1. Improving your grades in AS Sociology Objectives:-
To know and understand how to achieve the assessment objectives in Sociology.

2. What do examiners want? Evidence of knowledge about the course content
Evidence of understanding of the questions
Well-planned answers that are relevant to the question
Good English and clear writing
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3. Focus on AO1 You need to be able to: Refer to studies and research
Refer to knowledge about British society
Refer to theory
Refer to relevant examples/evidence to support your points.
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4. Focus on AO2 You need to be able to: Answer the question directly
Make clear judgements on the value of your evidence/point e.g strengths and weaknesses
Say what is shows or means and make links to other topics or scenarios e.g like source material given in the exam paper.
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5. The quality of written communication is very good with few, if any, errors of spelling, punctuation or grammar
TOP BAND
The quality of written communication will be limited, with frequent errors of punctuation, spelling and grammar
BOTTOM BAND
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6. AO1 and AO2 can be achieved by :-
Remembering to PEAE!
Point – demonstrates your knowledge
Evidence – examples or explanation which demonstrate understanding
Analysis – demonstrates that you can apply the knowledge to a wider context or identify links between topics.
Evaluation – demonstrates critical thinking i.e strengths/weakness or alternative viewpoint.

7. Starting an answer
The opening paragraph for an essay should be precise. It should explain terms or outline an argument.
Look at the first paragraph to the essay which follows.
Marriage is naturally thought of as a partnership of equals these days. A lot of men now do much more housework and childcare than they used to in olden times.

8. Marriage is naturally thought of as a partnership of equals these days
Marriage is naturally thought of as a partnership of equals these days. A lot of men now do much more housework and childcare than they used to in olden times.
By whom? Who ‘naturally thinks’?
When was this?
What men? Who are you talking about?
Things to improve
Use evidence

9. Inaccurate Knowledge
Karl Marx said that religion is a cause for conflict and it will die out. He also said that religion legitimises things that would otherwise be unacceptable. For example racism. In the Old Testament, God said it is OK to hate Jewish people and that all Christians should kill Jews on Judgement Day. This is legitimising racism.
You do not lose marks directly for points which are factually inaccurate, but obviously you don’t gain any either.

10. Karl Marx said that religion is a cause for conflict and it will die out. He also said that religion legitimises things that would otherwise be unacceptable. For example racism. In the Old Testament, God said it is OK to hate Jewish people and that all Christians should kill Jews on Judgement Day. This is legitimising racism.
There were no Christians in the Old Testament. Jesus was not born till the New Testament.
This is not so. The cause of social conflict is economic inequality, according to Marx. Religion is used by people as a way of coping with their lot in life.
These statements are completely inaccurate. This will not gain Knowledge marks

11. There is good writing here:
The hidden curriculum is associated with Pierre Bourdieu and it is all those things that pupils are taught in school without realising it.
clear explanation of term
named writer
Sociological term

12. Unlike this …
However put, roles in the family can never be equal. It is biologically impossible. Feminists see the maternal role as the oppression of women by men, but surely this is not the case. Biologists would say that a stronger link is almost always created between the mother and the child. Therefore the most natural way of scientific reasoning would be to say that the female would be suited more to looking after a child in the early stages of its life as men do not have the biological make-up to have a baby.
This is biology and not sociology. It is presented without evidence.

13. The same issue, but…
Feminists such as Zaretsky would say that women’s roles in the family should be equal but they are not. Evelyn Gillian’s evidence in Item B shows that 98.9% of violent attacks are by men on women. This is a far cry from equality in the home.
Same issue as before, but look at the deployment of evidence – now we have some sociology to support the viewpoints.
This paragraph refers to feminists, explains what they say, and includes reference to an Item in the question.

14. How to upset the marker Ignoring the instructions
Misreading the question
Irrelevant answers
Twisting the question
Going off on a tangent
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15. ‘Don’t know. Had c**p teacher.’
So don’t try this trick!
‘Don’t know.
Had c**p teacher.’
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16. Examinations are Set by practicing teachers Checked by teachers
Marked by teachers
In addition teachers are, by their nature, people who are very good at passing examinations.
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17. Group Work
G1 How many people are in prison in the UK currently – Look on ONS
G2 What study is Paul Willis famous for? C5
G3How many marks is the SY1 paper worth – look at WJEC website
G4- What different types of culture are their? OCR textbook in C5
G5 A current news story about youth – Library book.
Tell me what you found and how you found it.
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18. Write an essay plan for the question on socialisation due on Friday!!
Intro – define terms e.g socialisation and list agents of socialisation you will mention (doesn’t have to be all of them)
Par 1 – Primary Socialisation – family – how – imitation, role modelling and sanctions- why – functionalist perpective?
Par 2 – Secondary socialisation – choose either education, media, peers – how and why?
Par 3 – Secondary socialisation – another one
Par 4 – Socialisation is a life-long process that continues e.g in the workplace e.g gender roles in certain jobs perhaps mention feminism.
Conclude with sum up or alternative point e.g post modernist perspective that we are living in a different kind of world where we are free to choose which rules we follow, give example e.g sex change.
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