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AQA A Level Sociology: Theory and Methods

May 27, 2025

AQA A Level Sociology Theory and Research Methods (Part 2)

Introduction

  • Focus: Theory and Research Methods for AQA A Level Sociology
  • Importance: Relevant for methods and context or theory and methods in papers 1 and 3, worth 60 marks
  • Structure: Broken down into research methods, debates, and theory

Research Methods

Why Do We Do Research in Sociology?

  • To collect data and learn about society
  • To establish cause and effect relationships
  • To influence social policy and advise on law changes
  • To make a career, become famous (coining terms)
  • Influences on research choices: theoretical positions, societal values, current trends, funding

Types of Data

  • Primary Data: Gathered by the researcher (questionnaires, interviews, observation)
  • Secondary Data: Collected by others (government statistics, research papers)
  • Qualitative Data: Non-numerical, descriptive
  • Quantitative Data: Numerical, used to identify patterns and trends

Theoretical Perspectives

  • Structuralists: Macro approach (functionalists, Marxists, liberal feminists)
  • Social Action Theorists: Micro approach (interested in individual actions)

Research Methods

  • Pet Approach: Practical (time, cost, access), Ethical (harm, consent, deceit), Theoretical (validity, reliability, representativeness)
  • Sampling: Random, Systematic, Stratified, Quota, Opportunity
  • Pervert Acronym: Practical, Ethics, Reliability, Validity, Examples, Representativeness, Theoretical

Primary Research Methods

  1. Experiments: Lab and field experiments, examples include Bobo Doll Experiment
  2. Questionnaires: Closed and open questions, generating social facts
  3. Interviews: Structured, unstructured, semi-structured, group interviews
  4. Observation: Participant vs. non-participant, overt vs. covert

Secondary Research Methods

  1. Official Statistics: Collected by government bodies, hard vs. soft statistics
  2. Documents: Written texts, public, personal, historical
  3. Content Analysis: Analyzing different forms of communication, types include formal, thematic, and textual

Sociological Debates

Is Sociology a Science?

  • Positivism: Sociology can be a science through verificationism
  • Interpretivism: Sociology shouldn't be a science as it studies conscious beings
  • Falsification: Science as an open society, testing theories to be disproved
  • Realism: Open vs. closed systems, sociology as an open system

Sociology and Social Policy

  • Functionalism: Social policy maintains social order
  • Social Democratic: Policies for reducing inequality and promoting justice
  • Marxism: Policies serve the ruling class and maintain capitalism
  • Feminism: Policies reinforce patriarchy, advocating for equality
  • New Right: Policies should promote personal responsibility, minimal state intervention

Role of Values in Sociological Research

  • Value Freedom: Research should be objective (positivists)
  • Value Relevance: Values influence topic choice, not research outcomes
  • Value Laden: Sociology influenced by researcher values and interests
  • Value Committed: Sociology should not be neutral and support social justice

Sociological Theories

Functionalism

  • Society as a System: Organic analogy, societal institutions function together
  • Value Consensus: Shared values prevent chaos
  • Socialization and Social Control: Social institutions regulate behavior
  • Parsons and AGIL: Adaptation, Goal Attainment, Integration, Latency

Feminism

  • Liberal Feminism: Gradual reforms and gender equality
  • Radical Feminism: Patriarchy as a universal concept, separatism
  • Marxist Feminism: Capitalism as patriarchal, women's oppression
  • Difference Feminism: Not a single homogeneous group, various forms of oppression

Social Action Theory

  • Weber: Structural and social action approaches
  • Mead: Symbolic interactionism, I and Me
  • Cooley: Looking glass self, self-concept from others
  • Goffman: Dramaturgical model, front stage vs. backstage

Postmodernism

  • Foucault: Knowledge and power, disciplinary power
  • Baudrillard: Hyperreality and simulacra
  • Giddens: Reflexive modernity, structuration theory
  • Beck: Risk society, late modernity

Marxism

  • Materialism: Human needs and social relations
  • Class and Consciousness: Proletariat and bourgeoisie
  • Ideology and Alienation: False consciousness, control over labor

Conclusion

  • Summary of key points covered in the video
  • Tips for integrating theory into exam answers
  • Acknowledgment of upcoming videos on family and media

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