Why is the ‘family’ important in society? What can Marxist or feminist theories tell us about society? Which social factors affect crime rates? Through our GCSE Sociology online course you’ll gain fascinating insights into the complex nature of society.

Through sociology, you’ll gain skills of analysis, evaluation and independent thinking, plus experience of quantitative and qualitative research methods – all highly valued by employers and universities. 

Our Sociology GCSE course is ideal if you:

• Are keen to study sociology at a higher level.
• Have an interest in human behaviour and how society shapes our daily life experience.
• Aim to pursue a career in which you can effect positive change in society, by understanding and helping others.
• Would like to build your skills as an independent, analytical thinker to enhance your employability.

Future opportunities

• Studying sociology at A level.
• A range of rewarding careers in fields such as international aid, charity work, probation and social work, HR, market research, public relations, marketing, law and journalism.

Section 1 – The sociological approach

• What is sociology?
• Sociological perspectives
• Introducing sociological research

Section 2 – The sociology of families, Part 1

• The functions of families
• Forms of family
• Conjugal roles

Section 3 – The sociology of families, Part 2

• Changing relationships within families
• Criticisms of families
• Divorce

Section 4 – Sociological research methods

• Quantitative research
• Qualitative research
• Secondary sources of data

Section 5 – The sociology of education, Part 1

• The education system
• The functionalist system
• Marxist and feminist perspectives

Section 6 – The sociology of education, Part 2

• Social class and educational achievement
• Gender, ethnicity and educational achievement
• Processes within schools

Section 7 – Crime and deviance, Part 1

• Crime, deviance and social control
• Structuralist explanations of crime and deviance
• Interactionist explanations of crime and deviance

Section 8 – Crime and deviance, Part 2

• Data on crime
• Social factors affecting crime
• Crime in society

Section 9 – Social stratification, Part 1

• The functionalist view of stratification
• Social class
• Life chances

Section 10 – Social stratification, Part 2

• Poverty
• Power and power relationships
• Revision

Study GCSE Sociology with us and benefit from:

• Flexible learning
• Support from a personal tutor by email, phone or Skype
• Any time enrolment
• Our exam booking service
• Assignments with tutor feedback
• Ongoing support from Student Support
• Forums to discuss your course with other students

learn@nec

Choose when and where you access your course, using learn@nec our 24/7 learning platform.

This easy-to-use learning platform includes interactive checkpoints, quizzes and activities to help you evaluate your progress.

You’ll have access to support from a personal tutor. All NEC tutors are subject experts, with experience of supporting online learners.

Meet Tracey who is just one of our first-class sociology tutors:

“Teaching distance learning students for over 15 years has given me a great deal of experience in supporting students and I always enjoy working with students who are keen, enthusiastic and enjoy their studying. They never fail to inspire and motivate me. Many NEC students work in their own homes and have to be disciplined to study like this, so it is always great to have enthusiastic students who work hard to complete their course. If you are thinking of studying by distance learning, think about your own life and the time you have available for studying, then make sure you take a course that you are really interested in and it is what you want to do. If you are interested in a topic and enjoying it, then studying it is so much easier. I love what I teach and hope my students do too.

My qualifications include MSocSc and Diploma in Social Science and Social Work, Postgraduate Diploma in Learning Disability Studies, Post-graduate Certificate in Education, B.Sc. (Hons) in Psychology. I am a former examiner for AQA and International Baccalaureate, and  I also write academic textbooks and courses.”

Exam board

• AQA 8192

Format

• Online learning with support from a personal tutor

Hours

• Complete at your own pace
• Approx. 120-150* hours plus time for completing assignments

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments and prepare yourself for exams and some courses like English literature involve a lot of reading. Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say with certainty how long a course will take you, but you should expect to spend longer than 150 hours. Taken across the length of time we recommend, this equates to approximately 4 hours per week. This will increase if you choose to take it over a shorter time frame or may be less if you are retaking a subject and have covered a lot of of the course content.

Assignments

• 11 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade

Resources

• No additional set texts required

Requirements

• Internet access
• Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec

Our course fees are open and honest to help you plan for any additional costs.

Your course fee includes:

• Access to learn@nec
• All the course materials you need to complete the course
• Support from a personal tutor for up to 18 months from your date of enrolment
• Assignment marking
• Guaranteed exam place
• NEC’s guide to study skills: How to Succeed as an Independent Learner
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar guide
• Time planner to help you plan your study timetable
• Information on how to apply for exams

Your course fee does not cover:

• Exam entry fees

Optional extras:

• Additional past paper marking 
• Revision tutorial 
• Optional tutorial 
• Additional review

Exams (two):

• 50% of marks  (1 hour 45 minutes)
• 50% of marks (1 hour 45 minutes)

There is no non-exam assessment (NEA) for this course

We know that our younger students often need an extra helping hand with their studies.  In our experience, learning online works best when the parents are involved, so when you enrol your child with NEC, you’ll have a unique set of services to help you to support your child.

This includes:

• Your own log in to learn@nec to access the course so you can view the course materials and other information for yourself.
• Access to your child’s gradebook to help you to monitor progress and provide appropriate and timely intervention and support
• You’ll receive emails and forum posts so that you have all the examination and assessment updates/information provided by the NEC team
• Dedicated Parent Portal Pages and targeted blogs with updates/information/help and advice on many aspects of home education.
• Access to the Kudos career platform for young learners to explore career choices.

Read more about how we work with young students who are studying at home or through a school.