High Storrs - Sociology

Most sociologists believe that education transmits ideas and values to students in order for them to operate properly in society. However, there is some debate, especially in contemporary society, as to whether there is one cohesive idea education aims to communicate, or if the nature of the education system leads to a verity of ideas from various sources. Modern implementation of policy has lead to a more diverse school system, which could be seen as leading to a larger range of ideas being transmitted. For example, the introduction of academies under the 1997 Blair government has lead to a variety in education as they don't need to follow the national curriculum, something that has been sustained and even amplified by the Academy Act (2010) under the Coalition government. Having schools not follow the set national curriculum and teaching their own lessons (also common in private and free schools) stops one message being communicated, as the curriculum would vary depending on ...

The new media have enabled ordinary people to access and report, criticise, comment on and share more news and information than ever before. This has promote a culture of questioning, challenging and holding to account the power, decisions and actions of elite hierarchies, government and other organisations. Ordinary people consequently have more power in society. Applying material from the item, and your knowledge, evaluate the impact of the new media on the contemporary society (20) New media has opened up new possibilities for the consumer which weren't present with traditional media. This has impacted the way in which media is produced and consumed, which in turn has also affected the way in which society acts, interprets and approaches media. Cultural optimists state that, as ordinary people now have the opportunity to create media (via camera phones and accessible technology - citizen journalism) and interact with each other via media (Facebook, Snapchat etc.), the way i...

The decreasing number of nuclear families in modern Britain is due to changing social opinions and an introduction of government laws in recent decades which has lead to a rise in 'atypical' families, ie ones different to nuclear. Since the end of WW2 there has been a decrease in societal expectations regarding marriage. More specifically, there is now less pressure, and it has become less of a norm, for couples to marry because they are having a child, and it is now more acceptable to have a divorce. This means that there are more single-parent families, because couples are less likely to stay together after having a child (as societal expectation doesn't point in that direction) and are more likely to divorce. As a result, this weakens the nuclear family as there are less of them, instead there is a rise in single-parent families. Also, laws such as the Equal Pay Act 1970 mean there is now less of a gap between women and men earnings (although the gap still exists...

The legalisation of marijuana in the UK. It concerns whether legalising the drug would be overall beneficial not only for the individual user, but also for the country in terms of economy, healthcare and if the risks and possible damage to people outweighs the pros, or if either the pros or cons will occur. This issue is sociological because it impacts the structure and functioning of a society. Not only does it effect the society both on an individual and national scale, but it also sets up the country for similar issues in the future. Legalising marijuana would offer positive and negative effects on society. Taxation and regulation would result in more money being generated for government services such as healthcare and infrastructure, as well as removing improving the safety of the drug as more stringent codes would be put in place to ensure safety, meaning a healthier user. However, wider access to the drug could lead to higher usage of other substances (as its often considered...