Teachers of A-level Sociology in England will be delivering a more comprehensive, "hard-hitting" syllabus from September 2015, the OCR has announced.

The awarding body revealed that the subject, which is accredited by Ofqual, will better reflect some of the key contemporary social challenges in the world today.

This includes a compulsory module dedicated to the impact of globalisation and digital media revolution.

Sociology is designed to develop pupils' understanding of the world around them and to introduce them to social issues past and present, many of which are relevant to their own personal experiences.

However, it has, long been considered a "soft" subject, an easy ride so to speak, where little effort can still result in high grades.

This negative image is something that the OCR is keen to shake off, which it hopes to do with this radical overhaul.

One example of how A-level Sociology is moving forward is in how certain aspects of the course will be graded. It now requires evidence-based research on globalisation in the digital era.

"Globalisation and digital communication are transforming work, family and leisure life," said Victoria Hunter, subject team manager at the OCR.

"No Sociology A-level would be complete without making it compulsory to study how people are responding to the new rules of the digital global village."

She added that contrary to what are now outdated misconceptions, sociology is in no way, shape or form, a soft option for students.

Ms Hunter explained: "It is rooted in social science theory, demands academic rigour and equips students with the critical reasoning and data analysis skills to understand the complex dynamics that shape societies."

The new specification has a strong focus on key sociological themes, including inequality, culture, power, identity and control.

There is much more of a focus on contemporary society, including a new component entitled Debates in Contemporary Society. This is designed to help pupils to survey different methods of social enquiry and develop a critical understanding of social processes.