AQA A Level sociology paper 1
Education with Theory and Methods
Questions with Correct Answers
1. goffman and the dramaturgical model - ANSWER the theory that suggests
that our lives are like a theatrical performance, in which we are the social
actors who are constantly changing characters by moving back and forth
between being upstage and backstage.
our social self is an act, and therefore is a false representation of ourselves that
is designed to appeal to that particular social audience - impression
management.
- argues that each individual has a public persona, a version of
themselves that they want the world to see.
2. cooley and the looking-glass self - ANSWER this is how individuals form
their own view of themselves; essentially internalising the labels that their
social audience places upon them. he calls this the 'self-concept'.
- by doing this, the individual starts to view themselves in a different
way and therefore becomes the label that they have had imposed upon
them.
3. type of research - ANSWER - social research can be conducted for a
number of purposes and these reasons influence the choice of methods used.
- some methods require the use of experiments to test a hypothesis
(resulting in quantitative data) while those used to develop new
, theories often involve researchers observing social life (where the data
is usually qualitative).
- researchers may also use primary or secondary data, or a combination
of the two.
4. methodology - ANSWER refers to the methods researchers use to collect
data, as well as the philosophy underlying the production of sociological
data.
5. quantitative data - ANSWER consists of data in numerical form. for
example, the number of females and males passing an exam.
6. qualitative data - ANSWER any data that is not numerical. such as written
description (filed notes), diary entries, photographs, recorded music or radio
programmes.
7. primary sources - ANSWER primary sources are those sources of data that
are produced directly by a sociologist conducting research.
- such as the results of experiments or the answers obtained from
questionnaires and interviews.
8. secondary sources - ANSWER secondary sources consist of existing data
produced by someone else.
- for example government statistics, or the results of an experiment
conducted by another researcher.
9. methodological pluralism - ANSWER refers to the use of a variety of
methods and types of data in a single research study.
,10.triangulation - ANSWER refers to the use of a variety of methods and
different types of data to cross-check that the results obtained by one
particular method are valid, and reliable.
- this might include using qualitative unstructured interviews to check
against responses to a quantitative survey.
11.positivism - ANSWER refers to the belief that there are 'social facts' that
can be studied objectively using methods that are similar to the natural
sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry and biology).
- positivist methods produce quantitative data on social patterns and
trends which can be used to explain society.
12.positivist research methods - ANSWER - laboratory experiments.
- the comparative method.
- social surveys.
- structured questionnaires.
- formal/structured interviews.
- non-participant observation.
- official statistics.
- content analysis.
13.interpretivism - ANSWER implies that people are conscious of their
personal beliefs, meanings, values, and interpretations, and that these
influence the way they act.
14.interpretivist research - ANSWER the researcher attempts to gain an in-
depth understanding of how people see and understand the world around
them by putting themselves in the position of those being studied; to
understand things from their point of view.
15.interpretivist research methods - ANSWER - uncontrolled field
experiments.
, - open-ended questionnaires.
- unstructured interviews.
- overt and covert participant and non-participant observation.
- personal accounts, using personal documents such as diaries and
letters.
16.factors that influence choice of topic - ANSWER perspective
- the theoretical viewpoint the sociologist has will affect what they want
to study.
society's values
- when values in society change so does the focus of the research
sociologists undertake. for example the increase of feminism in 1960's
led to further research on gender equality.
practical factors
- accessibility can be a barrier to studying a topic. for example studying
global corporations may prove difficult to gain a sample and an
insight.
funding bodies
- to undertake research sociologists often need funding to cover the
costs of their study.
- there are funding bodies who can provide economic support such as
the esrc.
- as the funding body is paying for the research they may state what
they want to be studied.
17.the research process - ANSWER hypothesising
- a general explanation that can be tested by collecting evidence that
can be proved or disproved. this is presented as a statement. the
sociologist will then either confirm or disprove this. positivists favour
this approach as it is scientific.
formulation of an aid
Education with Theory and Methods
Questions with Correct Answers
1. goffman and the dramaturgical model - ANSWER the theory that suggests
that our lives are like a theatrical performance, in which we are the social
actors who are constantly changing characters by moving back and forth
between being upstage and backstage.
our social self is an act, and therefore is a false representation of ourselves that
is designed to appeal to that particular social audience - impression
management.
- argues that each individual has a public persona, a version of
themselves that they want the world to see.
2. cooley and the looking-glass self - ANSWER this is how individuals form
their own view of themselves; essentially internalising the labels that their
social audience places upon them. he calls this the 'self-concept'.
- by doing this, the individual starts to view themselves in a different
way and therefore becomes the label that they have had imposed upon
them.
3. type of research - ANSWER - social research can be conducted for a
number of purposes and these reasons influence the choice of methods used.
- some methods require the use of experiments to test a hypothesis
(resulting in quantitative data) while those used to develop new
, theories often involve researchers observing social life (where the data
is usually qualitative).
- researchers may also use primary or secondary data, or a combination
of the two.
4. methodology - ANSWER refers to the methods researchers use to collect
data, as well as the philosophy underlying the production of sociological
data.
5. quantitative data - ANSWER consists of data in numerical form. for
example, the number of females and males passing an exam.
6. qualitative data - ANSWER any data that is not numerical. such as written
description (filed notes), diary entries, photographs, recorded music or radio
programmes.
7. primary sources - ANSWER primary sources are those sources of data that
are produced directly by a sociologist conducting research.
- such as the results of experiments or the answers obtained from
questionnaires and interviews.
8. secondary sources - ANSWER secondary sources consist of existing data
produced by someone else.
- for example government statistics, or the results of an experiment
conducted by another researcher.
9. methodological pluralism - ANSWER refers to the use of a variety of
methods and types of data in a single research study.
,10.triangulation - ANSWER refers to the use of a variety of methods and
different types of data to cross-check that the results obtained by one
particular method are valid, and reliable.
- this might include using qualitative unstructured interviews to check
against responses to a quantitative survey.
11.positivism - ANSWER refers to the belief that there are 'social facts' that
can be studied objectively using methods that are similar to the natural
sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry and biology).
- positivist methods produce quantitative data on social patterns and
trends which can be used to explain society.
12.positivist research methods - ANSWER - laboratory experiments.
- the comparative method.
- social surveys.
- structured questionnaires.
- formal/structured interviews.
- non-participant observation.
- official statistics.
- content analysis.
13.interpretivism - ANSWER implies that people are conscious of their
personal beliefs, meanings, values, and interpretations, and that these
influence the way they act.
14.interpretivist research - ANSWER the researcher attempts to gain an in-
depth understanding of how people see and understand the world around
them by putting themselves in the position of those being studied; to
understand things from their point of view.
15.interpretivist research methods - ANSWER - uncontrolled field
experiments.
, - open-ended questionnaires.
- unstructured interviews.
- overt and covert participant and non-participant observation.
- personal accounts, using personal documents such as diaries and
letters.
16.factors that influence choice of topic - ANSWER perspective
- the theoretical viewpoint the sociologist has will affect what they want
to study.
society's values
- when values in society change so does the focus of the research
sociologists undertake. for example the increase of feminism in 1960's
led to further research on gender equality.
practical factors
- accessibility can be a barrier to studying a topic. for example studying
global corporations may prove difficult to gain a sample and an
insight.
funding bodies
- to undertake research sociologists often need funding to cover the
costs of their study.
- there are funding bodies who can provide economic support such as
the esrc.
- as the funding body is paying for the research they may state what
they want to be studied.
17.the research process - ANSWER hypothesising
- a general explanation that can be tested by collecting evidence that
can be proved or disproved. this is presented as a statement. the
sociologist will then either confirm or disprove this. positivists favour
this approach as it is scientific.
formulation of an aid
