Name

Revision activity
booklet for
Paper 1

Topic 1 Studying society

Specialist terms glossary

Agents/agencies of socialisation
Beliefs
Conflict/consensus
Culture
Cultural differences
Customs
Discrimination
Ethnic group/ethnicity
Feminism
Functionalism
Gender/Sex
Identity

Marxism
Multicultural society
Nature/nurture
Norms
Role models
Peer group
Prejudice
Race
Racism
Role
Role conflict
Sanctions
Social control - formal and informal
Social deprivation and the underclass
Social issues
Social mobility
Social policies
Social processes

Social structures
Socialisation - primary and secondary
Status - ascribed and achieved
Stratification
Subculture
Stereotype
Values
Welfare state
Case Study
Content analysis

Case Study

Content analysis

Covert observation

Closed questions

Ethical considerations- anonymity, confidentiality, informed consent.

Experiments- field/laboratory

Generalisations

Hypothesis

Interviewer bias/effect

Longitudinal studies

Non-participant observation
Official statistics

Open-ended questions

Overt observation

Participant observation

Personal documents

Pilot study

Population

Primary data

Qualitative data

Quantitative data

Reliability

Representative sample

Research aims

Research methods

Research process

Sample

Sampling frame

Sampling types - random, stratified, systematic, quota, snowball

Secondary data

Triangulation

Validity

Studying Society 4 mark Compare Questions

Type A: the compare question compare one thing with another. Its always in context
use the context in the answer

DESCRIBE
ONE

Study Item C. Describe how sociologists investigate families and their lives compared with
how journalists might investigate families and their lives. (4 marks)
When investigating families and their lives, sociologists.

DESCRIBE
THE
OTHER

WHEREAS
Journalists would.

Your answer will be a description of one idea, linked to a

description of the other idea with a connective such as
whereas or on the other hand
Type B: The Explain question similar process to 4 mark questions in
family and education:
Explain what sociologists mean by joint domestic roles. (4 marks)

DEFINITION
EXPLAIN THE

PROCESS

Past exam question for topic 1 studying society

Below is a list of past exam questions. Each one has space for you to answer it using the
help from the previous page.
4 mark questions
Jan 13A Describe how a longitudinal study might be useful for research into the influence of
parents on a childs development. (4 marks)

Jan 13B Explain what sociologists mean by socialisation. (4 marks)

June 12A Describe how journalists may approach the issue of racism in British schools
differently from sociologists. (4 marks)

June 12B Explain what sociologists mean by ethnicity. (4 marks)

Jan12A Explain what sociologists mean by family diversity. (4 marks)

Jan 12B Describe how a sociological approach to families may differ from a biological
approach to families. (4 marks)

June 11 A Describe how sociologists may approach a study of truancy and explain how this
might differ from the approach of psychologists. (4 marks)

June 11 B Explain what sociologists mean by social deprivation. (4 marks)

Jan 11A Describe how sociologists investigate families and their lives compared with how
journalists might investigate families and their lives. (4 marks)

Jan 11 B Explain what sociologists mean by joint domestic roles. (4 marks)

Jan 10 A Describe how the sociological idea of gender differs from the biological idea of sex.
(4 marks)

Jan 10 B Explain what sociologists mean by gender socialisation. (4 marks)

Studying Society In context 4 mark questions

Type C: explaining why a method works: these questions ask you to explain why a
METHOD might be useful in a context.

DEFINE

Explain how the use of primary research might be useful for research into role conflict
experienced by working women. (4 marks)
Primary research is..

LINK

When researching role conflict experienced by working women, it might be useful

because

Type D: The next set of questions is based around a scenario, eg:

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate the division of
housework and childcare amongst married and cohabiting couples
today.
They are BOTH Identify and explain questions 1 mark for the identify, 3
for the explain; Dont forget to use the context:
A Identify what sociologists mean by a pilot study and explain why you might
undertake a pilot study in your investigation. (4 marks)

Explain

I/D

B Identify one ethical issue you may need to consider and explain how you
could deal with this ethical issue in your investigation. (4 marks)
A pilot study is
It might need to be undertaken when studying the division of labour in
married and
cohabiting couples today because

Past exam question for topic 1 studying society

Below is a list of past exam questions. Each one has space for you to answer it using the
help from the previous page.
Jan 13AExplain one way in which sociological research might help governments to design
policies to support parents in Britain. (4 marks)

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate the importance of family life to
teenagers.

Jan 13B Identify what sociologists mean by opinion polls and explain how useful these
might be for your investigation. (4 marks)

Jan 13C Identify one ethical issue that you may need to consider and explain how you could
deal with this issue in your investigation. (4 marks)

June 12A Explain one way in which sociological research might help schools and
educational authorities design policies to reduce racist bullying in schools. (4 marks)

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate the extent of racism in schools.

June 12B Identify what sociologists mean by secondary data and explain how useful school
racist incident figures would be for your investigation. (4 marks)

June 12C Identify one ethical issue that you may need to consider and explain why you
need to consider this ethical issue for your investigation. (4 marks)

Jan 12A Explain the importance of clear research aims when carrying out a sociological
investigation. (4 marks)

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate attitudes towards marriage.

Jan 12B Identify one secondary source of information that you would use in your study and
explain why this source might be useful. (4 marks)

Jan 12C Identify one ethical issue which may arise when asking people about marriage
and explain how you might deal with this in your research. (4 marks)

June 11A Explain one way in which sociological research might help educational authorities
to design policies to reduce truancy in Britain. (4 marks)

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate truancy amongst secondary

school pupils.

June 11B Identify what sociologists mean by official statistics and explain how useful these
might be for your investigation. (4 marks)

June 11C Identify one ethical issue that you may need to consider and explain why you
need to consider this ethical issue for this investigation. (4 marks)

Jan 11 A Explain how the use of primary research might be useful for research into role
conflict experienced by working women. (4 marks)

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate the division of housework and
childcare amongst married and cohabiting couples today.

B Identify what sociologists mean by a pilot study and explain why you might undertake a
pilot study in your investigation. (4 marks)

C Identify one ethical issue you may need to consider and explain how you could deal with

this ethical issue in your investigation. (4 marks)

June 10 A Explain one way in which a longitudinal study would be useful for research into
the socialisation of boys and girls in modern British society. (4 marks)

You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate why girls significantly outperform boys in examination subjects such as Art and English.

B Identify one way in which you could select your sample and explain why this would be
appropriate. (4 marks)

C Identify one ethical issue which may arise in the course of doing your research and
explain why this might be an issue for this particular research. (4 marks)

How to answer 6 mark questions.

The pattern of these questions is:

Identify ONE.. and explain why it is better than another..
EG Identify one primary research method that you would use and explain why it is better
than another possible primary method for your investigation

NOTE: These questions always focus on the SCENARIO

What you need to do:
a) I/d the first method
b) I/d the second method
c) Explain why one is better than the other
d) Link to the context
The marks are allocated as follows:
12 marks for basic statements.
34 marks for a partial explanation comparing the method in simple terms.
56 marks for a clear explanation relating the characteristics of the methods to their
effectiveness in obtaining the kind of information specifically required by the scenario.

How to start your answer: Identify one primary research method that you would use

Identify Identify
method 2 method 1

and explain why it is better than another possible primary method for your investigation
one primary research method that I would use is

Alternatively, another primary research method that I would use is

NEW PARAGRAPH

Explain why
ones better

Method 1 would be better than method 2 because..

This would enable me to investigate the issue more effectively

because

Past exam question for topic 1 studying society

Below is a list of past exam questions. Each one has space for you to answer it using the
help from the previous page.
6 mark questions
Jan 13 Identify one primary research method that you would use and explain why it is better
than another possible primary method for your investigation. (6 marks)

June 12 Identify one observational method that you would use and explain why it is better
than another possible observational method for obtaining information for your investigation.
(6 marks)

Jan 12 Identify one method of interviewing that you might use and explain whether this
method is better than using postal questionnaires for your research into attitudes towards
marriage. (6 marks)

June 11 Identify one sampling method that you would use and explain why it is better than
another possible sampling technique for obtaining a representative sample. (6 marks)

Jan 11 Identify one secondary source of data that you could use and explain why it is better
than another possible secondary source for obtaining the information you need. (6 marks)

June 10 Identify one primary research method that you would use and explain why it is
better than another possible primary method for obtaining the information that you need. (6
marks)