Alienated
Aristocracy
Charismatic authority
Citizen
Class alignment/de-alignment
Coercion
Conservatives
Constituency
Democracy
Dictatorship
Direct action

Discrimination
Elections and electoral reform
Electorate
Elite
Ideology
Left and right wing
Legal rational authority
Legislative process
Member of Parliament
Monarchy
Nation state

Neo-liberalism
New social movements
Political party
Political socialisation
Privatisation
Pressure group
Prime Minister
Socialism
Trade unions
Traditional authority

In a democracy the people participate in the decision-making process in several ways. You may have already voted in a school election, or even been elected as a representative for your form / school. Many people also showed their support for the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005 by wearing a wristband.
There are many other ways that a citizen can participate in the political process.
They include;
1.
Signing a petition
2.
Writing a letter / Sending an E-mail to an MP
3.
Joining a pressure group
4.
Joining a political party
Democracy means rule by the people, and Britain is a good example of a democratic society. Almost all countries in Europe and the Americas are democratic. However, several countries in Africa and Asia are undemocratic, such as North Korea and
Zimbabwe. They are more commonly known as dictatorships.
You will need to state and explain what makes a country democratic. There are four main factors to consider;
1.
Free and fair elections in which everyone is entitled to vote
2.
The government is held to account by elected representatives
3.
People hold a series of civil liberties, such as freedom of speech and association
4.
Society consists of several conflicting beliefs, such as pro-animal testing and those who campaign against testing on animals. The existence of many different demands and beliefs is an essential element of a democracy
In a democracy, all citizens should take an active role in politics. However in the
UK political participation is dominated by white, middle-aged, middle-class men. The young, women and ethnic minorities are less likely to participate in politics. These groups are also underrepresented in the House of Commons. For example, barely 1 in 5 MPs are women.
Many people also feel disillusioned with the political process. This is because;
 They think that politicians just say what they want the people to hear, rather than saying what they would actually do if elected
Certain groups are underrepresented and often therefore feel that their views are being ignored. For example, very few MPs are under the age of 30.

Political socialisation is the method by which we acquire political norms and values, and we experience political socialisation throughout our lives. For example, our early political views are usually influenced by our parents. This may take the form of identifying with a particular party, or taking a negative view of an opposing party.
As we leave home, our political views will be further influenced by peer groups, particularly in the workplace. The area we live in can also be a factor in determining voting behaviour, but perhaps the most important agent of political socialisation is the media.
The media impacts upon political socialisation in three ways;
1.
Politicians must present a favourable media image, otherwise they will fail to win votes. One of the reasons the Conservative party elected David
Cameron as their leader was his positive media image
2.
The media can often determine an agenda that politicians tend to follow.
For example, recent Home Secretaries have been critical of judged imposing lenient sentences against criminals
3.
Newspapers can reinforce their readers to vote for a particular party.
However, it is debateable as to how much impact the press really has upon voting behaviour.
The media often shows political bias, particularly newspapers (e.g. the Daily Mail supports the Conservatives, and the Daily Mirror favours the Labour party).
However, the TV is more objective. For example the BBC is officially neutral. Other
TV stations do occasionally show a slight bias, such as Sky news.
You will need to describe and explain changes to the distribution of political power since the 1970s. The main changes have been as follows;
 Britain joining the European Union (EU) in 1973. One impact of British membership of the EU has been an erosion of national sovereignty



A decline in the power of the trade unions
A rise in new social movements campaigning for issues such as protection of the environment, and the rights of gay people
Devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means that
Westminster deals with issues that affect the whole of the UK (e.g. defence and foreign policy), whereas regional parliaments deal with local issues such as health and education.

You need to know the various influences upon voting behaviour, and their impact.
They include; o
Parents o o o o
Social class
Occupation
Ethnicity
The area of the country a person lives in, etc.
More likely to be working-class, live in the north and in the inner-cities. There is also strong support for Labour in
Scotland and Wales.
More likely to be white, middle-class and living in either the suburbs or a rural area.
The Conservatives do particularly well in the South of England, although in the
Ethnic minorities and the young are also more likely to vote Labour.
2005 General Election they gained more votes in the whole of England than the
Labour party.
Voter turnout has declined in recent years due to apathy – where voters are not motivated to vote for any political party. There are several causes of apathy you need to be aware of;
1.
Disillusionment with politicians – this is a particular problem amongst younger voters
2.
A widespread feeling that politicians do not listen to the people
3.
There is little ideological difference between the two main parties
4.
A feeling that one vote can make little difference. Since 1997 this has been a particular problem in safe Labour seats, where turnout has declined significantly
In recent years, political parties have tried to target their message to the 100,000 or so floating voters in marginal constituencies (seats in the House of Commons that can change from one party to another). This is because this small group of voters effectively decides the result of a General Election. The modern-style of campaigning, with its emphasis upon focus groups and sound-bites, has also contributed to apathy amongst the electorate (i.e. in the 2005 election, only 61% of the electorate bothered to vote).
• Participation in the political process has changed significantly in the UK over the past 50 years.
• In general traditional forms of participation – such as voter turnout in general elections and membership of political parties – are declining.

• However, this does not necessarily mean that people are politically apathetic
(not interested in politics).
• For instance, many people participate in the political process by signing petitions, joining protest marches and supporting consumer boycotts.
Pressure groups are groups of people or organisations that try and campaign or lobby to influence government in some way. Examples of pressure groups are
Fathers for justice.
The chance of pressure group activity being successful depends on several factors, such as whether the group is an insider or outsider group.
• Insider groups such as the Automobile Association, The Natural
Choice and the CBI have close links with government networks and they are consulted by government departments, civil servants, and ministers when policy proposals are being prepared. So they are in a strong position to influence government.
• By contrast, outsider groups such as Greenpeace are not consulted automatically. This may be because their aims or their tactics are not recognised by government,
• Other factors include:
– Resources: such as finances and staffing
– The size of the groups membership
– Public opinion and whether there is public support.
Social Movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals and/or Organisations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change.
A Special Interest Group (SIG) is a community with an interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where members cooperate to effect or to produce solutions within their particular field, and may communicate, meet, and organize conferences. They may at times also advocate or lobby on a particular issue or on a range of issues but are generally distinct from Advocacy groups and pressure groups which are normally set up for the specific political aim; the distinction is not firm however and some organizations can adapt and change their focus over time.

 Authority: this is power exercised over people when they willingly obey to the individual – for example your teacher, or boss at work.
 Coercion: this is power that involves a threat of force or violence to make people obey them.
 Charismatic authority: exercise power based on their charisma.
 Legal rational authority: power that they hold because of their job, for example a policeman or the prime minister.
 In everyday life, holding and exercising power is about being able to make your own interests count, achieve your aims and influence the behavior of others.
 Parents are expected to operate power over their children.
 This has changed over the last 50 years. There has been a shift of power and attention towards children in working-class families.
 Parents are now less strict and have started having democratic and equal power relations.
 In 2004 legal changes were introduced and any punishment that left physical marks or caused harm was outlawed.
 Teachers have the power to enforce rules, but their power is limited to school contexts.
 Relationships between teachers and students have changed over time. They have now become more informal and democratic.
 Some teachers can use charismatic authority to exercise power over students.
 During the 1960’s many schools routinely used physical punishment as a last resort to discipline students.
 Today – teachers are no longer able to use corporal punishment.
 Recent educational policies can be seen as reflecting a shift in thinking about the balance of power between teachers and students. For example, by law, schools must now take students’ views into account when deciding on policies that affect the.
 The police are an agency of social control. The police play a part in enforcing authority over people.
 They exercise power in the form of legal and rational authority. For example they have powers to stop and search arrest and detain members of the public.
 They may resort to coercive power as a last resort.

 Functionalists believe that employer and employee relationships are based on legitimate authority and operate through formal rules.
 Marxists believe that unequal power relations operate in the work place and that employers exploit employees in the workforce through poor wages and poor working conditions.
 Social problems are situations or behaviours that are viewed as undesirable and need to be solved.
 The Beveridge Report (1942) found the main social problems to be: o Poverty o Discrimination o Unemployment o Ageing society
Poverty and Unemployment
 Alcock (2008) Believes poverty to be a major concern for policy makers.
 One way to help people in poverty is to introduce means-tested benefits. This is good as people who need help can get it – however it may miss people who are living just above the poverty line.
 In 1999 Labour introduced a National minimum wage.
 Deacon (2008) believes that this has not had a significant impact on wage inequality.
 In 2006 half of the children experiencing poverty lived in households which one adult was working. In these cases, paid employment does not necessarily provide a route out of poverty.
 The government introduced the New Deal program to try and improve people skills and motivation. This helps unemployed people on benefits find employment and includes training and preparation for work.
 Evaluation: o Benefit levels are inadequate to meet people’s basic requirements and should be increased to ensure that people can afford basic necessities. o Successive governments have failed to significantly reduce the high levels of poverty in Britain.
Discrimination
 Discrimination occurs when people are treated differently and less favourably.
Governments have tried to tackle discrimination by introducing new equality

and anti-discrimination legislation. As a result, it is now unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, age, religion, belief, disability or sexual orientation.
 Britain’s ageing population means that older people are an important focus of social policy. Age discrimination in the labour market is a key social policy issues affecting older people today. In 2006, the government introduced regulations against age discrimination in employment and training. Although these regulations cover the whole age range, they are more likely to benefit older people.

How to answer 4 mark questions
The pattern of these questions is:
Explain what sociologists mean by………..
EG “Explain what sociologists mean by labelling.”
Sometimes the question may add when studying……
EG “Explain what sociologists mean by conformity when studying education .”
The marks are allocated as follows:
1 mark for basic statements about the question with little or no reference to the topic that the question’s set on.
2-3 marks for a partial or under-developed sociological explanation, possibly via an example, in which some general reference will be made to the topic that the question is set on.
4 marks for a clear explanation focused on the topic that the question is set on that uses examples from specifically relevant areas of sociology
How to start your answer:
In the context of (insert name of topic), (keyword) means………
Example : Family section: Explain what sociologists mean by patriarchy. (4 marks)
In the context of the family, patriarchy means
For example….
This happens because…

Explain what sociologists mean by an elite. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by discrimination. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by power relationships. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Explain what sociologists mean by a benefits culture. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Explain what sociologists mean by authority. (4 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________

How to answer 5 Mark questions
DON’T FORGET: underline / highlight the key words in the question and then use them in your answer.
EG:
one way in which gender roles in the family have changed in the past 50 years and explain why this change has happened. one way in which gender roles in the family have changed in the past 50 years is
this change has happened because
Describe one: 2 marks
Mark scheme:
1 mark for a partial description.
2 marks for an appropriate and more developed description
Explain: 3 marks description.
1-2 marks for a simple explanation linked to the
3 marks for a clear explanation explicitly related to the description AND relevant sociological theory / concepts.

Describe one way in which recent governments have changed how they provide benefits for people who are unemployed and explain why this might lead to political arguments and debate. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Describe one way in which police powers have increased in Britain in the last 30 years and explain why some groups would consider this to be a problem. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Describe one approach which has been used in an attempt to increase the participation of women in parliamentary politics and explain why this approach might not be successful. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Describe one way in which children and young people have gained more power
teachers and other adults might consider this to be a problem. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Describe one way in which pressure groups try to influence government decisions
influencing such decisions. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Describe one way in which the police have power over members of the public and explain how this might affect the relationship between the police and the community. (5 marks)
___________________________________________________________
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Describe one way in which recent governments have tried to improve conditions for older people and explain why this may not always have been successful. (5 marks)
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Describe one way in which members of minority ethnic groups may still experience prejudice and explain how this may affect the power they have in today’s society. (5 marks)
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Describe one way in which the poor have less power than others in society and explain why this situation continues. (5 marks)
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Describe one way in which recent governments have tried to reduce unemployment and explain how successful this has been. (5 marks)
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must
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Use the
Or
 How far Sociologists would agree that marriage in Britain today is important
is debateable because words from the question as a starter to
 How far sociologists would agree that the type of school a child your first attends has a significant effect on his or her life chances sentence because
Use the introduction to break down what the question is asking you;
is debatable
 Define any key terms it mentions – EG “ life chances”
 Is there a theory it is talking about – EG Marxism / Functionalism / New Right
 If statistics are involved, what is the key trend or pattern in this area? – EG
Rising / Falling / Steady / High / low
Pointless picture of a banana (teacher joke)
PEEL
EACH

theory or concept what do sociologists think about this? evidence from stats or a relevant example from real life to the question and next paragraph
 To a large/a small / some extent sociologists agree because...
 To sum up it would appear that many/some sociologists agree/disagree…
 In conclusion it would seem that most/few sociologists agree/disagree…
 Mention any statistics that support your conclusion

Mark
1-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
Knowledge and understanding
Basic statements with little sociology
Some understanding of relevant sociology
More developed understanding of relevant sociology
Clear understanding of relevant sociology
“How far” (Evaluation) no response no response recognises ‘how far’.
Explicitly and in detail addresses ‘how far’
Sociological terms very limited range limited range used
appropriately.
A good range used effectively. a wide range used very effectively.
Spelling / punctuation poor some accuracy. reasonable accuracy.
considerable accuracy
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that young people are not interested in politics. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that power is shared equally between different social classes in Britain today. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that in Britain today power is shared equally between different ethnic groups. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that in Britain today other factors are more important than social class in determining how people vote. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that social problems such as poverty and unemployment are most effectively addressed by government action. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that age is the most important influence on an individual’s participation in the political process. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that in society today power is shared equally between women and men. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that in society today relationships between children and adults are increasingly democratic. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that in Britain today pressure groups are more attractive to young people than political parties. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree
Discuss how far sociologists would agree that in Britain today political power is in the hands of wealthy men. (12 marks)
Sociologists WOULD agree Sociologists WOULD NOT agree

Mark out of 12 ____
Why? ___

P O W U E R I S A K C E Y C O N P C M E P T
I N S R N O C I O H L O G Y S R O E C I O L
O G I A S I T S A S T U D Y E P A O W E R R
E L A T T I V R O N S H I S P N S I N S O B
C I E I T Y I E P A R T S I S C U L A R L E
Y B E O T S W E R E N U D T C O E R C I O N
I F F N M E R E N S R T E G R O U P S A N E
T D I A N D I V I E A S D U A L S T H N V F
S R T L A M D K G W T L P F F G Y T G R O I
M I A X P G C R C E A C H J V S V E F F L T
C U G D K S O B D D P R O A F X K C I D U S
V G X Z I U U U I W Y H B N G I P E A E N F
B A E J P T E L E C T I O N F A T U G M T R
S E Q S M S I L A R U L P T F L T W H O E X
P K Y I L U G O I U V G E A A H I B U C E K
N V Z O J Z V E N A Q K J E O G L C S R R T
S T C D K J G R U A K D O R Y S Z S T A I R
H C B R K P D X M M L V I J S W H C N C N W
E G A W M U M I N I M T L E G A L I F Y G S
B W N E T T E U J Q Y E T A T S P Q W K R F
R Q J G R J C N S B A Z X Y B D U L K U C B
E U H H M G A X M Z A O W B E J T Q W D J J
AUTHORITY
BENEFITS
CHARISMATIC
COERCION
CONFLICT
DEMOCRACY
ELECTION
LEGAL
MEANSTESTED
MINIMUMWAGE
PLURALISM
PRESSUREGROUPS
RATIONAL
STATE
TRADITIONAL
UNIVERSAL
VOLUNTEERING
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