REVISION BOOKLET for SY1 January Exam.
What does the exam entail?




Exam is 1 hour
There are 4 questions to be answered.
Compulsory section - question parts a) and b) in 15 Mins
The Youth Culture section - question part a) and b) in 45 Mins
Where can I get revision materials from?







WJEC Textbook
Your Sociology AS Handbook
All Yr 12 resources published on the blog
Big revision guide for Youth Culture on blog
Library books
Books in cupboard in sociology room.
WATCH THE NEWS OR READ THE PAPERS
Compulsory section
Part a) 5 mark question on definitions in Introductory core – 5 minutes
‘ Using the item define the term values’. (5 marks)
 AO1 - There should be 3 clear points.
 AO2 - There must be a reference to the item and examples/explanations of at least
one of the points made.
1. Define – Values are beliefs about what is right or wrong behaviour for society which
most people agree upon (value consensus)
2. Elaborate – values underpin the norms of behaviour within a society. Values can
vary between different cultures. Functionalists believe that shared values are vital
for a harmonious society.
3. Give example – USING THE ITEM IN THE EXAM QUESTION AND FROM ELSEWHERE
– For example in the item it shows that the people of Wales value their traditional
cultural customs and socialise their children to have the custom of dressing in Welsh
costume on St David’s Day. Another example might be socialising children to say
please and thank you showing the value of respect.
TASK MAKE SURE YOU CAN DO THIS FOR EVERY SINGLE TERM IN THE INTRODUCTORY
CORE – these can be found in your Sociology AS Handbook.
SY1 Revision booklet – Mrs Rust-Ashford
Part b) 10 mark question on cultural transmission/socialisation/identity
formation. – 10 minutes
‘Using the item and your own knowledge explain how any two agents of socialisation
influence gender identity’ (10 marks).
 AO1 - There should be 4 points made showing knowledge and accurate and
appropriate use of sociological terms should be evident for full marks.
 AO2 - At least 3 of those points will be explained with examples or reference to the
item.
1. Define – Socialisation is the process of passing on culture from one generation to the
next. Gender identity is our sense of being either masculine or feminine and tells us
the norms of behaviour including roles and status appropriate for our sex e.g
housewife or breadwinner.
2. Elaborate –
AO1 Socialisation is split into primary and secondary and is carried out by various agents –
family, peers, media, religion, education, workplace. Functionalists believe socialisation into
shared culture is vital
AO2 However Marxists believe it serves the bourgoiesie. Gender identity can be seen as
socially constructed and feminists believe that women are socialised to feel inferior to men
and that society is patriarchal.
3. Using the item in exam question explain how one agent socialises us –
AO1 Primary socialisation takes place in the family. Parents act as role models to their
children e.g children see that father goes to work and mother does domestic chores.
Children imitate their parents behaviour and identify with their same sex parent. Parents
also use positive and negative sanctions i.e. punish a boy for crying or praise a girl for
nurturing behaviour which teaches them to behave in gender specific ways.
AO2 However Oakley mentions how childrens’ activities are canalized according to gender
e.g trains for boys and dolls for girls and this socialises them into particular roles which
feminists say benefits males. In the item boys are moving tables in the school hall whilst the
girls are cleaning chairs. This shows how socialisation encourages the belief that girls are
weaker than boys.
4. Using the item explain how another agent socialises usAO1 Education is an important agent of socialisation which contributes to gender identity.
At school we learn in two ways – through formal and ‘hidden curriculum.’ Teachers role
model certain appropriate behaviours and children learn their gender identity by imitating
them. Furthermore teachers might recommend certain career paths e.g engineer or nurse
which are gender specific. Teachers also use sanctions to encourage gender specific
behaviour e.g praising boys for being strong and girls for being kind.
AO2 In the item it states that girls were punished for bringing snails into the classroom as
they were dirty whereas it was acceptable for boys to handle them. This shows how
teachers unwittingly encourage traditional gender roles and socialise young people.
SY1 Revision booklet – Mrs Rust-Ashford
TASKS



Complete essay plans like this for GENDER, ETHNICITY, SOCIAL CLASS.
Bullet point ways that the six agents of socialisation, family, media, peer groups, education,
religion and workplace influence identity.
Make sure you have examples for the processes of socialisation i.e role modelling, imitation and
positive and negative sanctions for each of the agents of socialisation.
Youth Culture Section
Part a) 15 mark question on any topic in youth culture = 15 minutes
‘Outline and explain the reasons why young people join youth cultures’ (15 marks)
 AO1 - There should be detailed knowledge and understanding demonstrated by 4 points
and 2 or more examples, one of which is supported by research evidence.
 AO2 - Understanding should be shown through analysis of the examples and/or
evidence cited. (evaluation may not be necessary).
TASK Develop mindmaps/tables or essay plans like the one on the following page which
include 4 points for each of the following topics:






Reasons for the development of ‘youth culture’ (as a whole)
Reasons why young people join youth ‘subcultures’
Reasons why youth cultures are often seen as masculine
Characteristics of spectacular sub-cultures
Characteristics of post-modern youth – Neo Tribes
Reasons why young people are seen as deviant
Reasons why young people form anti-school sub-cultures.
Part b) 30 mark question on any topic in youth culture = 30 minutes
‘Assess the view that females have little involvement in youth cultures.’ (30 marks)
 AO1 - There should detailed knowledge and understanding demonstrated by wide
ranging ideas (At least 5 points supported by examples and evidence).
 Aim for 2/3 points on each side of the argument/discussion plus short introduction and
conclusion.
 AO2 – Understanding should be shown through the analysis and evaluation of examples
and/or evidence cited.
TASK Develop mindmaps/tables or essay plans like the one below which include 5/6
points for each of the following topics:

Youth cultures as a rite of passage (Functionalist)
Youth cultures as a form of resistance (Neo-Marxist )
SY1 Revision booklet – Mrs Rust-Ashford







Youth cultures as being deviant/criminal (Interactionist/moral panic and labelling,
Marxist – resistance, Functionalist – status frustration, Crisis of Masculinity)
Girls and sub-cultures (Feminist arguments Vs ‘Malestream Sociology’)
Youth as a product of consumerism/globalisation – Post Modernism/NeoTribes/Tribalisation Vs Neo-Marxist arguments
Ethnicity and sub-cultures (Gangsta culture, hybrid cultures, resistance)
Social class and sub-cultures (Marxist arguments, Gangs, chavs, riots)
Sub-cultures in education (Willis’ lads and earoles, girl gangs etc).
Youth in a risk society (How are young people’s live different today)
Suggestions for ‘Outline and explain the reasons why young people join sub-cultures’ (15)
AO1 points
Functionalist
– rite of
passage
Functionalist
identity
crisis,
separation
from parents
AO1 Evidence/examples
Abrams – All youth must
pass through
Parsons – gradual taking on
adult roles – job in 6th form
Einstadt – different styles of
dress, sense of belonging
with peer group e.g Goths
Neo-Marxist
– form of
resistance
Jefferson and Hall, Teddy
Boys – Edwardian clothes to
give status. Clarke –
skinheads resisting middle
class values by exaggerating
working class identity, Brake
– Hippies resisting middle
class parents
Paul Willis Anti-school subcultures of working class lads
Post Modern Bennett – Neo Tribes
Youth –
Polemus – supermarket of
youth based style
around
Thornton – club culture not
consumerism based on particular class,
and leisure
gender etc.
SY1 Revision booklet – Mrs Rust-Ashford
AO2 Analysis
Suggests youth
culture helps with
social integration
AO2 Evaluation
This is not a phase
which all youth go
through as most are
ordinary.
Suggests that all
Ordinary youth have
youth suffer from
similar value to
turbulent
parents and are not
adolescence and
struggling with
ignores ordinary
adolescence. Not all
youth and diversity
sub-cultures are
of sub-cultures
functional – Goth
and self harming.
Suggest that youth
Weakness is that
cultures are closely
these young people
linked to associations may not realise they
formed from social
are resisting
class background.
capitalism?
Ignores ethnicity and Too Heavily focussed
gender differences
on male youth
Suggests youth no
longer have political
views and do not
form associations
based on class or
gender, ethnicity
Weakness of this is
that there is
evidence that subcultures are still
forming around class
e.g chavs
Other optional tasks




Make a list of all the researchers’ names in this unit and say what they did and what
topic they can be related to.
Make a list of key words in the youth culture section and look up definitions for them.
Make a list of contemporary examples/ recent debates which may be relevant to youth
culture. Things you have seen/read in the news
Make a list of linking phrases and words which are good to use in essays.
Command words
Pay attention to the command words in the question – refer back to the commands of the
question in your answer. Here are some command words.







Describe - Say what it is
Explain – use examples from your knowledge of sociology to show you understand what it is.
Outline – Give a fairly brief description
To what extent – means how far can we say this is true/weigh up/ you need two sides of an
argument
Assess – means say whether it’s true/weigh up/argue
Discuss – Give two sides of an argument with evidence
There may be others used which mean similar things
Exam Technique

The most important thing to remember is that you relate what you are writing directly to
the question asked.

Remember a certain amount of stress in exams will improve your performance

Read the questions carefully and underline the command words so that you know what you
are going to do with the question.

Write the number of the question you are answering in the answer book carefully.

Keep checking the time – Do not run over in question 1 because you get more marks for the
Youth Cultures questions.

You can write a very brief plan – bullet points on your answer booklet before the 30 mark
question if you want but make sure you write ‘rough plan’ above it so the examiner knows.

Re-read your answers if you have time at the end and then you can add bits if necessary.

Credit is given for reference to recent debates in the media and recent research, so mention
anything relevant which you are aware of.
SY1 Revision booklet – Mrs Rust-Ashford