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Flashcards · 9292 · Topic 1

Paper 1 – Introducing Sociology flashcards

29 cards on Topic 1, subtopics 3.1.1 to 3.1.3. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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3.1.1 Families

Vertically vs horizontally extended families
Vertically extended: three or more generations, such as grandparents, parents and children. Horizontally extended: relatives of the same generation, such as siblings and their partners.
What did Therborn show about family systems?
He identified different family systems across world regions, showing that family form is not universal.
Arranged vs love marriage
In an arranged marriage, families play the main part in choosing the partner. In a love marriage, the couple choose each other. Monogamy is marriage to one partner at a time.
How does Parsons (functionalism) see the family?
The family performs positive functions: primary socialisation of children and the stabilisation of adult personalities. The nuclear family "fits" modern industrial society.
How does Engels (Marxism) see the family?
The family serves capitalism: it reproduces labour power, passes on property and acts as a form of social control.
How does Oakley (feminism) see the family?
The family positions women unequally, especially through domestic labour and childcare.
What is the pivot (sandwich) generation?
People who care for their own children and their ageing parents at the same time, linked to rising life expectancy and later childbirth.
What did Smart and Stacey say about family diversity?
Smart: individualisation and "personal life", the relationships people themselves find meaningful. Stacey: diverse, negotiated family forms, with women as key agents of change.
Living apart together vs child-free couples vs beanpole families
Living apart together: a committed couple in separate homes. Child-free: couples who choose not to have children. Beanpole: many generations alive, with few members in each.
How has children's status in the family changed?
From economic contributors who worked, to long-term financial dependants in child-centred families. "Boomerang" adult children may return home for economic reasons.

3.1.2 Education

Official vs hidden curriculum
The official (formal) curriculum is the subjects formally taught. The hidden curriculum is attitudes and behaviours taught informally through school organisation and routine, such as punctuality and respect for authority.
How do functionalists see education?
It allocates roles by ability (role allocation, Davis and Moore), passes on shared values, develops human capital, and is a bridge from the particularistic family to universalistic society.
How do Marxists see education?
It reproduces and legitimises the class structure, prepares pupils for work and promotes the myth of meritocracy. Bourdieu argued schools reward the cultural capital of better-off pupils.
What did Freire and Illich argue about schooling?
Both are critical of traditional schooling. Freire argued it can suppress critical thought rather than develop it. Illich called for de-schooling, replacing formal schools.
Labelling vs self-fulfilling prophecy (Becker)
A teacher attaches a label to a pupil, e.g. "bright" or "disruptive", often on limited evidence. The pupil is treated according to the label and comes to act it out, so the expectation comes true.
What is the halo effect?
When a teacher's positive impression of a pupil in one area leads them to judge the pupil positively in other areas too.
Pro-school vs anti-school subcultures
Pro-school subcultures value education and gain status through success. Anti-school subcultures reject school values and gain status through misbehaviour.
What is credentialism?
Using qualifications as a filter for jobs even when their content is not directly job-relevant.
Material vs cultural explanations of differences in attainment
Material: lack of money for resources, study space or digital access. Cultural: differences in cultural capital, values and language that schools reward unequally.
Give three global inequalities in education
Differences in literacy rates between countries, the effects of poverty on schools, and unequal access to education for girls and to digital education.

3.1.3 Research methods

Positivist vs interpretivist approaches
Positivist: objective, quantitative, reliable data to find patterns and causes. Interpretivist: understanding people's meanings through qualitative, valid data.
Primary vs secondary data
Primary data are collected first-hand by the researcher. Secondary data already exist, e.g. official statistics or personal documents.
Reliability vs validity vs representativeness
Reliability: repeating the study gives the same result. Validity: it gives a true picture. Representativeness: the sample reflects the wider population.
Questionnaires: strength and weakness
Strength: cheap, large samples, reliable. Weakness: low response rates and low validity.
Unstructured interviews: strength and weakness
Strength: valid and detailed. Weakness: slow, unreliable and usually small samples.
Participant observation: strength and weakness
Strength: very valid, revealing real behaviour. Weakness: the Hawthorne effect, "going native" and ethical issues, especially if covert.
Laboratory vs field experiments in sociology
Laboratory experiments control variables in an artificial setting, which may lack validity. Field experiments take place in real settings, but with less control.
What is triangulation?
Using more than one method or source so that each offsets the weaknesses of the other and findings can be checked.
Researcher bias vs social desirability
Researcher (interviewer) bias: the researcher influences the answers or interpretation. Social desirability: participants give answers that make them look good rather than true answers.

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