Sociology 9699 requires you to analyze society through three major paradigms. You must be able to apply all three to any topic.
3. Common Pitfalls in Student Notes (to Avoid)
| Pitfall | Why it’s a problem | |--------|--------------------| | No dates for studies | Markers expect awareness of context (e.g., Oakley 1974 vs Oakley 2018 – different conclusions). | | Only one perspective per topic | Paper 3/4 requires synoptic links and debate between theories. | | Memorising lists without evaluation | 9699 rewards critical commentary more than rote recall. | | Ignoring methods in context | Paper 1 questions often pair a method (e.g., interviews) with a topic (e.g., studying family). Notes should cross-reference. | | No essay plans | Notes should include example paragraph structures for 20-mark questions. | sociology 9699 notes
Postmodernism: Diversity, choice, and the breakdown of "grand narratives." B. Research Methods (The "How") Cambridge Sociology 9699: Comprehensive Revision Notes 1
Paper 2: The Family (AS Level) – Focuses on perspectives on the role of the family, social change, and changing gender roles . Society as a system of interrelated parts; each
Sociology is theory-dense, so your notes must be organized to show relationships between concepts.
- Society as a system of interrelated parts; each part has functions (manifest/latent).
- Key concepts: social structure, norms, roles, equilibrium, dysfunction.
- Useful for: institutions, social order, role of norms.
- Interviews, ethnography, participant observation, focus groups, content analysis.
- Strengths: depth, context, meaning.
- Weaknesses: limited generalizability, researcher bias.
Application: Relate your notes to contemporary examples (e.g., the impact of social media on identity). 5. Essential Resources