Sociology 9699 Notes [better] [ 90% Proven ]

Sociology 9699: Comprehensive Revision Notes

A Level (Full A-Level includes AS content + Paper 3)

  • Paper 3: The Contemporary World (1 hour 30 minutes)
    • Section A: Globalisation, Media, or Religion (depending on your center)
    • Section B: Education

Note: Most students take the AS papers at the end of the first year, and the full A-Level papers at the end of the second year.

3. Gender and Achievement

  • Girls' Achievement Improving:
    • External: Feminism (changed aspirations), changing family (more career women), changing employment (service sector jobs).
    • Internal: National Curriculum (girls do well in coursework), Teacher attention (girls seen as "ideal pupils"), policies like GIST (Girls into Science and Technology).
  • Boys' Underachievement:
    • Literacy skills (reading not "masculine"), decline in traditional male jobs (demotivation), "Laddish subculture" (doing well is uncool).

6. Quick revision checklist (do these weekly)

  1. Summarize one classic theory + one contemporary critique.
  2. Outline a research design for a chosen question (method, sample, ethics).
  3. Write a 300‑word critique of a recent sociological article or news story.
  4. Memorize definitions of 12 core concepts and give one example each.
  5. Practice past paper essay: plan in 10 minutes, write in 45.

1. Definitions

  • Crime: An act that breaks the law.
  • Deviance: Behavior that goes against social norms. (All crimes are deviant, but not all deviance is criminal—e.g., dying your hair green).

8. 7-Day Rapid Revision Plan

| Day | Focus | |---|---| | 1 | Core concepts + key theorists | | 2 | Theoretical perspectives (compare/contrast) | | 3 | Research methods + ethics | | 4 | Stratification, race, class, gender | | 5 | Institutions: family, education, work | | 6 | Crime, health, media, migration | | 7 | Practice essays + timed answers |

If you want, I can convert this into flashcards, generate practice essay questions with model answers, or make a printable one-page cheat sheet — which would you like?

Here are some detailed notes on Sociology 9699:

Introduction to Sociology

  • Sociology is the study of human social behavior, relationships, and institutions within societies.
  • It examines the social structures, processes, and cultural norms that shape individual and group experiences.
  • The term "sociology" comes from the Latin "socius," meaning "companion" or "associate," and the Greek "logos," meaning "study" or "science."

Key Sociological Concepts

  1. Social Stratification: The division of society into hierarchical layers based on factors like wealth, income, education, and occupation.
  2. Social Class: A group of people sharing similar economic, cultural, and social characteristics.
  3. Power: The ability to influence or control others, often through authority, force, or persuasion.
  4. Socialization: The process by which individuals learn and internalize the norms, values, and behaviors of their social group.
  5. Culture: The shared values, norms, and practices of a society, transmitted from one generation to the next.

Theoretical Perspectives in Sociology

  1. Structural Functionalism (Durkheim, Parsons): Views society as a system with interdependent parts that work together to maintain social order.
  2. Conflict Theory (Marx, Weber): Sees society as divided into groups with competing interests, leading to conflict and social change.
  3. Symbolic Interactionism (Mead, Blumer): Focuses on how individuals interact and create meaning through shared symbols and social interactions.

Research Methods in Sociology

  1. Positivism: The use of quantitative methods and empirical data to study social phenomena.
  2. Interpretivism: The use of qualitative methods to understand social phenomena from the perspective of those being studied.
  3. Surveys: Self-report studies that collect data through questionnaires or interviews.
  4. Case Studies: In-depth analyses of a single case or a small number of cases.

Social Institutions

  1. Family: A social institution that provides primary socialization and support.
  2. Education: A social institution that transmits knowledge, skills, and values.
  3. Economy: A social institution that organizes the production, distribution, and exchange of goods and services.
  4. Religion: A social institution that provides a shared system of beliefs and practices.

Social Change and Social Movements

  1. Social Change: A significant alteration in the social structure or cultural norms of a society.
  2. Social Movements: Collective efforts to bring about social change, often through organized protests or activism.

Globalization and Development

  1. Globalization: The increasing interconnectedness of the world's economies, cultures, and societies.
  2. Development: The process of economic and social improvement, often measured by indicators like GDP, life expectancy, and education.

Health and Illness

  1. Health: A state of physical, mental, and social well-being.
  2. Illness: A state of physical or mental dysfunction.

Crime and Deviance

  1. Crime: A behavior that violates the law and is subject to punishment.
  2. Deviance: A behavior that violates social norms and expectations.

To develop a long paper (essay) for Cambridge International AS & A Level Sociology (9699)

, you must balance sociological theory, evidence, and critical evaluation within a structured format. Thrillshare 1. Essay Structure and Time Management

(Globalisation, Media, and Religion), which consists entirely of long essay questions, you should spend approximately 50 minutes

per question. A successful response generally follows this structure: Thrillshare Introduction

: Define the main terminologies and state the central debate. For example, if the question is about age and identity, define age as a social construct and identity as self-understanding shaped by socialisation. Supporting Arguments : Provide at least three well-developed points

that explain and support the view presented in the question. Counter-Arguments : Offer at least four well-explained points sociology 9699 notes

arguing against the view, using contrasting theories (e.g., Marxist vs. Functionalist). Evaluation and Conclusion

: Provide a balanced judgment based on the evidence presented, rather than just summarizing the points. PapaCambridge 2. Core Themes for Long Papers Based on the 9699 syllabus , long papers often focus on these high-weightage areas: Globalisation

: Debates on whether it leads to cultural homogenisation (Westernisation) or cultural hybridity (glocalisation).

: The shift from traditional to "new" media, and the power dynamics of ownership (conglomeration vs. consumer power).

: The social functions of religion, such as social control and fostering solidarity, vs. its role in social change. Education (Paper 3)

: Whether education systems are truly meritocratic or if they reinforce class, gender, and ethnic inequalities through the "hidden curriculum". 3. Key Sociological Concepts to Include Sociology 9699: Comprehensive Revision Notes A Level (Full

To achieve higher marks, explicitly use and define these "building blocks" of sociology in your analysis:

Sociology 9699 Education Notes | PDF | Social Mobility - Scribd

1.2 Marxism (Conflict Theory)

  • Key Thinkers: Karl Marx, Louis Althusser, Antonio Gramsci.
  • Core Idea: Society is based on class conflict between the bourgeoisie (owners of means of production) and the proletariat (workers). The superstructure (law, education, media) is determined by the economic base.
  • Key Concepts:
    • Ideological State Apparatuses (Althusser): Institutions that spread ruling-class ideology to maintain control without force.
    • Hegemony (Gramsci): The ruling class’s ideas become common sense, even for the oppressed.
    • Alienation: Workers are disconnected from the product of their labor.
  • Evaluation: Economically deterministic; ignores other forms of inequality (gender, ethnicity); over-predicts revolution; fails to explain social order without force.

4. Education (AS Level)

1. The Sociological Perspective

  • Sociology vs. Psychology/Economics: Studies groups, institutions, and society, not just individuals.
  • The Sociological Imagination (C. Wright Mills): Connecting "personal troubles" (unemployment) to "public issues" (economic recession).