AQA A2 SOCIOLOGY: Official Revision Thread for 2015 exams!

Original post by Ysiberi

Does anyone have any essay plans for 18 markers for Beliefs in Society - struggling so much with this unit :frown:

I don't know if this would be of much help, but just approach the 18 marker as if it was a 21 marker. My teacher taught me that -

First highlight the keyword of the question and explain what it means before doing anything, so that it shows the examiner you're secure about understanding the meaning of the topic
second, look at the argument and key point that, to show that you are aware that the main argument will have a critique. For example- Functionalist see religion as promoting consensus and harmony rather than conflict. Highlight the **** out of the conflict and say " however... marxists/ feminists.."
then beginning outlining functionalism- durkheim, malinowski, parson, and if you have time, put an alternate view of functionalism= neo functionalist- britishness a civil religion?
Criticisms of functionalism? - religion is often dysfunctional= creates war, conflict.
= introduce your counter argument
critique your argument with other THEORIES/APPROACHES
= marxist= religion= false harmony, ideology, suppress the working class to conform
=feminism=religion= ideology used by the patriarchal society/ men, to suppress women into a subordinate position, gives women impression that they are equal to men however they are merely the second sex/ keep women into traditional roles etc. Evaluate the marxist/feminist theories

Critique the whole argument with postmodernism= religion and science are merely metanarratives= people disenchanted/ disillusioned. Because of the damage science and religion has caused= genetic mod, conflict, green harms, globalisation of crime, weapons of mass destruction etc. Feyerbend and Kaplan Science is a myth.

I kinda summed up a performa of what a 33marker would look like, but otherwise, if it was a 18marker, use only one theory to critique your argument.

Hope this was helpful :smile:

Reply 963

Magnus Taylor

15

How do we structure the research methods essay on crime the shorter version of the 33? Do we use pervert or pet to reach top band?

Reply 964

Original post by xxvine

Okay smarty pants

Haha, but in all seriousness, I feel exactly the same way. I can relate to you wanting to overlook the feminism, marxism and functionalism essays, because everyone's predicting the other ones :frown:

At least we get a choice on the 33 marker of religion omg

Reply 965

Does anyone know if you can get a 21 marker on any of the following:

Location and crime
Age and crime
Crime statistics

I'm a bit confused as no one has seemed to mention them, are they still in the criteria?

Reply 966

Husnara_a

OP

Original post by Staff596

Does anyone know if you can get a 21 marker on any of the following:

Location and crime
Age and crime
Crime statistics

I'm a bit confused as no one has seemed to mention them, are they still in the criteria?

The first two you can get a question on it! Not sure about crime statistics if I'm honest? It's never been asked & if they can ask it; I'm screwed. D:

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Reply 967

Original post by Husnara_a

The first two you can get a question on it! Not sure about crime statistics if I'm honest? It's never been asked & if they can ask it; I'm screwed. D:

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Statistics could come up in MIC. The 21 markers are largely theoretical where, if appropriate, you incorporate statistics..

Hope this helps

Reply 968

If anyone wants to join the whatsapp group for sociology pm me your number and I will add you, we have a few groups for psychology and it works quite well at helping each other out. :smile:

Reply 969

Thanks guys,

For location and crime would you include:
Chicago school
Area offence rates
Cognitive maps
And maybe 'broken window'

Also if there was an essay on Social control, crime reduction and social policy, would would an essays plan for that Include?

Reply 970

[QUOTE="JRHewett;56353601"]If anyone wants to join the whatsapp group for sociology pm me your number and I will add you, we have a few groups for psychology and it works quite well at helping each other out. :smile:

[/QUOTE

I have model essays for a2 psychology if you want them.

Reply 971

Original post by risteard

I have model essays for a2 psychology if you want them.

Would be great if you had any resource for either Aggression, Research Methods or Biol Rhythms and Sleep. Paper 3 is the worst :P

Also Risteard,
SCLY4: In terms of postmodernity and Jean Baudrillard 'Crisis in Representation' - how would you explain his simulcra in terms of the establishment of personal identity in post-modern society?

Even asking the question on him confuses me lol

Reply 972

cazcams

Guys I'm really feeling:
-locality difference in social distribution of crime
-social action theories of crime
-realist theories of crime
-human rights/state crime
as potential 21 markers

For the theory/methods 33 mark question, I think a straight theory for the 3rd year running iais really unlikely. Likely possibilities are:
-positivist research methods
-sociology and values
-sociology and social policy (which would be an absolute nightmare)

What is everyone else thinking? And is anyone else leaving out last years topics all together (or going for selective revision based on their predictions)?

Reply 973

Original post by cazcams

Guys I'm really feeling:
-locality difference in social distribution of crime
-social action theories of crime
-realist theories of crime
-human rights/state crime
as potential 21 markers

For the theory/methods 33 mark question, I think a straight theory for the 3rd year running iais really unlikely. Likely possibilities are:
-positivist research methods
-sociology and values
-sociology and social policy (which would be an absolute nightmare)

What is everyone else thinking? And is anyone else leaving out last years topics all together (or going for selective revision based on their predictions)?

I've sort of focused my revision on the topics you just mentioned!! However, I was a little worried Suicide (21) may come up again, so I'm going to give that a few hours later tonight.

I don't think any of that 21 marker list you cited have come up in the last 5 exam windows, so we can pray :P

Reply 974

Original post by JRHewett

Would be great if you had any resource for either Aggression, Research Methods or Biol Rhythms and Sleep. Paper 3 is the worst :P

Also Risteard,
SCLY4: In terms of postmodernity and Jean Baudrillard 'Crisis in Representation' - how would you explain his simulcra in terms of the establishment of personal identity in post-modern society?

Even asking the question on him confuses me lol

Long time since I taught psychology - found the second year stuff really interesting :smile:

....well bits of it anyway...inbox me your email again and I will send them on.

Right simulacra and personal identity.......according to baudrillard there is no real in the postmodern. ..only the hyperreal.

The hyperreal is created in a media saturated society

Media saturation is a consequence of globalisation so 24 hour news , mtv that kind of thing.

How might this relate to personal identity? Well, British people used to be known for their youth culture the world over, and we had all sorts of youth cults when I was your age....terrace casuals, heavy metallers, mod revivalists, raggas. ...The list goes on

It was your immediate material circumstances that often shaped the culture you belonged to.

However in postmodernity the image or as baudrillard refers to it as 'the sign' dominates over the material reality. In some ways it is more important to possess the sign than the actual thing.

The kids today wear a label called comme des **** down....This is a subversion of the French couture label comme des garcon. ..They clearly cannot possess the real but are almost fooled into believing they do as they possess the hypperreal, it's the sign that is more important.

So a little further on...I don't know where you live but in London we have kids talking a mixture of cockney, Caribbean patois and American inner city English. They wear new era caps and t shirts with the names of American universities on them. Their cultural signs have been a accumulated from across the world....speaking to them it's almost like they believe they are living in the bronze, they are living in the hyperreal. This would not have been happened without globalisation and mtv, in particular.

However...my examples may even be out of date...why because of the Internet, mtv etc....The point here is not that I am 42 (lol) but that culture moves so quick today....identity and how we present it is not fixed like it was 40 years ago....its a fluid meaning making process.

Marxist criticism....xhoice is based on economics not freewill, structuralists identity comes from the outside of the individual through language...so people do not have the capacity to alter the identity they are assigned through language ....althusser would argue this if still alive.

Hope this helps.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 975

Husnara_a

OP

I hate this subject, you all seem to know a lot. D: I'm literally wishing for realist theories (i love them), and human rights and state crime. A 33 marker on social policy would be lovely. ANYTHING BUT POSTMODERNISM I HATE IT SO MUCH D:

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Reply 976

Original post by Staff596

Thanks guys,

For location and crime would you include:
Chicago school
Area offence rates
Cognitive maps
And maybe 'broken window'

Also if there was an essay on Social control, crime reduction and social policy, would would an essays plan for that Include?

can anyone help me with this, I'm really stuck!
Thanks

Reply 977

cmaynard

How is everyone revising? Need some revision tips. This subject has the most content for me but can't risk spending more time on one subject than others

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Reply 978

Crime reductionism and realist perspectives IS the crime and social policy question.

Both sets of theorists view crime as an objective fact, they therefore offer proposals as to how it can be reduced.

Some of these proposals are taken on as social policy. ..others are not.

Hope this helps

Reply 979