Law and Society | OCR A-Level Law (H418)
Law and Society
- 32 questions
- 2 subtopics
- The nature of law, on whichever third paper you sit
- Component 3 and Component 4
What law does for a society and how the two change one another..
It covers the role of law in society, social control and moral panic and consensus, conflict, labelling and realist theories of law.
Sample questions from Law and Society
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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The role of law in society, social control and moral panic
What are informal mechanisms of social control?
Show the answer
Unofficial pressures from family, peers, education, and community that encourage conformity to social norms. -
The role of law in society, social control and moral panic
What role does media amplification play in moral panic?
Show the answer
The media engages in sensationalised reporting that exaggerates the threat, increasing public awareness and concern disproportionately. -
Consensus, conflict, labelling and realist theories of law
What is rational choice theory in the context of right realism?
Show the answer
The idea that offenders weigh up the costs and benefits before committing crime, making a rational decision about whether to offend. -
Consensus, conflict, labelling and realist theories of law
What examples demonstrate conflict theory in practice within the legal system?
Show the answer
Historical vagrancy laws that targeted the poor and homeless, and differential enforcement patterns where certain groups face more scrutiny or harsher treatment.
The 2 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| The role of law in society, social control and moral panic | Recall questions on the function of law in society and its two-way relationship with society, formal and informal mechanisms of social control, and moral panic, from identification of a threat and media amplification to the authorities' response and resulting changes in the law. | 13 |
| Consensus, conflict, labelling and realist theories of law | Recall questions on consensus, conflict and labelling theory and how each is reflected in the legal system, secondary deviance and criminal records, and the realist approach to law making, including left realism and right realism with rational choice theory. | 19 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
OCR A-Level Law Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,624 questions with their answers.