A Note to Teachers from Ken Browne
I know from personal experience how much AS and A2 sociology students can struggle with the abstract concepts and theories that are part of sociology. I also know how difficult they can find it to assess contrasting points of view. In the new edition of my AS book, and the brand new accompanying A2 book produced with my co-authors Jonathan Blundell, Pam Law and Margaret Whalley, we’ve worked hard to find ways of guiding students gently through sociological ideas and evidence in a way that is simple without being simplistic and which makes complex ideas really clear. We’ve also wanted to give students a sense of what’s so special about sociology and how much it has to offer us in understanding the challenges we’re facing in today’s society.
Both the AS and A2 books are completely tailored to make sure they meet the new AQA sociology specifications. Teaching a new specification is always a bit of a challenge but I hope the books will help to reduce some of the stress by making the revised requirements clear and easy-to-follow. As well as making sure the books are up-to-date with the new style exam, I and my colleagues also worked really hard to make sure it’s in tune with the latest sociological debates and research. Each chapter of the books is designed to be more or less self-contained and to cover the knowledge and skills required to achieve success at AS and A2 Sociology. All students should read chapter 1 in the AS book, as it lays out some important introductory ideas which are developed and referred to in later chapters, and which are developed further in the A2 book.
There are activity-based sections on research at the end of chapters 6 and 7 on education and health in the AS book, and at the end of chapters 6 and 7 on crime and deviance and stratification and differentiation in the A2 book. These should help to prepare students for those parts of the examination questions in units 2 and 4 which asks students to apply their knowledge of research methods to particular issues in education or health, and crime and deviance or stratification and differentiation.
The chapter summaries outline the key points that should have been learnt after reading each chapter. These can be used to devise schemes of work and as checklists for students when revising. The glossaries at the end of the books, which are included on this website as a single glossary, also provide both a valuable reference source and a revision aid, allowing students to check the meaning of terms. A typical examination question is included at the end of every chapter, except for chapters 1 and 5 in the AS book, and chapter 5 of the A2. Students should attempt these under timed conditions, both as practice and to gauge how ready they are for the examination in that unit.
There are a range of different activities in each chapter of the book, any of which could be used as substantive tasks in lessons, and many could easily be worked up into formal lesson plans. Some of the activities are valuable for quick fill-in activities when the buses are late on winter mornings or when lessons finish slightly sooner than planned. Many could, alternatively, be used for homework. I’ve tried to make the most of photographs, picking some thought-provoking images to get students thinking and talking; these could be used to stimulate discussions, and many of them have questions as part of the captions to encourage this.
When writing the books and the website materials, I had in mind the teachers and students that are going to be using them in schools and colleges. It’s important to me and my co-authors that the AS and A2 books and this website help students to get the highest grades at AS and A2 levels. However, I and my co-authors certainly don’t claim to have a monopoly of wisdom in terms of the contents of the books or website, nor how to use them in teaching. I am in absolutely no doubt that many teachers will develop their own resources, lesson plans, worksheets and exercises to use with the books to help their students to learn and develop as sociologists and gain good examination results. I and my co-authors would be delighted to receive any suggestions you have on how either the books or this website might be improved, and to include any worksheets or lesson plans etc. in future changes to this website, should you be willing to share them with others. I will ensure you receive an acknowledgement. You can contact me at ken.browne@politybooks.com.
Many thanks for using both this website and the textbooks. I hope they both prove helpful to your students, and make your jobs that little bit easier. I look forward to receiving your comments, suggestions, and contributions.
Good luck with teaching.
Ken Browne
ken.browne@politybooks.com
