Sociology 9699 Notes Access

Sociology 9699 Notes: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Social Structures and Institutions

Sociology 9699: Comprehensive Revision Notes

Unit 1: The Family

1. Key Concepts & Definitions

• Family: A nuclear family (parents and children) or an extended family (kinship network).
• Household: One person living alone or a group of people living at the same address, sharing cooking facilities and living space. (Note: A household is not always a family).
• Kinship: System of social relationships based on blood (consanguineal) or marriage (affinal).

• Probability vs. non‑probability samples, representativeness.
• Reliability, internal/external validity, construct validity, reflexivity, ethics.

• Society creates goals (wealth) but not everyone has the means.
• Adaptations:

  To develop a long paper (essay) for Cambridge International AS & A Level Sociology (9699) sociology 9699 notes

  5. Common exam/essay question approaches

  • Define key terms concisely, then apply to an empirical example.
  • Compare and contrast two theories, show strengths/limits and use a case study.
  • Evaluate a sociological claim with evidence from research; include methodology critique.
  • Use intersectionality to analyze an issue rather than single‑axis explanations.

  Socialisation and Identity: Explores how individuals learn culture and develop a sense of self through primary and secondary socialisation. Sociology 9699 Notes: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding

  • Point: A clear sociological statement (e.g., "Marxists argue that the family serves the needs of capitalism.")
  • Evidence/Elaboration: Explanation of the concept and key theorists (e.g., Engels, Zaretsky).
  • Example: A concrete real-world example (e.g., "The family acts as a unit of consumption.")
  • Link: How this answers the question or connects to another perspective.