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Sociology - AQA Unit 1 - Families and Households Jan 2011

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Reply 40
Original post by Dopey:)
I am quite nervous for this exam now.
Does anyone know what mark you need to get out of 60 to get a C, B or A?
thanks.


Last year, an A was 42, and I think a B was 36. Don't know about a C, sorry.
Reply 41
Aargggggh, got this on Friday aswell as a AS geography paper in the morning!
Making notes on all the topics, then key sociologists!

Then Unit 3 Beliefs in Society the week after :/

Good luck everyone! :smile:
Ive got this as well D: I'm just learning the key sociologists & what they said - anything know anything that I REALLY should revise? Apparently the psychology exam was pretty easy so I'm hoping it'll be the same for sociology, fingers crossed!
Reply 43
Original post by hiyamynameissoph
Ive got this as well D: I'm just learning the key sociologists & what they said - anything know anything that I REALLY should revise? Apparently the psychology exam was pretty easy so I'm hoping it'll be the same for sociology, fingers crossed!


Hmmmm hopefully it is easy ;D
May be something to do with AQA messing up the marking last year?
Reply 44
Original post by akemikat
I'm taking this exam in May and already panicing so I really feel for you guys, good luck!
I'm finding it really difficult to revise in terms of memorising sociologists and their theories and perspectives, and also key dates when things occurred and key dates when laws were implemented. Am I the only one who thinks, how on earth, is it possible, to memorise all these different things in reference to several different subject areas (families - childhood, divorce, changing patterns, birth rates etc etc) and then there is Unit 2 the Education unit. Just HOW! I'm taking other A-Levels too, how, how is it possible to remember this stuff?!?! I'm desparate to get an A but since I'm doing it through distance learning I haven't been able to take mocks or anything. I'm terrified of only getting a B or C because I need As for the uni I want :frown: :s-smilie: Scared.


I was told by my teachers that you don't need to know the names of all of the sociologists just the main ones such as Oakley, Parsons, Murdock, Engels etc but as long as you quote their ideas if you can't remember. For example "Feminists (instead of Oakley) believed it was industrialisation that put women in the home as well as the concerns over the welfare of women and the danger of them taking mens jobs etc". Hope this helps.
Reply 45
Original post by EmmaPeep
I was told by my teachers that you don't need to know the names of all of the sociologists just the main ones such as Oakley, Parsons, Murdock, Engels etc but as long as you quote their ideas if you can't remember. For example "Feminists (instead of Oakley) believed it was industrialisation that put women in the home as well as the concerns over the welfare of women and the danger of them taking mens jobs etc". Hope this helps.


We don't need to remember dates with Sociologists do we? Obviously if the question is about contemporary society, you don't want to be mentioning Durkheim or whatever, but for the exam? :smile:
Reply 46
Original post by Anthony93
We don't need to remember dates with Sociologists do we? Obviously if the question is about contemporary society, you don't want to be mentioning Durkheim or whatever, but for the exam? :smile:


Oops Durkheim, forgot about that bugger. If it mentions contemporary society it could be worth mentioning his and other peoples work from the past and then criticising or saying how it isnt relevant because of changes. Not really sure. Just ramble, tends to work for me. As long as you include key info and evaluate with other theories it's alright. Erm some things you could do with knowing I think like when gay men and lesbians could adopt but for Sociologists studies there are far too many to know.
Reply 47
Original post by EmmaPeep
Oops Durkheim, forgot about that bugger. If it mentions contemporary society it could be worth mentioning his and other peoples work from the past and then criticising or saying how it isnt relevant because of changes. Not really sure. Just ramble, tends to work for me. As long as you include key info and evaluate with other theories it's alright. Erm some things you could do with knowing I think like when gay men and lesbians could adopt but for Sociologists studies there are far too many to know.


Ah good! Thank you :smile: Might start with the old sociologists in the first paragraph, so its easy to criticise throughout the essay! Only one long essay question in this Unit :smile:
I rambled last year and failed, well got a E, so need to improve that :smile:
Might just remember 2 or 3 key sociologists per topic I think!
Reply 48
Original post by Anthony93
Ah good! Thank you :smile: Might start with the old sociologists in the first paragraph, so its easy to criticise throughout the essay! Only one long essay question in this Unit :smile:
I rambled last year and failed, well got a E, so need to improve that :smile:
Might just remember 2 or 3 key sociologists per topic I think!


2 essay questions d) and e). That's what i've been told anyway!
Reply 49
im in year 13 now and im retaking this on friday, actually a really easy exam i got a b last year so am retakin this to get an A, but tbh all you need to know is a few sociologists and their theories for funct.,marx,fem,post modern,new right then family diversity, divorce the usual stuff and its very easy. Make sure you refer back to the question at the end of practically every paragraph to make sure your linking and applying your answer to the question, timing is also quite important, think its about a minuite a mark but you are best off trying to do the short answer questions as quickly as possible, also when you define the word the question a, make sure you give an example, same for B
I hope everyone's revision is going well, I'm bricking it. Feel like I know nothing, but I am calmed a little that we don't need to know everyone's name - really struggling with that.

This is my second time round doing A levels, and it's a little late, but please be wary of selectively revising based on what you think will come up. I followed teacher recommendations my first time round, they got it TOTALLY wrong, and I ended up with 3 D's, despite being predicted A's or B's.
I once asked a teacher for help with a specific Q that I was stuck on and he said, don't worry, it was in Jan, it won't come up. Can you guess the topic for the main questions? Brilliant.

Good luck everyone
Reply 51
Original post by Plonk
Last year, an A was 42, and I think a B was 36. Don't know about a C, sorry.


on the AQA website..it says..
64-80 A
56-63 B
48-55 C
Reply 52
Original post by Anthony93
We don't need to remember dates with Sociologists do we? Obviously if the question is about contemporary society, you don't want to be mentioning Durkheim or whatever, but for the exam? :smile:


You don't need to remember when the sociologist was alive/published his work, no. Not until uni anyway!

However if you have an act (For example the divorce reform act) you need to remember the year it was published.
Reply 53
How much should you write for each of the essay style questions- minium?
Reply 54
Original post by Dopey:)
How much should you write for each of the essay style questions- minium?


They're 24 marks right?

You're looking at two pages for good marks (assuming your content is good as well)
Reply 55
Ah no, this is tommorrow!

Proper stressing out, if the questions are like the questions in last years paper then i'm fine - I was fine with those questions when we did the mock paper in class.

I'm worried about the different sociologists and their theories, i always get the mixed up and there seems to be so much to remember even if you know the basic jist of what's going on!

Anyone got any tips on what might come up in the exam? Maybe we can all help eachother out and post random questions that might come up, to see if we can answer them?!
I really wouldn't panic too much! I've basicly learnt a couple of theories that can be put into any answer, for example:

Parsons, the nuclear family is essential for society as it fits society's needs. Maggie Thatcher also thought this and said that the family was the bedrock of all society. Parsons is a good one cause he was writing in 1955, so you can show how stuff has changed.

Marxist feminists say that the capitalism exploits woman.

Feminists in general say that although roles are more equal at home, woman still do more. ie Gershuny, who said women now have a 'triple burden' meaning they have to work, emotionaly support & care for their children as well as do all the domestic chores. or Germaine Greer who stated the disadvantages of being a mother and that women are limited.

Judith Stacey, saying that family is way diverse, saying people can pick what they do, meaning theres more oppertunities.

10% of families today are led by a single parent, way more cohabitating.

Allan & Crow say that this increase in divorce shows a greater acceptance to diversity.

Young & Willmot, in their book the symmetrical family, stated that in modern society husband & wife share decision making/chores.

Only 4% of the people in the cabinet are women, only 15% of board rooms have women in them.

Neil Postman = Childhood is a thing of the past.

New Right think that welfare is way too easy to get.
New Labour = The Third Way = Tony Blair, 1997, going hard on crime, hard on welfare.

Divorce Act = 1969
Equal Pay Act = 1971.

Ok so these are pretty much relatable to basicly any question, you reckon?

I think childhood will come up since that hasnt come up on the new exam yet?
Reply 57
Original post by hiyamynameissoph
I really wouldn't panic too much! I've basicly learnt a couple of theories that can be put into any answer, for example:

Parsons, the nuclear family is essential for society as it fits society's needs. Maggie Thatcher also thought this and said that the family was the bedrock of all society. Parsons is a good one cause he was writing in 1955, so you can show how stuff has changed.

Marxist feminists say that the capitalism exploits woman.

Feminists in general say that although roles are more equal at home, woman still do more. ie Gershuny, who said women now have a 'triple burden' meaning they have to work, emotionaly support & care for their children as well as do all the domestic chores. or Germaine Greer who stated the disadvantages of being a mother and that women are limited.

Judith Stacey, saying that family is way diverse, saying people can pick what they do, meaning theres more oppertunities.

10% of families today are led by a single parent, way more cohabitating.

Allan & Crow say that this increase in divorce shows a greater acceptance to diversity.

Young & Willmot, in their book the symmetrical family, stated that in modern society husband & wife share decision making/chores.

Only 4% of the people in the cabinet are women, only 15% of board rooms have women in them.

Neil Postman = Childhood is a thing of the past.

New Right think that welfare is way too easy to get.
New Labour = The Third Way = Tony Blair, 1997, going hard on crime, hard on welfare.

Divorce Act = 1969
Equal Pay Act = 1971.

Ok so these are pretty much relatable to basicly any question, you reckon?

I think childhood will come up since that hasnt come up on the new exam yet?


The divorce reform act was not in 1969, it was implimented in 1971. The equal pay act was not 1971, rather it was in 1970. Also, Sexual Discrimination Act, 1975 is a good one to remember :smile:

Good set of facts/theories though! Also, in the FTSE 100 (top 100 companies in the UK) there is not 1 single CEO that is a woman.
Reply 58
Original post by mikeybey
You don't need to remember when the sociologist was alive/published his work, no. Not until uni anyway!

However if you have an act (For example the divorce reform act) you need to remember the year it was published.


Thank you, best get learning the dates with them! 2 exams tomorrow, too much to remember :/
Reply 59
Original post by Anthony93
Thank you, best get learning the dates with them! 2 exams tomorrow, too much to remember :/


The main ones are divorce reform act 1971, sexual discrimination act 1970, equal pay act 1975

:smile:

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