OCR A-Level Sociology Active Recall Guide (H580)

OCR · A-Level

OCR A-Level Sociology Active Recall Guide

A question-and-answer revision guide for OCR A-Level Sociology, built to be worked in three passes rather than read.

OCR
A-Level
Specification H580
10 topics

See what is inside or try the sample questions.

OCR A-Level Sociology Active Recall Guide cover

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The 3-step active recall method

Re-reading notes is a futile process when your aim is to remember the information and successfully apply it in exam settings. Active recall is the method you use to ensure the information sticks for a long period of time.

But even active recall can be futile unless you have a structured way of implementing it. This is where the 3-step active recall method comes in, a structured method that is signature to the Levo Learning guides.

Step 1
Answer up to 10 questions cold, closed book, even if you are unsure on the topic.
Step 2
Answer the same questions again, but open book. Write the correct answer down even if it seems pointless.
Step 3
Repeat as step 1 and answer the questions closed book again.

Worked across the OCR A-Level Sociology specification, one subtopic at a time.

The subject, and what is assessed

OCR A-Level Sociology (specification H580) is assessed by three written components. Component 01 covers socialisation, culture and identity, lasting 1 hour 30 minutes and carrying 90 marks.

Component 02 covers research methods and social inequalities, lasting 2 hours 15 minutes and carrying 105 marks. Component 03 covers debates in contemporary society, lasting 2 hours 15 minutes and carrying 105 marks.

Components 01 and 03 each carry a choice of option, so a student sits one option from each.

Paper	Covers	Length	Marks	Weighting
Component 01	Socialisation, culture and identity	1 hour 30 minutes	90 marks	30%
Component 02	Researching and understanding social inequalities	2 hours 15 minutes	105 marks	35%
Component 03	Debates in contemporary society	2 hours 15 minutes	105 marks	35%

Memorisation, then application

Marks are given for applying content to the question that has been set, which cannot happen while the content is still being looked up. Step 1 shows what is actually held.

Step 2 puts the correct wording in front of you while the gap is still fresh. Step 3 repeats the cold test, and the difference between the first and third attempt is the part that has moved.

Every question in the guide is paired with its answer in the same document, so step 2 is done from the guide itself rather than from a separate set of notes.

What is inside the guide

Questions are grouped by topic and then by subtopic, following the OCR specification. Open a topic to see its subtopics.

Component 01 Section A: Introducing Socialisation, Culture and Identity4 subtopics

Key question 1: What is culture?26
Key question 2 (part 1): What is socialisation? - socialisation and its agencies26
Key question 2 (part 2): What is socialisation? - agencies of social control24
Key question 3: What is identity?26

Component 01 Section B Option 1: Families and Relationships4 subtopics

Key question 1 (part 1): How diverse are modern families? - types of family/household and reasons for diversity26
Key question 1 (part 2): How diverse are modern families? - nuclear-family ideology and theoretical debates26
Key question 2 (part 1): Roles and relationships between partners26
Key question 2 (part 2): Roles and relationships between parents and children25

Component 01 Section B Option 2: Youth Subcultures3 subtopics

Key question 1: How and why are youth culture and subcultures formed?26
Key question 2 (part 1): Why do young people participate in deviant subcultures? - types, patterns and trends26
Key question 2 (part 2): Why do young people participate in deviant subcultures? - explanations and the media26

Component 01 Section B Option 3: Media2 subtopics

Key question 1: How are different social groups represented in the media?26
Key question 2: What effect do the media have on audiences?26

Component 02 Section A: Research Methods and Researching Social Inequalities4 subtopics

Key question 1: What is the relationship between theory and methods?26
Key question 2 (part 1): What are the main stages of the research process? - key concepts and stages25
Key question 2 (part 2): What are the main stages of the research process? - sampling, access and ethics26
Key question 3: Which methods are used in sociological research?26

Component 02 Section B: Understanding Social Inequalities2 subtopics

Key question 1: What are the main patterns and trends in social inequality and difference?28
Key question 2: How can patterns and trends in social inequality and difference be explained?28

Component 03 Section A: Globalisation and the Digital Social World2 subtopics

Key question 1: What is the relationship between globalisation and digital forms of communication?26
Key question 2: What is the impact of digital forms of communication in a global context?26

Component 03 Section B Option 1: Crime and Deviance4 subtopics

Key question 1: How are crime and deviance defined and measured?26
Key question 2: What are the patterns and trends in crime?26
Key question 3: How can crime and deviance be explained?30
Key question 4: How can crime and deviance be reduced?26

Component 03 Section B Option 2: Education4 subtopics

Key question 1: What is the role of education in society?26
Key question 2: What are the patterns and trends of educational inequalities?23
Key question 3: How can differential educational achievement be explained?26
Key question 4: How has the UK education system changed?26

Component 03 Section B Option 3: Religion, Belief and Faith4 subtopics

Key question 1: How are religion, belief and faith defined and measured?26
Key question 2: What is the role of religion, belief and faith?26
Key question 3: What are the patterns and trends of religion, belief and faith?26
Key question 4: Is secularisation occurring?26

Sample questions

Taken from the OCR A-Level Sociology guide. Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.

Component 01 Section A: Introducing Socialisation, Culture and Identity

What do sociologists mean by culture?

Show the answer
Culture is the whole way of life of a group or society, its shared norms, values, beliefs, language, customs, knowledge and material objects, which is learned and passed on from one generation to the next.
Component 01 Section B Option 1: Families and Relationships

What is the difference between a family and a household?

Show the answer
A family is a group connected by blood, marriage or civil partnership, or adoption, whereas a household is simply one person or a group of people living at the same address and sharing facilities.
Component 01 Section B Option 2: Youth Subcultures

What is the difference between youth culture and a youth subculture?

Show the answer
Youth culture refers to the norms, values and lifestyle shared by young people in general, whereas a youth subculture is a smaller group within it that has its own distinctive style, values and identity marking it off from the mainstream.
Component 01 Section B Option 3: Media

What did van Dijk's analysis of news reporting find about the portrayal of black people?

Show the answer
He found black people appeared within a narrow set of negative news frames, above all crime, conflict and immigration, so that they were presented as a problem for white society rather than as ordinary citizens.
Component 02 Section A: Research Methods and Researching Social Inequalities

What do positivists believe sociology should be modelled on?

Show the answer
The natural sciences, studying society objectively to uncover cause-and-effect relationships between social facts.
Component 02 Section B: Understanding Social Inequalities

What is the difference between social difference and social inequality?

Show the answer
Social difference simply means people vary, in age, gender, ethnicity or lifestyle, with no ranking implied, whereas social inequality means those differences carry an unequal share of resources, power or status.
Component 03 Section A: Globalisation and the Digital Social World

What do sociologists mean when they say globalisation involves time-space compression?

Show the answer
Harvey's term describes how transport and communication technologies shrink the felt distance between places, while Giddens' related idea of time-space distanciation stresses that social relations are now stretched across space so people can interact without sharing a location.
Component 03 Section B Option 1: Crime and Deviance

What do sociologists mean by social order?

Show the answer
Social order is the stable, predictable patterning of everyday social life that results from people largely sharing and following the same norms and expectations.

Questions about this guide

How do you use active recall for OCR A-Level Sociology?

Answer up to 10 questions cold and closed book. Answer the same questions again open book, writing the correct answer down.

Then answer them closed book one more time. The difference between the first and third attempt is what has moved into recall.

How is OCR A-Level Sociology assessed?

OCR A-Level Sociology is assessed by 3 components: Component 01, socialisation, culture and identity (1 hour 30 minutes, 90 marks, 30%); Component 02, researching and understanding social inequalities (2 hours 15 minutes, 105 marks, 35%); Component 03, debates in contemporary society (2 hours 15 minutes, 105 marks, 35%).

What topics does the OCR A-Level Sociology active recall guide cover?

It covers Component 01 Section A: Introducing Socialisation, Culture and Identity, Component 01 Section B Option 1: Families and Relationships, Component 01 Section B Option 2: Youth Subcultures, Component 01 Section B Option 3: Media, Component 02 Section A: Research Methods and Researching Social Inequalities, Component 02 Section B: Understanding Social Inequalities, Component 03 Section A: Globalisation and the Digital Social World, Component 03 Section B Option 1: Crime and Deviance, Component 03 Section B Option 2: Education and Component 03 Section B Option 3: Religion, Belief and Faith.

Is the OCR A-Level Sociology guide a PDF?

Yes. It is a digital PDF sent to the email address on your order after purchase.

Check the address is correct at checkout, and check junk or spam if it has not arrived.

Does the guide include the answers?

Yes. Every question has its answer in the same document, grouped by topic, so step 2 of the method is done from the guide.