Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

Knowing how to do an A level Sociology Essay/7/12/98/1997/P.Covington

Assessment
With re erence to the !resent AEB sylla"#s$ there are three %ain s&ills "eing assessed in yo#r essays. 1. Knowledge and Understanding '9 %ar&s( 2. Interpretation and Application '9 %ar&s( 3. Evaluation '9 %ar&s(

What Does This

ean!

What this %eans is that or writing an essay is that the content 'st#dies$ na%es o researcher$ dates$ ig#res$ conce!ts$ altho#gh i%!ortant need to "e organised coherently$ a!!lied to a variety o social sit#ations and inter!reted$ and e)!ressed in a critical ashion. *o# %#st "e aware o the s&ills "eing highlighted in the +#estion in order to #se the a!!ro!riate s&ills in yo#r essays. *o# sho#ld also !ractice writing essays reg#larly and develo! a techni+#e which addresses the s&ills re+#ired so that yo# can act#ally answer the +#estion set. , ho!e that this hando#t sho#ld allow yo# to achieve this. As an e)a%!le$ , shall oc#s on a +#estion$ which a!!eared in the Pa!er 2 o 1992. -he +#estion is as ollows.....

Outline and evaluate the reasons why participant observation is frequently used by interactionist sociologists.

Stage One
.any st#dents are too +#ic& into diving into an answer. -hey have oc#sed on certain &ey ter%s and /ass#%ed0 what the essay re+#ires ro% a +#ic& loo& at the +#estion. ,nstead$ the +#estion sho#ld "e read a n#%"er o ti%es.

Tas" #ne
With the title !rovided.

1. Analy1e the +#estion "y underlining the &ey eat#res in the essay title 2. Dou$le underline the s&ills "eing assessed$ e.g.$ descri"e and e)!lain 2. ,denti y any ter%s or conce!ts contained in the +#estion. -hese ter%s will need to "e de ined$ i.e. conce!ts
s#ch as interactionists. Essay +#estions will also incl#de ter%s$ which highlight the s&ills "eing assessed$ "nowledge and understanding. E.g. 'o#tline$ e)!lain the view$ what do yo# #nderstand$ e)a%ine$ descri"e$ Interpretation and application$ identi y and ill#strate$ and Evaluation assess$ criticise$ how #se #l$ how ar$ eval#ate to what e)tent and so on. 3. ,n short$ , view the s&ills li&e this...

Knowledge and Understanding% incl#des na%es o researchers$ st#dies$ conce!ts$ descri!tion o st#dies. Interpretation and Application the way yo# %anage to inter!ret an idea s#ccess #lly and how yo# a!!ly
sociological evidence to s#!!ort ideas.

Evaluation identi ying strengths and wea&nesses$ what does a theory e)!lain$ and what does it not e)!lain$ as well
as how valid or relia"le is a so#rce o evidence.

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

Stage Two Answering the Question

Arg#a"ly$ there are two a!!roaches

1. The &ur' Approach

4eviews all the relevant de"ates and cites s#!!ortive evidence or each o the de"ates$ then !rovides a verdict at the end o the essay in the concl#sion. -his a!!roach is rather li&e a court case where evidence (or and against the case is delivered and a verdict$ at the end is reached.

2. Advocate Approach
,nvolves starting the essay with a de(inite point o view. -he acco#nt sho#ld then !roceed to support this view thoro#ghly whilst including alternative arg#%ents. 5owever$ yo# sho#ld atte%!t to either re)ect a state%ent with reservations$ or acce!t a state%ent "#t with reservations. To totall' accept or re)ect state*ents is not to deliver an eval#ation. What yo# sho#ld do is to !#t orward yo#r view in a critical and %eas#red %anner.

Stage Three: Plan the Answer (Content, Criticisms, diagrams)

Why is !lanning an answer i%!ortant. 1. ,t acts as a %e%ory recall strategy$ "y !lanning an essay "e ore yo# start to write it. 2. 6nce yo# have done this$ yo# can then organi1e yo#r tho#ght logically. *o# can do this...in two ways.

1. +inear notes , the point $' point *ethod-. -his si%!ly involves %a&ing a list o relevant !oints. -his
+#ic& and easy to do "#t does not always enco#rage yo# to thin& and organi1e !oints in a logical ashion. A list o !oints can "e vital in ens#ring that yo# have re%e%"ered all the %ain !oints. *o# sho#ld also incl#de the strengths and wea&nesses o an ideas or a!!lication o theories and ideas.

2. .pider diagra*s ,diagra* o( the points- this involves organi1ing the !oints in a diagra* 7 !oints are
!#t together i they relevant.

E/ercise Two
Constr#ct a s!ider diagra% #sing the ollowing headings$ #sing the 8#ry a!!roach.

1. 2. 2. 3. 9.

-he %ain reasons why/ or and against Any secondary %ain !oints to s#!!ort yo#r arg#%ent/re #te yo#r the arg#%ent. E)tra !oints that arise ro% yo#r evidence as it accr#es. -he %ain !oints in verdict. *o#r Concl#sion/verdict

-his is only a g#ideline yo# can #se other headings i yo# so desire.

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

'

Stage Four: Writing and Introduction

,ntrod#ctions are an i%!ortant ele*ent o a success(ul essa'. -he introd#ction sho#ld....

!rovide the overall structure or the essay Sho#ld hel! yo# address the 0uestion as"ed. ,t sho#ld incl#de

%any o the "e' points to "e %ade a de(inition o ter*s stated in the essay title. An indication o the approach o the essa' sets up the de$ate "etween the di erent theories and inter!retations

Stage Fi e
it is ti%e yo# tho#ght o the way to !resent the %ain !oints that or% the answer to the +#estion. -he "est way to do this is to !#t the %ain !oints into paragraphs. 6 ten$ the way yo# e)!ress a !oint shows the s&ills "eing #sed. -ony :awson or e)a%!le s#!!orts the idea that the way that the argument is structured which often shows the marker if the points in the essay are being analysed. ,n !artic#lar$ the !hrases yo# will #se will !rovide the e)a%iner with the clues that yo# are de*onstrating the s&ills "eing assessed. -here are ways in which yo# can "#ild #! an arg#%ent or criti+#e a !oint in a way that show the %ar&er which s&ill yo# are #sing. -he ollowing !oints %ay hel! yo# develo! ideas and lin& the% together to either s#!!ort or criticise a case...

.upport +in"s
Further evidence supports the view that.... In addition... supports the view that.... In support of the view that... (a theorist also believes that.... Increasing support of the view that.... Is..... !ot only does e"perimental evidence strengthen the.... theory but case studies have also been used to lend further weight#

1ritical +in"s
Critical lin&s which eval#ate the !revio#s !oint/views/theories/evidence. -hese will ill#strate that yo# are atte%!ting to eval#ate.... $n alternative theory to...view...was developed by...who...stated that..... $ ma%or criticism of the...view is.... $ ma%or weakness of the...theory is.... &hereas the...view focuses on...the...view e"plores.... Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

'

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

$nalysis may stretch further when e"amining.... $lthough the...theory is supported by a variety of evidence( certain evidence contradicts the theory $ different e"planation of.... )as been offered by... $ ma%or strength of the...theory is.... 6nce a !aragra!h has "een introd#ced$ the ollowing !oints %ay hel! yo# str#ct#re the !aragra!h. A !aragra!h %#st contain the ollowing eat#res..... ,t sho#ld "e atte%!ting to %a&e one point ,t sho#ld "egin with an opening sentence$ which e)!resses the %ain !oint; the o!ening sentence %ight well lin& with !revio#s !aragra!hs. .upport sentences sho#ld (ollow. -hese s#!!ort sentences sho#ld incl#de.... An e)a%!le i a!!lica"le. ,n addition$ a "rie %ention o #rther e)a%!les co#ld "e incl#ded to "roaden the sco!e o the %ain !oint. <inally$ the !aragra!h sho#ld end with a concluding sentence. -his %ay well clari y yo#r %ain !oint and can hel! lead into the ne)t !aragra!h.

Stage Si!: Write a Conclusion

.any st#dents have stated that they ind this e)tre%ely di ic#lt. What sho#ld "e incl#ded= 5ere are so%e ideas what to do and what not to do>

Tr' 2ot To repeat all the !oint yo# have stated ?o not start a concl#sion with /Thus we can see3 -his is too si*plistic. , everyone co#ld see the sa%e thing and

co%e to the sa%e concl#sion there wo#ld "e no de"ate at all> Do not choose one view or !ers!ective over another or the sa&e o so%ething to write. *o# need to "e convinced and yo# need to 8#sti y yo#r decision. 4ar $etter to state wh' 'ou cannot arrive at a decision 7 this co#ld show that yo# really have eval#ated the %aterial.

What to include...
,t does de!end #!on the title and on the a!!roach yo# have ado!ted. , yo# have ado!ted the 8#ry a!!roach$ 'ou *ust arrive at a considered verdict. , yo# have ado!ted the advocate a!!roach$ yo# will need to reconsider 'ou standpoint$ !ointing o#t the !ro"le%s a"o#t yo#r a!!roach. *o# can as& +#estions a"o#t the to!ic e.g.$ do yo# thin& there is eno#gh evidence to ena"le yo# to s#!!ort any view!oint= What research %ight yo# wish to &now in order to co%e to a considered view!oint=

5ow can 'ou i*prove 'our Essa' Techni0ue! 9. When writing an essay$ try going through the stages in this hando#t @. !ractice identi ying the three assessed s"ills in essay titles 7. Altho#gh it %ay "e ti%e cons#%ing$ !ractice designing plans or yo#r essays. 8. Ae aware o language yo# #se when writing 'our *ain points. Bse so%e o the ideas in the hando#t
which lin& ideas together to criticise !oints.

.ources
Sociological Review$ Col#%e Do 3$ Dove%"er 1993 Questions and Answers, Get skilled Up$ Ton' +awson$ Social St#dies 4eview$ Dov 198@

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay

AEA/2E/1E/99/P.Covington

Knowing how to do an A Level Sociology Essay