Key term
WJEC A-Level Sociology 601-5237-0
Culture and the Social Construction of Culture
Topic overviewCulture as a way of lifeNorms, values and beliefsRoles, status and role conflictAspects of culture: dress, language, food and musicHeritage and cultural tradition in WalesHigh culture, popular culture and global cultureNature, nurture and the social construction of cultureCultural diversity and sub-cultures
Socialisation and Its Agencies
Topic overviewPrimary and secondary socialisationRole models, imitation and sanctionsFamilies and primary cultural transmissionPeer groups as an agency of socialisationEducation as an agency of socialisationReligion as an agency of socialisationThe media as an agency of socialisationWork, resocialisation and total institutionsFormal and informal social control
Socialisation and Identity
Topic overviewPersonal and social identityTheories of identity: structural, interactionist and postmodernGender socialisation and gender identityMasculinity, femininity and change in gender identitiesSocial class and identityClass change, mobility and the underclassEthnicity and identityNationality, national identity and BritishnessWelsh identity and the Welsh language
Families and HouseholdsAcquiring Culture
Topic overviewDefining families and householdsFamily forms and family diversity in England and WalesEthnic, cultural and religious diversity in family lifeMarriage, cohabitation and singlehoodDivorce and separationFertility, birth rates and family sizeLife expectancy, ageing and the beanpole familyThe domestic division of labourPower, decision-making and domestic violenceChildhood and parent–child relationshipsFunctionalist and New Right theories of the familyMarxist and feminist theories of the familyPostmodernism, the life course and personal life
Youth CulturesAcquiring Culture
Topic overviewYouth and the social construction of adolescenceThe media and the formation of youth cultureEconomic change, consumption and the youth marketGlobalisation and youth cultureSocial class and youth subculturesGender and youth cultureEthnicity and youth cultureNational identity, Welshness and youth cultureNeo-tribes and the changing nature of youth cultureYouth deviance, delinquency and crimeAnti-school subcultures and the labelling of youthFunctionalist and Marxist theories of youth cultureFeminist, interactionist and postmodernist theories of youth culture
Research Methods: Primary and Secondary
Topic overviewQuestionnairesStructured interviewsUnstructured and semi-structured interviewsFocus groupsParticipant observationNon-participant and structured observationThe social surveyEthnographic methodsLongitudinal studiesExisting sociological research as secondary dataOfficial statistics and Welsh Government dataPersonal and public documents
Sampling, Ethics and Practical Issues
Topic overviewTarget populations, sampling frames and accessSimple random and systematic random samplingStratified random samplingQuota samplingSnowball and volunteer samplingPurposive and opportunity samplingInformed consent, deception and the right to withdrawAnonymity, confidentiality and privacySensitivity, vulnerability and protection from harmPractical constraints: operationalisation, time and cost
Key Concepts and Theories of Research
Topic overviewValidity in sociological researchReliability and replicationRepresentativeness and generalisabilityObjectivity, value freedom and biasEthics as a criterion for judging researchPositivism and the scientific study of societyInterpretivism and verstehenRealism and the critical realist approachChoosing an approach: theory and method in practice
EducationUnderstanding Society
Topic overviewThe role and function of education in societySocial class and differential attainmentGender and differential attainmentEthnicity and differential attainmentParticipation, choice and the marketisation of educationEducation policy in England and Wales since 1944Welsh-medium education and the Curriculum for WalesMaterial factors and educational attainmentCultural capital and cultural deprivationLabelling, streaming and pupil subculturesFunctionalist and New Right theories of educationMarxist theories of educationFeminist, interactionist and postmodernist theories of education
MediaUnderstanding Society
Topic overviewThe role and function of the media in contemporary societyModels of media effects: the hypodermic syringe and cultural effectsActive audiences: uses and gratifications and reception theoryMoral panics and folk devilsNew media, globalisation and the digital divideOwnership and control of the mediaMedia professionals, news values and agenda settingRepresentations of social class and ageRepresentations of genderRepresentations of ethnicity, nationality and disabilityMedia policy and regulation in Wales and EnglandPluralist and Marxist theories of the mediaFunctionalist, feminist and postmodernist theories of the media
ReligionUnderstanding Society
Topic overviewThe role and function of religion in contemporary societyReligion in Wales: chapel, nonconformity and the Welsh languageReligion as a conservative force and as a force for changePatterns of religious participation by social class and ageGender and religiosityEthnicity and religiosity in England and WalesChurches, denominations, sects and cultsNew religious movements and new age movementsFundamentalism and religion in a globalised worldSecularisation in England and WalesReligion and social policy in England and WalesFunctionalist, Marxist and neo-Marxist theories of religionWeberian, feminist and postmodernist theories of religion
Crime and DeviancePower and Control
Topic overviewDefining crime, deviance and social controlCrime and deviance as social constructsThe media, moral panics and the fear of crimeSocial class and crimeGender and feminist explanations of crimeEthnicity, policing and the criminal justice systemAge and crimePolice recorded crime and the dark figureVictim surveys and self-report studiesCrime, policing and social policy in WalesFunctionalist and subcultural theories of crimeMarxist and neo-Marxist theories of crimeInteractionism, labelling and postmodernist theories of crimeLeft realism, right realism and crime control policy
Health and DisabilityPower and Control
Topic overviewDefining health, illness and diseaseThe biomedical model and the social model of healthThe social construction of disabilityOfficial statistics and the measurement of healthSocial class and health inequalitiesGender and healthEthnicity and healthAge and healthArtefact, selection, cultural and material explanationsAccess to and provision of health care in England and WalesMedicalisation and the role of health professionalsHealth policy in England and WalesFunctionalist, Marxist and interactionist theories of healthFeminist and postmodernist views of health and disability
World SociologyPower and Control
Topic overviewDefining and measuring developmentGlobal inequalities in health and educationEmployment, poverty and the global division of labourPatterns of inequality in England and WalesPopulation, demographic change and developmentUrbanisation and marginalisationAid, debt and non-governmental organisationsGlobalisation and developmentTransnational corporations and world tradeModernisation theory and its criticsMarxist, dependency and world systems theoriesFeminist explanations of development
Applied Methods: Designing Sociological Research
Topic overviewChoosing a research topic and framing the aimHypotheses, operationalisation and indicatorsJustifying the chosen methodAnticipating problems with the chosen method and their impactSelecting and justifying a sampleAnticipating problems with the sample and their impactEthical issues in a research designPractical issues in a research designPresenting collected data
Social Inequality: Evidence and Patterns
Topic overviewMeasuring social class in BritainThe distribution of income and wealthWork and pay: occupational inequalityClass inequality: the evidenceGender inequality: the evidenceEthnic inequality: the evidenceAge inequality: the evidenceDisability and inequalityPower and political inequalityPoverty and social exclusionInequality in Wales: the evidence base
Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification
Topic overviewSocial stratification: the core conceptsFunctionalist explanations of inequalityMarxist explanations of inequalityNeo-Marxist explanations of inequalityWeberian explanations of inequalityNeo-Weberian explanations of inequalityFeminist explanations of inequalityPostmodernist explanations of inequalityNew Right explanations of inequalityComparing and evaluating theories of stratification
Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification
- 10 subtopics
- 29 things to know
- A2 Unit 4
What Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification covers
Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification is examined in Unit 4 Section B, Social Inequality — compulsory for every student. It covers social stratification: the core concepts, functionalist explanations of inequality, Marxist explanations of inequality, neo-Marxist explanations of inequality, Weberian explanations of inequality, neo-Weberian explanations of inequality, feminist explanations of inequality, postmodernist explanations of inequality, new Right explanations of inequality and comparing and evaluating theories of stratification.
Where it is assessed
A2 Unit 4
Social Inequality and Applied Methods of Sociological Enquiry.
Check the WJEC specification ↗The 10 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Social stratification: the core conceptsSocial stratification, four systems of stratification found historically and social mobility.Open →
- Functionalist explanations of inequalityFunctionalist view of stratification in one sentence, central argument of Davis and Moore and role allocation in functionalist theory.Open →
- Marxist explanations of inequalityMarx's two main classes in capitalist society, means of production and surplus value.Open →
- Neo-Marxist explanations of inequalityDual consciousness in Gramsci's account and why managers occupy a contradictory class location.Open →
- Weberian explanations of inequalityThree dimensions of stratification Weber identified, status in Weber's scheme and party in Weber's scheme.Open →
- Neo-Weberian explanations of inequalityGeneral concern of neo-Weberian approaches to inequality, dual closure and how credentialism reproduces inequality.Open →
- Feminist explanations of inequalityCentral claim shared by feminist explanations of stratification, one criticism of liberal feminism and claim that the personal is political.Open →
- Postmodernist explanations of inequalityPostmodernist view of class as an explanation of inequality, fragmentation of identity and how postmodernists view the relationship between the media and inequality.Open →
- New Right explanations of inequalityNew Right view of economic inequality, welfare dependency and perverse incentive argument.Open →
- Comparing and evaluating theories of stratificationMain difference between structural and cultural explanations of poverty, concept of structure and agency as it applies to inequality and why intersectionality complicates all single-factor theories of inequality.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
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Contrast the Marxist feminist and radical feminist explanations of women's subordination.
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Explain how Weber's account differs from Marx's on the basis of class.
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Define social stratification.
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Which two sociologists set out the functionalist theory of stratification?
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What distinguishes neo-Marxism from classical Marxism?
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What is the general concern of neo-Weberian approaches to inequality?
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What is a metanarrative?
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What is welfare dependency?
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Which theories treat inequality as functional, and which as exploitative?
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Name four systems of stratification found historically.
Evaluation
State the central argument of Davis and Moore.
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On what does Marx say class position depends?
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What did Gramsci mean by hegemony?
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Name the three dimensions of stratification Weber identified.
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What is dual closure?
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Define patriarchy.
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How do postmodernists explain the growth of identity politics?
Evaluation
Give one empirical criticism of Murray's underclass thesis.
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Which theory explains stratification by relationship to production, and which by market situation?
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Distinguish an open from a closed system of stratification.
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What is meant by role allocation in functionalist theory?
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Name Marx's two main classes in capitalist society.
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How does hegemony explain the absence of revolution?
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What did Weber mean by market situation?
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What did Parkin mean by exclusion and usurpation?
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Summarise the liberal feminist explanation of gender inequality.
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What is meant by the fragmentation of identity?
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Explain the main difference between structural and cultural explanations of poverty.
Take Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification further
The same content, four other ways.
Commonly confused
Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.
Status vs Class
Status: the social honour or prestige a group is accorded. Class: a group's economic position, set by ownership or by market situation.
In Parkin's account, exclusion vs In Parkin's account, usurpation
In Parkin's account, exclusion: keeping outsiders out from above. In Parkin's account, usurpation: it means pressing upward from below.
Marx defined class position by ownership of the vs Weber defined class position by ownership of the
Marx defined class position by ownership of the: of production. Weber defined class position by ownership of the: he defined it by market situation, what a person can command in the labour market.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
Define social stratification.
Model answer
The arrangement of a society into layers, so that groups are ranked one above another in terms of rewards, status and power.
- 2
Name four systems of stratification found historically.
Model answer
Slavery, caste, feudal estates and social class.
- 3
Distinguish an open from a closed system of stratification.
Model answer
An open system allows movement between positions on the basis of achievement, while a closed system fixes position at birth.
- 4
What is social mobility?
Model answer
Movement by an individual or group from one position in the stratification system to another.
- 5
Distinguish intergenerational from intragenerational mobility.
Model answer
Intergenerational mobility compares a person's position with that of their parents; intragenerational mobility traces change within one person's own working life.
- 6
Distinguish an ascribed from an achieved status.
Model answer
An ascribed status is fixed at birth and cannot be earned, while an achieved status is gained through a person's own actions.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification revision questions
- What does Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification cover in WJEC A-Level Sociology?
- 10 subtopics: social stratification: the core concepts, functionalist explanations of inequality, marxist explanations of inequality, neo-marxist explanations of inequality, weberian explanations of inequality, neo-weberian explanations of inequality, feminist explanations of inequality, postmodernist explanations of inequality, new right explanations of inequality and comparing and evaluating theories of stratification. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification organised?
- By the WJEC 601-5237-0 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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