How do sociological ideas inform our understanding of the social world?

Sociology challenges common-sense explanations with evidence. Sociology can show that problems seen as personal, such as unemployment, have social causes.

How is sociology different from common sense?

Common sense relies on personal experience and assumptions. Sociology uses systematic research and evidence to test claims.

What are the core areas of sociology in this course?

The core areas are families, education, crime and deviance, and social stratification. Each is studied through the same key concepts and perspectives.

AQA GCSE Sociology 8192

The Sociological Approach

Topic overview Key sociological concepts Sociological perspectives: consensus and conflict Durkheim, Marx and Weber How sociological knowledge develops

Families

Topic overview Functions of families Family forms and diversity Conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour Changing relationships within families Criticisms of families Divorce in Britain since 1945

Education

Topic overview Roles and functions of education Education, capitalism and the correspondence principle Class and gender differences in achievement Ethnicity, parental choice and school markets Processes within schools

Crime and Deviance

Topic overview Social construction of crime and deviance Formal and informal social control Explanations of criminal behaviour Patterns of crime and public debates Crime statistics and the dark figure

Social Stratification

Topic overview Functionalist theory of stratification Marx, Weber and socio-economic class Factors affecting life chances Poverty as a social issue Forms of power and authority Power relationships

Research Methods

Topic overview Research design, hypotheses and data analysis Sampling methods Questionnaires and interviews Observation and mixed methods Types of data and official statistics Reliability, validity, ethics and practical issues

The Sociological Approach

How sociological knowledge develops

3 things to know
Papers 1 and 2

Overview

How feminism and social change reshaped sociology, how sociology differs from common sense, and how families, education, crime and stratification connect.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How does sociological knowledge change over time?

Key term

How did feminism change sociological knowledge?

Key term

Why might an older sociological study no longer describe the UK accurately?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
How does sociological knowledge change over time?
Model answer
New research tests and challenges earlier ideas. Changes in society, such as new family forms, also raise new questions.
2
How did feminism change sociological knowledge?
Model answer
Earlier sociology often ignored women's experiences or treated the male view as normal. Feminist research brought issues such as domestic labour and domestic violence into sociology.
3
Why might an older sociological study no longer describe the UK accurately?
Model answer
Society has changed since the study was carried out, for example in family life and women's employment. Findings from the past may not fit the present.
4
How do sociological ideas inform our understanding of the social world?
Model answer
Sociology challenges common-sense explanations with evidence. Sociology can show that problems seen as personal, such as unemployment, have social causes.
5
How is sociology different from common sense?
Model answer
Common sense relies on personal experience and assumptions. Sociology uses systematic research and evidence to test claims.
6
What are the core areas of sociology in this course?
Model answer
The core areas are families, education, crime and deviance, and social stratification. Each is studied through the same key concepts and perspectives.

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The Sociological Approach

Families

Education

Crime and Deviance

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A communist society would follow.

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AONS figures show that divorces rose briefly after the Second World War.

BDivorces then climbed steeply from 1971 and peaked in 1993.

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Monogamy means marriage to only one partner at a time.

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