AQA A LEVEL
SOCIOLOGY -
PAPER 3
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
ESSAY PLANS TOPICS:
1. FUNCTIONALISM
2. MARXISM/CLASS
3. FEMINISM
4. SOCIAL ACTION
5. POST MODERNITY + MODERNITY + GLOABALISATION
6. SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
7. VALUES IN SOCIETY
8. SOCIAL POLICY
, FUNCTIONALISM
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY SOCIAL SYSTEM SOCIAL CHANGE
P- institutions socialise individuals to create social P- social order is maintained through the AGIL schema P- social change is gradual process
solidarity
Ev- Durkheim -> social order is achieved through social Ev- Parsons -> social system has 4 basic needs: Ev- Parsons ->
solidarity and cohesion (all members have the same • adaptation • trad society people are judged by particularis
norms and values) • goal attainment value collectivism
• important as religious ties break down • integration (work together to achieve shared goals) • modern society people rely on universalistic s
• teaching history ~ fosters sense of belonging and • latency (pass on norms and values) individualism
prevents past tragedies (these are met by institutions such as social, political and
education)
Ex- useful to understand how individual are integrated Ex- shows how various parts of society function Ex- this change is gradual, and society is more c
into society and how social order is maintained interdependently based • useful to understand how society adapts to m
• without shared norms (anomie) society would be • e.g, individuals must meet material needs such as food and • shows how institution evolve to meet needs (
chaotic clothing and the economic subsystem allows them to do this. nuclear fam following industrialisation)
Ev- Marxists + feminists-> functionalists take rose-tinted Ev- Merton (internal critique) -> criticises idea of functional Ev- Post modernists -> functionalism is a meta-
view and overlooks negatives of institutions unity: (more nuanced) outdated
• family oppresses women • functional alternatives (other institutions perform functions • change is rapid and post-modern society is fr
• shared values seen as r/c ideology to legitimate just as well characterised by diversity
inequality • all parts of society may not work together -> society is • idea of harmonious social structure is too sim
complex and have functional autonomy
• some things could be functional for some and dysfunctional
for others
• manifest function (intended and obvious)
• latent function (unintended)
• Logical theorist -> teleology (idea something exists because
has a function) is illogical
• socialisation is effect of institution and not the cause/
purpose
SOCIOLOGY -
PAPER 3
SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY
ESSAY PLANS TOPICS:
1. FUNCTIONALISM
2. MARXISM/CLASS
3. FEMINISM
4. SOCIAL ACTION
5. POST MODERNITY + MODERNITY + GLOABALISATION
6. SOCIOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
7. VALUES IN SOCIETY
8. SOCIAL POLICY
, FUNCTIONALISM
SOCIAL SOLIDARITY SOCIAL SYSTEM SOCIAL CHANGE
P- institutions socialise individuals to create social P- social order is maintained through the AGIL schema P- social change is gradual process
solidarity
Ev- Durkheim -> social order is achieved through social Ev- Parsons -> social system has 4 basic needs: Ev- Parsons ->
solidarity and cohesion (all members have the same • adaptation • trad society people are judged by particularis
norms and values) • goal attainment value collectivism
• important as religious ties break down • integration (work together to achieve shared goals) • modern society people rely on universalistic s
• teaching history ~ fosters sense of belonging and • latency (pass on norms and values) individualism
prevents past tragedies (these are met by institutions such as social, political and
education)
Ex- useful to understand how individual are integrated Ex- shows how various parts of society function Ex- this change is gradual, and society is more c
into society and how social order is maintained interdependently based • useful to understand how society adapts to m
• without shared norms (anomie) society would be • e.g, individuals must meet material needs such as food and • shows how institution evolve to meet needs (
chaotic clothing and the economic subsystem allows them to do this. nuclear fam following industrialisation)
Ev- Marxists + feminists-> functionalists take rose-tinted Ev- Merton (internal critique) -> criticises idea of functional Ev- Post modernists -> functionalism is a meta-
view and overlooks negatives of institutions unity: (more nuanced) outdated
• family oppresses women • functional alternatives (other institutions perform functions • change is rapid and post-modern society is fr
• shared values seen as r/c ideology to legitimate just as well characterised by diversity
inequality • all parts of society may not work together -> society is • idea of harmonious social structure is too sim
complex and have functional autonomy
• some things could be functional for some and dysfunctional
for others
• manifest function (intended and obvious)
• latent function (unintended)
• Logical theorist -> teleology (idea something exists because
has a function) is illogical
• socialisation is effect of institution and not the cause/
purpose
