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Extended writing questions
• In Paper 1 (Education) and Paper 3 (Crime and
Deviance) – you will be asked 2 types of 10 mark
questions:
• Theory and Methods: ‘Outline’ and ‘Explain’ two…
• Education/C&D: ‘Analyse’ two…question with an Item
• In Paper 2 – you will be asked two 10 mark questions:
• ‘Analyse’ question with an Item
Extended writing questions
AO1
– Whatwhat
is the reason
Consider
you
think
theisAO’s
AO2 – Why
it not are
referring
to for crime
this
effective in reducing
question:
AO3 – Are situational
crime preventions
AO1
effective in reducing
crime?
AO2
For example:
“One reason why it may not be effective is through displacement
theory. This is….”
“This will therefore not be effective in reducing crime because….”
“However, it can be criticised that situational crime prevention is
effective in reducing crime…”
AO3
Extended writing questions
Consider what you
AO1
– What
the reason
think
the is
AO’s
are
referring to for this
AO2 – How will values
question:
enter research?
For example:
“One reason is….”
“There values may enter sociological research because….”
“However it is possible that sociological research can be value
free…”
AO3 – Can sociology be
AO1
value free?
AO2
AO3
Can sociology be value free?
Positivism
Can sociology
be valuefree?
Yes, by adopting the
methods of the
natural sciences
(positivism)
Subjectivity
Interpretivism
Yes, by carefully
interpreting the
meanings behind
people’s actions
(verstehen)
Postmodernism
Never, because all
theories are
ideological
Objectivity
Sociologists are part of the society they are
studying, and therefore involved in what they are
researching and that their own values and beliefs
will affect the research in some way; it is therefore
impossible for them to be completely objective and
detached.
Researchers approach topics with a totally open
mind and with complete detachment, separation and
distance from those being researched. They are
uninfluenced by the personal feelings, prejudices,
beliefs or interpretations of researchers. Research
should be unbiased knowledge about the world.
More commonly associated with interpretivists and
feminists – believe it is necessary to have
interaction, personal involvement to those they are
study in order to fully understand the meanings and
interpretations they hold.
Associated with positivism and using quantitative
scientific methods.
Sociology is value free
Modern positivists:
Values were irrelevant to research for two reasons
because (1) the desire the appear scientific. Science is
concerned with fact, not value. Sociologists should remain
morally neutral - to establish truth about people's
behaviour, not to praise or condemn it. (2) The social
position of sociology: Alvin Gouldner (1975) sociology
became 'problem takers' -solve their (e.g. government)
problems for them. Values = irrelevant and didn't want to
question those paying the research.
Objectivity and relativism:
Relativism argues in no objective truth - just truths plural.
What you believe is true, is true - for you. If one person
thinks the earth is flat and another it is round, there is no
way of saying of who is right and wrong. There is a real
factual work 'out there' - regardless of the sociologists'
values, we can observe and record these facts. Once we
have established the existence of these facts, they can be
used to judge the value of competing theories and
perspectives. In the end, it matters less whether a theory
contains certain values, than whether it can explain the
world that we observe.
Weber – Data collection and hypothesis testing:
Weber states we need to be objective and unbiased as
possible when we are collecting the facts, keeping values
and prejudices out of the process e.g. not ask leading
questions. Once we have gathered the facts, we can use
them to test a hypothesis – the hypothesis must stand or
fall solely on whether or not it fits the observed facts.
Marx:
Scientist – believed his method of historical analysis,
historical materialism could reveal the line of development
of human society e.g. society moving towards a classless
communist society where exploitation, poverty and
alienation would end.
The role of Marx’s sociology, was to reveal the truth of his
development, especially to the proletariat. He argues the
scientific approach will show us how to reach it
(communism). He sees science as helping to ‘deliver’ the
good society.
Sociology is NOT value free
Weber – values as a guide to research
Weber states we need to study certain ‘facts’ to uncover
social reality. But how do we choose which facts to study?
Weber said we can only select them in terms of what we
regard as important based on our own values – their value
relevance to us. Values are essential to select what aspects
of reality to study e.g. feminists value gender equality and
this leads them to study women’s oppression and to develop
concepts such as patriarchy.
Funding and careers:
Most sociological research is funded by someone else such
as government departments, businesses and voluntary
organisations. Those who pay take control in what is
studied and what kinds of questions that it asks - and fails
to ask. Therefore the sociologists' work is likely to
represent the values and interests of their paymasters.
Funding organisations may also prevent publication of their
research if its' findings prove unacceptable e.g. Black
Report. Also sociologist themselves may wish to further
their careers with research and therefore may censor
themselves for fear that being too outspoken will cost
them their career.
Weber – values in the interpretation of data:
Values are important again when we come to interpret the
data we have collected. The facts need to be set in a
theoretical framework so that we can understand their
significance and draw conclusions. In Weber's view, our
choice of theoretical framework or perspective is
influenced by out values. Therefore, we must be explicit
about them, spelling out our values so that others can see
if unconscious bias is present in our interpretation of our
data.
Perspectives and values:
Different perspectives have different values about society. For
example:
Feminism sees society as based on gender inequality
Functionalism sees society as harmonious that values that favour
the status quo
Marxism sees society as conflict-ridden and strives for a classless
society.
These assumptions and values influence the topics that sociologists
of different perspectives choose to research and the conclusions
they reach, e.g. Marxists conclude that inequality produces
exploitation of the poor by the rich. There is also a link between
the kinds of methods sociologists prefer and their value-stance.
For example, Interactionists prefer qualitative methods and these
are criticised as these methods produce facts that reflect their
values and outlook when interpreting results.
Extended writing questions
Consider what you
AO1 – What is the reason
think the AO’s are
referring
tosociologists
for this
AO2
– Why will
not
influence government
question:
policy
For example:
“One reason is….”
“This may not influence government policy because….”
“However sociologists may inform government policy such as…”
AO1– Can they actually
AO3
influence
AO2 policy?
AO3
The influence of sociology on policy
Many factors may affect whether or not sociological research succeeds in
influencing policy:
• Electoral popularity – a policy popular/unpopular with voters
• Ideological and policy preferences of governments – researcher’s values are
similar to the ideology of the government
• Interest groups – pressure groups that influence government policy e.g. business
groups which persuade the government to no raise the minimum wage.
• Globalisation – The Interactional organisations (e.g. EU) may influence social
policies of individual governments e.g. IMF’s ‘Structural adjustment programmes’
to introduce fees for education and health care as a condition for aid
• Cost – not sufficient funds to implement a policy
• Funding sources – sociologists may tone down their findings and policy
recommendations to fit in with their paymasters wishes; r research findings may
be used to justify what policymakers intend to do.
Perspectives on social policy and sociology
• Positivism and functionalism – saw that science would discover the
cause of social problems and provide their solutions. For both, the
sociologist’s role is to provide the state with objective, scientific
information on which it can base its policies.
• Social democratic perceptive – favours major redistribution of wealth
and income from the rich to poor. Sociologists should be involved in
researching social problems and making policy recommendations to
eradicate them e.g. Townsend’s research on poverty has led him to
make recommendations for policies such as fairer, higher benefit
levels.
• Marxism – social policies serve capitalism, not society as whole. Policies
provide ideological legitimation for capitalism e.g. welfare state gives
it a ‘human face’. They maintain the labour force for further
exploitation e.g. the NHS keeps workers fit to work. They are a means
of preventing revolution e.g. the creation of the welfare state was a
way of buying off w-c opposition to capitalism. The sociologist’s role is
to reveal the exploitation that underpins capitalism and the way in
which the ruling class use policies to mask this.
Perspectives on social policy and sociology
• Feminism – see society as patriarchal, benefitting men at
women’s expense. They see the state’s social policies
perpetuating women’s subordination. Research by liberal
feminists has had an impact in a number of policy areas e.g. antidiscrimination and equal pay policies. Some radical feminist ideas
have led to an influence of policy e.g. the establishment of
women’s refuges for women escaping domestic violence. However,
Marxist and many radical feminists reject the view that policies
can liberate women and call for more radical changes that the
existing state cannot deliver.
• The New Right – state should have a limited involvement in
society e.g. welfare provision should be minimal. State
intervention undermines people’s sense of responsibility. Murray
argues that policies such as benefits and council housing for lone
parents acts as ‘perverse incentives’ that encourage a
dependency culture. The NR see the role of the sociologists as
being to propose policies that promote individual responsibility
and choice. Also support strong ‘law and order’ policies e.g.
Broken windows and zero tolerance policies.
Secure it
Write a 10 mark answer:
Analyse two school factors which may explain the differences in achievement between
gender (10 marks)
E
“One school factor which explains the differences in achievement
between gender is…..”
D
“There is evidence from................. which states...................”
“Therefore this explains why girls do better than boys because…..”
C
B
A
“However, there is evidence to suggest that it is only school factors which
explains the differences in achievement between genders………..”
Therefore, schools factors could/could not be an issue to explain the
gender differences in achievement because.…
Secure it
Write a 10 mark answer:
Analyse two reasons why boys underachieve at school (10 marks)
E
“One reason why boys underachieve in school is…..”
D
“There is evidence from................. which states...................”
“Therefore this explains why boys underachieve because because…..”
C
B
A
“However, there is evidence to suggest that not all boys underachieve in
school………..”
Therefore, (reason) could / could not be an issue to explain the boys
underachievement in school because.…