aqa a level sociology topic ten markers

AQA A Level sociology

topic ten markersTheory & Methods

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AQA A Level Sociology topic ten markers: theory & methods

1. Outline and explain two ways in which contemporary society could be described as postmodern. (10 marks)

2. Outline and explain two arguments against the view that sociology is a science. (10 marks)

3. Outline and explain two ways in which values might enter sociological research. (10 marks)

4. Outline and explain two practical issues that might influence a sociologist’s choice of research method. (10 marks)

5. Outline and explain two factors that might influence a sociologist’s choice of research topic. (10 marks)

6. Outline and explain two advantages of using questionnaires in sociological research. (10 marks)

7. Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using unstructured interviews. (10 marks)

8. Outline and explain two disadvantages of using covert observations, compared with overt observations. (10 marks)

9. Outline and explain two advantages of using field experiments in sociological research. (10 marks)

10. Outline and explain two advantages of using personal documents in sociological research. (10 marks)

11. Outline and explain two advantages of using official statistics in sociological research. (10 marks)

12. Outline and explain two ways in which sociology might influence government policy. (10 marks)

CRIME & DEVIANCE 10 MARKERS



Outline and explain two ways in which contemporary society could be described as postmodern. (10 marks) Postmodernistsarguethatsocietyhasmovedonfromthemoderneraintotheeraofpostmodernity.Onefeatureofapostmodernsocietyisthehugeamountofchoicethatexiststoday.Itisnotjustthatpeoplecanachievestatusinsocietythroughmeritocracyratherthanhaveitascribedbybirth(whichwasafeatureofmodernsociety,accordingtofunctionalists)butthatpeoplecanliterallychoosetheiridentityandtheirstatus.Achoicesocietyisnotcharacterisedbyconsensusorbyafundamentalconflict,asmodernisttheoriesargued,butinsteadpeoplecanchoosetheirculture,theirbeliefs,theirfamily,theirgender,theirethnicity.Thishugeamountofchoiceisatonceempoweringandunsettling.Forexample,theabilityformenandwomentochoosetheirgenderidentityandroleisaliberatingideabutonethathasled,someargue,toacrisisofmasculinity.Whilethereisevidenceofchoiceanddiversityinaspectsofcontemporarysociety(e.g.familydiversity,educationaldiversity,themultitudeoftelevisionchannels),somewouldquestionwhetherpostmodernistsoverstatetheextentandsignificanceofthischange.Mostpeopleliveinthefamiliesandwiththegenderandethnicidentitiestheywerebornintoand,globally,mostpeopleinmostoftheworldhaveverylimitedchoices.SociologistssuchasAnthonyGiddensprefertousethetermlatemodernitytosuggestthereisacontinuationfromthemoderneraratherthanawhollynewage.Anotherwayinwhichsomearguethatcontemporarysocietyispostmodernisitsglobalcharacter:i.e.theeffectsoftheprocessofglobalisation.Afeatureofpostmodernsociety,forsociologistssuchasCohenandKennedy,isglobalisation:theprocessbywhichsocietiesarebecomingevermoreinterconnectedandinterdependent.Ifthemodernerawastheeraofthenationstateasasocialunit,thepostmoderneraisglobal.Aglobaleconomy,increasinglysupranationalpoliticalstructuresandanincreasinglyglobalcultureexist.WhileMarxistswouldarguethatthisiswesternisationandculturalimperialism–acontinuationoftheimperialismthatexistedinthemodernera–postmodernistssuggestitisamorecomplex,fluidandandinterdependentprocessthanthat.Thereisanincreasinghybridityofculture,whichcontributestothechoicesocietypreviouslymentioned,wherepeoplecantakepartsofwesternandeasterncultureandcreatetheirownpick‐and‐mixbeliefsandworldview,assuggestedbyBaudrillard.

Thereisnorequirementforanintroductionfor10‐markquestions.There’snoharminashortone,herethewriterhasoptedtogostraightintothefirst“way”(afterasentenceofbackground).Thefirstparagraphismore‐or‐lessaclassicPEEL(butwithanemphasisonanalysisanddevelopmentratherthanevaluation)includingplentyofkeyterminology.Someoftheanalysishereisquiteevaluative,butthereisnoneedtoincludecounterarguments.TheAO3marksareforanalysisratherthanevaluation.Veryclearthatwehavemovedontothesecondway.Again,theanalysishasahintoffocusedevaluation,whichisfine,butthereisnoneedtospendtimeonargumentssuggestingthatglobalisationisnothappening.Thefocusiskeptonpostmodernity,ratherthanbroaderpointsaboutglobalisation


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[395words]Examinercomments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisisatopbandanswer.Two“ways”areidentifiedandclearlyanddistinctlyaddressed.Keepingthetwowaysinseparateparagraphsandclearlysignpostingthemwithphraseslike“anotherway”meansthattheexaminerknowspreciselywhattomarkandcredit.Keyterminologyisusedthroughoutandplentyofrelevantconceptsarepackedinandusedeffectivelyaspartofachainofreasoningandanalysis.Ofcoursethewritercouldhavechosenanumberofotherpossibleways:rapidchange,hyper‐reality,reflexivity,etc.Itisimportantthat,whiledemonstratingexcellentknowledgeofthetopic,thereisnotemptationtolistallthoseotherways.Theywillnotbecreditedandonlythebesttwowillbemarked.Itis,however,possibletobringmoreconceptsintothedevelopmentandanalysisofoneofthepoints.Inthisessay,thereissomediscussionofBaudrillardandpick‐and‐mixculturewithinthesectionofglobalisationbutitisclearlytiedtoglobalisation(asacontrasttotheideaofwesternisationorculturalimperialism)sothereisnoriskthatitmightbeseenasathird“way”.



Outline and explain two ways in which sociology might influence government policy. (10 marks) Onewayinwhichsociologymightinfluenceagovernment’ssocialpolicyisthroughtheidentificationofasocialproblemthatrequirespoliciestosolveit.Policiesareoftendesignedtosolveproblemsinsociety,forexample,differentialeducationalachievementorpatternsofcrimeanddeviance.Sociologicalresearchbringstheseproblemstotheattentionofthepublic,mediaandgovernmentaswellasprovidingevidencetoshowtheextentoftheproblem.Forexample,lotsofresearchshowedthatsocialclassdifferencesineducationalachievementarealreadyapparentatpre‐schoolage.ThisevidencecontributedtowardstheLabourgovernmentof1997‐2010developingSurestartcentres,asaformofcompensatoryeducation.ThesamegovernmentintroducedEMApaymentstopupilsfromlow‐incomehouseholds,partlyasaresultofresearchbySmithandNoble(1995)thatshowedlackofmoneyforeducationalresourcesandtravelwasabarriertocontinuingineducation.Theseareclearexamplesofsocialresearchidentifyingsocialproblems,leadingtogovernmentadoptingpoliciestosolvethem.Thepartyinpowermightwellrespondtodifferentresearch,however.Thecoalitiongovernmentelectedin2010scrappedEMAandcutmanySurestartcentres,despiteaccesstothesamesociologicalevidence.Anotherwaysociologymightinfluencegovernmentpolicyisthroughdevelopingtheoriesthatseektoexplainsocialproblemsandidentifypossiblesolutionsandstrategies.MaxWeberarguedthatsociologyshouldprovideevidenceforpolicy‐makerswithoutmakingjudgementsorproposingpolicies.OthershavebeenmuchkeenertoinfluencepolicyandwhileMarxistsandradicalfeministshavearguedforthefundamental,radicalreformunlikelytobeembracedbygovernments,othersociologistshavehadalotofinfluence.Forexample,NewRightsociologistslikeMurrayandMarslandinfluencedtheconservativegovernmentofMargaretThatcherandtheThirdWaysociologistAnthonyGiddensandleftrealistsociologistslikeLeaandYounginfluencedTonyBlair’sNewLabourgovernment.Therightrealistsociologist,JamesQ.WilsondevelopedhisbrokenwindowstheorythatdirectlyinfluencedgovernmentpolicyinNewYorkand,toalesserextentotherUScitiesandtheUK,encouragingzerotolerancepolicing.Murray’sworkontheunderclassinfluencedwelfarepoliciesunderThatcherandMajor.Therefore,itisnotjustevidencethatinfluencessocialpolicy,buttheorytoo.

Thisanswergetsstraightintothefirstway.Ifthequestionhadbeenworded“socialpolicy’itmighthavedemandedabriefdefinition.Specificexamplesofpoliciesandsomeresearcharegiventomakethispointexplicit.Theanalysisisevaluativeincharacterbutthereisnocounter‐argumenttosuggestsociologydoesnotinfluencepolicyasthiswouldnotbecreditworthy.Thesecondwayisclearlyidentifiedandexplained.Sometheoreticalbackgroundandanalysishelpstodevelopthepoint.Specificexamplesillustratetheargument,makingitadetailedandthoroughresponse.


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[367words]ExaminerComments: MarkBand:8‐10Thisisatop‐bandanswer.Studentsareoftenworriedaboutsocialpolicyquestions,butthisanswershowsthat(dependingonthequestion)highmarksareavailablewithouthavingtoconsiderparticularlydifficultconcepts.Thisansweridentifiesthetwomostlikelyresponsesandillustratesthemwithplentyofexamples.TheexamplesherearefromEducationandCrimeandDevianceandsowouldbeavailabletoallstudents;itisalsolikelythatstudentsmightidentifyexamplesfromoptionalmoduleslikeFamiliesandHouseholdsorGlobalDevelopment.Plentyofexamplesareused,butthefocusiskeptfirmlyonthequestion,withoutextendeddescriptivepassagesabouttheexamples.

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aqa a level sociology topic ten markers

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