Sociology

Sociology is the study of human society, it's components, structure, organisation and development. It is a key social science looking at the problems in society through the application of thorough, rigorous empirical methodologies. It is the critical analysis of the findings of such investigations that have afforded sociology its excellent reputation and it is a keen favourite amongst A-level and university students alike year after year. The areas of interest to sociologists are varied and disparate, making this a multiple-faceted, fascinating discipline. Decisions about the proper subjects of study are determined in part by the philosophy of the researcher, for instance whether they are positivist or interpretivist in their outlook, broadly referring to whether they prefer quantitative or qualitative data analyses, respectively. Whilst some researchers focus in on the individual, micro-level, others look at the wider picture of social systems and how they interact on the macro-level. Students are likely to encounter a variety of theoretical standpoints including functionalism, Marxism, and feminism. Applied areas include crime and deviance, the family, gender, ethnicity and sexuality, education, work and industry, religion and social stratification.

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