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Which Sociology text book is the best - AQA

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What do you guys think is the best text book/revision guide for AQA Sociology AS /A2

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Original post by xxvine
i see this question keeps popping up

What do you guys think is the best text book/revision guide for AQA Sociology AS /A2


A friend lent me "Succeed at A2 Sociology: The Complete Revision Guide for the AQA Specification" Rob Webb, Keith Trobe and it was a good addition to my class.
Reply 2
Original post by JumpingFun
A friend lent me "Succeed at A2 Sociology: The Complete Revision Guide for the AQA Specification" Rob Webb, Keith Trobe and it was a good addition to my class.


Hey was that what you mainly used?
Original post by xxvine
Hey was that what you mainly used?


I used that revision guide for AS, only and I got an A overall in the exam.

There is a textbook from the same people who wrote the revision guide and I had that as well but I didn't really use it. The textbook was recommended by my teacher for a high grade, that was why I got it.

The authors of the revision guide and the textbook are senior examiners and in the revision guide especially, there is advice on how to answer the questions, they explain everything concisely (no waffle), practice questions and examples of top-grade answers.
Reply 4
Original post by undine_monty
I used that revision guide for AS, only and I got an A overall in the exam.

There is a textbook from the same people who wrote the revision guide and I had that as well but I didn't really use it. The textbook was recommended by my teacher for a high grade, that was why I got it.

The authors of the revision guide and the textbook are senior examiners and in the revision guide especially, there is advice on how to answer the questions, they explain everything concisely (no waffle), practice questions and examples of top-grade answers.


Ahh okay I will deffo purchase it. I guess it makes sense to get the text book as well because won't the revision guide be thin on information?
Original post by xxvine
Ahh okay I will deffo purchase it. I guess it makes sense to get the text book as well because won't the revision guide be thin on information?


Yes, it makes sense to get the textbook because there are more questions and a lot more content but I felt it was too much. The revision guide had all I needed.

I would get both, then make the decision of how much you'll use them.

I was going to offer you some flashcards on Sociology but then I realised there's a new spec :s-smilie:

Good luck. I hope you'll enjoy Sociology as much as I did :tongue:
Reply 6
Original post by undine_monty
Yes, it makes sense to get the textbook because there are more questions and a lot more content but I felt it was too much. The revision guide had all I needed.

I would get both, then make the decision of how much you'll use them.

I was going to offer you some flashcards on Sociology but then I realised there's a new spec :s-smilie:

Good luck. I hope you'll enjoy Sociology as much as I did :tongue:


Hey im doing the old spec! That would be really helpful!!!
Original post by xxvine
Hey im doing the old spec! That would be really helpful!!!


Great! :biggrin:
https://quizlet.com/ramblingman13/folders/sociology-aqa-as

I think I made them for every topic but I couldn't finish the one on research methods because it got really complex to dissect into flashcards. I literally put everything from the revision guide into flashcards so I could test my recall of the info I had learnt. I used them mostly with the Unit 1 Families & Households because that features many different sociologists, statistics etc. I felt like unit 2 was more explanation though there are still different point of views you have to know so the flashcards are still useful for unit 2.

The revision guide I was talking about only features the education aspect of unit 2 and so do my flashcards. In the unit 2 exam, you have a choice between answering 'Education and Research Methods' questions or the 'Health and Research Methods' questions. I'm not sure about the textbook but it probably has health and education topics in it.

I wish there was an easier way to access my flashcards rather than me giving you the entire url but there's just so many flashcards on Sociology AQA AS on the website. You could also use the ones other people made, they would also be helpful :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by undine_monty
Great! :biggrin:
https://quizlet.com/ramblingman13/folders/sociology-aqa-as

I think I made them for every topic but I couldn't finish the one on research methods because it got really complex to dissect into flashcards. I literally put everything from the revision guide into flashcards so I could test my recall of the info I had learnt. I used them mostly with the Unit 1 Families & Households because that features many different sociologists, statistics etc. I felt like unit 2 was more explanation though there are still different point of views you have to know so the flashcards are still useful for unit 2.

The revision guide I was talking about only features the education aspect of unit 2 and so do my flashcards. In the unit 2 exam, you have a choice between answering 'Education and Research Methods' questions or the 'Health and Research Methods' questions. I'm not sure about the textbook but it probably has health and education topics in it.

I wish there was an easier way to access my flashcards rather than me giving you the entire url but there's just so many flashcards on Sociology AQA AS on the website. You could also use the ones other people made, they would also be helpful :smile:


Ahh thanks mate? Are you going on to A2 Sociology now?
Just picked up the book from Waterstones now....really condensed info but nicely set out. The education unit is interesting and so many things you can relate to such as working class kids vs middle class kids LOL (Oh the struggle) haha/

How much revision did you do and did you do many past papers for your teacher to mark? Thanks again btw:smile:
Original post by xxvine
Ahh thanks mate? Are you going on to A2 Sociology now?
Just picked up the book from Waterstones now....really condensed info but nicely set out. The education unit is interesting and so many things you can relate to such as working class kids vs middle class kids LOL (Oh the struggle) haha/

How much revision did you do and did you do many past papers for your teacher to mark? Thanks again btw:smile:


The education bit was the most interesting in my opinion though I loved it all. The whole spec just opened my eyes to the things in society I never thought about so much and I got a better understanding of it all.

No problem, I'm happy to help :smile:

Yeah, im doing A2 Sociology and I want to do it at university as well.

I never had a teacher to mark any past papers because I self taught it. I also didn't really do past papers till like a few days before the exam but even then, it was only one question from each paper I would do just to practise my structure. I never did a full practise paper, never timed myself or anything. I literally rushed through the papers in the exam because I didn't know how long the questions all together would take. They really are important to do though, so you can anticipate questions that will be asked and learn how to answer them properly. Do as many as you can.

I left my revision quite late (too busy playing video games). I gave myself probably about 2 weeks before my first exam for proper, hardcore revising after I'd finished making the flashcards for my other subjects. It just so turned out, that I'm not so bad at cramming. I managed to get decent grades - ACCU (just pretend the U isn't there :tongue:).

Ugghh! Reading what I just wrote just makes me feel ashamed of myself for such sloppy, reckless behaviour. I know in my heart, I could've done better than what my final grades were though I'm still grateful for what I got.
Reply 10
Original post by undine_monty
The education bit was the most interesting in my opinion though I loved it all. The whole spec just opened my eyes to the things in society I never thought about so much and I got a better understanding of it all.

No problem, I'm happy to help :smile:

Yeah, im doing A2 Sociology and I want to do it at university as well.

I never had a teacher to mark any past papers because I self taught it. I also didn't really do past papers till like a few days before the exam but even then, it was only one question from each paper I would do just to practise my structure. I never did a full practise paper, never timed myself or anything. I literally rushed through the papers in the exam because I didn't know how long the questions all together would take. They really are important to do though, so you can anticipate questions that will be asked and learn how to answer them properly. Do as many as you can.

I left my revision quite late (too busy playing video games). I gave myself probably about 2 weeks before my first exam for proper, hardcore revising after I'd finished making the flashcards for my other subjects. It just so turned out, that I'm not so bad at cramming. I managed to get decent grades - ACCU (just pretend the U isn't there :tongue:).

Ugghh! Reading what I just wrote just makes me feel ashamed of myself for such sloppy, reckless behaviour. I know in my heart, I could've done better than what my final grades were though I'm still grateful for what I got.


Hey
Wow you did well especially when you were self teaching! Did you get an A in both papers?

But like you said you mainly used the revision guide?
Original post by xxvine
Hey
Wow you did well especially when you were self teaching! Did you get an A in both papers?

But like you said you mainly used the revision guide?


Thank You :h:

I got a B in the unit 1 Families & Households (two marks off an A and I only just found out now :unimpressed:) and an A in unit 2 Education and Research Methods.

And yes, I did mainly use the revision guide but looking back, I wish I did use the textbook more. It would've been an interesting read and the extra questions to do would've been good to answer. That's why I've bought the A2 textbook and I plan on using it. I'm going to do everything I can to get that A*.

The only reason I bought that specific textbook from Keith Trobe, Rob Webb and others was because my old sociology teacher from when I was in school recommended it, saying he'd had students achieve A grades using it. It's a pretty good textbook.
Reply 12
Original post by undine_monty
Thank You :h:

I got a B in the unit 1 Families & Households (two marks off an A and I only just found out now :unimpressed:) and an A in unit 2 Education and Research Methods.

And yes, I did mainly use the revision guide but looking back, I wish I did use the textbook more. It would've been an interesting read and the extra questions to do would've been good to answer. That's why I've bought the A2 textbook and I plan on using it. I'm going to do everything I can to get that A*.

The only reason I bought that specific textbook from Keith Trobe, Rob Webb and others was because my old sociology teacher from when I was in school recommended it, saying he'd had students achieve A grades using it. It's a pretty good textbook.


is it the blue text book you are talking about?
Original post by xxvine
is it the blue text book you are talking about?


The blue textbook is for A2 and the orange one is for AS. Make sure you get the textbook from the old spec, not the new one because I think there are differences in what is studied.
Original post by xxvine
Hey was that what you mainly used?


Yup. That book + internet :biggrin:
Reply 15
Original post by JumpingFun
Yup. That book + internet :biggrin:


Which book lol
Original post by JumpingFun
A friend lent me "Succeed at A2 Sociology: The Complete Revision Guide for the AQA Specification" Rob Webb, Keith Trobe and it was a good addition to my class.


Hi! Read this post, really helpful. I'm also self studying, was wondering if you think this book will be okay for the new AQA specs for the 2016 exam?Says Paper 1 is Education and methods in context and Paper 2 is the optional choice between culture and identity, families and households, health, work poverty and welfare.Let me know!
Reply 17
I'm doing A2 sociology in power & politics and crime & deviance but can't find any textbooks or student guides with these two topics, any ideas?
Original post by Betsy96
I'm doing A2 sociology in power & politics and crime & deviance but can't find any textbooks or student guides with these two topics, any ideas?


Hi, i'm a teacher...power and politics has not been a popular option as it overlaps with A level politics....very few schools do it...most of the A level textbooks cover it though. The best is probably Ken Brown AQA sociology for A2.

Hope this helps
Original post by xxvine
Which book lol


"Succeed at A2 Sociology: The Complete Revision Guide for the AQA Specification" Rob Webb, Keith Trobe - I mentioned it in my first post here.

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