Curriculum

Social Sciences

Intent

In Social Sciences, including Sociology, Psychology and Criminology, we provide opportunities for students to become aware of their minds, identities and behaviours in the context of their way of life within the UK social system. They are offered the chance to learn about the commonalities and diversity in the human condition and how they are reflected in the Criminal Justice System, our increasingly diverse communities and wider society. Accomplished students in this area will be independent, self-motivated and resilient learners with high level literacy and oracy skills and we hope to help them become responsible citizens with an empathy for those with mental health issues and other disadvantaged groups in society.

A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY

In Psychology, students will study human minds and behaviours, why we are who we are and why we do the things we do. The units covered over the two years are:

Year 12 Topics (AQA)

Social Influence, Memory, Attachment, Psychopathology, Approaches in Psychology, Biopsychology and Research Methods.

Year 12 Curriculum Map

Half Term 1: Approaches in Psychology and Research Methods

Half Term 2: Social Influence and Research Methods

Topics in Approaches including:                

  • The origins of psychology
  • The behaviourist approach and social learning theory
  • The cognitive approach
  • The biological and biopsychological approaches
  • The psychodynamic and humanist approaches
  • Topics in Research Methods including:
  • Aims, hypotheses and the experimental method
  • Sampling
  • Ethical issues in psychological research
  • Types of data and levels of measurement
  • Observation techniques
  • Self-report techniques

Topics in Social Influence including:

  • Classifying and explaining conformity
  • Explaining and exploring obedience
  • Explaining and exploring minority influence

Topics in Research Methods including:

  • Mathematical skills
  • Measures of central tendency and dispersion
  • Displaying quantitative data
  • Introduction to statistical testing including correlations and the sign test
  • The scientific process and peer review
  • The economic implications of psychological research

Half Term 3: Memory

Half Term 4: Psychopathologies

Topics including:

  • Types and models of memory
  • Explanations for forgetting
  • The accuracy of eyewitness testimony

Topics including:

  • Definitions of mental illness
  • The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias
  • The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
  • The biological approach to explaining and treating OCD

Half Term 5: Attachment

Half Term 6: Start of Year 13 Content

Topics including:                              

  • The development of attachment
  • Explanations of attachment
  • Types of attachment and cultural variations in their frequency
  • Influences of attachment or deprivation in later life

Potential Year 13 topics could include:

  • Schizophrenia
  • Issues and Debates
  • Year 13 Research Methods

Year 13 Topics (AQA)

Issues & Debates in Psychology, Relationships, Schizophrenia, Aggression and Research Methods.

Year 13 Curriculum Map

Half Term 1: Schizophrenia and Issues and Debates

Half Term 2: Aggression and Issues and Debates

Topics in Schizophrenia focus on:             

  • Biological explanations and treatments
  • Psychological explanations and treatments
  • Interactionist views of explanation and treatment

Topics in Issues and Debates focus on:

  • Gender Bias in psychological research
  • Cultural Bias in psychological research
  • Ethical Implications of Psychological Research
  • The Nature-Nurture Debate
  • Idiographic and Nomothetic approaches

Topics in Aggression focus on:                   

  • Biological explanations of aggression
  • Psychological explanations of aggression
  • Institutional aggression in prisons
  • Media influences on aggression

Topics in Issues and Debates focus on:

  • Freewill vs. Determinism
  • Holism vs. Reductionism
  • Comparison of Approaches

Half Term 3: Relationships and Research Methods

Half Term 3: Research Methods

Topics in Relationships focus on:

  • Biological explanations of partner preferences and physical attractiveness
  • Psychological explanations of relationship formation and breakdown
  • Virtual and parasocial relationships

Topics in Research Methods focus on:

  • Validity and Reliability
  • Case Studies
  • Content Analysis
  • Choosing Statistical Tests

Topics in Research Methods focus on:

  • Tests of Difference
  • Tests of Correlation
  • Reporting Investigations
  • Features of Science

Half Term 5: Revision

Half Term 6: Final Exams
  • Exam revision
  • Final Exams

 
Please click the link below to view the pictorial version of the Psychology curriculum map:

Documents/Psychology-Curriculum-Building-Blocks.pdf


A-LEVEL SOCIOLOGY

Sociology is the in-depth theoretical study of society. It is about the world we live in so is relevant to everyone. The units covered over the two years are:

Year 12 Topics (Eduqas)

Culture, Socialisation & Identity, Families & Households, Education and Research Methods

Year 12 Curriculum Map (new specification)

Half Term 1: Culture, Socialisation and Identities

Half Term 2: Families and Households

Topics including:                              

  • Describing culture, identity and socialisation
  • Examining the Nature-Nurture Debate
  • Research into agencies of socialisation and how they pass on culture and create/form specific identities
  • Introduction to Sociological Theories

Topics including:                              

  • Theoretical views on the role of the family in society
  • Demographic change and family diversity

Half Term 3: Families and Households and Education

Half Term 3: Education

Topics including:                              

  • Relationships, roles and responsibilities within families
  • Theoretical views on the role of education in society

Topics including:                              

  • The history of the education system and educational policy
  • Gender, class and ethnic differentials in educational attainment including material, cultural inside school and outside school explanations

Half Term 5: Sociological Research Methods

Half Term 6: Sociological Research Methods

Topics including:

  • The research process
  • Practical, ethical and theoretical issues with research methods and strategies

Topics including:                              

  • Primary research methods
  • Secondary research methods

 

Year 13 Topics (Edquas)

Research Methods, Crime and Deviance and Inequality and Difference

Year 13 Curriculum Map

Half Term 1: Methods of Sociological Enquiry and Crime and Deviance

Half Term 2: Crime and Deviance

Specific Issues in Research Methods

  • Assessing the use of sociological methods in research studies
  • Application of sociological methods in research scenarios

Functionalist, Marxist and Interactionist explanations focused on:

  • The measurement and patterns of crime
  • The causes of crime in different social groups
  • The role of the criminal justice system and other agencies of socialisation
  • The prevention of crime and the punishment of criminals

Subcultural, Realist and Feminist explanations focused on:

  • The measurement and patterns of crime
  • The causes of crime in different social groups
  • The role of the criminal justice system and other agencies of socialisation
  • The prevention of crime and the punishment of criminals           

Half Term 3: Crime and Deviance and Inequality and Difference

Half Term 4: Inequality and Difference

Specific issues in Crime and Deviance including:

  • Postmodernist views
  • Specific public policies
  • Victimisation
  • The role of the media

Issues in Inequality and Difference including:

  • An overview of workplace and economic inequalities
  • Theoretical explanations of class inequalities in the workplace and wider society            

Issues in Inequality and Difference including:

  • Theoretical explanations of gender inequalities in the workplace and wider society
  • Theoretical explanations of ethnic inequalities in the workplace and wider society
  • Theoretical explanations of age inequalities in the workplace and wider society

Half Term 5: Exam Revision

Half Term 6: Final Exams

Revision
Final Exams             

Final exams

Please click the link below to view the pictorial version of the Sociology curriculum map:

Documents/Sociology-Curriculum-Building-Blocks.pdf

CAREERS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

Careers in Psychology: https://www.bps.org.uk/public/become-psychologist/career-options-psychology

Careers in Sociology: https://www.britsoc.co.uk/what-is-sociology/sociologist-careers.aspx

CONTACT US

For further information regarding Social Sciences please contact the following:

  • Mr Richard Evans (Head of Social Sciences) - r.evans@st-josephs.slough.sch.uk