Swipe up for English version“个人只有通过置身于所处的时代之中，才能理解他自己的经历并把握自身的命运，他只有变得知晓他所身处的环境中所有个人的生活机遇 , 才能明了他自己的生活机遇。”
——Charles Wright Mills
2007年，Richard Driscoll完成伦敦教育学院社会学教育学的学习之后，用了一个月的时间来中国各地进行实地考察，并对中国产生了浓厚的兴趣。来中国工作之前，他曾在英国布莱尼姆中学（Blenheim High School）担任了7年的社会科学组组长。来到中国后，他一直在深圳国际交流学院（深国交）教授社会学，目前在深圳国际交流学院担任人文组组长。在深国交期间，Richard创建了人文学科资优班，为申请世界一流大学的学生提供帮助和支持。据Richard先生介绍，目前在A2阶段学习社会学的学生中，有7位学生获得了前往剑桥大学或牛津大学两所世界顶级高校学习的机会。
今天剑桥国际有幸采访到Richard，与大家一起聊聊他在中国教授剑桥国际A Level社会学的过程、其中的经验和感悟，以及教学方法和教学资源的利用。
剑桥国际AS & A Level社会学课程鼓励学生从社会学角度思考当代社会、文化和政治问题，让学生可以去探究支撑社会学的重要概念和各种观点，并在研究一系列具有启发性的课题和现实问题的同时，培养出解释、应用、分析和评估能力。
为了说明这门课的主要特点，Richard引用了剑桥国际对社会学的定义，然后他根据自己的经验谈了谈在深国交教授社会学的经历：
首先，在深国交开设的科目中，社会学之所以深受欢迎，是因为它能让学生锻炼自己的思维能力，并用自己的社会学视角，去分析平时在新闻里看到的世界性问题。目前有一个相关例子就是，新冠疫情期间社会对老年人的态度。对老年人地位的讨论是AS Level社会学理论与方法中的一个重要内容。
去年，Richard的学生Rindy就对这个当代问题很感兴趣，并请Richard指导她如何研究地方上老年人生活状况的经历。Rindy成功完成了这项社会学研究，同时充分调动自己的分析能力，研究、拍摄并制作了一部纪录片参加英国社会学协会年度论文竞赛，并获得了第二名的好成绩。
其次，课程中的各个话题对学生来说有趣且容易理解，这让学生可以从自身经历出发来做研究。Richard之前有一个学生叫Vivian，她今年将从伦敦政治经济学院社会学专业毕业。她当时在广州进行了一项关于文化资本和中产阶级家长的调查研究。英国的社会学老师对这一中国视角很感兴趣。
最后，在A Level阶段，社会学是一门很好的学科。它可以让学生找到自己热爱的东西，并到教室之外去探索。他们可以联系到现在的社会学家，比如Richard先生平时接触的李雪石博士，还能将他们在A Level社会学中学到的知识应用到其他课题中。“我以前一个学生Hermione认识李雪石后，对食品社会学产生了浓厚兴趣。她跟李博士一起做了一项研究，并将研究论文提交给了英国社会学协会。一个大家经常提到的词叫 ‘社会学想象力’，而剑桥国际的课程刚好可以让学生去培养这种想象力。”Richard先生这样讲道。
每年回国的深国交校友们都会说，剑桥国际A Level社会学的学术严谨性极大地促进了他们在大学的学习，尤其是能让他们在论文或研讨会发言时，有理有据地阐述观点。
社会学让学生可以自信、全面地融入大学生活，让他们从自己在中国的成长经历出发，在辩论中表达自己的看法。此外，在剑桥国际A Level阶段，要想写出一篇成熟的论文，需要进行大量的阅读。
关于剑桥国际A Level社会学的教学方法，Richard先生认为，剑桥国际A Level社会学的一个关键部分就是做研究。由于课程作业不计入考评范围，社会学教师就要想办法在教学中创造机会，让学生去做研究。但这一点会很难做到，毕竟时间有限，而且有些学生只关注考试要考的内容。通过做研究项目，学生可以找到自己的兴趣所在，并更好地理解整个研究过程，这也是社会学理论和方法考试的重要内容。Richard先生还会鼓励学生们做一些关于不同课题的小型研究，例如研究一下父母各自在婚姻关系中扮演的角色。
“我从剑桥教师培训中学到一个技巧，就是让学生们自己开播客。在教社会学时，我模仿了BBC Laurie Taylor的电台节目《Thinking Allowed》，让学生们两人一组来做一个社会学谈话节目，一个扮演社会学家，另一个扮演采访者。为了让社会学学习活跃起来，我希望教师们可以让学生进行角色扮演，尤其是可以让他们以采访的形式读出书上的原文，比如著名的研究工人阶级子弟的书——Paul Willis的《学做工：工人阶级子弟为何继承父业》。”Richard说。
谈及School Support Hub，Richard表示，在School Support Hub平台有很多实用的教学资源，其中各类论坛里的帖子中的问题对他帮助很大，因为在教授剑桥课程初期，他有很多想问的问题，一些主考官也会在论坛里做回复，这对于他帮助很大。
最后，Richard说，我喜欢在中国教社会学，我的学生都对这门课充满热情。他们提出很多有趣的问题，还习惯了英式幽默。社会学教师们也都愿意分享自己的想法，互帮互助。 我相信，这一学科作为一门剑桥国际课程会越来越受欢迎。
Individual can understand his own experience and gauge his own fate only by locating himself within his period, that he can know his own chances in life only by becoming aware of those of all individuals in his circumstances.
-- Charles Wright Mills
On completing his PGCE in social sciences at the Institute of Education (University College of London) in 2007, Richard Driscoll spent a month travelling around China and developed a fascination with the country. Before working in China, he was head of social sciences at Blenheim High school in Epsom, UK for 7 years. Now Richard is the Head of Humanities at Shenzhen College of International Education (SCIE). He has been teaching Cambridge International A level Sociology since 2014. And he also sets up the Humanities Gifted and Talented programme at this school in which we support students who apply for leading universities. In the current cohort of A2 Sociology students 7 have received offers next year to study at Cambridge and Oxford.
Today, Richard will talk about his teaching experiences of Cambridge International A Level Sociology in China, and share his teaching tips of Sociology and some useful resources.
In order to address the key features of Sociology, Richard takes the statement identified by Cambridge International, and will apply two case studies from his experience of teaching Sociology in Shenzhen.
Cambridge International AS & A Level Sociology encourages learners to think sociologically about contemporary social, cultural and political issues. The syllabus provides opportunities to explore key concepts and debates that underpin the discipline of sociology and to develop the skills of interpretation, application, analysis and evaluation while studying a range of stimulating topics and real-world issues.
Firstly, one of the reasons why Sociology has been so popular as an subject choice at SCIE has been the thinking skills that students have developed and been able to apply their ‘sociological lens’ to world issues that that they come across in the news. A pertinent example at the moment would be societal attitudes towards the elderly in light of the of the Coronavirus. Debates about the position of the elderly is a key component of the Theory and Methods AS Sociology syllabus. Last year, one of Richard’s students Rindy was interested in this contemporary issue and the higher status given in China towards the elderly. The the student asked for guidance of how to explore the experiences of the elderly in the local community. Later on, Rindy was able to carry out her own Sociological research and demonstrate her powers of analysis in researching, filming and producing a documentary for the British Sociological Association annual competition. She received second place for this prestigious competition.
Secondly, the topics on offer are stimulating and accessible for all students. To use one example the Education option has a section with debates about inequalities in education with relation to social class, gender and ethnicity. This provides students with the opportunity to conduct their own research as well as draw upon their own experiences. Richard has a former student Vivian who is graduating from Sociology at LSE this year conducted her own field work on cultural capital and middle class parents in Guangzhou. Sociology teachers in the UK are interested in insights from China.
Finally, Sociology is a good discipline at A level stage as it allows students to find their passion and go beyond the syllabus. Students can contact current Sociologists such as Dr Li Xueshi who Richard established a link with and apply what they have learned in the Sociology A level to other topics.
“A previous student Hermione became fascinated in the Sociology of food having been introduced to Li Xueshi. She conducted research together which was presented to annual conference of the British Sociological Association. A phrase which is often used is ‘The Sociological Imagination’. The Cambridge course provides students with the opportunity to develop this. ”
Meaning of sociology and teaching approach
"Sociology is an excellent subject in preparing students for university. Each year alumni come back to visit me at SCIE and share their experience of how the academic rigour of the Cambridge International A level course has greatly supported them in their undergraduate studies. In particular the ability to clearly articulate an argument and support it with appropriate evidence. This is both written in the style of an essay or a dissertation and in a seminar verbally. Sociology has given students confidence to get involved fully at university and offering their perspective from growing up in China to a debate. Furthermore, in order to be able to write a fully developed essay at Cambridge International A level a considerable amount of reading is required.” Richard said.
In terms of teaching tips, Richard thought a key part of Sociology is the research process. With coursework not being an assessed part of the course the challenge for the Sociology teacher is to provide research opportunities into the teaching of the course. This of course can be difficult due to time constraints and the mindset of some students to want to focus on directly as to ‘what is in the exam’. By setting up a research project students can find their passion and get a greater understanding of the research process. This makes up a considerable component of the theory and methods exam. I would also encourage mini research tasks on topics such as conjugal roles of their parents.
“A tip I picked up from a Cambridge teacher training session was for students to create their own podcasts. In sociology I get students to do this paired. One takes on the role of sociologists and one the interviewing of a sociology talk show. I replicate the BBC Radio show ‘Thinking Allowed’ with Laurie Taylor.
I would encourage teachers to bring the Sociological studies alive by getting students to perform role plays. In particular students can act out interviews by reading the original text. For example the famous working class boys study called Learning to Labour by Paul Willis.” Richard said.
For Richard, the most useful part of the school support hub is the community forum postings.
"When I was new to teaching the Cambridge specification I had many questions I wanted to ask. The principal examiners on the forum are very helpful indeed." Richard said.
I love teaching Sociology in China. My students are so passionate about the subject. They ask such interesting questions and have even become accustomed to the British style of humour. Sociology teachers are a collaborative community who are happy to share ideas. I am sure that this subject will gain with popularity as a Cambridge offer.
