1.1.1

What is Sociology?

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What is Sociology?

Sociology is the study of society. Society is a group of people, a culture and a way of life. Sociologists study social influences on human life and focus on group behaviour.

What sociologists do

What sociologists do

Sociologists explore the social factors that shape human behaviour, or the way in which society influences people’s lives and the ways in which people, in turn, shape society.

Areas of sociological enquiry

Areas of sociological enquiry

Sociologists study the different parts that make up society, known as social structures.
These include the family, the education system, the criminal justice system and the social stratification system, as well as the relationships between these parts.
Sociologists investigate social processes, for example, socialisation, labelling and social control.

How sociologists make sense of the world

How sociologists make sense of the world

Sociologists use a specialist vocabulary, or body of terms, and key ideas, or concepts.
They refer to a body of theories that help to explain the relationship between the individual and society.

Research methods

Research methods

They use a tool kit of research methods to collect evidence in an organised and systematic way.
For example, questionnaires, interviews and observations.

Advantages

Advantages

Because evidence is collected in an organised and systematic way, sociology can provide factual information that is more reliable than information from other sources.

Different perspectives

Different perspectives

Sociologists often disagree about how they see the social world, leading to different perspectives, such as Marxism, functionalism and feminism.

1

The Sociological Approach

1.1

Introduction to Sociology

1.1.1What is Sociology?1.1.2Culture & Socialisation

1.2

Sociological Approaches

1.2.1Marxism 1.2.2Marxism 2 1.2.3Functionalism 1.2.4Feminism

1.3

The Consensus vs. Conflict Debate

1.3.1The Consensus vs. Conflict Debate 1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Sociological Approach

2

Families

2.1

Functions of Families

2.1.1Functionalist Views on Family 2.1.2Marxist Views on Family 2.1.3Feminist Views on Family

2.2

Family Forms

2.2.1What is a Family?2.2.2Nuclear Family 2.2.3Families in a Global Context 2.2.4The Rapoports & Family Diversity 2.2.5Causes of Family Diversity 2.2.6End of Topic Test - Family Forms

2.3

Conjugal Role Relationships

2.3.1Conjugal Roles

2.4

Changing Relationships Within Families

2.4.1Timeline 2.4.2Domestic Abuse 2.4.3Symmetrical Family

2.5

Criticisms of Families

2.5.1Functionalist Views of Families 2.5.2Marxist Views of Families 2.5.3Feminist Views of Families 2.5.4Declining Marriage Rate 2.5.5End of Topic Test - Criticisms of Families

2.6

Divorce

2.6.1Reasons For Rise in Divorce Rate 2.6.2Consequences of Divorce 2.6.3Functionalist Views 2.6.4Marxist Views 2.6.5Feminist Views 2.6.6End of Topic Test - Divorce

3

Education

3.1

Roles & Functions of Education

3.1.1The Functionalist Approach 3.1.2Evaluating Different Perspectives 3.1.3Types of School 3.1.4Alternative Education 3.1.5State & Private Schools

3.2

Processes Within Schools

3.2.1Internal Processes 3.2.2External Processes

3.3

Educational Achievement

3.3.1Measuring Educational Success 3.3.2Social Class & Education 3.3.3Social Class & External Factors 3.3.4Gender & Education 3.3.5Ethnicity & Education 3.3.6Parental Choice 3.3.7History of UK Education Policy 3.3.8Recent UK Education Policy 3.3.9End of Topic Test - Education

4

Crime & Deviance

4.1

The Social Construction of Crime

4.1.1Defining Crime & Deviance 4.1.2Sociological Explanations of Crime 4.1.3Interactionist Explanations of Crime 4.1.4Alternative Explanations of Crime

4.2

Social Control

4.2.1Informal Social Control 4.2.2Formal Social Control 4.2.3End of Topic Test - Social Construction of Crime

4.3

Criminal & Deviant Behaviour

4.3.1Explanations of Crime 4.3.2Social Class & Crime 4.3.3Gender & Crime 4.3.4Ethnicity & Crime 4.3.5Age & Crime 4.3.6Criminal Responsibility 4.3.7The Prison System 4.3.8Media Reporting of Crime 4.3.9Functionalist Explanations of Crime

4.4

Data on Crime

4.4.1Measuring Crime 4.4.2End of Topic Test - Criminal & Deviant Behaviour

5

Social Stratification

5.1

Social Stratification

5.1.1What is Social Stratification?5.1.2Functionalism 5.1.3Socio-Economic Class 5.1.4Socio-Economic Class 2 5.1.5Life Chances 5.1.6The Affluent Worker 5.1.7End of Topic Test - Social Stratifictaion

5.2

Poverty as a Social Issue

5.2.1Defining Poverty 5.2.2Factors Affecting Poverty 5.2.3Explanations of Poverty 5.2.4Impact of Globalisation 5.2.5End of Topic Test - Poverty as a Social Issue

5.3

Power & Authority

5.3.1Weber 5.3.2Sociological Perspectives 5.3.3Power Relationships 5.3.4End of Topic Test - Power & Authority

6

Sociological Research Methods

6.1

Research Methods

6.1.1Research Design 6.1.2The Scientific Method 6.1.3Other Considerations 6.1.4Primary Sources 6.1.5Secondary Sources 6.1.6Surveys 6.1.7Sampling 6.1.8Questionnaires 6.1.9Interviews 6.1.10Observation 6.1.11Statistics 6.1.12Case Studies 6.1.13Longitudinal Studies 6.1.14Ethnography 6.1.15Experiments 6.1.16Small Scale Research 6.1.17End of Topic Test - Research Methods

Jump to other topics

1

The Sociological Approach

1.1

Introduction to Sociology

1.1.1What is Sociology?1.1.2Culture & Socialisation

1.2

Sociological Approaches

1.2.1Marxism 1.2.2Marxism 2 1.2.3Functionalism 1.2.4Feminism

1.3

The Consensus vs. Conflict Debate

1.3.1The Consensus vs. Conflict Debate 1.3.2End of Topic Test - The Sociological Approach

2

Families

2.1

Functions of Families

2.1.1Functionalist Views on Family 2.1.2Marxist Views on Family 2.1.3Feminist Views on Family

2.2

Family Forms

2.2.1What is a Family?2.2.2Nuclear Family 2.2.3Families in a Global Context 2.2.4The Rapoports & Family Diversity 2.2.5Causes of Family Diversity 2.2.6End of Topic Test - Family Forms

2.3

Conjugal Role Relationships

2.3.1Conjugal Roles

2.4

Changing Relationships Within Families

2.4.1Timeline 2.4.2Domestic Abuse 2.4.3Symmetrical Family

2.5

Criticisms of Families

2.5.1Functionalist Views of Families 2.5.2Marxist Views of Families 2.5.3Feminist Views of Families 2.5.4Declining Marriage Rate 2.5.5End of Topic Test - Criticisms of Families

2.6

Divorce

2.6.1Reasons For Rise in Divorce Rate 2.6.2Consequences of Divorce 2.6.3Functionalist Views 2.6.4Marxist Views 2.6.5Feminist Views 2.6.6End of Topic Test - Divorce

3

Education

3.1

Roles & Functions of Education

3.1.1The Functionalist Approach 3.1.2Evaluating Different Perspectives 3.1.3Types of School 3.1.4Alternative Education 3.1.5State & Private Schools

3.2

Processes Within Schools

3.2.1Internal Processes 3.2.2External Processes

3.3

Educational Achievement

3.3.1Measuring Educational Success 3.3.2Social Class & Education 3.3.3Social Class & External Factors 3.3.4Gender & Education 3.3.5Ethnicity & Education 3.3.6Parental Choice 3.3.7History of UK Education Policy 3.3.8Recent UK Education Policy 3.3.9End of Topic Test - Education

4

Crime & Deviance

4.1

The Social Construction of Crime

4.1.1Defining Crime & Deviance 4.1.2Sociological Explanations of Crime 4.1.3Interactionist Explanations of Crime 4.1.4Alternative Explanations of Crime

4.2

Social Control

4.2.1Informal Social Control 4.2.2Formal Social Control 4.2.3End of Topic Test - Social Construction of Crime

4.3

Criminal & Deviant Behaviour

4.3.1Explanations of Crime 4.3.2Social Class & Crime 4.3.3Gender & Crime 4.3.4Ethnicity & Crime 4.3.5Age & Crime 4.3.6Criminal Responsibility 4.3.7The Prison System 4.3.8Media Reporting of Crime 4.3.9Functionalist Explanations of Crime

4.4

Data on Crime

4.4.1Measuring Crime 4.4.2End of Topic Test - Criminal & Deviant Behaviour

5

Social Stratification

5.1

Social Stratification

5.1.1What is Social Stratification?5.1.2Functionalism 5.1.3Socio-Economic Class 5.1.4Socio-Economic Class 2 5.1.5Life Chances 5.1.6The Affluent Worker 5.1.7End of Topic Test - Social Stratifictaion

5.2

Poverty as a Social Issue

5.2.1Defining Poverty 5.2.2Factors Affecting Poverty 5.2.3Explanations of Poverty 5.2.4Impact of Globalisation 5.2.5End of Topic Test - Poverty as a Social Issue

5.3

Power & Authority

5.3.1Weber 5.3.2Sociological Perspectives 5.3.3Power Relationships 5.3.4End of Topic Test - Power & Authority

6

Sociological Research Methods

6.1

Research Methods

6.1.1Research Design 6.1.2The Scientific Method 6.1.3Other Considerations 6.1.4Primary Sources 6.1.5Secondary Sources 6.1.6Surveys 6.1.7Sampling 6.1.8Questionnaires 6.1.9Interviews 6.1.10Observation 6.1.11Statistics 6.1.12Case Studies 6.1.13Longitudinal Studies 6.1.14Ethnography 6.1.15Experiments 6.1.16Small Scale Research 6.1.17End of Topic Test - Research Methods

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Culture & Socialisation