A guide

A guide to AS
to AS Sociology
 1

Contents

Sociology Department Code of Conduct............................................................................................................2

What have you signed up to do?.......................................................................................................................3
Families and Households- SCLY 1.......................................................................................................................4
Education and Theory and Methods- SCLY2......................................................................................................5
Assessments.......................................................................................................................................................6
Taking Notes.......................................................................................................................................................7
10 Rules To Improve Your Marks.......................................................................................................................8
How to write a Sociological Essay......................................................................................................................9
Essay Plan Guideline.........................................................................................................................................11
Reading List......................................................................................................................................................12
Internet Resources...........................................................................................................................................14
Tracking Your Progress.....................................................................................................................................15

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Sociology Department Code of Conduct

The aim of this contract is to inform you of the sort of behavior that the Sociology Department requires
from you while you are studying with us. It will help you to understand the high standards of behavior and
attitude towards learning that we have come to expect from our students.

Whilst undertaking the study of Sociology I

______________________________________________    agree to the following ~

·     To be on time for all lessons

·     To come to class fully prepared (i.e. to bring a pen, folder, paper and any required text books)
·     Switch off all mobile phones, MP3 players and any other electronic equipment before I arrive in the
classroom
·     To show respect for all members in the class and allow them to learn
·     To listen to the teacher when he/she is giving instructions
·     To listen to other students and not shout out when taking part in discussions and debates
·     To take responsibility, and not to blame others for my behavior during lessons
·     To keep noise levels at a suitable level when learning independently
·     To complete all work set to the best of my ability
·     To meet all deadlines set for homework projects
·     To leave the classroom tidy for other students
·     To complete all required reading required for participating in class debates
·     To work independently on all assignments given to me (plagiarism of other students work will be
reported to the head of the faculty)
·     To be respectful of other cultures, societies and perspectives that will be discussed in the lesson
·     To not use racist or offensive language
·     To keep my class and independent reading notes up to date
·     To be an active member of the class
·     To inform the necessary people if I am struggling with work (special consideration for failing to meet a
deadline will be decided on an individual basis depending on the situation)
·     I am aware that my notes and reading log can and will be spot checked at any time. If they are not up to
date without a valid reason this will be reported to the appropriate staff and the appropriate action will
be taken
·     To attend all classes (unless unwell)

Signed______________________________

Print Name_____________________    Today’s Date_________

 

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What have you signed up to do?

Welcome to Sociology
Sociology is a fascinating subject, and is the UK’s third most popular A
level. Students choose to study sociology because it gets you thinking
about everyday situations in a new way, for example the mass media.
What makes something news worth? Is it a story about a current topic
that is important to society? Something we should all find out about at
the same time, like global warming or a man on the run from the
police? Or is it just a brilliant way for big companies to making money?
Companies like The Sun, and ITV don’t just broadcast the news out of the goodness of their heart, they do
it to make money; and when money is involved is the news going to broadcast the stories that we need to
know about (even if they are boring like interest rates, tax changes or earthquakes in other countries), or
ones that are going to capture the headlines and sell papers (like stories about Cheryl Cole, or Take That).
In sociology what we begin to do is start to examine these types of situations, and try to find out what we
are really being told.

Sociology wants us to challenge out common sense assumptions about social situations and to begin to
develop a ‘sociological imagination’.

Example: - Have you ever sat at home and wondered why there is an advert of injury lawyers on right
before Jeremy Kyle? Or why did the news bother to tell me about Cheryl Cole, she’s not really news? Then
these sorts of questions will get answered throughout the course, as we begin to examine every day social
situations in a brand new way.

Your Teachers

This year you will have Miss Hollis (teaching education), and Miss Coleman (teaching family and households)

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Families and Households- SCLY 1

Every individual at some point in their lives will belong to a

family or household of some kind. Whether it is you, your
mum and dad or you and your gran, these are both different
types of families. You may be sitting there wondering why
we need to study families and households. Why is this
important? Why is this important enough to be included
within my education? I know when I first started studying
Sociology we looked into the area of the family. Just sitting
there listening to all of the different types of families just
within the class I was in amazement. Every family is different in some way, shape or form. Why is this
important? Well the answer is; it is very important when trying to understand sociology and society as a
whole. Where did we all start off our life? Whether it was at home with mum and dad or just mum or dad,
aunties, uncles or grandparents, we all started somewhere.

Families and households will examine all areas surrounding the family right across the lifespan. This
module also covers how the diversity of the family has changed over time. For example, in the early 19 th
century it was unheard of for a woman to have a baby and bring up the child on her own. It was also
unheard of for a same sex couple to exist openly and also raise children. This has changed dramatically
over time as it is certainly heard of today. The statistics for couples getting married and having children
has fallen dramatically over the past few decades. The typical cereal packet family or (the Oxo family) is no
longer the main and only family structure within contemporary society.

Roles in the households have also changed dramatically over time with women getting back into the
workplace. Women are now seeking to enhance their careers rather then raising children by getting back
into education and studying for degrees. More men are now becoming more involved with the household
chores and the childcare then ever before. Women since the 1950s housewife have walked away from the
dutiful woman who is there only to please her husband and children. Children are now being put into
childcare as babies whilst both the parents are at work during the day. The list of changes over time are
endless.

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Education and Theory and Methods- SCLY2

“It is by respecting the school rules that the child learns to

respect rules in general, that he develops the habit of self-
control and restraint simply because he should control and
restrain himself. It is a first initiation into the austerity of
duty. Serious life has now begun.” Durkheim (1961)

Have you ever wondered why you act the way you do in school? Ever
questioned someone else’s behaviour? Or wondered why everyone on the news seems to be blaming delinquent
teenagers’ for everything? Then this topic will fascinate you.

During this module topic we look at the way the education system is organised and how this affects the behaviour of,
students, teachers and parents, and how this in turn affects everything that happens in society.

For example, how many times have you said, or heard someone say ‘what’s the point in learning this? I’m never
going to use it again when I leave school’; and to some extent they are right. There are some things in school that
you are forces to learn that even though you may never use them again in your life. In my case I have never once had
or needed to make a wooden box like I did in year 7 technology. So what was the point in me going to technology
lessons? I didn’t learn anything… Or did I?

I learnt that male teachers taught me metal and wood work, and that female teachers taught me how to sow and
cook. I learnt that I need to be careful around machinery, which was my first lesson in dealing with the wonders of
Health and Safety laws. I learnt that boys are better at technology subjects like metal and wood work than girls.
These lessons also reinforced the fact that I and the class had to do as we were told otherwise someone may get
hurt. I also noticed that boys that weren’t as ‘academic’ as the others didn’t seem to play the teacher up like they did
in Maths or Drama, and that strangely they actually liked doing technology

Now everything I have mentioned might not really seem like a lesson. It might just seem to be fairly self-explanatory
but it’s not that simple. The education system is a brilliant system that is constantly making us learn, even when we
don’t want to learn anything. Take the first point I made about only male teachers teaching one type of technology
and females the other, what does this mean for sociology. Feminists (a sociological perspective) would argue that
they are forced into an inferior role to men in the education system, and that women are secretly being taught to
choose more domestic based ‘female’ subjects. This in turn reinforces the fact that only women should only live to
become a housewife and to serve men, and that the workshop is no place for women. So how do men get away with
this? Well though the ‘hidden curriculum’; a curriculum that is there and taught to us but without us knowing. Think
about you school day and think about what little things within the school are actually happening an dif you are being
taught a valuable lessons about the wider society.

For example Exclusions = Prison

Detentions = Fines/ shot Prison sentences
Teachers = Authority figures like managers in the work place
Head Teacher = The company boss or the government
Merit points = Rewards for positive behaviour, like being paid or getting a knight hood

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This and much more about you daily life at school will be examined in this module. I am sure you will be amazed at
what you have learnt about your society but without you actually realising it.

Assessments
At Springwood we follow the AQA Sociology syllabus, and during the AS year you will study Families and Households
(SCLY1) and Education (SCLY2). You can access it by going to http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities.

The Exam

You will take 2 exams, one on Families and Households, which will be a 1 hour exam, and it
accounts for 40% of the AS and 20% of the A level (Note : This exam 60 marks which makes it 1
minute a mark).The Educati on paper is linked to Theory and Methods and is 2 hours long and is
60% of the AS grade and is worth 30% of the A level. They will both be sat in the May exam period.

Aims and Skills- Important for UCAS or Job Applications

The aim of this course is to give you a firm knowledge of sociology which seams fairy self-explanatory. However, you
will also gain a bunch of skills, and ways of thinking that will benefit you not only in sociology but in your other
subjects as well. The main skill that you will acquire (that universities and companies like) is how to think critically
about sociological theory and contemporary issues. Other skills you will develop are: understanding an evaluating
sociological methodology, reflective thinking, and data analysis. These are all skills that look brilliant on a CV or a
UCAS application, like working in groups, becoming an independent learner, being organised and logical in your
thoughts and research, having good analytical skills and becoming familiar with collating, interpreting and analysing
data. All these skill as well as being a person who is kind, caring and considerate of the society around them, who
wouldn’t want to employ you!

Knowledge and Understanding: - Assessment objective 1 (AO1)

Sociology does require you to learn a lot of key concepts and theories as it accounts for around 45-55% of your
overall grade. However, it is not good enough to just simply know what particular theories or key terms mean, you
have to be able to use them in a meaningful way in the exam. This sounds difficult but these skills do start to become
very natural as we go through the course. During the course you need to become very familiar with two core
themes:

1. Socialisation, culture and identity

2. Social differentiation, power and stratification

These will be taught throughout the two topics and by the end of the course you will be seeing how these two core
themes affect everything in society around us. You will also need to know and understand how sociologists gather
data, and how this may influence the type of study that is conducted.

Application, Analysis, Interpretation and Evaluation (AO2)

As a human being you will constantly be analysing and interpreting everything that is going on around you; from
what somebody says or does to you, to what you see on the television. However, what we need to work on in
sociology is your evaluation and interpretation skills; and most importantly, how do you demonstrate this in an exam
(as being able to do this accounts for 45-55% of your overall grade). The key to writing a brilliant sociology essay lies
in you being able to analyse and evaluate a theory and then being able to pick it apart. Then you need to show the
examiner what is good and bad about it, based on evidence that you have learnt from the course. Sounds difficult

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but, it will become natural to you. It’s no different to how you were taught to write a SEAL or PEE paragraph in
English.

Taking Notes

There are lots of different ways of taking notes and there is not a ‘one size fits
all’ way of taking them in class. What you will need to do is find a way that lets
you take charge of your learning and at the same time helps you to take
effective notes that you will use when it comes to doing essays and revising for
the exams.

Formal Notes

You can take very formal notes in class where you copy everything down from the board or everything that the
teacher says to you. However, this will become very, very tedious and you will find that you are missing out on vital
information in class as you will be preoccupied with getting the information down rather than listening and engaging
with what is being discussed.

Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a very good way of making notes for those of you who are visual learners. However, be aware that
in sociology there are a lot of cross links and key terms being discussed that might not fit into an unplanned mind
map. Also the amount of colour changes you may want to make in a lesson again might distract you from what is
being taught.

Short Hand

For A level studies there is no point in learning a form of short hand. However, you might want to adapt your own.
Remember these are your notes, so as long as they make sense to you, you can record them anyway you like. I
would suggest that this is the best way of taking notes in class. Although as part of your 3-5 hours a week that you
are supposed to spend on sociology I would devote some of it to typing up the notes you take in short hand to keep
them neat and tidy. Plus you then have a backup if you lose them, and it will help you to remember so much more
than if you just took the notes and left them to one side.

Revision

There is no getting away from it you will have to revise at some point! However, you can make it easier on yourself if
you make a key words list or if you make key terms stand out in your notes. The same goes for theories and
sociologists that you will come across. That way you can test yourself without having to trail through your notes, and
only refer to them to back up your knowledge.

Being organised with your notes is the best insurance you have to getting a higher grade at A Level.

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10 Rules To Improve Your Marks

1. Start your course with an organised sociology folder and keep it this way. You will be
surprised just how important this organisation is. A level is as much about organisation as
they are about hard work

2. Produce a vocabulary book and always update this at the end of each week. Ask your teacher
for definitions if you are not clear

3. Do not just collect key words. Use them in homework and in class to make sure you
understand them and can use them in the right context

4. Make flash cards for key concepts, perspectives and research, keep them in your folder

5. At the end of each topic spend some time making revision notes. This requires good
discipline and organisation, but it will pay dividends when the course ends and you approach
the final exams

6. List evaluation points for each topic you study. Put these onto revision cards and learn them
when you have completed the topic

7. Put all your named examples for each topic onto separate revision cards. You should include
what sociologists did, what they said and which perspective they follow

8. For every perspective you cover you should

 Make 10 bullet point statements about the perspective

 Identify 10 key concepts the perspective would use
 Name 3 studies related to the perspective?
 Outline 3 criticisms of the perspective?
 Be able to compare and contrast with other perspectives

9. For each study try and remember the perspective it’s related to and the method used

10. Be able to evaluate perspectives with other (often opposing) perspectives

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How to write a Sociological Essay

First Step- Planning

 Read the essay question very carefully

 Plan your thoughts- Don’t just start writing as your essay will not have a logical thread to it, and ideas will
not present themselves properly
 Organise your ideas by jotting down key ideas, key terms, concepts and studies and then number them in
the order that you think it is appropriate to present them
 You might want to create a table to put your ideas into so that you can clearly see the criticisms that you
are going to use (or you may just want to stick with the numbering)
 Always used arguments for and against the subject matter that is presented in the essay title
 You should create a balanced argument, so you need to include different arguments and perspectives on
the same topic
 If you want to argue for one side of the argument more firmly do so in the conclusion but make sure you do
note criticisms

Second Step-Moving the Essay Forward

In all essays the opening and closing paragraphs are vitally important. In the introduction you should try to capture
your reader’s attention, for example by:

a) Asking a direct question - 'Does everyone live in families?' or

b) Stating a startling fact or statistic - 'Far fewer girls than boys go to university to study Physics' or

c) Giving an emphatic statement of opinion - 'Medicine makes people sick,' (Illich)

You should also introduce, or 'say what you are going to say' in the introduction. Thus a good introduction contains a
good essay structure.

For example
'Official statistics show us that crime is committed by young working class males, with ethnic minorities being
over represented. It will be useful to consider the validity of such statistics as well as reason why such groups
appear to commit more crime than, for example, women. Law creation and enforcement arguably supports
the interests of the white, male, ruling classes and thus crime statistics also are ideological.'

Third Step-Development

This is the main body of your essay. This is where you 'say it' that is, you develop the points raised in your
introduction. So, if your introduction is well structured, and relevant all that remains for you to do is to write a
paragraph on each of the points raised that are relevant to the title. Check that the final sentence or two of each
paragraph relates back to the title. The final sentence of one paragraph should lead onto the opening sentence of
the next paragraph. In this way your material is kept relevant and the developments flow on to your conclusion.
Some link words/phrases will help here:

For example, 'On the other hand, positivist perspectives on crime statistics argue that they are factual and measure
actual behaviour.'

Forth Step- Conclusion

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This is where your essay structure comes full circle by returning briefly to the points raised in your introduction and
development. It could contain a recapitulation of the arguments and possibly come down upon the side of your
premise.
For example
'It follows from the above evidence that, far from being factual, as positivists suggest, crime statistics are
actually ideological and conceal the activities of the older, white, male, ruling classes. Consequently this adds
to false consciousness and greater social control over the proletariat'.

Note: - Remember - your conclusion is the last thing the examiner reads before giving you your mark!

Essay Style: Links and Developments

Here are some useful phrases and words that are helpful 'links' in argumentative essays.

(a) Words and phrases which are used to develop an argument:-

Thus Resulting from this With this in mind

Therefore Consequently Obviously
That being so As a result It follows that
In view of this This suggests that Indeed

For example 'It has been suggested that Marxism is no longer relevant.'

(b) Words and phrases which help to redirect an argument:-

But It could be argued On the other hand
However Nevertheless It has been suggested
Alternatively On the Contrary

For example It has been suggested that Marxism is no longer relevant, however, evidence on poverty suggests it
is increasingly relevant.'

Be Careful: Avoid sweeping statements!

For example 'Everyone lives in families'. 'All men are sexist.' 'All women want babies!’

Also Distinguish Between Fact and Opinion

When you write a discursive Sociology essay make sure you get your facts right. 'Most deviance is committed by the
working classes'. This is known as a 'common sense view' but closer analysis will reveal a more precise sociological
view.

Avoid stating a common prejudice as though it was a well-known fact, for example 'Women do not make reliable
workers'.

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Essay Plan Guideline

You can use this format to plan the structure of any essay
Initial Ideas (just write down anything that comes into your head)

Introduction points 1.___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

Development paragraphs 1.___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Conclusion re-cap points 1-3 1._______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

As your knowledge develops within sociology you may want to add a fourth or fifth development paragraph.
However, make sure that what you are putting is relevant, and answering the questions.

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Reading List

Your independent research is the key to unlocking an A-A* at sociology. It is so important

to put in the effort as the job market and university places are becoming so competitive

There is a lot of reading to be don’t alongside any A Level, and within Sociology you should be doing between 3-5
hours of private study (as I mentioned earlier I would use some of this time to copy up your notes from class). You
will be expected to go and do your own research and reading around the topic. You have been given all the topic
areas in the Tracking Your Progress section, and you will need to do your own research if you are going to hit the
‘green’ target in every subject area.

Course Books

Book Title Author Relevant Chapters Relevance (10

is most
relevant)
As Level Sociology The complete course Rob Webb et al What is Sociology? p2-p11 10
for the AQA specification (This will be Families and Households p16-p89
our class text for both modules) Education p90-p159
Sociological Methods p163-p235
Preparing for the exam p237-p244
Key Concepts p245-p253
Sociology for AS AQA Ken Brown Introduction p3-p28 10
Families and Households p115-204
Education p327-415
Theory and Methods p263-p324
Sociology Themes and Perspectives Haralambos and Chapter 8- Families and Households 10
Holborn Chapter 11- Education
Chapter 14 Methodology
Sociology Themes and Perspectives AS Haralambos and Chapter 2- Families and households 10
and A2 Student Handbook Holborn Chapter 3- Education
Chapter 11 Methodology

Complete A-Z Sociology Handbook Tony Lawson and Joan All- Brilliant for Key Terms 10
Garrod
AS & A2 Sociology: Complete revision CGP Families and households 10
and practice Education
Sociological Methods
Key Ideas in Sociology Martin Slattery This is brilliant for extending your knowledge of key 8
ideas but you will need to be selective
Dictionary of Sociology Penguin Reference All 8
Sociology in Focus Paul Taylor et al Chapter 1 First Steps 7
Chapter 7 Families
Chapter 8 Education
Chapter 17 Methodology
Success in Sociology Peter Covington Topic Three: Families and Households 6
Topic Four: Education
Topic Six: Sociological Methods
Sociology Anthony Giddens 7. Families and Intimate Relationships 5
17. Education
Instant Revision As Sociology Collins Families and Households 4
Education

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Families and Households SCLY1

Book Title Author Relevant Chapters Relevance

The Sociology of the Family Graham Allan All chapters are relevant 7
Families Households and Allan and Crow All chapters are relevant 7
Society

Education and Theory and Methods- SCLY2

Book Title Author Relevant Chapters Relevance

Schooling in Capitalist Bowles and Gintis Part II 7
America

Reading Log

It is important to track your reading in case you need to come back to it again; of if you lose your notes. Fill this in
every time that you have read something to ensure that you are using your 3-5 hours of private study affectively.

Book Author Date Read Chapter/Pages Comments

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Internet Resources

The internet is a great place to find information to help you with sociology. However, please be selective in what you
read as not all of it is accurate. Please be aware that anyone can edit Wikipedia, and although sometimes it is an
invaluable source it is not always.

Suggested sites

http://www.britsoc.co.uk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news

http://www.itv.co.uk

http://www.sociology.org.uk/rload.htm

http://esociology.co.uk/

http://www.s-cool.co.uk/

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Category:A_Level_Sociology_Revision_Notes

http://www.britsoc.co.uk/

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/default.asp

http://www.youtube.com

Note: - all news websites are brilliant for linking sociological theory to contemporary issues. Also Google
books can be brilliant for adding books to your reading list that you can’t get hold of as you can often
view a few pages online for free

There will also be lots of resources on Fronter, (which you should check regularly) which you class teachers
will put up for you to use.

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Tracking Your Progress

‘Traffic light’ your sociological knowledge
Green: I’m confident with this and can easily use it in a class debate and an exam
Amber: I know about this but I’m not sure if I could use it accurately enough in an exam or class debate
Red: I need to revise this or ask for extra help as I really do not understand where or how I could use this is a debate or an exam

Amber

Green
Red
Comments
Introduction to the course: - The Basics: What is Sociology?
A basic understanding of sociology

How sociology can be linked to objects and situations in everyday situations

Understand common sense theories and the sociological imagination

The difference between sociology, biology and psychology
A basic understanding of how sociologist study society
A basic understanding of key terms and sociological language
A basic understanding of sociological theory and perspectives
A basic understanding of social problems and social policy and their influence
on sociology
SCLY1. 1. Changing patterns of marriage, cohabitation, separation, divorce, child-bearing and the life-course, and the
diversity of contemporary family and household structures
Examine marriage: fall in number of marriages, later age of first marriage
Understand cohabitation: growth of cohabitation, greater acceptability of
cohabitation, types (e.g. trial marriage, long term partnership)
Understand separation and divorce: legal position, increase in divorce after
1969, reasons for divorce; remarriages and reconstituted families
Understand child-bearing: number of children, age at which women have first
child, changes in parenting practices; lone parent families; beanpole families
Understand the life course: consideration of range of possibilities, including
living alone (singletons), grandparents
SCLY1. 2. The relationship of the family to the social structure and social change, with particular reference to the economy
and to state policies
Understand the functionalist views: the importance of the nuclear family, the
universality of the family, changing functions, how the nuclear family ‘fits’
modern society
Understand the Marxist views: the family as part of the ideological state
apparatus, as an agent of social control
Understand the feminist views: patriarchy; liberal, radical and Marxist feminism
Understand Foucault: surveillance of family life, internalisation of norms
Understand The New Right: decline of the family, demonisation of single
parents, fatherless families, uncontrollable children; Murray’s view of the
underclass; need for a return to ‘traditional’ family values
Understand the some key government policies affecting families, with more
detail on the most recent (post-1997)
Understand Post-1997 government policies assessed in relation to the theories
Understand the current policy positions of the main parties assessed in relation
to the theories
SCLY1. 3. The nature and extent of changes within the family, with reference to gender roles, domestic labour and power
relationships

Gender roles within families: functionalist, feminist, New Right and other views.

The domestic division of labour – changing nature of housework and home-

related activities related to changing roles of men and women and to
masculinity and femininity, both in and beyond the home
Decision-making and power relations within households
Consequences of unequal power: the ‘dark side of the family’, domestic
violence, child abuse, mental illness

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Amber

Green
Red
Comments
SCLY1. 4. The nature of childhood, and changes in the status of children in the family and society
Understand the social construction of childhood: how childhood differs over
time and between cultures; ways in which childhood is marked as separate from
other stages of life
Examine children and (paid) work: legal situation in UK; comparison with other
countries
Examine Children as actors within families; the rights and responsibilities of
children today
SCLY1. 5. Demographic trends in the UK since 1900; reasons for changes in birth rates, death rates and family size
Examine each of the three areas of change (birth rates, death rates and family
size) students should be aware of the trend, of possible reasons for it and of
some cross-cultural/global comparisons
Examine birth rates (and fertility rates): falling - availability of
contraception/family planning; children more likely to survive; cost of raising
children; later age of marriage; women giving priority to work, etc
Examine death rates: falling - higher life expectancy; better health care,
protection and treatment for life threatening illness, etc
Examine family size: falling - reasons similar to birth rate but focus on decisions
on individual reasons
SCLY2: 1. The role and purpose of education, including vocational education and training in contemporary society
Understand the Functionalist and New Right Views of the role and purpose of
education: transmission of values, training workforce
Understand the Marxist and other conflict views of the role and purpose of
education: social control, ideology, hegemony; ‘de schoolers’ (Illich, Friere):
socialisation into conformity by coercion
Understand the vocational education and training: the relationship between
school and work: human capital, training schemes, correspondence theory
SCLY2. 2 Differential educational achievement of social groups by social class, gender and ethnicity in contemporary society
How to analyse statistics on educational achievement by class, gender and
ethnicity; trends over time
Understand the effects of social class on educational achievement: home
environment; cultural capital, material deprivation; language (Bernstein); school
0cial mobility
Understand the effects of gender on educational achievement: feminist
accounts of gender-biased schooling; the concern over boys’
‘underachievement’ and suggested reasons; subject choice; gender identities
and schooling
Understand the effects of ethnicity on educational achievement: patterns;
reasons for variations; multicultural and anti-racist education; experience of
minorities in different types of schools
Understand the relationship between class, gender and ethnicity
Understand the effects of changes on differential achievement by social class,
gender and ethnicity
SCLY2. 3. Relationships and processes within schools, with particular reference to teacher/pupil relationships, pupil
subcultures, the hidden curriculum, and the organisation of teaching and learning
Understand school processes and the organisation of teaching and learning:
school ethos; streaming and setting; mixed ability teaching; the curriculum;
overt and hidden
Understand the concept of the ‘ideal pupil’; labelling; self-fulfilling prophecy
Understand school subcultures (e.g. as described by Willis, Mac an Ghaill)
related to class, gender and ethnicity
Understand teachers and the teaching hierarchy; teaching styles
Have a good knowledge of the curriculum, including student choice

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SCLY2. 4. The significance of educational policies, including selection, comprehensivisation and Marketisation, for an
understanding of the structure, role, impact and experience of education
Knowledge of independent schools
Understand selection; the tripartite system: reasons for its
introduction, forms of selection, entrance exams
Understand comprehensivisation: reasons for its introduction,
debates as to its success
Understand marketisation: the 1988 reforms- competition and
choice; new types of schools (CTCs, academies, specialist schools,
growth of faith schools)
Understand recent policies in relation to the curriculum, testing
and exam reforms, league tables, selection, Special Educational
Needs (SEN). etc
Understand recent policies and trends in pre-school education
and higher education
SCLY2. 5.The application of sociological research methods to the study of education (this can be taught either integrated
with the content listed above, or at the end of the study topic, or by a combination)
Understand the significance of quantitative and qualitative data
in education; the dominance of statistics (e.g. exam results,
league tables)
Understand the difference between positivist and interpretivist
approaches as applied to education
Be able to interpret and evaluate issues, strengths, limitations
and examples of the application to the study of education of the
main sources of data studied (see Sociological Methods section):
i. Questionnaires
ii. Interviews (formal/structured; informal/unstructured)
iii. Participant and non-participant observation
iv. Experiments
v. Use of documents, official statistics and other
secondary data
Understand the theoretical, practical and ethical considerations
influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s) and the conduct
of research on education
Theory and Methods 1: Quantitative and qualitative methods of research; their strengths and limitations; research design
Understand the difference between quantitative and qualitative
methods, primary and secondary methods and source, strengths
and limitations, using concepts such as validity, reliability,
representativeness
Understand the main factors influencing research design
Understand the research process: main stages
Theory and Methods 2: Sources of data, including questionnaires, interviews, participant and non-participant observation,
experiments, documents and official statistics; the strengths and limitations of these sources
Through a range of examples students should explore the
strengths and limitations in different areas of sociological
research of each of the named methods
This should include the types of questions asked, different types
of interview and of observation, and the range of documentary
and other secondary sources; the values of pilot studies;
triangulation; ways of selecting samples
Theory and Methods 3: The distinction between primary and secondary data and between quantitative and qualitative data
Primary and secondary data: difference, values of each to
sociological research, ways of evaluating usefulness of secondary
data
Quantitative and qualitative data: difference, value of each in
sociological research, ways of presenting different types of data

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Theory and Methods 4: The relationship between positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods and the nature of
‘social facts’
The differences between the positivist and interpretivist
approaches, related to choice of method and to issues such as
validity, reliability and representativeness, quantitative and
qualitative data
The nature of social facts: awareness of the relationship between
the research process and social life
Theory and Methods 5: The theoretical, practical and ethical considerations influencing choice of topic, choice of method(s)
and the conduct of research
Theoretical considerations including the theoretical position of
the researcher, issues of validity and reliability, the type of data
required
Practical considerations including costs, time, access to
respondents, sample size
Ethical considerations including the interests of researcher and
respondents, sample size researcher’s responsibilities to all
involved in the research process, the rights of respondents; issues
of anonymity, confidentiality and disclosure. Study of the British
Sociological Association’s ethical guidelines is recommended

Targets and Estimated Grades

Understanding what your estimated grade is and how you are going to achieve or better it is the key to developing in
your A levels. You will be given regular essays to complete within Sociology and tracking and monitoring you
progress is vital if you are to get the best possible grades.

You will receive and estimate grade in the first few months of the course, once you have it please enter it in the box
below.

Every time you are assessed you should ender your grade in the table below and note any comments that are made
in the improvements column so that you can track your progress and discuss any issues that you may be having.

Target Codes: - On Target (=)

Above Target (+)
Not reaching Target (-)
Start of course estimated grade
Assessment Grade Target Code Next Step/Comments
SCLY 1 A

SCLY 1 B

SCLY 1 C

SCLY1 D

SCLY 2 A

SCLY2 B

SCLY2 C

SCLY D

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