AQA GCSE Sociology sample questions and answers (8192)
Guide overview All 6 topics Sample questions Papers and weighting Look inside Questions and answers
30 sample questions and answers
Taken from every topic of AQA GCSE Sociology, specification 8192. The full guide has 578.
Paper 1, Paper 2
The Sociological Approach
62 questions in the guide, across 4 subtopics. More from this topic
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Key sociological concepts
What are norms?
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Norms are the unwritten rules of expected behaviour in a particular situation. Queuing and saying thank you are examples of norms in the UK. -
Key sociological concepts
What is power?
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Power is the ability to get others to do what you want, even against their will. Power can rest on force, wealth or position. -
Sociological perspectives: consensus and conflict
What is Marxism?
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Marxism is a conflict perspective based on the ideas of Karl Marx. Society is seen as divided between a ruling class that owns the means of production and a working class that is exploited. -
Sociological perspectives: consensus and conflict
What is a criticism of interactionism?
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Interactionism can ignore the wider structures, such as class, that shape interaction. The perspective finds it hard to explain large-scale patterns. -
Durkheim, Marx and Weber
Who was Karl Marx?
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Karl Marx was a German thinker who wrote in the nineteenth century during the industrial revolution. Marx's ideas founded the Marxist conflict perspective.
Paper 1
Families
98 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic
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Functions of families
What is the educational function of families?
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The educational function is teaching children basic skills and knowledge before and alongside school. Parents teach language, manners and a sense of right and wrong. -
Functions of families
How did Parsons divide the instrumental and expressive roles between husbands and wives?
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Parsons gave the instrumental role to husbands and the expressive role to wives. Parsons saw these complementary roles as partly rooted in biology, since women bear and nurse children. -
Family forms and diversity
What is cohabitation?
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Cohabitation is a couple living together in a sexual relationship without being married or in a civil partnership. ONS figures show cohabiting couples are the fastest-growing family type in the UK. -
Family forms and diversity
Who were the Rapoports, and what did they argue about British families?
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Robert and Rhona Rapoport were researchers who studied families in Britain and America. The Rapoports argued in 1982 that British families were diverse and that no one type was typical. -
Conjugal roles and the domestic division of labour
How do functionalists, feminists and Marxists differ in their views of conjugal roles?
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Functionalists see roles as complementary and becoming more equal over time. Feminists see conjugal roles as unequal because families are patriarchal. Marxists argue that wives' unpaid domestic work keeps workers fit for capitalism at no cost to employers.
Paper 1
Education
83 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic
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Roles and functions of education
How did Durkheim think school binds children to society?
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Durkheim argued that teaching history gives children a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. School is a society in miniature, where children cooperate with people outside their own family. -
Roles and functions of education
How do feminists view the role of education?
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Feminists argue that schools once prepared girls for domestic roles and boys for paid careers. Liberal feminists welcome equal opportunities policies, while radical feminists argue schools remain patriarchal. -
Education, capitalism and the correspondence principle
How does the organisation of learning correspond to the organisation of work?
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School knowledge is split into separate subjects, just as work is broken into small, narrow tasks. Pupils have little say over what they learn, as workers have little control over their jobs. -
Education, capitalism and the correspondence principle
How would functionalists respond to the correspondence principle?
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Functionalists agree that school prepares pupils for work but see this as fair and good for everyone. Parsons saw exams as a meritocratic way of matching talent to jobs. -
Class and gender differences in achievement
What are the criticisms of Halsey's study?
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Halsey's sample excluded girls, so its findings may not apply to women. The men were educated before comprehensive schools, so the findings are now dated.
Paper 2
Crime and Deviance
96 questions in the guide, across 5 subtopics. More from this topic
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Social construction of crime and deviance
How do feminists explain the social construction of crime and deviance?
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Feminists argue that laws have mostly been made and enforced by men. Rape within marriage was not recognised as a crime in England and Wales until 1991. -
Social construction of crime and deviance
What is a master status?
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A master status is a label that overrides all of a person's other identities. An ex-prisoner may be seen first as a criminal rather than as a parent or worker. Social stigma is the shame and disapproval that comes with such a label. -
Formal and informal social control
What is conformity?
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Conformity is behaving in line with the norms and values expected by a group or society. Most people conform most of the time without any threat of punishment. -
Formal and informal social control
How did Heidensohn use control theory to explain women's low crime rate?
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Control theory holds that people offend when the controls on them are weak. Heidensohn argued that patriarchal society controls women more tightly than men, leaving them little chance to offend. -
Explanations of criminal behaviour
What is rebellion in Merton's theory?
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Rebels reject society's goals and means and replace them with new ones. Revolutionaries who want to create a different kind of society are an example.
Paper 2
Social Stratification
133 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic
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Functionalist theory of stratification
What is a meritocracy, and why do functionalists link it to stratification?
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A meritocracy is a society in which positions are allocated by talent and effort rather than background. Functionalists argue that modern Britain rewards merit, so inequality is fair. -
Functionalist theory of stratification
Give two criticisms of Davis and Moore's theory.
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Many poorly paid jobs, such as nursing and refuse collection, are vital to society. Pay may reflect a group's power rather than its importance, as with very high executive salaries. -
Marx, Weber and socio-economic class
Who were the petty bourgeoisie and the lumpenproletariat in Marx's theory?
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The petty bourgeoisie are small business owners, such as shopkeepers, who own a little capital. The lumpenproletariat are the very poorest, such as beggars and criminals, who are outside regular work. -
Marx, Weber and socio-economic class
How did Weber's view of class differ from Marx's?
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Weber agreed that owning property was the main class division. Unlike Marx, Weber expected the middle class to grow rather than the classes to polarise. -
Factors affecting life chances
How can religion and belief affect life chances?
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Religious prejudice, such as Islamophobia or antisemitism, can limit opportunities at work and in public life. The Equality Act 2010 makes discrimination on grounds of religion or belief unlawful.
Paper 1, Paper 2
Research Methods
106 questions in the guide, across 6 subtopics. More from this topic
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Research design, hypotheses and data analysis
What is data analysis?
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Data analysis is the process of organising and examining collected data to find patterns and draw conclusions. Analysis shows whether the evidence supports the hypothesis. -
Research design, hypotheses and data analysis
A bar chart shows that 30% of girls and 22% of boys in one school gained grade 7 or above in English. What does the chart show, and what can it not tell us?
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The chart shows girls outperforming boys by 8 percentage points in that school. The chart cannot explain why the gap exists or show whether other schools have the same pattern. -
Sampling methods
What is a systematic sample?
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A systematic sample selects every nth name from a sampling frame, such as every tenth pupil on a register. The starting point is usually chosen at random. -
Sampling methods
What is a snowball sample?
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A snowball sample starts with one or two participants who introduce the researcher to others like them. The sample grows through personal contacts. -
Questionnaires and interviews
What is an attitude survey? Give a UK example.
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An attitude survey measures people's opinions and values on social issues. The British Social Attitudes survey has asked adults in Britain their views on issues such as marriage since 1983.
AQA GCSE Sociology Active Recall Guide
The other 548 questions, with the answers printed after each section.