Social Science Course Leaflet

LEVEL 3 CERTIFICATE/SUBSIDIARY DIPLOMA IN CRIMINOLOGY ABOUT THE SUBJECT This is an exciting new course which will allow students to gain a wealth of knowledge related to a wide range of crimes and the work done in the criminal justice system. You will have the opportunity to acquire both practical and academic skills through applied learning, and the focus of some assignments provide opportunities to learn from practitioners in the criminal justice sector such as police or probation workers.

SOCIAL SCIENCE COURSES AT HUDDERSFIELD NEW COLLEGE

SPECIFIC ENTRY CRITERIA Grade C in GCSE English Language.

“I chose to study at HNC because it’s a friendly college. The teachers are so helpful and they help you to achieve the best of your potential.”

The flexibility of the course enables students the opportunity to focus their studies on crimes they personally find interesting. The course consists of 4 core units changing awareness of crime, theories of crime, crime scene to courtroom and crime and punishment.

New Hey Road, Huddersfield HD3 4GL 01484 652341 @ info@huddnewcoll.ac.uk

EMILY MCMANUS

www.huddnewcoll.ac.uk

School: Brooksbank Sports College Studied: Applied Law, Applied Science and Psychology Destination: Criminology at Leeds Beckett University

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If you need the information in this prospectus presented in a different way please contact Erika Montgomery on 01484 652341 or info@huddnewcoll.ac.uk

SOCIOLOGY LINEAR A LEVEL ABOUT THE SUBJECT

COURSE CONTENT

Every one of us is a sociologist. Even though you probably won’t have studied Sociology as an academic discipline in school, as a member of society you will be living this subject every day.

Sociology is a rigorous and challenging academic discipline that aims to open your eyes to the world.

Paper 1 Education with Theory and Methods How fair is the education system? Why do the same types of people fail every year? Issues such as why girls are outperforming boys at GCSE, along with the debate that the education system is not as fair as it apparently seems, are examined in this unit. Pupil subcultures, the effects of teacher labelling and why working class children underachieve are among the issues we look at. There is a focus on the methods used to research wider society and the education system, such as the pitfalls involved in going undercover in the classroom to observe teacher-pupil interaction.

The course introduces you to sociological ideas, concepts, evidence and argument by examining key aspects of the contemporary world. By the end of the course, you should have built excellent evaluative skills and be able to apply sociological ideas to the world around you.

In class and through guided study, you will explore debates and issues, develop ideas, and critically evaluate what you find. These are highly important skills valued by both employers and universities alike. As an individual, you will have a greater understanding of the social world around you, and you may never see the world the same again!

ASSESSMENT All units will be assessed by exam at the end of two years. There will also be the option to take an exam at the end the first year as an AS qualification.

SPECIFIC ENTRY CRITERIA

Paper 2 Topics in Sociology In this unit we look at various issues in society focussing on the family and beliefs in society. We examine debates concerning the perceived moral decline of family life, and the effect of the welfare state on the family and wider society. We look at the increase in divorce and children born outside marriage, as well as questioning whether families are important to us.

We will be examining demographic trends in the UK since 1900 and looking at reasons for changes in birth rates, death rates and family size. We study the “dark side” of family life and childhood, assessing whether things

are really getting better over time In beliefs in society we discover why it is that no human society has ever existed without spiritual/religious beliefs. We look at both the benefits of religion in society by bringing groups together and also the harm and conflict it can cause when taken to its extremes. We look at the decline in Christianity in Europe and the rise in fundamentalism around the world.

Nobody can fully understand the world without knowing about people’s belief systems and how they shape the world we are in.

Paper 3 Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods Why do some people become criminals? Why do men and women commit different crimes? Why do some things become criminal while other equally harmful practices are legal? In this unit we discover the patterns of crime in society. Assess the effectiveness of various crime prevention strategies and look at the effects of globalisation on crimes such as human trafficking and the drug trade. In this unit we also look at complex theoretical debates about the nature of society and how to study it, these include debates about objectivity, whether sociology can be a science and the effect of sociology on social policy.

Grade C in GCSE English Language and grade C in another traditional written subject for example GCSE History or GCSE English Literature. Linear best 8 score of 43+.

“I chose to study at HNC because of the choice of subjects! I loved the atmosphere here, it felt totally different to staying on at school to do my A Levels.”

“The psychology teachers go the extra mile to support all their students’ needs.”

PSYCHOLOGY LINEAR A LEVEL ABOUT THE SUBJECT Psychology is an alternative and challenging science, which looks at behaviour, mental processes and experiences which shape who we are. We cover a wide variety of topics that will make you think very differently about everyday things such as crime, childhood and mental illness.

ASSESSMENT There is no coursework on AS/A level psychology; all modules are assessed by external examination.

There are three two-hour exams at the end of the second year, which together contribute to your A Level grade.

SPECIFIC ENTRY CRITERIA

ELLIS AKHURST School: Calder High School

ZAHRA SYED School: Springfield High School

Studied: Law, Business, Sociology and Psychology

Studied: Economics, Psychology, English Language and Business Studies

Destination: Sociology at the University of Newcastle

Destination: Psychology, University of Keele

Grade C in GCSE English Language, grade C in GCSE Maths and grade C in GCSE Science (Additional Science, Additional Applied Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics).

Linear best 8 score of 43+.

COURSE CONTENT Year 1 Cognitive psychology focuses on the structure of memory, reasons why we forget, and the reliability of eyewitness testimonies in courtroom settings.

Research methods cover all the different techniques used to study and analyse human behaviour. You will learn how to design and carry out your own experiment.

Attachment is the study of the importance of early childhood experiences and how they affect our later development, ways in which babies bond with their parents, and the effects of losing a parent.

Social psychology looks at how other people influence our behaviour. We investigate reasons for conformity and obedience (could you be influenced to inflict pain on a complete stranger?) and the nature of the authoritarian personality.

There are many studies of dubious ethical value in this section, so we need to study psychology’s ethical guidelines, which tell us what we should and shouldn’t do when conducting research.

Psychopathology looks at symptoms, causes and treatments for phobia, depression and OCD. You will get to study these disorders and try some of the treatment methods yourself.

Approaches is the study of the various schools of psychological thought, including behaviourism, cognitive,

psycho-dynamic and humanist psychology.

There will be an exam assessment at the end of the first year to assess your progress.

Year 2 In year 2, you get the option to study various applications of psychological theory. You will have the chance to study the following: Biological psychology will look at neurological research into localisation of function in the brain, and the difference between brain imaging techniques (EEG, MRI, PET).

Gender is the study of the development of gender identity, from both a biological and a psychological viewpoint. We will also study gender-related disorders.

We will also study schizophrenia in detail, looking at the symptoms, causes and therapies for this disorder.

Forensic psychology is the study of the nature of crime and offender profiling.

We will study whether criminal behaviour is caused biologically or psychologically, the nature of the criminal personality and methods of treating offending behaviour.

Finally, you will have the opportunity to study the various issues and debates in psychology, including bias found in research and ethical issues with psychological studies.