Sociology 9699 Notes [top]
To develop a long paper (essay) for Cambridge International AS & A Level Sociology (9699)
Family and Households
| Topic | Theorist | Core Idea | Evaluation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Family | Talcott Parsons | Functional Fit Theory – Nuclear family fits industrial society. | Ignored the dark side of the family (Domestic violence). |
| Methods | William Labov | Field experiment (Hawthorne effect) – Interviewer bias. | Unethical to deceive subjects. | sociology 9699 notes
2. Key Methodological Concepts
- Primary Data: Data collected by the researcher (surveys, participant observation).
- Secondary Data: Data collected by someone else (official statistics, historical documents).
- Quantitative Data: Numerical data (graphs, charts). Good for spotting trends; lacks depth.
- Qualitative Data: Descriptive data (words, images). Good for depth and meaning; hard to generalize.
- Reliability: Can the study be repeated with the same results? (High in Positivist methods like questionnaires).
- Validity: Does the data measure what it claims to measure? (High in Interpretivist methods like unstructured interviews).
- Representativeness: Does the sample represent the population? (Random/stratified sampling needed).
- Generalizability: Can the findings be applied to wider society?
Methods of Research: Covers quantitative vs. qualitative methods, positivism vs. interpretivism, and the ethics of sociological research. Paper 2: The Family To develop a long paper (essay) for Cambridge
- Positivism: The use of quantitative methods and empirical data to study social phenomena.
- Interpretivism: The use of qualitative methods to understand social phenomena from the perspective of those being studied.
- Surveys: Self-report studies that collect data through questionnaires or interviews.
- Case Studies: In-depth analyses of a single case or a small number of cases.
arguing against the view, using contrasting theories (e.g., Marxist vs. Functionalist). Evaluation and Conclusion Family and Households | Topic | Theorist |
Global Dimensions: Only for A2 (Paper 3 & 4), focusing on topics like Media, Religion, or Global Development.