be completed by February, and the deadline for the final draft is FRIDAY 11th APRIL.. Coursework is worth 15% of the total A level marks. You will need to enter for this unit just like for the exams, and the entry code is SC5C.
• UNIT 6 is probably the most important one. It consists of a three-part DRQ which includes an essay. This is called the Synoptic Unit, which means that you will be asked to make explicit links between the topic we will be studying (which is STRATIFICATION & DIFFERENTIATION) and other areas of the specification. So:
  1. One question will ask you to link Stratification & Differentiation to Methodology.
  2. Another question will ask you to link Strat. & Diff. to Sociological Theory.
  3. The other question will ask you to relate Strat. & Diff. to other topics that you have studied over the two years: to Families & Households; Wealth, Poverty & Welfare; to Religion; or to another topic that you might have studied in your coursework. So don't throw your AS level notes away, and get used to making links between different areas of the specification.
  This synoptic unit will be taken in June, and the entry code is SCY6

The Subject Code for the A level as a whole (i.e. what you fill in on your exam entry form along with SC5C and SCY6, to tell the exam board that you are going for certification) = 6191

Using these pages - Studying Sociology

For each area of the specification (syllabus) that we will be studying, I have made a separate QUIA page. For example, there are five areas (presented as "bullet points" in the specification) in the unit on Religion, so I have made five different pages.

You can find out from the Scheme of Work (on the calendar, stoopid!!) which ones we are meant to be doing for any given week of the year. Also on the calendar will be reminders about things like deadlines, exam entries, trips out, and so on.

You get to these pages by scrolling down to the "useful links" section below. Some of these links are general; others will be the subject pages. When you find the link you want, just click on the blue "address".

To return to this home page, just click "Back" on your toolbar.

On each of these pages you will find my brief notes on the topic. These are tailor made for you, as they refer to the specific things we will study in class. But please remember that they are the bare minimum, intended to clarify issues. They are no substitute for reading your textbook, PLUS other sources in the library.

You will also find (again, in the "useful links" section of each page) a set of further web addresses which I have selected to help you.

You are also invited to use search engines and browse constructively for material.

You should, then, have a number of different resources to help you pass:

• Your notes from lessons
• Handouts from lessons
• Your textbook (Sociology in Focus, by Taylor et al, published by Causeway.
• Other textbooks and Sociology Review, all in the Library, and all subject reference books, which means they stay in the library!
• My notes on the QUIA pages
• The links to other pages and sites which you can access from there. All of these can be printed off and filed for revision.
• Myself and other lecturers, either in person, or via email.

Please ask if you have any questions or worries. I hope that you engage fruitfully with your A level in Sociology, and I wish you lots of enjoyment while studying and lots of luck in the exam.