GCSE Revision book for Sociology
Please note this revision book covers Units 1 and 2.
Command words:
Identify and explain / fully explain – make a statement and develop it with a
sociological example or some sociological knowledge
Three marks questions require you to: make a statement, give an example and
develop it using sociological key terms / language. 6 Marks questions have two
parts.
Three Marks questions are used to test research methods. In these identify a
key term and explain it linking it to the context in the question
Four, five and six Marks questions are extended writing. They require a
statement, an example and development using sociological language and key
terms. Any other factual knowledge should be used too
If you are asked to explain the difference between one thing and another ensure
that you explain each separately and give an example and then make it obvious
by stating what the difference is between the two. For example, formal and
informal socialisation
The first ten Marks question asks you to ‘describe’. This means give facts and
sociological information and use key terms and define them. Include links to
the question. Name a sociologist if you can
The second ten Marks question requires you to ‘explain’ by giving sociological
ideas, key terms and their definition and studies and social facts. Use the word
because a lot in this question
,The 20 Marks question (see my writing frame for this). This requires you to
‘discuss’. This means to put forward more than one side of the debate. Use
sociological key terms, theory and a study if you can. Use words like
‘however’, ‘on the other hand’ and ‘In conclusion’. Look out for words like
‘how’ and ‘why’ as they are asking for different things. This essays should
have 4/5 main paragraphs in it. Follow the structure on my writing frame.
Discuss how important each point / factor / reason is and how they may be
interlinked or connected in some way
General advice:
- You need to attempt all questions on both papers
- Do not spend long on one mark questions and do not write too much
- Leave enough time in both papers to attempt Section B.
- Write ¾ of a page for 10 Marks
- Write 2 sides for a 20 Marks question
- Try to spell words correctly
- Try to make your punctuation and grammar as clear and accurate as you
can
- Organise your points as clearly as you can
- Use as many key terms in longer responses and define them as you go
along
- If using a computer then use double spacing and size 12 font
- Know the difference between words such as gender and stereotype and
ethnicity and ethics
- Be able to define the word culture
- They try to give you marks
- Unexpected but those worthy of credit are given marks
Checklist for Unit 1:
The role of the sociologist and what they do
Definition of sociology
Culture
Social rules
Social control
,Cultural diversity
Nature / nurture debate
Socialisation: primary and secondary
The agencies of socialisation and what they do
Social identity
How do children learn their identity such as gender identity and ethnic identity?
What happens to unsocialised children?
Definitions of the family
Cultural variations in the family
Definition of the nuclear family
How have families changed since the 1950s? and why have they changed?
Types of family in modern Britain and today
Is single parenthood a problem for society?
Divorce – changing attitudes towards it
Is the family under threat from social change?
How are the roles in the family changing?
How have the roles of old people in families changed?
The roles of men and women in the family
Please note you need to know research methods and theories for Unit 1 too. For
example, do you know how sociologists evaluate research?
Checklist for unit 2
Inequality
Causes of inequality
Types of inequality
Definitions of prejudice and discrimination
Definitions of prestige and status
, Definition of elite. Who are the elites? What power and privilege do they
have?
Definition of life chances
Definition of social exclusion
Definitions / types of poverty
Definition of social class
Types of discrimination such as ageism and sexism and racism
How does gender affect women’s life chances?
How have changes in gender roles affected men?
How have norms about sexuality changed in the last 50 years?
How does disability affect life chances?
Definitions of racism and institutional racism
How do class, age, gender, ethnicity and disability affect people in work? How
do they affect people’s health life chances?
What do they major sociological theories say about inequality?
Is Britain an equal society?
Definitions of crime and deviance
Informal social control
Formal social control – the police and the judiciary
How do the media help keep social control?
Definition of white collar crime
Definition of corporate crime
What does a sociologist tell us about youth crime and street crime?
What are the nature explanations of crime and deviance?
How do subcultures help explain crime and deviance?
Social class and crime
Gender and crime
Ethnicity and crime
Please note this revision book covers Units 1 and 2.
Command words:
Identify and explain / fully explain – make a statement and develop it with a
sociological example or some sociological knowledge
Three marks questions require you to: make a statement, give an example and
develop it using sociological key terms / language. 6 Marks questions have two
parts.
Three Marks questions are used to test research methods. In these identify a
key term and explain it linking it to the context in the question
Four, five and six Marks questions are extended writing. They require a
statement, an example and development using sociological language and key
terms. Any other factual knowledge should be used too
If you are asked to explain the difference between one thing and another ensure
that you explain each separately and give an example and then make it obvious
by stating what the difference is between the two. For example, formal and
informal socialisation
The first ten Marks question asks you to ‘describe’. This means give facts and
sociological information and use key terms and define them. Include links to
the question. Name a sociologist if you can
The second ten Marks question requires you to ‘explain’ by giving sociological
ideas, key terms and their definition and studies and social facts. Use the word
because a lot in this question
,The 20 Marks question (see my writing frame for this). This requires you to
‘discuss’. This means to put forward more than one side of the debate. Use
sociological key terms, theory and a study if you can. Use words like
‘however’, ‘on the other hand’ and ‘In conclusion’. Look out for words like
‘how’ and ‘why’ as they are asking for different things. This essays should
have 4/5 main paragraphs in it. Follow the structure on my writing frame.
Discuss how important each point / factor / reason is and how they may be
interlinked or connected in some way
General advice:
- You need to attempt all questions on both papers
- Do not spend long on one mark questions and do not write too much
- Leave enough time in both papers to attempt Section B.
- Write ¾ of a page for 10 Marks
- Write 2 sides for a 20 Marks question
- Try to spell words correctly
- Try to make your punctuation and grammar as clear and accurate as you
can
- Organise your points as clearly as you can
- Use as many key terms in longer responses and define them as you go
along
- If using a computer then use double spacing and size 12 font
- Know the difference between words such as gender and stereotype and
ethnicity and ethics
- Be able to define the word culture
- They try to give you marks
- Unexpected but those worthy of credit are given marks
Checklist for Unit 1:
The role of the sociologist and what they do
Definition of sociology
Culture
Social rules
Social control
,Cultural diversity
Nature / nurture debate
Socialisation: primary and secondary
The agencies of socialisation and what they do
Social identity
How do children learn their identity such as gender identity and ethnic identity?
What happens to unsocialised children?
Definitions of the family
Cultural variations in the family
Definition of the nuclear family
How have families changed since the 1950s? and why have they changed?
Types of family in modern Britain and today
Is single parenthood a problem for society?
Divorce – changing attitudes towards it
Is the family under threat from social change?
How are the roles in the family changing?
How have the roles of old people in families changed?
The roles of men and women in the family
Please note you need to know research methods and theories for Unit 1 too. For
example, do you know how sociologists evaluate research?
Checklist for unit 2
Inequality
Causes of inequality
Types of inequality
Definitions of prejudice and discrimination
Definitions of prestige and status
, Definition of elite. Who are the elites? What power and privilege do they
have?
Definition of life chances
Definition of social exclusion
Definitions / types of poverty
Definition of social class
Types of discrimination such as ageism and sexism and racism
How does gender affect women’s life chances?
How have changes in gender roles affected men?
How have norms about sexuality changed in the last 50 years?
How does disability affect life chances?
Definitions of racism and institutional racism
How do class, age, gender, ethnicity and disability affect people in work? How
do they affect people’s health life chances?
What do they major sociological theories say about inequality?
Is Britain an equal society?
Definitions of crime and deviance
Informal social control
Formal social control – the police and the judiciary
How do the media help keep social control?
Definition of white collar crime
Definition of corporate crime
What does a sociologist tell us about youth crime and street crime?
What are the nature explanations of crime and deviance?
How do subcultures help explain crime and deviance?
Social class and crime
Gender and crime
Ethnicity and crime
