What role does empirical observation play in science?

Empirical observation involves gathering evidence through direct sensory experience or measurement, forming the basis for scientific knowledge.

What is hypothesis testing in scientific method?

Hypothesis testing involves making predictions based on theory and then collecting data to determine whether the evidence supports or refutes those predictions.

What does falsifiability mean as a characteristic of science?

Falsifiability means that scientific theories must be capable of being proven wrong through evidence; claims that cannot be tested are not scientific.

What are systematic methods in science?

Systematic methods involve following rigorous, standardised procedures that can be clearly described and followed by others, ensuring consistency and transparency.

AQA A-Level Sociology 7192

Education

Topic overview The role and functions of education Class differences in educational achievement Labelling, subcultures and processes within schools Gender and educational achievement Ethnicity and educational achievement Selection and marketisation Privatisation and vocational education Educational policy, equality and globalisation

Methods in Context

Topic overview Access, gatekeepers and research ethics in schools Choosing methods for research in schools Data, theory and validity in educational research

Theory and Methods

Topic overview Research design and choosing a method Sources of data and types of data Positivism, interpretivism and research ethics Consensus, conflict, structural and social action theories Modernity and post-modernity Is sociology a science?Objectivity, value freedom and social policy

Culture and IdentityOptional topic

Topic overview Conceptions of culture Socialisation and the agencies of socialisation The self, identity and difference Identity, age, disability, ethnicity, gender and class Identity, production, consumption and globalisation

Families and HouseholdsOptional topic

Topic overview Functionalist views of the family Marxist and feminist views of the family The New Right, postmodernism and family policy Marriage, cohabitation and divorce Family diversity and the personal life perspective Conjugal roles and domestic labour Power relationships and domestic violence The social construction of childhood Birth rates and death rates Family size and the ageing population Migration and globalisation

HealthOptional topic

Topic overview The social construction of health and models of illness Class and gender inequalities in health Ethnic and regional inequality, and access to health care Mental illness and the power of the medical profession The sick role and the globalised health industry

Work, Poverty and WelfareOptional topic

Topic overview Poverty: definitions, explanations and distribution The welfare state and welfare provision The division of labour and the control of work Work, worklessness and life chances Globalisation and the global division of labour

Beliefs in SocietyOptional topic

Topic overview Ideology and science as belief systems Functionalist views of religion Marxist and feminist views of religion Religion as a force for social change Churches, sects, denominations and cults New religious movements and New Age movements Religion, gender, ethnicity, age and social class Secularisation Believing without belonging and postmodern religion Globalisation, fundamentalism and religion worldwide

Global DevelopmentOptional topic

Topic overview Theories of development and underdevelopment Globalisation, transnational corporations and aid agencies Aid, trade, industrialisation and urbanisation Environment, conflict and human development Population, gender and postcolonial critiques

The MediaOptional topic

Topic overview The new media and its significance Ownership, control and media globalisation The selection and presentation of the news Media representations of social groups Media effects and models of the audience Reception analysis and selective filtering

Stratification and DifferentiationOptional topic

Topic overview Theories of stratification Life chances and dimensions of inequality Defining and measuring social class Changing structures of inequality and globalisation Social mobility

Crime and Deviance

Theory and Methods

Is sociology a science?

2 things to know
Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Falsifiability, replication and objectivity, and the positivist, interpretivist and realist answers, with Kuhn and Popper.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Why is replication important in science?

Study

What does objectivity mean in scientific research?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What role does empirical observation play in science?
Model answer
Empirical observation involves gathering evidence through direct sensory experience or measurement, forming the basis for scientific knowledge.
2
What is hypothesis testing in scientific method?
Model answer
Hypothesis testing involves making predictions based on theory and then collecting data to determine whether the evidence supports or refutes those predictions.
3
What does falsifiability mean as a characteristic of science?
Model answer
Falsifiability means that scientific theories must be capable of being proven wrong through evidence; claims that cannot be tested are not scientific.
4
Why is replication important in science?
Model answer
Replication involves repeating research to verify findings; if results can be consistently reproduced, this increases confidence in their validity.
5
What does objectivity mean in scientific research?
Model answer
Objectivity means conducting research free from personal bias, ensuring findings reflect reality rather than the researcher's values or preferences.
6
What are systematic methods in science?
Model answer
Systematic methods involve following rigorous, standardised procedures that can be clearly described and followed by others, ensuring consistency and transparency.

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Education

Methods in Context

Theory and Methods

Culture and Identity

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