Sociology for AQA Revision Guide 2: 2nd-Year A Level

Ken Browne

• Publisher: Polity
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781509516292
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

The essential revision guide for A–level Sociology from trusted and best–selling author Ken Browne. Together with Sociology for AQA Revision Guide 1, this indispensable book provides everything you need to revise for the exams, with a clear topic–by–topic layout to recap key theories and central ideas. The revision guide maps perfectly onto Ken Browne, Jonathan Blundell and Pamela Law's Sociology for AQA Volume 2 with each topic cross–referenced to the main textbook so you can revisit any sections you need to. The book includes a guide to exam questions – and how to answer them – with sample worked answers showing how to achieve top marks. All specification options are covered, with exam tips throughout the book. With this revision guide to take you through the exam and Sociology for AQA Volume 2 to develop your sociological imagination, Ken Browne provides the complete resource for success in sociology.

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PREPARING FOR THE EXAM AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS

About the A level exam

Three exam papers. Each worth 80 marks and each 2 hours. All questions are compulsory – no choice
Paper 1: Education with Theory and Methods	Paper 2: Topics in Sociology	Paper 3: Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods
Education: 50 marks One 4-mark question: Outline two . . . (ways/factors/reasons, etc.) (4 marks) One 6-mark question: Outline three . . . (6 marks) One 10-mark question, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [A], analyse two . . . (10 marks) One 30-mark extended essay, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [B] and your knowledge, evaluate . . . (the view/usefulness of/explanations, etc.) (30 marks) Methods in Context: 20 marks One 20-mark essay, linked to an Item, on applying a particular research method to a particular educational context/situation: Applying material from Item [C] and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using (a research method) to investigate (an issue in education) (20 marks) Theory and Methods: 10 marks One 10-mark question: Outline and explain two . . . (reasons/ways, etc.) (10 marks)	Section A: 40 marks Choose ONE from Culture and Identity; Families and Households; Health; Work, Poverty and Welfare. One 10-mark question: Outline and explain two . . . (reasons/explanations, etc.) (10 marks) One 10-mark question, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [A], analyse two . . . (10 marks) One 20-mark question, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [B] and your knowledge, evaluate . . . (the view/usefulness of/explanations, etc.) (20 marks) Section B: 40 marks Choose ONE from Beliefs in Society; Global Development; The Media; Stratification and Differentiation. The questions follow the same format as those in Section A	Crime and Deviance: 50 marks One 4-mark question: Outline two . . . (ways/factors/reasons, etc.) (4 marks) One 6-mark question: Outline three . . . (6 marks) One 10-mark question, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [A], analyse two . . . (10 marks) One 30-mark extended essay, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [B] and your knowledge, evaluate . . . (the view/usefulness of/explanations, etc.) (30 marks) Theory and Methods: 30 marks One 10-mark question: Outline and explain two . . . (reasons/explanations etc.) (10 marks) One 20-mark question, linked to an Item: Applying material from Item [C] and your knowledge, evaluate . . . (the view/usefulness of/explanations, etc.) (20 marks)

What will you be examined on?

At A level Sociology, you are assessed on three main objectives:

AO1: Knowledge and understanding (44% of the marks)

This involves demonstrating what you actually know – your knowledge and understanding of sociological theories, concepts, key terms and evidence, and of the range of research methods and sources of information used by sociologists, and the practical, ethical and theoretical issues arising in sociological research.

AO2: Application (31% of the marks)

This involves applying sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods to the issues raised in the exam question. You must show how the material – the sociologists, theories, research, methods and examples you use – are relevant (applied) to the question being asked.

AO3: Analysis and evaluation (25% of the marks)

Analysis means being able to explain the issue or point that is being raised in the question, such as being able to recognise sociologically significant information. Evaluation involves making critical points, such as the strengths and weaknesses of sociological theories and evidence, presenting arguments, making judgements and reaching conclusions based on the arguments and evidence for and against a view or statement presented in the question.

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EXAM TIPS:

• ➤ Always focus on the wording of the question and apply what you know to the specific issue being asked about – don’t generalise.
• ➤ Where the question involves an Item, you must refer to that Item: e.g. ‘As shown by Item [A] . . .’

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See pages viii–ix in the accompanying textbook to find out more about how to address these three objectives in your exam answers.

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How to answer 4- and 6-mark questions

These questions appear in the Education section of Paper 1, and in the Crime and Deviance section of Paper 3, and take the form:

Outline two/three . . . (ways/factors/reasons/advantages/differences, etc.).

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Outline means you identify a reason/factor/idea/concept, etc., say what it means, and briefly expand on its relevance to that question, perhaps using an example. Make the two/three points clear to the examiner by using firstly. . ., secondly. . ., etc.. . .

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Example of a top-mark answer

Q. Outline three reasons why the media may exaggerate the extent of crime in society. (6 marks)

A. Firstly, journalists report crime using values and assumptions about what they think will appeal to media audiences. These are called news values. [1 mark for identifying news values] This means the media are more likely to report dramatic crimes like serious violence or robbery which are more newsworthy and attract audiences, and ignore more routine everyday offences like shoplifting. This can exaggerate the extent of crime by giving the impression that most crime is very serious when in reality most offences are, in comparison, relatively trivial. [+1 mark for explaining link to question – exaggeration of crime]

(2 marks awarded)

Secondly, the media often see themselves as playing the role of moral entrepreneurs and protecting what they see as society’s main values. [1 mark for media as moral entrepreneurs] They do this by labelling and stereotyping of individuals and groups who commit offences they see as a serious threat to these values. They might exaggerate such crimes e.g. child abuse or violence by young people, to cause a moral panic and public outcry to encourage action to be taken against them. [+1 mark for explaining link to exaggeration of crime]

(2 marks awarded)

Thirdly, the media may exaggerate crime by presenting it as infotainment, packaged to entertain and thrill audiences with dramatic reconstructions of high profile individual offences e.g. Crimewatch. [1 mark for infotainment] This means the media focus on particular rare dramatic incidents, like murder, rather than less dramatic more common offences, and so give an exaggerated impression of the extent of these crimes to entertain audiences. [+1 mark for linking infotainment to exaggeration of crime]

(2 marks awarded)

How to answer 10-mark questions

These questions take two forms:

Question style...