Sociology QLS Level 3

• What is sociology?
• What is the relationship between sociology and the other social sciences?
• What are the positivist, interpretivist, modern and post-modernist perspectives?
• What do we use sociological knowledge for?
• What is the relationship between the individual and society?
• What are the biological, psychological and social elements of human behaviour?
• To what extent is human behaviour determined by social factors?
• How diverse are human behaviour and cultural variation?
• What is socialisation and how does the individual become a full adult social interactor?
• What are the agencies of socialisation and how do they function?
• What is conformity and non-conformity?
• How do social class, age, gender, and ethnicity help construct social identity?
• What is the nature of social change?

• What are primary and secondary data?
• What are quantitative and qualitative data?
• What are the different forms of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of these different methods?
• What are the stages of research design?
• What is the relationship between theory and methods - positivist and anti-positivist approaches?
• What are the theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing the choice of topic, choice of methods and conduct of research?
• What is the distinction between reliability and validity?
• What is the potential influence of researcher bias?

• What is social class?
• What are the Marxist, Weberian, functionalist, and post-modern approaches to social class?
• What is the relationship between economic power and political power, social class, and life chance?
• What is the extent of social mobility in contemporary society?
• What is ascribed and achieved status in contemporary modern and traditional societies?
• What is poverty and what is the extent of poverty?
• What is sex and gender difference?
• What are the functionalist, Marxist, and feminist perspectives on gender difference?
• What is gender socialisation, and what are the agents of this?
• What gender differences or inequalities exist in contemporary society?
• What is patriarchy?
• How has women’s role and status in society changed?
• What has been the impact of equal opportunities policies on women’s lives?
• What are race and ethnicity and what role do they play in the formation of identity?
• What is racism and what forms does it take?
• What are the patterns of racial inequality in society?
• What anti-racist policy and legislation has there been?
• What has been the impact of racial equality legislation in contemporary society?

• What are the various forms of power, control, and authority?
• What are aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and dictatorship?
• What different theories of power are there?
• What different interpretations of the role of the state in contemporary society are there?
• How are political decisions made, both in a democracy or in an authoritarian regime?
• How do the political processes work in the UK?
• What is the role of the political party?
• What is the role of a political pressure group?
• What are democratic elections?
• What factors influence voting behaviour in an election?
• What is freedom of speech and ideas?
• What is censorship?

• What are the different types of family?
• To what extent is the nuclear family a universal or common family structure?
• What is the economic status of the family?
• What are the functions of the family?
• How have the functions of the family changed?
• What changes have there been in the family and household structure, and how have these been tied to industrialisation?
• What demographic changes which have impacted on the family have there been, why have these happened and what have been the consequences?

• What is education and what roles do power and social control play in it?
• What are the links between education, the economy, and social inequality?
• What is the relationship between education and the state?
• What is the relationship between education and social mobility?
• What is the relationship between educational achievement and intelligence?
• What inequalities are there in education, by factors such as gender, race, social class, or culture?
• How is language important in education?
• What are pupil sub-cultures and what effect do they have?

• What are crime and deviance?
• What role do the mass media have to play in societal attitudes to crime?
• What is the relationship between deviance, power, and social control?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of official crime statistics?
• What explanations are there for the distribution of crime by age, social class, ethnicity, gender, and region?
• What is white-collar crime?
• What are the biological, psychological and sociological theories of crime and deviance?
• What are the positivist and functionalist theories of crime?
• What is the interactionist approach to crime?

• What are the mass media?
• What are the trends in the organisation and control of the mass media?
• What are the Marxist and Pluralist theories on the nature and role of the mass media?
• What is the relationship between the mass media and the state?
• What explanations are there for the process of selection and presentation of media content?
• What is the relationship between the media and ideology?
• What are the social trends of media consumption?
• What different theories are there about the effects and use of the media?
• What impact does the mass media have on behaviour?

This course is assessed by a series of assignments which are submitted to your tutor for marking. No external examination or practical work is required, so you can complete all assessed work from home.

You may start at any time and have a full year to complete your studies. This is more than enough time to give you flexibility and work at your own pace without the pressure of deadlines.

This course will be studied entirely via distance learning, meaning you will complete your learning either from home or a place that suits you. Full tutor support will be available via email, so if you have any questions or need some guidance, your tutor will be here to help. Your course materials will include a series of self-assessment exercises and tutor-marked questions to allow both yourself and your tutor to monitor your progress.

The study method you choose depends on your personal learning style. Your options are:

• Study pack: if you choose the study pack option, you will be sent a set of printed course materials.
• Study online: if you choose this option, you will be sent your login details to our online portal through which you will access your course materials digitally. You can access your course via a desktop/laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Once you have successfully completed this course, you will receive a certificate of achievement in Sociology Level 3 from the Quality License Scheme. You will also receive a learner unit summary which will list the components you have completed as part of your course.