PLUME COLLEGE
YEAR 11 INTO YEAR 12 SUMMER TRANSITION CHALLENGE 2015
Subject:
Sociology
Linear or Modular A level?
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Qualification/Level:
AS / A-level
Linear (New from 2015)
Examination Board
AQA
In a linear A level, any AS examination at the end of Year 12 will not count towards the A level.
We expect students joining the Plume College to complete a transition piece of work for each subject
between the end of Key Stage 4 and the start of Key Stage 5. This is assessed and feedback given to students
when they start the courses in September. The following challenge(s) are to be completed over the summer
break and brought to your first lesson.
The Summer Transition ‘CHALLENGE’
You will complete three task sheets which will give insight into Sociological theory and develop your assessment skills in
order to prepare you for the course.
How the work produced will fit into subsequent work and the specification as a whole.
The first task will introduce you to the main concepts and theories that underpin Sociology as a field. You will then
investigate a sociological topic: The division of labour in the family (I.e. how the family is organised in terms of roles and
responsibilities and how it is changing. This will form the first part of AS/A-level Sociology.
How the work should be presented.
You should complete two worksheets as instructed. Task 3 first requires you do produce a mind map or revision poster
on the topic covered and you should then answer a few exam questions.
Length of time expected to complete the challenge:About 4 hours.
How the work will be assessed and marked:The work will be assessed and you will receive feedback on your interpretation and presentation. Your exam questions
will be marked in accordance with official mark-schemes for the course.
Success criteria for this challenge:Students will have some insight into the key words and theories on the course. They will also apply texts to the
examination format and will improve their essay writing skills as well. The assessments will give the teacher insight into
their essay writing skills.
Resources to be used for this work.
You should take out a loan from the 6thform LAIC of AS Level Sociology by Rob Webb et al. Contact
P.Carlsson@plume.essex.sch.uk if you are unable to obtain a textbook for the tasks.
Who to contact if you should require further assistance with the work before the end of term?
Cliff Baker or Peter Carlsson
What equipment will be needed for the subject?
You will need a notepad and a folder with dividers for the start of the course.
Extension
Use the internet and other textbooks to find more recent research on how the division of labour is changing in the
family. Include your findings in your mind map and essay.
If you want to get ahead; start working your way through topic ‘childhood’ on p.28 and answer the questions.
To understand more about this subject at a high level:- If you fancy buying a book you should read –
Any A-level Sociology text book. If you are after some reading on the beach, then try ‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics’
by Stanley Cohen. It is a Sociology modern classic!
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- Alternatively take a look at some of these websites –
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/sociology
http://www.educationforum.co.uk/sociology_2/familymenu.htm
- Visits/ Galleries/ Museums/ places to see relevant to the course
Every aspect of Society is relevant to the course as long as you question why it is the way it is!
Sociology Transition (1st worksheet)
For this task you will need to look at the following pages: p.6-8. Sociologists argue we are shaped by
many factors. Complete the worksheet explaining those factors.
Primary socialisation:
Secondary socialisation:
Status and role:
The structural view:
The social action view:
There are disagreements about the kind of
structure in society:
Functionalist (consensus):
Marxist (conflict):
Feminist (conflict):
Postmodernist (diversity):
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Sociology Transition (2nd worksheet)
For this task you will need to look at the following pages: 19-24. You will be reviewing
the different roles (according to sociologists) men and women perform in the family.
From this you will learn key concepts. Just a brief explanation of each.
TalcottParsons(functionalist):
instrumental and expressive roles.
Elizabeth Bott (feminist): joint and
segregated conjugal roles.
Young and Willmott (march of
progress theorists):
Anne Oakley (Liberal feminist)
Jonathan Gershuny (march of
progress view): the trend towards
equality.
Hilary Silver (feminist): the
commercialisation of housework
Elsa Ferri and Kate Smith (feminists):
The dual burden.
Duncombe and Marsden: Triple shift
Gillian Dunne: Lesbian couples and
gender scripts
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Sociology transition (section 3)
1. Create a spider diagram, or mind map, on the chapter ‘Couples. Just show key
points and organise your material so it gives an adequate overview of the topic.
This will help with revision before an exam and it will form a plan for your essay
in task 6.
2. Explain what is meant by ‘value consensus.’
(2 marks)
3. Create a questionnaire for members of your household for the domestic roles
performed in the home. For example, do males and females perform traditional
stereotypical roles such as cleaning, cooking, childcare, gardening, DIY and car
maintenance? The questions can be structured, unstructured or a combination of
both. Write a short paragraph explaining what you have found. Is there evidence
of the ‘dual burden’ or ‘triple shift?’ Also, consider the ‘commercialisation’ of
housework.
(6 marks)
4. Explain what is meant by a ‘patriarchal society.’
(2 marks)
5. Identify two reasons why a ‘gender division of labour’ continues to exist among
many couples.
(4 marks)
6. Examine the factors affecting the division of labour (who does what in the home)
between couples.
(24 marks)
Things to consider for the essay: your essay should be 2-3 handwritten A4 sheets. The
key word for the essay is examine, so therefore you must consider different points of
view. From a theoretical point of view, you can compare the views of ‘march of progress’
theorists with feminist theorists (such as Young and Willmott with Anne Oakley.) Also
consider the Functionalist biological view (Parsons), that women are meant to perform
the expressive role. Do you think this may be now outdated? Other things to consider
are patriarchy, women’s paid employment, the impact of feminism, new man (young
men expect to do more in the home) family size and same sex couples.
There are two key skills for an essay. They are knowledge and understanding (AO1 skills)
and interpretation, application, analysis and evaluation (AO2 skills). Therefore use your
knowledge (what you know) and then analyse and evaluate it. This suggests that…An
example of this would be… However, this can be disputed because…From a different
perspective … argues that…. DO NOT COPY FROM THE BOOK. Try and put information
into your own words.
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Below is a mark-scheme that will be used to assess your 24 mark essay. Look at it before you plan your essay and
use it to guide your planning. However, it is important you see the mark scheme as indicative only of the content
in your essay. There are a huge number of theories, sociologists and research studies in Sociology so markschemes will suggest some of them. That does not mean you need/should include everything listed in the markscheme. Use it for direction only and focus on the studies and content in the sources provided.
Sociology SCLY1 - AQA GCE Mark Scheme 2013 June series (adapted).
Examine the factors affecting power relationships and division of labour between couples. (24 marks)
1 – 9 marks - Answers in this band will show only limited knowledge and understanding and show very limited
interpretation, application, analysis or evaluation.
Lower in the band, there may be one or two very insubstantial points, for example about housework with little
understanding of relevant issues.
Higher in the band, answers will show limited, undeveloped sociological knowledge, for example two or three
insubstantial points about joint conjugal roles. Interpretation of material may be simplistic, or at a tangent to the
question. Analysis and/or evaluation will be very limited or non-existent.
10 – 18 marks - Answers in this band will show reasonable knowledge and understanding and will show limited
interpretation, application, analysis and/or evaluation.
Lower in the band, this may be confined to a competent if basic account, of Young and Wilmott. Interpretation
may be limited and not be applied explicitly to the demands of the question; for instance, answers may
indiscriminately describe material on family diversity.
Higher in the band, knowledge will be broader and/or deeper, and will begin to consider a wider range of factors
in the division of labour between couples. Material will be interpreted accurately, though at times its relevance
may not always be made explicit. There may be some limited analysis and/or evaluation, for instance of the
debate about symmetrical families. However this is not a requirement to reach the top of this band.
19 – 24 marks - Answers in this band will show sound, conceptually detailed knowledge and understanding of
sociological material on the factors affecting the division of labour between couples. This will be accurately and
sensitively interpreted and applied to the demands of the question. The student will show the ability to organise
material and to analyse and/or evaluate it explicitly so as to produce a coherent and relevant answer. Concepts
and issues such as the following may appear: decision-making; control over finance; women’s paid employment;
the impact of feminism; legislation/policies (divorce, education, childcare, discrimination etc); childlessness;
family size; class and ethnic variations; same sex couples; conjugal roles; kinship relationships; confluent love.
Analysis and evaluation may be developed, for instance through discussing the importance of different factors or
by locating the debate between different perspectives (eg Marxist, functionalist, feminist, postmodernist etc).
Lower in the band, answers may examine a more limited range of material.
Higher in the band, answers may be more detailed and complete, and/or may show a clear rationale in the
organisation of material leading to a distinct conclusion.
Sources may include: Barrett and McIntosh; Edgell; Ferri and Smith; Gershuny; Hardill et al; Man-Yee Kan;
Mirrlees-Black; Oakley; Pahl and Vogler; Stacey; Sullivan; Warde and Hetherington; Young and Wilmott.
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