GCE TEACHERS GUIDE

New Specifications:
for teaching from September 2008

Sociology
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 1

Contents
GCE AS and A Level SOCIOLOGY
Teachers Guide

Page

1. Introduction 3
- Rationale 3
- Overview of New Specification 4
- Changes for teaching from September 2008 5

2. Delivering the specification 6

- Pathways through the Specification 7
- Example of Approach 8

3. Support for Teachers 9

- WJEC Services 9
- Generic Resources 10
- NGfL Cymru 12
- Other Websites 13

4. - SY1 : Acquiring Culture 14

5. - SY2 : Understanding Culture 19

6. - SY3 : Understanding Power and Inequality 25

7. - SY4 : Understanding Social division 28

8. - SY2 and SY4: Research Methods 32

9. Assessment Evidence 34
- Advice 34
- Levels of Achievement 35

The material pro vided i n this b ooklet co mplements th e speci fication and th e s pecimen
assessment ma terials. All th ree do cuments may be a ccessed o n (website pages).
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 2
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 3

1. INTRODUCTION

Rationale

The Wels h Joint G CE Sociology Spec ification has been draw n up by a team of serving
teachers and examiners of AS/A2 Sociology.

We recognise that Sociology as a subject has grown and developed since its introduction as
an A level specification.

Our aims are:

To clarify and exemplify the specification content
To recognise that the content of a sociology curriculum should be flexible enough to
acknowledge social change because it reflects the nature of society itself
To emphasise recent changes in sociology
To develop candidate understanding of the nature of British society at the turn of the
millennium
To encourage an overview of issues of global and national significance
To look at social structures as well as to explore the understanding that sociology can
bring to the individual concerned with his or her place in society.

Our intentio n is to provide parity of content and testing procedures for each of the units
within the modules so that teachers can choo se to follow a route through the course th at
would suit their student and institutional needs.

We are res ponsive to t eacher c oncerns and w elcome c onstructive fe edback from c entres
and students who are following our specifications.

In designin g the spec ification, the following elements of good practice in t he delivery of
Sociology at AS/A level have been borne in mind:

Collaboration between students There should be opportunities for students to work

in such a way as to support their own and each others learning.
Collaboration with staff There should be opportunities for students to work with their
teaching staff
Active learning techniques
Independent learning
Organised and planned teaching
Prompt feedback to students
High expectations of student achievement
Respect for different ways of learning
An awareness of key skills including the wider skills
The need to reflect upon topics studied and students own life experiences
Respect for other cultures
Moral and ethical awareness should be encouraged
The importance of life long learning
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 4

Overview of the Specification

Unit Specification content Examination mode

Unit SY 1 Compulsory core testing Stimulus question

Acquiring Culture understanding of processes of
socialisation
60 minutes written
paper Choose from one of the following Two part extended writing
three options: question
1. Family and Culture
2. Youth Culture
3. Community and Culture

Unit SY 2 Compulsory question testing Stimulus question

Understanding understanding of research methods
culture

90 minutes written Choose from one of the following Two part extended writing
paper three options: question
1. Education
2. Mass Media
3. Religion

Unit SY 3 Choose from one of the following Two part extended writing
Understanding three options: question
power and 1. Understanding Crime
inequality 2. Unders tanding Politics
3. Understanding Health and
60 minutes written Disability
paper

Unit SY 4 Compulsory core testing application Compulsory question related

Understanding and evaluation of theory of research to research design and
social divisions methods methodology based on one of
two possible scenarios
120 minutes written
paper Choose from one of the following two One question from a choice
options: of two options.

1. World Sociology
2. Social Inequalities
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 5

Changes to the specification for delivery in September 2008

The key changes are:

There will be no coursework option. All assessment is by written examination.

The content has been expanded and clarified in each option fo r th e bene fit o f
teachers and for students.

Note that Understandin g Health and Dis ability is now an o ption on the SY 3 paper
and is therefore an A2 topic.

The Mass Media will now be tested at AS level in SY 2

Research Methods will be tested at AS and A2 level in compulsory core questions.

Synopticity is examined in both Units SY 3 and SY 4, and is therefore present in both

A2 units. Synopticity is defined as drawing together knowledge, evidence and skills in
different as pects of the course. I t involves the ex plicit understanding of the
connections between:
o One or more of the subs tantive areas of sociology (w ith referenc e to class,
gender, age, ethnicity and locality)
o The nature of sociological thought (with reference to theory)
o Methods of sociological enquiry
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 6

2. DELIVERING THE SPECIFICATION

The emphasis in delive ring the s pecification should be on contemporary debate and rec ent
study. In order to supp ort teachers, much of the suggested additional reading is drawn from
recent publications.

Stimulus ma terial for questions w ill be dra wn from a v ariety of s ources, inc luding rec ent
editions of Social Trends and fro m res earch and journal s relevant t o the subject of each
option.

It is expected that candidates s hould be familiar with the content of s erious newspapers and
publications such as Social Trends and Sociology Review. Candidates will not be required
to be aware of any specific research articles; however, they should be able to draw on such
material in order to provide supporting evidence for answers.

The focus of the course should be on considering iss ues relevant to c ontemporary society.
Debates may then be studied in the light of modern s ociological unders tanding and
developing knowledge of methodology, research and theory.

It is suggeste d that teac hers may wish to p repare candid ates by adopting a c ase study
approach where pos sible. In thi s way candidates will gain transferable sociological and key
skills that can be applied to any analysis of a sociological concern.

The questions on the s ynoptic pap er will require candida tes to be a ware of some of the
wider social debates taking place with reference to world sociology or social inequality.

An in-depth understanding of political issues will not be necessary to succeed in the synoptic
paper, but candidates will be better prepared for the final paper if they have been presented
with a variety of materials which show the c ontribution that recent sociology has to make to
areas of pu blic and policy debate su ch as edu cation, health c are, welfare, redistribution of
wealth, and affirmative action as applied to the synoptic topic of choice.
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 7

Pathways through the specification

The Route through the course

A traditional route through the AS/A level spec ification would be a relativ ely simple
undertaking as th ere are w ell-established bo oks and resources to support s taff and
candidates. This type of c ourse could c onsist of the following choice of options within the
units:

SY 1 Socialisation (Compulsory)
Option 1 The Family

SY 2 Research Methods (Compulsory)

Option 1 Education

SY 3 Option 1 Understanding Crime

SY 4 Applied Research Methods (Compulsory)

Option 2 Social Inequality

The intentio n of the sp ecification is to make th e options c omparable, but resourci ng s ome
options ma y offer more problems fo r teachers b ecause the y are not as w ell established in
schools and colleges.

A route tha t w ould offer challen ge, but w hich reflects more rec ent sociological thinking,
would consist of lookin g at the nature of co mmunity. With each o ption choice, the focus
widens to conside r soc ial iss ues of broader global concern. The syn optic element of the
course would then encompass an understanding of the changing nature of world society.

This type of course could consist of the following choice of options within the units:

SY 1 Socialisation (Compulsory)
Option 3 - Community

SY 2 Research Methods (Compulsory)

Option 2 Religion

SY 3 Option 2 Understanding Politics

SY 4 Applied Research Methods (Compulsory)

Option 1 World Sociology

It is a dvisable for c entres to c onstruct a route through the c ourse that will support their
eventual ch oice of sy noptic option. References and ex amples can be developed as the
course is c onstructed which will offer c andidates a c hance to dev elop sy noptic
understandings even as they stud y for AS lev el Sociolog y. Whichever route is c hosen by
centres, it is expected that candidates should develop sociological skills and understandings
that will prepare them f or higher level study and develop in themselves an awareness of the
cultures and societies of which they may be part.
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 8

Sample Lesson Plan

This is a sample introductory le sson plan for AS Soc iology based o n stimulu s materials
available on the NGfL Cymru Website. This is intended to illustrate how key skills and target
assessment objec tives can be incorporated into the ac tive delivery of Sociology at A level.
Further schemes of work, detailed lesson plans and res ource materials are available on the
NGfL website.

How is our behaviour shaped by social rules? Teaching Rationale

Time allocated 1 hour

To reinforce the idea that culture forms us and that no individual is free of
culture
Aims of lesson
To work on learning skills vocabulary of sociology

Jordan born or made beautiful worksheet

Initial stimulus
Students to work in groups of three and identify which elements of Working with others
material
Jordans beauty are natural to her and which are either cultural or
artificially developed.

To identify key theme that people are limited by biology but nevertheless
Knowledge and
Discussion/ plenary are able to shape an identity in order to fit in with cultural demands of what
Understanding
is expected on them by others how is that done?

Students to identify biological needs and imperatives: food, sleep,

Knowledge and
Activity procreation, warmth, shelter, group formation, toilet etc. These to be listed
Understanding
on white board.

Individually, students to suggest one social or cultural law to control how

this behaviour should be carried out:
(e.g. Warmth: we need to cover ourselves Social rule males may not
wear skirts or dresses in most circumstances) Working with others
Pupil processing
Communication
Each student to share suggested rules with one other in class.

Each pair to talk about one rule to whole of class

How many rules are there to govern how we should behave?

Analysis and
Plenary How important are those rules in shaping how we act and how others
Evaluation
perceive us?

Teacher to explain that there are a variety of written and unwritten rules in
society that govern how we behave and act: norms, values, mores and
laws. Some of these are formal (laws); others are informal (norms etc) and Knowledge and
New information
most can be applied more or less stringently according to social context Understanding

These should be defined and written in notes

We are governed by rules and expected notions of how we should look

Knowledge and
Discussion/ plenary and act. These have been identified and categorised by sociologists who
Understanding
have developed a language to analyse these rules.

To learn key language for a short test

Independent study To look at definitions of key terms on NGfL website: see glossary Knowledge and
and stretch To investigate rules of society in chosen textbooks (GCSE or A level will Understanding
be appropriate for this work)

Jordan born or made (NGfL website)

Resources
Sociology dictionaries or glossaries (See NGfL website)

Assessment Individual discussion with students during activities

opportunity Quality of written definitions in notes based on key learning for lesson
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 9

3. SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS

WJEC provides the following as part of its support for all specifications:

Examiners reports on each examinations series

Free access to past question papers via the WJEC secure website
Easy access to specification and other key documents on main website
Itemised feedback on outcomes for candidates at question level
Regular INSET delivered by Chief Examiners
Easy access to both the Subject Officer and to administrative sections

WJEC contact details, including those of the Subject Officer, are given at the end of
this Guide.

There are a number of recently produced generic textbooks that are more than adequate for
complete delivery of t he specifi cation. Re alistically, therefore, the spec ification can b e
delivered via current commercial materials targeted at the AS/A level market.

Please Note: For teac hers who wish to enhance their own subject k nowledge, w e have
provided de tailed lists of current r eading. There is no obligation o n either teachers or
students to work their way through this material. Whilst many of the texts suggested for the
various options might not be s uitable for candidate us e, they would be appropriate for
teachers who are interested in ref reshing or e xtending their k nowledge of more recent
sociological writing in those areas.

The s pecification has li mited the content required of candidates in ord er to allow c entres
flexibility in terms of delivery. W e have therefore added s uggestions for relev ant we bsites,
and media stimulus, where relevant, in order to enable centres to vary their appr oaches to
the delivery of Sociology at AS/A level.

The websites, by their nature, are generally a ppropriate f or candidat e use and guidance.
However, whilst most of the sites are well established and have detailed topic guidance or
invaluable links, they are dynamic and we cannot guarantee their content or their life span.

As more re sources and materials s uitable fo r teachers become available, th is support

booklet will be updated to take account of new ideas. Teachers may wish to bring their ideas
and suggestions to Inset sessions so that they can be more widely disseminated to support
colleagues.

We w ould be pleased to receive further suggesti ons and ideas in order to improve future
editions of this guidance material.

Materials in both Welsh and English have be en placed on the NGfL Cymru website. For
detailed teacher guidance, support, schemes of work and many other resources, please see

www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc-home/vtc-post-16-home/vtc-as_sociology.htm

For other enquiries or information, visit

www.wjec.co.uk
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 10

Generic Resources for the Specification as a whole

The structure of the specification reflects the questions th at may be asked of ca ndidates
under examination conditions.

Centres should stress the importanc e of the following elements of Sociology in their delivery
of units, irrespective of option choice:

Understanding of key terms and concepts

Patterns, statistics and trends relating to contemporary society
Sociological explanations for the trends and patterns identified

Reference to contemporary theory and modern examples will be rew arded. In addition, the
synoptic paper requires a questioning approach and some awareness of how social policies
may affect social events and social structures.

WJEC recognises the constraints on teachers in terms of the materials available for use, but
emphasises that w herever possible or realistic, candidate s should b e offered a ccess t o
evidence, d ata, statisti cs and materials that o riginated less than thirty years ago. Stimulus
material for questions w ill be dra wn from re cent data and public ations. Clearly some
sociological debate, a nd much relevant the ory, predat es the 197 0s, so teac hers must
exercise judgement in their selection of teaching materi als and c andidates will not be
penalised if they make reference to early studies.

Suggested textbooks include:

Abbott P and Wallace C, An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives

(2nd edition), Routledge 1996
Giddens.A (2003) Introduction to Sociology. 4th Edition. Norton Publishers.
Haralambos.M (2004) Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. London. Collins.
Ken Browne (2006) An Introduction to Sociology for AS Polity Press
Kidd W et al, Readings in Sociology, Heinemann 1998
Kidd W et al, Sociology AS for OCR, Heinemann 2003
Lawson, T. and Garro d, J. (2001) A-Z Sociology Workbook. London: Hodder and
Stoughton.
Lawson, T., Jones, M. and Moores, R. (2000). Advanced Sociology Through
Diagrams. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Generic tex tbooks that are partic ularly us eful f or students include the following. Teac hers
may s elect v ersions t ailored for AQA or OCR spec ifications depe nding on th e options
selected for examination:

McNeill P, Blundell and Griffiths, (2003) Sociology AS, The Complete Companion,
Nelson Thornes
Moore, S., Aiken, D. & Chapman, S. (2002) Sociology for AS and Sociology for
A2, Collins
Taylor P et al, (2004) Sociology in Focus, Longmans
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 11

There are a number of publishers who produce series of individual texts for options, see

Selfe, P (series editor) Access to Sociology, Hodder and Stoughton

Sociology in Action Series: Inv estigating Religion, Mass Media, Education,

Families, H ealth, Cultu re and Identity, Crime and Devian ce, Soc ial R esearch a nd
Political Sociology, Collins

Philip Allan Updates , f or ordering s ee www.philipallan.co.uk as thes e are not

available in bookshops.

In addition candidates are directed to look at:

Martyn Denscombe Sociology Updates (updated annually) Olympus Books UK, 32

Shirley Road, Stoneygate, Leicestershire LE32 3LJ

Sociology Review, Philip Allan Publishers, Bookpoint Ltd, 130 Milton Park,
Abingdon, OX14 45B
www.philipallan.co.uk

New Internationalist, Tower House, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, LE16 9EF

BBC Radio 4 and the World Service are highly recommended. The BBC has an excellent
Website and discus sions can be dow nloaded t o MP3 players for play ing on computers or
direct to I-Pod. Of particular interest are:

Thinking Aloud with Prof Laurie Taylor

This Morning
From Our Own Correspondent

Candidates should al so be encoura ged to read newspapers and maga zines with a critica l
and s ociological ey e. Materials draw n from t hese sources may well be us ed a s stimu lus
materials for examinations.

In addition, teachers an d lec turers of Sociol ogy may find u seful support from their subjec t
association, w hich has a useful journal covering both soc iological and profes sional issues .
There is als o a highly d eveloped ra nge of resources and materials, links to good w ebsites
and a series of professional conferences supporting teachers of Sociology.

The Association for the Teaching of Social Sciences (ATSS)

Old Hall Lane

Manchester M13 0XT

Web: www.atss.org.uk
Email: Atss@btconnect.com
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 12

National Grid for Learning - Cymru

A particular source of resources and support for teachers of WJEC Sociology GCE AS/2 has
been created on the National Grid for Learning Cymru by teachers of Sociology.

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc-home/vtc-as_a_level-home/vtc-as_sociology.htm

Teachers will find a wide range of supporting materials including:

AS/A level student guide course outlines

Guides to revision
Online vocabulary list
Online detailed glossary
Detailed schemes of work
Course outlines
Specifications Inset PowerPoints
Content PowerPoints
Support and publicity material such as wall displays and handouts
Exercises and worksheets

Additional material is planned and is being prepared for the site, including

Interactive features and games (hangman, word searches, quiz games)

Single lessons on topics with resource materials and teacher guidance as to how
the material can be used.

Much of this material is intended to be downloaded so that it can be edited by teachers to

suit the needs of their own candidates and centres.

The list of websites is comprehensive and the links are checked regularly to ensure that they
are still live and of use to teachers. Please contact NGfL Cymru if you become aware of new
and useful sites.

Please keep returning to this site as new materials become available. It is hoped that
teachers will be willing to contribute their own work and ideas to this site for the benefit of
colleagues in other centres.
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 13

General Websites
www.wjec.co.uk
The WJEC Website offers recent information on courses and Inset.

www.atss.org.uk
The Association for the Teaching of the Social Sciences offers Inset, support and a
range of cheap resources. See the links page for good sociology sites.

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/index.aspx
The Economic an d S ocial Rese arch Counc il has summaries of all the recent
research it has s ponsored. See the Plain English pages and the press releases f or
student friendly accounts.

www.guardian.co.uk
The G uardian new spaper has a us eful sear ch engine, w hich provides information
about recen t s ocial re search a nd may be a starting point for those attempting to
identify a research topic for AS coursework.

www.jrf.org.uk
The Jos eph Row ntree Foundation has a huge number of research repo rts. For
summaries of recent research, look for t he pre ss releases where the main finding s
are summarised.

www.sociology.org.uk
A website with a huge amount of free resources and advice material for candidates of
sociology.

www.sosig.ac.uk
This is the Social Science Information Gateway, which has links to a vast number of
articles, sites and journals.

www.s-cool.co.uk
A teaching and revision site with good sociology content.

www.statistics.gov.uk
This is the website of the Offic e for National Statistics. The re is an immense amount
of data available, including pdf. files of Social Trends

www.le.ac.uk/se/resources/SocSci/index.html
This contains a variety of free worksheets and resources for printing.
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 14

4. UNIT GUIDE SY1

SY 1 Acquiring Culture

Option One: Family and Culture

The Sociology of Family and Culture addresses the links between identity, socialisation and
the experience of family members in c ontemporary society. Underpinning this option is the
notion that f amily is an experience (e .g. in the sense of be longing to a kin ship group w ith
duties and obligations) a nd also a choice for individuals w ho e xpress a sense of shared
identity (experiences, tastes and cultural expression).

It is concerned with helping candida tes to under stand the importance of the different forms
that family can tak e in ou r s ociety and the importance of t he family u nit as an agency of
socialisation. The focus of this opti on s hould b e on the way that fami ly transmits cultura l
values to children and on family change, structure and ideology.

Allan, Graham. (1996) Kinship and Friendship in Modern Britain

Bernardes J, (1997) Family Studies: an Introduction, Routledge
Charles, N (2003) Gender in Modern Britain
Cheal David, (2002) Sociology of Family Life Basingstoke : Palgrave,
Curtice J, Park A, Brook L & Thompson K (eds) British Social Attitudes: the 13th
Report
Gelles, R. (1995) Contemporary Families, London: Sage
Gittins D, (1993) The Family in Question Macmillan, 2nd ed.
Jorgensen N, (1995) Investigating Families and Households, Collins
Morgan D, (1996) Family Connections, Cambridge, Polity
Ribbens, Jane et al (2003) Making Families
Scott J , Treas J and Ric hards M (e ds) (2004) The Blackwell Companion to The
Sociology of Families

Websites

http://www.afa.net/
The Americ an Family Assoc iation is a Right wing campaigning group which supports
traditional family ideologies

www.nfpi.org.uk
National Family and Parenting Institute - A charity w ebsite w ith material on its res earch,
campaigns and advisory role.

www.oneplusone.org.uk
One Plus One with an interest in prevention of relationship breakdown

www.sps.cam.ac.uk/CFR/cfrhome.htm
Centre for Family R esearch Cambridge - Academic information for tho se working on famil y
and kinship

apsoc.ox.ac.uk/parenting/main.htm
Oxford Centre for Research into Parenting
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 15

sticerd.lse.ac.uk/case/publications/casebriefs.asp
Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion Free downloads and project summaries

www.aifs.org.au/institute/pubs/pubsmenus.html
Australian I nstitute for Family Stu dies - rese arch organi sation for u nderstanding family
matters in Australia.

Film and video that may be of interest:

Soap operas such as Eastenders or Coronation Street

Lady and the Tramp (Disney film offers functionalist view of gender)
The Simpsons
The Royle Family
Vera Drake (contentious views but explores roles of women in 1950s)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 16

SY 1 Acquiring Culture

Option two: Youth Culture

The Soc iology of Youth Culture ad dresses the links between identity, socialisation and the
experience of young pe ople in contemporary society. Underpinning this option is the notion
that youth culture is an experience (e.g. in the sense of bel onging to a distinct sub-culture)
and also a choice for individuals who express a sense of shared identity (shared ideologies,
tastes and cultural expression).

This option is concerned w ith helping candid ates to understand the importance of the
different ex periences a nd cultural e xpression of y oung adults in o ur society and th e
importance of the peer group as an agency of socialisation.

A generic textbook suitable for this element of the course is

Richardson, John., (2005) Youth and Culture for OCR Causeway Press, Pearson
Education

Other relevant reading includes

Back, L. (1996) New Ethnicities and Urban Culture: Racisms and Multiculture in
Young Lives, London, UCL Press.
Bennett, A. (2000) Popular Music and Youth Culture, Macmillan.
Campbell, A. 1984. The Girls in the Gang
Gelder, K. and S. Thornton (1997) The Subcultures Reader, London: Routledge.
Griffin, C. (1993) Representations of Youth, Cambridge: Polity Press.
McRobbie, A. (1991) Feminism and Youth Culture, Basingstoke: Macmillan
Osgerby, B. (1998) Youth in Britain since 1945, Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
Phillips A, (1993) The Trouble with Boys, Pandora
Redhead St eve (Ed) (1 998) The Club cultures Reader: Readings in Popular
Cultural Studies Oxford, Blackwell
Roche, J. and S. Tucker (1997) Youth in Society, London: Sage.
Skelton, T. and G. Valentine (eds.) (1998) Cool Places: Geographies of Youth
Cultures, London: Routledge.
Thornton, S. (1995), Club Cultures: music, media and subcultural capital, Polity
Press, Cambridge.

Websites

www.dfee.gov.uk/socialexcl
UK government Social Exclusion Unit

www.drugscope.org.uk
Has good non-judgemental links and research material on youth culture and drug culture

www.connexions.gov.uk/ UK gov ernment Conne xions Service for you ng people aged 13
to 19

www.coe.fr/youth/home.htm
Council of Europe and Youth

www.nya.org.uk
National Youth Agency
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 17

www.ncl.ac.uk/youthnightlife/home.htm
A project fu nded by the UK Gov ernment's Economic and Soc ial Research Council (ESRC)
into club culture

www.keele.ac.uk/depts/so/youthchron/
Review of youth policies in the UK

www.aber.ac.uk/media/Sections/music.html
Daniel Chandlers Medi a s ite ha s o n-line articles on y outh culture and popular mu sic and
links to on-line journals such as NME, Mixmag

Film and video that may be of interest:

Grease (1950s interpreted via a 1970s musical)

Easy Rider (1960s Hippies on a road trip)
Spinal Tap (Mock rock documentary)
Eight Mile (Eminem)
Quadrophrenia (The Whos Rock opera based on Mods and Rockers: judgement
required here as the sex and violence is explicit)
10 things I hate about you (American teen drama based on the Taming of the Shrew)
Bend it like Beckham (Culture clash for Sikh young woman)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 18

SY 1 Acquiring Culture

Option three: Community and Culture

The Sociology of Co mmunity ad dresses the link s between identity , soc ialisation and
community in contemporary society. Underpinning this option is the notion that community is
an experience (e.g. a sense of belonging to a locality) and also a choice for individuals who
express a sense of shared identity (membership of an ethnic minority or national group). It is
concerned with helping candidates to understand the difference between urban and rural life
and to look at the changing nature of modern society.

The focus of this option should be on the way that the social groups to which we belong, and
have a sense of belonging to, consist sets of c ultural values to which individuals subscribe
and from which they draw an identity.

Amin, K. and Richardson, R. (1994) Multi-Ethnic Britain: facts and trends.

Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined Communities, 2nd ed. London: Verso.
Bauman, Z. (2001) Community: Seeking Safety in an Insecure World Bell
C and Billington R et al, (1991) Culture and Society, Macmillan
Blood R (July 2003) We've Got Blog: How Weblogs Are Changing Our Culture
Chaney D, (1996) Lifestyles, Routledge,
Corrigan P, (1997) Sociology of Consumption, Sage
Crow, G. and Allan, G . (1994) Community Life: An introduction to Local Social
Relations
Pilkington, A (2003) Racial Disadvantage and Ethnic Diversity in Britain
Willis P, (1996 ) Common Culture, OUP
Woodward K, (1997) Identity and Difference, OUP
Young and Wilmott (1957) Family and Kinship in East London,

Websites

www.geneseo.edu/~bicket/panop/home.htm
Kiss of the Panoptic on - A cultural studies site with some relevant material on identity and
culture

vos.ucsb.edu/index.asp
Voice of the Shuttle - More cultural studies with vast numbers of links and ideas.

www.wales.gov.uk t he w ebsite of the Nation al Assemb ly for Wales produces regional

statistics, these are bilingual. Use the excellent search engine for support.

A si te for teachers onl y www.Cardiff.ac .uk/socsi/undergraduate/introsoc/gemein.html on

Tonnies, gemeinschaft and geselschaft

Film and video that may be of interest:

Hedd Wyn (First World War drama of Welsh poet and his community)
East is East (1970s Irish/Pakistani culture based in Salford)
Brass (Miners strike and death of community in fictional northern town)
Soap opera such as Pobol y Cwm, Eastenders, Coronation Street,
Bend it like Beckham (Culture clash for Sikh young woman)
Billy Elliot (working class mining community threatened by Thatcherism)
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 19

5. UNIT GUIDE: SY2

SY 2 Understanding Culture

Option one: Education

The Sociology of Education addresses the role of education in the secondary socialisation of
people into a sense of their position in contemporary society. Underpinning this option is the
notion that indiv idual experiences of education prepare people for different roles in life and
have a contributory role in life c hance and life expectations. These are different for differing
groups of people.

The Sociology of Education is concerned with helping candidates to unders tand how
educational processes may impact on specific social grou pings or how e xternal i nfluences
may affect the educational experiences of children. The focus of this option should be on the
way that ed ucation co nsists of p assing on sets of cultural values to w hich indiv iduals
subscribe and from which they draw an identity.

Carlen, P. G leeson, D . and Wardh augh, J. (1993) Truancy: the politics of

compulsory schooling, London: Falmer, chs 2 & 3
Coffey A (2001) Education and Social Change Buckingham: Open University Press
Francis, B (2003) Boys, Girls and Achievement Addressing the Classroom
Issues Buckingham: Open University Press
Halsey AH et. al. 2002 Education: Culture, Economy, Society Oxford: OUP
Mackinnon S et al, Education in the UK: Facts and Figures, Hodder
Murray, C and Herrnstein, J The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in
American Life
Savage, M. (2000), Class analysis and social transformation, Buckingham : Open
University Press .
Stratham J & Hales M 1999 Education in the UK: Facts and Figures (3rd edition)
Trowler P, Investigating Education and Training, Collins 1995

Websites

www.dfes.gov.uk
Government information on UK education..

www.hea.asn.au/hea/resources/disp_res.asp?type=4&id=44
A website for Steiner education.

www.eoc.org.uk/
This is the Equal Opportunities Commission website which has a wide variety of educational
statistics and reports on education

www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Education.
This provides quotations on the subject of what education is from key historical thinkers.
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 20

www.unesco.org and unescostat.unesco.org

These are websites with introductory information on educational philosophies and practices
from around the world.

www.education-otherwise.org/
This is a website providing advice and information for home-educated candidates.

www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/intelligence/iq.shtml
This discusses the issue of intelligence and IQ testing and has some IQ tests

www.etoncollege.com
Site for Eton College with much information about the school and education provided.

http://www.educationforum.co.uk/sociology_2/edulessons.htm
This has good cloze activities and Power Points on it

Films and video that may be of interest:

Educating Rita (Working class girl makes good through Open University)
Dead Poets Society (Inspirational teacher drama)
Dangerous Minds (Inspirational teacher drama)
If (1970s drama, pupils rebel against public school and class system)
Gregorys Girl (Coming of age drama in Scotland)
Teachers (TV programme)
Wellington Road (School based soap opera)
A Class Act (Julie Walters turns around a failing school)
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 21

SY 2 Understanding Culture

Option two: Religion

The Sociology of Religion addres ses the role of religion in the secondary sociali sation o f
people into a sense of their values and ideology in contemporary society. Underpinning this
option is the notion that individua ls ex perience religious belief in differing w ays. Their
practice of religion may be different and related to roles in life.

The Sociology of Religion is concerned with helping candidates to understand how religious
belief and practic e may impact on specific s ocial groupings or how external influences may
affect the religious experiences of people. The focus of this option should be on the way that
religions consist of passing on sets of cultural values to which individuals subscribe and from
which they draw an identity.

Aldridge A (2007) Religion in the contemporary world Oxford, Blackwell

Beckford J and Demerath N J eds (2007) The SAGE Handbook of the Sociology
of Religion London, Sage
Beckford J and Luckmann T, The Changing Face of Religion, Routledge
Bird J, Investigating Religion, Collins 1999
Bruce, S. (1995) Religion in Modern Britain
Bruce, S. (1996) Religion in the Modern World: from cathedrals to cults
Davie, G. (1994) Religion in Britain since 1945: Believing without Belonging
Davie, G (2007) The Sociology of Religion London, Sage
McGuire M, Religion: the Social Context (Wadsworth, 4th edn, 1997)
Norris, P and Inglehart, R (2004) Sacred and Secular, Religion and Politics
Worldwide Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Robbins T, (1991) Cults, Converts and Charisma, Sage
Selfe P and Starbuck M, (1998) Religion, Hodder 1998
Stark R and Finke R (2000) Acts of Faith: Explaining the Human Side of Religion
University of California Press

Websites

The Internet is particularly advised for candidates when researching cults and sects because
many s uch grou ps us e the Internet to mak e contact w ith their me mbers. Tea chers are
advised to make it clea r to candidates that th ey should no t give their address or e-mail to
over the net to any such group.

Students will enjoy researching the spoof religion Pastafarianism. This is a parody religion Comment [MSOffice1]: You
founded by a physics graduate to protest against a decision by the Kansas State Board of might want to check this advice
out as well. It is in fact a standard
Education to require the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to biological exercise for the study of religion
evolution. There are detailed and very funny accounts in Wikipedia and the religion has its in universities but not all teachers
own website as well. will be aware of it.

http://www.venganza.org/
Home Page of the Pastafarian religion with reports of sightings of the deity, the Flying
Spaghetti Monster from devotees and cult members

http://users.ox.ac.uk/~worc0337/serious/religion.html
This is a very useful link site with a number of listings of a variety of faiths.
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 22

http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/
Religious movements h omepage, this is an American site listing a variety of faiths and with
essays and research.

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/projects/ieppp/kendal/
The home page of the Kendal Project, an influ ential and d etailed study of religious change
and spirituality in a British community

Films and video that may be of interest:

Contact the Jehovahs Witnesses for a free video on the role of Jehovahs Witnesses
in the Third Reich
Witness (Detective hides out in an Amish community cultures and values clash)
Seven Years in Tibet - (1997 film starring Brad Pitt about Tibetan Buddhism)
The Magdalene Sisters. (Young girls taken to convents and abused by nuns for moral
lapses in 1930s Ireland)
The Passion of the Christ (highly controversial and violent film of last hours of Jesus)
Life of Brian (1979 controversial comedy from Monty Python, message of fighting
religious intolerance)
Osama (Afghan movie about girl disguis ed as boy to support the family as she tries
to keep the Taliban from finding out her true identity, inspired by a true story)
South Park - The Passion of the Jew (use with caution - foul language satire on The
Passion of the Christ)
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 23

SY 2 Understanding Culture

Option three: Mass Media

The Sociolo gy of Ma ss Media add resses the role of the mass media in the secondary
socialisation of people into a s ense of their values and ide ology in contemporary soc iety.
Underpinning this option is the notion that individuals experience the media in differing ways.
Their reading of media texts may be different and related to their roles in life.

The Sociology of Ma ss Media is concerned with helping candidates to understand how the
media may impact on specific social groupings or how the media inf luences may affect the
experiences and understandings of audiences. The focus of this option should be on the way
that the media pass on sets of cultural values to which individuals subscribe and from which
they draw an identity.

Billington, Rosamund, et al., eds (1991) Culture and Society Macmillan Education
Durkin, Kevin (1985): Television, Sex Roles and Children. Milton Keynes: Open
University Press
Eldridge J, Getting the Message, 1993
Fishbein, H. (1987): 'Socialization and Television' in Oliver Boyd-Barrett & P.
Braham (Eds.): Media, Knowledge and Power. London: Croom Helm
Fiske J (1987) Television Culture, Methuen
Longhurst, B(1995) Popular Music and Society, (Polity Press)
Giroux, H. A. (1999). The mouse that roared: Disney and the end of innocence.
Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Moores S (1993) Interpreting Audiences: the Ethnography of Media
Consumption Sage
Philo, G. (Ed.). (1995). Glasgow media group reader, vol. 2: Industry, economy,
war and politics. London: Routledge.
Trowler P, Investigating the Mass Media (2nd ed), Collins 1996
Zoonen V, Feminist Media Studies, Sage 1994

Websites

www.bbfc.co.uk
The British Board of Film Classification

www.bsc.org.uk - The Broadcasting Standards Commission

www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/
Communication, Cultural and Media Studies site that offers a useful index of theoretical
terms.

www.theory.org.uk Social theories, media culture and post modernism site.

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/
Daniel Chandlers Media site

http://www.gla.ac.uk/centres/mediagroup/
This is the home page of the Glasgow University Media Group with has downloads and other
useful information
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 24

Film and video that may be of interest:

The Truman Show (Media manip ulation of t he only rea l character in a soap
opera)
Wag the Dog (The pre sident i s in trouble, a War is crea ted to get him off the
hook)
All the President's Men (Watergate classic, story of Bob Woodward and Carl
Bernstein of the Washington Post whose investigative work led to the resignation
of President Richard Nixon. 1976)
Drop the Dead Donkey (comedy set in newsroom of a TV station)
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 25

6. UNIT GUIDE SY3

SY 3 Understanding Power and Inequality

Option one: Understanding Crime
The Sociolo gy of Crime is con cerned with the nature of s ocial control and w ith patterns of
criminal activity, victimization and conviction within modern British society. Underpinning this
option is the notion tha t crime is sociall y construc ted. La ws reflect a c omplex interplay of
power and inequality in our culture. Social and criminal laws are differently applied.
Sociology offers a variety of ex planations for patterns of crime and crimina l behaviour.
Candidates s hould be a ble to offe r an underst anding of some of the theories explaining
criminal beh aviour and to apply those unders tandings to a n analy sis o f the law an d s ocial
control in modern Britain.
Aggleton P Deviance (1987)
Carrabine E et al (2004), Criminology: A Sociological Introduction, Routledge
Croall H (1998), Crime and Society in Britain.
Downes D and Rock P, Understanding Deviance: A guide to the Sociology of
Crime and Rule Breaking, third edition, Oxford, 1998.
Heidensohn, Francis. 1989. Crime and Society
Holman, B (1995) Children and Crime, Oxford: Lion, ch. 2
Maguire M et al (Eds), The Oxford Handbook of Criminology (2002).
McLaughlin E and Muncie J (1996), Controlling Crime, Sage.
Moore S, Investigating Deviance, Collins 1991
Muncie J and McLaughlin E (1996), The Problem of Crime, Sage.
Sumner C, The Sociology of Deviance: An Obituary (1994)
Tierney J, Criminology: Theory and Context (1996);
Walklate S (1998), Understanding Criminology, Open University Press.
Websites
www.homeoffice.gov.uk - this is the Home Office website.
www.open.gov.uk - a website for government statistics of all kinds, including crime.
www.jfw.org.uk - Justice for Women is a campaigning website with individual case studies of
women in the Criminal Justice system
www.cps.gov.uk The Crown Prosecution Service has an excellent website
www.britsoccrim.org - The Britis h Soci ety of Criminology has us eful articles on recent
research (1998-2002), see the on-line journal.

Film and video that may be of interest:

Dead Man Walking (Death row drama)

Dance with a Stranger (Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in England)
Let him ha ve it (Fict ional ac count of the Derek Bentley cas e, a famous
miscarriage of justice)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 26

SY 3 Understanding Power and Inequality

Option two: Understanding politics

The Sociology of Power, Politics and the State is conc erned with the nature of social control
and with patterns of poli tical activity, participation, and identification with specific ideologies
within modern British society. Underpinning this option is the notion that ideology is socially
constructed. La ws are a social c onstruction and reflect a complex in terplay of pow er and
belief in our culture.

Sociology o ffers a v ariety of ex planations for the dis tribution of pow er and influence.
Candidates s hould be a ble to offe r an underst anding of some of the theories explaining
political b ehaviour and to apply th ose unders tandings to an analysis of s ocial control in
modern Britain.

Coxall B and Robins L (1994) Contemporary British Politics Macmillan,

Dearlove J and Saunders P Introduction to British Politics Polity, 2 ed
Franklin B Televising Democracies
Grant W (1989) Pressure Groups, Politics and Democracy in Britain Philip Allan,
Harrop M and Miller W Elections and Voters Macmillan, 1987
Kirby M, Investigating Political Sociology, Collins 1996
Scott A, Ideology and the New Social Movements, Routledge 1990
Urwin D 1991 The Community of Europe: A History of Integration since 1945
Longman,
Williams (1994) The European Community Blackwell, 2 ed,
Wilson G (1990) Interest Groups Blackwell
Gellner, E. 1983. Nations and Nationalism. Oxford: Blackwell.

Note that the address of the Politics Association is the same as that for the ATSS. Many of
their materials will be relevant and useful for the study of this unit.

Websites

www.psr.keele.ac.uk/psr.htm - Ri chard Kimbles Pol itical Science w ebsite offers links and
interesting content

www.number-10.gov.uk
The website of the prime minister with lots of information about current policies and events.

elt.britcoun.org.pl/g_index.htm
A British council website in English produced for Polish people about British culture, politics
and identity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/default.stm
The BBC website is a mine of information about current events and political news.

Film and video that may be of interest:

Yes Minister (tv political satire)

The Thick of it (TV satire on Blairs government, much obscene language)
Dr Strangelove (surreal account of start of World War 3)
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 27

SY 3 Understanding Power and Inequality

Option three: Understanding Health and Disability

The Sociology of Health and Disability is concerned with the nature of social control and with
patterns of inequality of health pro vision and health itself. There are differing pat terns of
participation and w elfare provision within modern British society. Underpinning this o ption is
the notion that h ealth and wellbeing are not e qually distributed. Social construction plays a
large part in health and disability and reflects a complex interplay of power and wealth in our
culture.

Sociology offers a variety o f ex planations for th e distribu tion of health, w ellbeing and the
incidence and experience of disability. Candidates should be able to offer an un derstanding
of some of the theories ex plaining health, ill health and disability and to apply thos e
understandings to an analysis of social control in modern Britain.

Annandale, E (1998) the Sociology of Health and Medicine: A Critical

Introduction. Cambridge Polity Press
Barry, A-M. and Yuill, C. (2002) Understanding Health. A Sociological
Introduction. Sage Publications, London
Blaxter, M. (2004) Health (Key Concepts). Polity Press, London
Busfield, J (2000) Health and Health Care in Modern Britain. Oxford University
Press, Oxford
Costello, J. and Haggart, M. (2003) Public Health and Society. Palgrave, London
Graham, H (2000) Understanding Health Inequalities. Open University
Press,Buckingham
Naidoo J and Wills J (Eds.) (2001) Health Studies An Introduction, Palgrave,
Basingstoke
Senior M and Viveash B, Health and Illness, Macmillan 1998
Taylor S and Field D, Sociology of Health and Health Care Blackwell 1993
Trowler P, Investigating Health, Welfare and Poverty, Collins 1992

Websites:

www.doh.gov.uk/dhhome
The website of the Department of Health

www.healthgate.co.uk
HealthGate UK, a useful site with links and support

www.who.int.
World Healt h Organis ation informat ion, usefu l for those planning world soc iology as a
synoptic option

Films and video that may be of interest:

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest (Classic mental health drama from 1970s)
Rainman (Dustin Hoffman is autistic)
Whose life is it anyway? (The ethics of euthanasia discussed in moving drama)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 28

7. UNIT GUIDE SY4

SY 4 Understanding Social Division

Option one: World Sociology

World Sociology is concerned with the nature of social inequality of social groups on a global
scale. Unde rpinning thi s option is the notion t hat whilst class, gender, age, loc ale and
ethnicity are soc ial constru ctions; neverthe less geographical locatio n may have profound
implications for the individual in terms of li fe chances and life styles. Wealth and pow er are
unequally di stributed. S ociology offers a variet y of ex planations fo r s ocial and economic
inequality. Candidates should be a ble to offer an unders tanding of s ome of the theories
explaining inequality both within and between countries.

Bhagwati, J. (2004) In Defence of Globalization Oxford: Oxford UP.

Cohen, Robin and Paul Kennedy (2000) Global Sociology, Macmillan
Ehrenreich, B & Hoschild, A (eds) (2002) Global Woman, Granta Books
Held, D. and McGrew, A. Globalization and Anti-Globalization (Cambridge: Polity,
2002).
Held, D. ed (2000) A Globalizing World?: Culture, Economics, Politics,
Routledge 2000
Klein, N (2000) No Logo, Flamingo
Macionis, J. & Plummer, K. (2002) Sociology: A Global Introduction, Prentice Hall
McMichael, P. (2004) Development and Change: A Global Perspective London:
Pine Forge Press.
Pilger, J (1999) Hidden Agendas Vintage Press
Ritzer G 2004 The Globalisation of Nothing Sage Thousand Oaks
Ritzer, G 2000 The McDonalization of Society Sage Thousand Oaks
Scholte, J.A. 2000 Globalization: a Critical Introduction, Macmillan: Basingstoke,
Sklair, L 2002 Globalization. Capitalism & its Alternatives, Oxford University
Press, Oxford NY

Websites

www.amnesty.org
Amnesty International is a c ampaign site on is sues relating to abuses of po wer in a variety
of states.

www.endchildexploitation.org.uk
A UNICEF sponsored site containing factsheets and campaigning information

www.nosweat.org.uk/
No Sw eat is a campaigning site devote d to anti-ex ploitation and exposing major
corporations.
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 29

www.Oxfam.org.uk
Oxfam provides news and views as well as reporting on charity work and projects

www.prb.org
An American site devoted to statistics associated with the analysis of populations in terms of
education, poverty, life expectations and other relevant topics.

www.unesco.org
The UNESCO site contains masses of information on campaigns and current events.

www.unicef.org
UNICEF provides regular reports on issues of world development

www.who.int/en/
World Health Organis ation (WHO) p rovides de tailed comp arative data on health and life
expectancy issues

www.dfid.giv.uk
This is the Britis h go vernments Department for International Development site . It has
factsheets and information on government policy.

http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/video/301haitidrc/partners.htm
Christian Aid has a range of video clips that can be do wnloaded onto a computer and which
relate to poverty and development issues in Haiti

www.dep.org.uk
This is the Development Educ ation Project ba sed in Manchester. It offers a huge ra nge of
cheap resources for purchase.

Films and video that may be of interest: Comment [MSOffice2]: This

is incomplete and needs
development
Kandahar (Afghan road movie on woman sear ching for he r family thro ugh w ar tor n
Afghanistan, some disturbing, though not explicit scenes)
The Constant Gardener (thriller based on dirty doings of multi-national in Africa)
Lord of War (biography of anti-heroic arms dealer)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 30

SY 4 Understanding Social Division

Option Two: Social Inequality

The Sociolo gy of Soc ial In equality is c oncerned w ith the nature of soc ial inequity and
marginalized soc ial gro ups w ithin modern British society. Underpinning this opti on is the
notion that class, gend er, age, locale and et hnicity are social constructions; nevertheless
membership of a specific socia l gro up may have profound i mplications for the individual in
terms of life chances and life styles. Social rules are differently applied.

Sociology offers a variety of explanations for social inequality. Candidates should be able to
offer an understanding of some of the theori es ex plaining inequality and to apply thos e
understandings to an analysis of the distribution of and access to power in modern Britain.

Abercrombie N and Warde A, Stratification and Inequality, Framework 1994

Bourdieu, Pierre. 2001. Masculine Domination. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Bradley, H. et al. 200 0. The Myth of the Death of Class, in Myths at Work.
Cambridge: Polity.
Braham, Peter & Lind a Janes (eds) (2002) Social Differences and Divisions
(Blackwell)
Crompton, R. 1998. Class and Stratification, 2nd ed. Cambridge: Polity.
Gorz, A. 1982. Farewell to the Working Class. London: Pluto.
Hakim, Catherine (1998) Social Change and Innovation in the Labour Market.
Connell, R.W. 2002. Gender. Cambridge: Polity.
Crompton, R. 1997. Women and Work in Modern Britain. Oxford: O.U.P.
Marshall G. et al Social Class in Britain, 1988
Marshall, G., Swift, A. and Roberts, S. 1997. Against the Odds? Oxford: O.U.P.
Pakulski, J. and Waters, M. 1996. The Death of Class. London: Sage.
Sennett, R . 1998. The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of
Work in the NewCapitalism. New York: Norton.

Websites

www.eoc.gov.uk
This is the website of the Equal Opportunities Commission

www.princes-trust.org.uk
Enter factsheet into the search engine to discover detailed notes on y oung people, crime,
ethnicity, work and inequality.

www.jrf.org.uk
This is the leading research charity into inequality and poverty in modern Britain. For detailed
information summarising research findings, search press releases.

www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
Neighbourhood statistics. This is a government site with local statistics.

www.poverty.org.uk/intro/index.htm
Excellent site for poverty statistics and social exclusion

www.oxfam.org.uk/
Oxfam, they have some excellent work on poverty
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 31

Film and video that may be of interest:

Angelas Ashes (humorous account of grinding poverty in 1930s Ireland)

Grapes of Wrath (moving account of 1930s dustbowl America)
Shameless (comedy account of life on underclass estate in Manchester, language and
sexual encounters)
Rab C Nesbitt (comedy set among poor Glasgow underclass)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 32

8. UNIT GUIDE SY2 AND SY4 RESEARCH METHODS

Understanding of Met hodology is a key to un derstanding the nature of so ciology as an

academic d iscipline. It is concern ed w ith the sk ills of und erstanding how soc iological
evidence is gathered and how its quality can be evaluated. Underpinning this option is the
notion that research methods should be appropriate to the nature of the information required.
Data is therefore socially constructed.

Sociologists h ave access to a variet y of method s for un derstanding social behaviours and
attitudes. There is a large body of theoretical evidence to support each of the methods that
may be chosen by profes sional sociologists. At AS level, candidates should be able t o offer
an understanding of some of the theories explaining how research may be conduc ted. At A
level, candidates should apply those methodological and theoretical understandings in order
to design and evaluate research work.

Given the i mportance of methodol ogy to sociology, it will need to be taught as a dis crete
topic, but it may be advisable to incorporate methodologic al a wareness into the delivery of
all units to encourage analytical and evaluat ive awareness. To this end, teachers may w ish
to keep themselves abreast of current research in order to provide candidates with examples
and evidence for extended writing.

There are a variety of texts dev oted to the study of methodology. In a ddition, a number of
agencies produce research reports, usually of a statistical nature and these can be us ed to
supplement delivery of the optional topics.

Babbie, E.R. (1994) The Practice of Social Research, Belmont: Wadsworth

Blundell J and Griffiths J, Sociology since 1995 volumes 1 and 2 Connect 2002
Bryman, A. (2004) Social Research Methods, 2nd Edition, Oxford: Oxford University
Press
Gilbert, N. (2001) Researching Social Life, London: Sage
Langley P, Doing Social Research, Causeway 1994
May, T. & Williams, M. eds. (1998) Knowing the Social World, Buckingham: Open
University Press
May, T. (2001) Social Research: Issues, Methods & Process, Buckingham: Open
University Press

Websites

www.socresonline.org.uk/home
Sociology Research Online, a research site with recent reports
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 33

Film and video that may be of interest

Halo Vine specialises in undergraduate and A level video material that is relatively affordable
and has a number of titles appropriate to this topic.

Halo Vine Video

28 Ailsa Road
Twickenham
TW1 1QW

see: www.halovine.com

Third Rock from the Sun (aliens are engaged in an ethnographic study of human behaviour
and society amusing!)
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 34

9. ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE

What are examiners looking for?

Coherent well written accounts

Sociological knowledge
Reference to recent facts, figures, research and/or sociologists
Effective marshalling of evidence in order to support an argument
Consistent reference to the terms of the question
Some attempt to analyse or explain the phenomenon referred to

Supporting your candidates:

Explaining importance of grammar

Training in reading the question
Encourage planning
Encouraging class discussion
Supplying facts and figures
Offer a variety of suggestions to explain the phenomenon in class
Discouraging bullet points

Ensure candidates avoid:

Repeating myths as fact

Unsubstantiated assertions
Writing tangential answers which nearly but not quite answer the questions
Overly prepared answers and rehashing material learned by rote
Politicking and polemics
Personal commentary, for example I think that or in my opinion
Largely descriptive answers that lack analysis and/or evaluation
 GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 35

Assessment Matrix: Advanced Level Sociology

This grid describes the characteristics of ans wers at each level of performance identified in
the generic markscheme (supplemented by indicative content).

At AS level, the emph asis is on AO1, Know ledge and Understanding. Candidates are
expected to display analytical skills, though not necessarily high level evaluative skills.

At A2 level, the weighting of assessment is on AO 2, Analysis and Evaluation. Candidates

are expected to display evidence of highly developed evaluative skills.

Banding AO1 AO2

Candidates will be able to m ake s pecific,
explicit a nd frequent reference t o a ran ge o f
writers, research and theory.
Candidates will b e able to refe r to mor e than
one area of sociology where appropriate.
Answers w ill b e e xpressed in appro priate
sociological language
4
Candidates will be a ble to ma ke r egular an d
explicit use of th e corre ct analy tical a nd/or
evaluative l anguage show ing kno wledge and
understanding of its meaning.
Answers w ill b e in nea r pe rfect E nglish, us e
paragraphing correctly an d be of an
appropriate length.
Candidates will rela te ans wers directly to the
question under consideration and this lin k w ill
be explicit.
Essays will be formally constructed with a clear
and logical argument.
Evaluation and/or anal ysis will be e xplicit
throughout the answers
The candidate may challenge the terms of the
question.

Candidates will b e able to refe r to mor e than Answers may be too long or too short for the
one writer or to research and theory. marks awarded.
Knowledge of writers and theory will be explicit Candidates will be able to an introduction or a
and accurate. conclusion that relates to the question.
Answers will use some sociol ogical lang uage. Evaluation and/or analysis will be apparent.
This will be applied correctly. Candidates will be able to make e xplicit
3
Candidates will be a ble to m ake some use of reference to the question under consideration
analytical and/ or e valuative la nguage sh owing
knowledge and understanding of its meaning.
Answers w ill be i n r easonable E nglish;
sentences will be con structed. C andidates will
be able to paragraphs.

Candidates will be able to refer to either a Much of the answer will relate to the questi on,
writer, concep ts, research evid ence and/or even if only implicitly.
theory Either evaluation or analysis will be apparent.
The writers, theories o f ev idence will be
2 described accurately.
Candidates will be abl e to us e soci ological
terms used correctly.
Answers w ill be in acceptable E nglish;
sentences will be constructed.

Candidate may refer to their personal opinions. Answers will not be of an appropriate lengt h.
Candidates will off er no evid ence of There may be rubric errors.
sociological language. Candidates will be able to little or no reference
1 to the terms of the question.
Candidates will be able to no reference to a
writer, research evidence and/or theory Candidates will be able to make little or no use
Answers will not be in acceptable English. of evaluative and analytical language.
GCE AS and A SOCIOLOGY Teachers' Guide 36

CONTACT POINTS:

GCE Sociology Teacher Guidance new spec.

29 November 2007
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