...of society’ (June2006) b) Identify and briefly explain some of the ways in which functionalists see religion meeting the needs of society and / or individuals. (June 2007) New syllabus: 12 mark questions a)Using material from item a and elsewhere, briefly examine the extent to which religion can still be said to be functional for individuals and society (June 2002) b) Briefly examine the evidence and or arguments in favour of the view that religion can act as a force for change in society (June 2006) c) Briefly examine post-modernist views on the nature and role of religion (June 2007) NEW SYLLABUS: 40 mark essay questions • Assess the role and functions of religious institutions and movements in contemporary society. (40) Sample A2 paper (Issued May 2000) • Evaluate the view that religion acts as a conservative force in modern society (40) Jun 2001 “The main function of religion is to provide people with a code of behaviour which regulates personal and social life.” Assess the extent to which sociological arguments and evidence support this view of religion in modern society (40) January 2002 Assess and evaluate the relationship between religion and social change. (40) Jan 2003 Assess the view that in most societies, religion functions more to cause conflict than to bring about harmony and consensus. (40) June 2003 Assess the view that sociological arguments and evidence support functionalist views...
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...conflict or consensus | Religiosity: Class | Religiosity: Age | Religiosity: Gender | Religiosity: Ethnicity | Belief Systems: Religion | Belief Systems: Science: | Belief Systems: ideology | Jun12 | Religion is still the most significant ideological influence in the world today. ’To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Critically examine sociological views of sects in society today. (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that women are no longer oppressed by religion. (18 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan 12 | The growth of New Age and similar movements is evidence of a spiritual revolution in society today.’ To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today.(33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that most people today choose not to be lifelong members of religious organisations. (18 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jun ’11: | Assess the view religion is a force for social change (18 marks). | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Assess the view secularisation...
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...in different locales B. differences in fashion across cultures C. the people who make our clothing D. pirating in the fashion industry Answer: C Type: I 2. The scientific study of social behavior and human groups is known as A. psychology. B. political science. C. anthropology. D. sociology. Answer: D Type: D 3. Sociology A. is the scientific study of social behavior and human groups. B. focuses primarily on how social relationships influence people’s behavior. C. focuses on how societies develop and change. D. all of these Answer: D Type: D 4. The awareness that allows people to comprehend the link between their immediate, personal social settings and the remote, impersonal social world is called A. the sociological imagination. B. anthropology. C. a theory. D. verstehen. Answer: A Type: D 5. ____________ is most closely associated with the concept of the sociological imagination. A. Émile Durkheim B. Max Weber C. Karl Marx D. C. Wright Mills Answer: D Type: S 6. A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one’s own society A. from the perspective of personal experience. B. from the perspective of cultural biases. C. as an outsider. D. as an insider. Answer: C Type: I 7. A sociologist...
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...Evaluate the usefulness of Functionalist theories to our understanding of crime and deviance (40 marks) A functionalist analysis of crime and deviance begins with society as a whole. It looks for the source of deviance in the nature of society rather than in the individual. Durkheim argued that crime is an inevitable and normal aspect of social life. Crime is present in all types of society; indeed, the crime rate is higher in the more advanced, industrialised countries. According to Durkheim, crime is an ‘integral part of all healthy societies’. It’s inevitable because not every member of society can be equally committed to the collective sentiments (the shared values and moral beliefs) of society. Since individuals are exposed to different influences and circumstances, it is ‘impossible for all to be alike’. Therefore not everyone is equally reluctant to break the law. Durkheim went on to say that crime isn’t only inevitable, it can also be functional. Durkheim argued that it only becomes dysfunctional (harmful to society) when its rate is unusually high or law. He argued that all social change begins with some form of deviance. In order for change to occur, yesterday’s deviance must become today’s normality. Since a certain amount of change is good for society (so that it can progress rather than stagnate), so is deviance. If the collective sentiments are too strong, there will be little deviance, but neither will there be any change, or progress. Therefore the collective...
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...think is the most important; the strength of this chapter; my feeling about the information from this chapter; the contribution that author make in this chapter; the future research; and the evaluation from a scale of 1 to 25. The main message of this chapter is about understanding sociology and how it works in the society. It is shown in the book by going through three main ideas: sociology, major sociology perspectives, and sociological imagination. Sociology is, as defined in the chapter, the scientific study of social behavior and human groups.” It’s similar to the way I’m thinking about sociology, which is the study about behavior of individual or groups in society and how society influences one’s behavior. I think the theory of sociological imagination is the most important out of the three ideas. A recently study has shown that “sociological imagination is an awareness of the relationship between an individual and the wider society.” (Mills, 2000, p.5) There’s an example about using sociological imagination to explain my observation about the overweight of half or more people in my city or hometown: I could say that from the outside I think they are unhappy from being obese, but from their perspective it is a sign of health (p.5). Major strength of this chapter is sociological perspective: functionalist, conflict, and interactionist. People view society in different ways, same with sociologist. In this chapter, the author was giving a direct approach to sociological...
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...Criticisms | Functionalism | Functionalist believe that just as the body functions through the efficient interrelationship of major organs and has disease, so the different institutions in society each have particular contributions to make. They work together and use methods of social control to deal with deviant members or groups, to ensure that society functions smoothly. Parsons (1902-1979) saw society as a system made up of interrelated institutions, which contributed to its smooth running and continuity. He thought that the main role of an institution is to socialise individuals and ensure that they understood the underlying values of their society and behave in acceptable ways. Murdock(1897-1985) did a study of the family, examined over 250 societies and concluded that in all societies the family performed 4 functions: * Sexual function which was allowed for the expression of sexuality in an approved context * Reproductive function which provided stability for the rearing children * Socialisation included the responsibility of teaching children the acceptable ways of behaving in society * Economic function meant that food, shelter, and financial security had to be provided for the family membersParsons(1951) argued that the family had only two basic functions which were: * The primary socialisation of children * The stabilisation of adult personalities | * It doesn’t address areas of conflict( dark side of the family) * Functionalist emphasise consensus and...
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...Higher Sociology Understanding Human Society 1 Acknowledgements SFEU (Scottish Further Education Unit) gratefully acknowledges the contribution made to this publication by Learning and Teaching Scotland who have granted permission to use material previously produced by Higher Still Development Unit. SFEU also thanks SQA for permission to reproduce parts of the Arrangement documents. Copyright statement Documents on NQ Online can be downloaded free. However, where the publications are the copyright of Learning and Teaching Scotland, educational establishments in Scotland may reproduce them in whole or in part provided that the source is acknowledged and that no profit accrues at any stage. Other users of these publications should contact Learning and Teaching Scotland before reproducing any of them. Please note all rights held by the former Higher Still Development Unit continue to be held by Learning and Teaching Scotland. Contents Statement of Standards 3 Guide to Learning and Teaching Pack 7 Introduction to the Unit and Learning and Teaching Approaches 8 Class stratification 9 Recommended reading and recommended websites for class stratification 10 Introduction to social stratification 11 Class stratification 15 Functionalist theory of class stratification 24 Summary of functionalism ...
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...Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide range of qualifications to meet the needs of candidates of all ages and abilities. OCR qualifications include AS/A Levels, Diplomas, GCSEs, OCR Nationals, Functional Skills, Key Skills, Entry Level qualifications, NVQs and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business, languages, teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills. It is also responsible for developing new specifications to meet national requirements and the needs of students and teachers. OCR is a not-for-profit organisation; any surplus made is invested back into the establishment to help towards the development of qualifications and support, which keep pace with the changing needs of today’s society. This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and students, to indicate the requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which marks were awarded by examiners. It does not indicate the details of the discussions which took place at an examiners’ meeting before marking commenced. All examiners are instructed that alternative correct answers and unexpected approaches in candidates’ scripts must be given marks that fairly reflect the relevant knowledge and skills demonstrated. Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the published question papers and the report on the examination. OCR will not enter into any discussion or correspondence in connection with this mark scheme. © OCR 2012 Any enquiries about publications...
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...June 2015 Examine the impact of government policies and laws on family life. [24 marks] From the mark scheme: Concepts and issues such as the following may appear: patriarchy; familism; surveillance; ideological control; gender regimes; marital breakdown; family structure; family diversity; welfare dependency; underclass; reserve army of labour Policies/laws on abortion; divorce; contraception; reproductive technology; marriage; adoption; pensions; benefits; taxes; education; childcare; child protection; sexuality; immigration may be discussed Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance by comparing the impact of different policies/laws or by discussing perspectives on social policy and the family (eg New Right, feminist, functionalist etc) From the examiner’s report: The most successful answers were able to identify relevant policies...
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...SOCIOLOGY – AQA – UNIT 4 - CRIME AND DEVIANCE The exam is split into 3 questions: • Q.1 is a pure methods section which contains two parts a) 12 marks and b) 21 marks. You should spend 45 minuets on this question. • Q.2 is a method in context question. Part a) is for 9 marks [could also be a 3 and 6 mark question] and part b) is for 15 marks. You should spend 30 minuets on this question. • Q.3 is a theories essay for 33 marks. THIS QUESTION IS SYNOPTIC! You should spend 45 minuets on this question. Below is a list of all the areas and studies you need to know for each section of the exam. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the studies, each college/school are likely to teach slightly different ones, just make sure you know about that amount for each section. Q.1 For the first two pure crime parts you need to know: Functionalist theories of crime and deviance Durkheim – Social control, social regulation including suicide Merton-Strain theory, blocked aspirations Cohen – Status frustration Cloward and Ohlin – Deviant subcultures New Right/Right Realism James Wilson – Strict law enforcement needed Wilson and Kelling – Broken windows, zero tolerance Murray – Cultural deprivation, single parents and ineffective, the underclass Erdos – Families without fathers Subcultural theories Cohen – Delinquent subcultures Cloward and Ohlin – Delinquency and opportunity, criminal, conflict and retreatist...
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...behavior by placing it within its broader social context. (4) 2 . d Sociologists consider occupation, income, education, gender, age, and race as dimensions of social location.(4) 3. d All three statements reflect ways in which the social sciences are like the natural sciences. Both attempt to study and understand their subjects objectively; both attempt to undercover the relationships that create order in their respective worlds through controlled observation; and both are divided into many specialized fields. (5-7) 4. c Generalization is one of the goals of scientific inquiry. It involves going beyond individual cases by making statements that apply to broader groups or situations. (7) 5. b The Industrial Revolution, imperialism, and the development of the scientific method all contributed to the development of sociology. The fourth influence was the political revolutions in America and France — there was no political revolution in Britain at that time. (8-9) 6. d Positivism is the application of the scientific approach to the social world. (9) 7. d Of the four statements, the one that best reflects Herbert Spencer’s views on charity is “The poor are the weakest members of society and if society intervenes to help them, it is interrupting the natural process of social evolution.” While many contemporaries of Spencer’s were appalled by his views, the wealthy industrialists found them attractive. (10) 8. b The proletariat is the large group of workers who are exploited by the small...
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...“Evaluate the view that religion is an important source of moral values in contemporary societies” The debate as to whether religion is a vital source of moral values in contemporary society is continuous. Sociologists aim to know and understand exactly how and if religion plays any role in current society. This leads us to ask what exactly religion is. According to sociologists, there are three main ways of defining religion: substantive, functional and social constructionist. Max Weber (1905) describes substantive religion as a belief in a superior or supernatural power that is above nature and cannot be explained scientifically. Substantive definitions are exclusive – they draw a clear line between religious and non-religious beliefs. To be a religion, a set of beliefs must include beliefs in God or the supernatural. Functional definitions, however, are inclusive – allowing sociologists to include a wide range of beliefs and practices. Emile Durkheim (1915) defines it in terms of contribution it makes to social integration rather than specific belief in a higher being. Milton Yinger (1970) identifies functions that religion performs for individuals, such as answering ‘ultimate questions’. Whereas, the final definition is social constructionist takes an interpretivist approach focusing how religion is defined by the individual. This definition believes that it is impossible to produce a single universal definition of religion to cover all cases since in reality different individuals...
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...Factionalists such as Murdock accomplished that family is so beneficial to society that it is unavoidable and global. This view is not shared by all sociologists. Feminists would dispute what functionalist’s state. Most feminists believe family exploits and discourages women. Parsons, a functionalist argues that there is a strong detachment of work between husbands and wives based on biological changes. He claimed that these detachments are favourable to men, women, children and wider society. Parsons believes women have the sensitive role designed towards homemaking and childcare. Men hold the instrumental role designed towards work and being the breadwinner. The New Right supports Parsons, they believe that the division of gender is normal and beneficial to family and furnishes the children to integrate to modern society. However many sociologists such as Young and Willmott claim that men are now sharing domestic roles and more wives are now becoming breadwinners as well. Feminist’s sociologists disagree with Parsons they claim that this only benefits men and the division of labour is not natural. Willmott and Young conducted a study in the 1950’s with a group of working class extended families which confirmed that conjugal roles have become more segregated. However in the 1970’s they conducted another study of middle and working class nuclear families in the greater and other London area. Within this study they established that conjugal roles have become more symmetrical...
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...Institution ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 3 Quiz ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 4 DQ 1 Current Social Issues ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 4 DQ 2 Social Institutions ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 4 Quiz ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 5 DQ 1 Social Movements ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 5 DQ 2 Social Change ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 5 Assignment Research Paper Religious Social Institution ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 5 Quiz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 1 DQ 1 Sociology Theories For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com There are three primary sociological theories discussed in Chapter One of the text, Introduction to Sociology. Briefly summarize each theory and the major differences across the Functionalist, Conflict, and Symbolic Interaction perspectives. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ASHFORD SOC 101 Week 1 DQ 2 The Role of Culture For more course tutorials visit www.tutorialrank.com Vissing (2011) explains culture as “an organized system of living and thinking. It contains shared attitudes, values, goals, and behaviors that are present in individuals, groups, organizations, or regions of the world” (p. 24). Describe some of the ways that the role of culture can shape our expectations about...
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... When the children are 3-5 years old going to preschool, Chicago public school places them into bilingual classes because they are identified as dual language learning. By using different theories from the sociological perspective, the set of interrelation of social and pedagogical purposes can be understand from the bilingual classes of preschool in Chicago. First, functionalist perspective emphasizes the interconnection between the different parts that are involved in bilingual education, and how they work together to produce a negative or positive influence. Second, the home culture as the standard focuses its viewpoint by criticizing the value of foreign culture by using the home culture inside the bilingual language and its benefits. Finally, conflict perspective focuses how society presents itself by using power and conflict over the resources and rules of the bilingual classes. Therefore, the sociology perspective can explain the increased demand concerning the bilingual movement. The request of the expansion of the bilingual programs in preschool might succeed on its implementation, the functionalist perspective, the home culture as the standard, and conflict perspective indicate a potential for its failure. By proving the story of the biliteracy in pupil population, people can see the purpose in Chicago’s schools these days....
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