<
Skip to content ↓

Year 13 Sociology Trip

Year 13 Sociology students visited the Wellcome Collection museum in Euston, on Tuesday, 16 January, to explore the 'Cult of Beauty' exhibition. This exhibition investigated how beauty ideals are constructed through society, politics, religion and across time and cultures. It brought together historical objects and contemporary art to put morality, status, health, age, gender, and race on the evolution of ideas about beauty.  it questioned established norms and reflect on more inclusive definitions of beauty. For example, one display referred to the Italian saying 'Bello e buono', reflecting the belief that external beauty is associated with inner qualities. 

The exhibition also made several links to sociology by highlighting the relationship between, race and beauty standards. One example of this from the exhibition illustrated how, until recently, Black women – particularly those with more African features, Afro-textured hair and darker complexions – were almost invisible in mainstream popular culture. However, the increase in darker-skinned women can now be seen in magazines and on our screens, as well as the broad range of characters they play, suggests positive societal changes. 

Students also visited an exhibition at Tate Britain entitled 'Women in revolt 1970-1900s'. This exhibition explored the feminist movement in the UK from 1970 to 1990 and the impact of campaigns that paved the way for women's rights. This period saw a dramatic evolution of the relationship between women, work, and the domestic environment. The exhibition explores how interconnected networks of women used radical ideas and rebellious methods to make an invaluable contribution to British culture. This can be seen in women's right to vote, the 1970 Equal Pay Act and 1975 Sex Discrimination Act.

Feminism is a key theoretical perspective of the Sociology syllabus and is explored throughout the A-Level course. Students identified lots of links to the sociology curriculum, such as looking at females' unpaid domestic labour within the home, which is highlighted in our 'Families and Household' topic.