Throughout the course, you’ll explore key sociological themes such as culture, identity, power, and inequality, while also learning how sociologists design and carry out research. By the end of the course, you’ll have developed a deeper understanding of society, refined your analytical skills, and gained the confidence to question and evaluate the world around you — skills that are invaluable for university, work, and everyday life. 

Year 1 Topics:

Education with Theory and Methods 

• The role and purpose of education in society 
• How achievement differs by class, gender, and ethnicity 
• The impact of education policy and globalisation 
• How sociologists research education using different methods (e.g. questionnaires, interviews, observations) 

Families and Households 

• Changing patterns in family life, marriage, and cohabitation 
• Gender roles and domestic labour 
• Theories of the family, including Functionalist, Marxist, Feminist, and New Right perspectives 
• Demographic trends such as birth rates, ageing, and migration 

Year 2 Topics:

Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods 

• Sociological explanations of crime and deviance (e.g. Functionalism, Marxism, Feminism, Realism, Interactionism, Postmodernism) 
• Patterns of offending and victimisation by social class, gender, age, and ethnicity 
• Globalisation, green crime, state crime, and human rights 
• Crime control, punishment, and prevention 
• Key sociological debates on theory, value freedom, and the role of sociology in society 

The Media

• The media’s influence on culture, identity, and power 
• Ownership and control of the media 
• Representations of social groups (gender, ethnicity, class, age, sexuality) 
• The impact of digital media and globalisation 
• Theories on how media shapes reality and public opinion