WJEC GCSE Sociology Revision

Explore WJEC GCSE Sociology revision topics. Check the official specification for complete requirements for your exam year and route.

12 topic groups · 60 numbered specification points · 72 checklist items

Official WJEC course and specification (opens in a new tab)

Start revising free

Sociology topic list

Tick each item off as you revise. Ticks are saved on this device only.

Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission
- 1.1 Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission
- 1.2 Families
- 1.3 Education
- 1.4 Social differentiation and stratification
- 1.5 Crime and deviance
Families
- 2.1 what is a family?
- 2.2 economic factors, technology and their impact on o segregated and joint conjugal roles, symmetrical families, domestic division of labour o New Man o decision making / money management o dual career families o leisure activities
- 2.3 child-rearing patterns and child-centred families
- 2.4 Marxist theory of families serving the interests of capitalism, including the work of Zaretsky
- 2.5 dysfunctional families
Education
- 3.1 agencies of informal social control o family o peer group o education o religion o media
- 3.2 sanctions
- 3.3 formal social control o role of the police and courts
- 3.4 patterns of criminal behaviour by and deviant behaviour o social class o ethnicity o age o gender
- 3.5 conflict versus consensus debate
Sociological research methods
- 4.1 Sociological research methods response questions, all compulsory. The extended response questions will require Component 2: Understanding Social Structures Written examination: 1 hour 45 minutes 50% of qualification
- 4.2 Social differentiation and stratification
- 4.3 Crime and deviance
- 4.4 Applied methods of sociological enquiry response questions, all compulsory. The extended response questions will require be awarded for the first time in summer 2019 Ofqual Qualification Number (listed on The Register): 603/1045/5
- 4.5 understand and evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods
Social differentiation and stratification
- 5.1 Social differentiation and stratification
- 5.2 Crime and deviance
- 5.3 Applied methods of sociological enquiry response questions, all compulsory. The extended response questions will require be awarded for the first time in summer 2019 Ofqual Qualification Number (listed on The Register): 603/1045/5
- 5.4 Aims and objectives
- 5.5 use and apply their knowledge and understanding of how social structures and processes influence social control, power and inequality
Crime and deviance
- 6.1 what is crime?
- 6.2 what is deviance?
- 6.3 social construction of crime and deviance
- 6.4 consensus view of Functionalism deviance and criminal o functions of crime behaviour (structural, o anomie, including the work of Merton and strain subcultural, interactionist theory
- 6.5 conflict view of Marxism o Chambliss and differential enforcement of the law o white collar and corporate crime
Applied research methods
- 7.1 conflict versus consensus debate on stratification
- 7.2 consensus view of Functionalism
- 7.3 conflict view of Marxism
- 7.4 conflict view of Weber
- 7.5 Weberian theory of stratification o socio-economic classifications o theory of class, status and party
Socialisation
- 8.1 agents of socialisation: family, education, media, peer socialisation group
- 8.2 how agents of socialisation pass on culture and identity, for example: gender, class and ethnic identity
- 8.3 informal and formal social control 2 Families Required content
- 8.4 what is a family?
- 8.5 Functionalist theory of the role and functions of family, such as Parsons and primary socialisation and stabilisation of adult personalities
Identity
- 9.1 culture, norms, values, roles, status, identity, sanctions, concepts cultural diversity
- 9.2 nature/nurture including examples of feral children and acquisition of identity cultural diversity
- 9.3 agents of socialisation: family, education, media, peer socialisation group
- 9.4 how agents of socialisation pass on culture and identity, for example: gender, class and ethnic identity
- 9.5 informal and formal social control 2 Families Required content
Power and inequality
- 10.1 use and apply their knowledge and understanding of how social structures and processes influence social control, power and inequality
- 10.2 use sociological theories to understand social issues, debates, social changes and continuities over time
- 10.3 understand and evaluate sociological methodology and a range of research methods
- 10.4 use sociological terminology appropriately and make connections between the key areas of subject content
- 10.5 Prior learning and progression
Sociological theories
- 11.1 conflict versus consensus debate
- 11.2 consensus view of Functionalism deviance and criminal o functions of crime behaviour (structural, o anomie, including the work of Merton and strain subcultural, interactionist theory
- 11.3 Subcultural theory o Albert Cohen and delinquent sub-cultures
- 11.4 conflict view of Marxism o Chambliss and differential enforcement of the law o white collar and corporate crime
- 11.5 Interactionism o notion of the typical offender o labelling o self-fulfilling prophecy, including the work of Becker and the deviant career o moral panics
Using evidence and evaluating research
- 12.1 culture, norms, values, roles, status, identity, sanctions, concepts cultural diversity
- 12.2 nature/nurture including examples of feral children and acquisition of identity cultural diversity
- 12.3 agents of socialisation: family, education, media, peer socialisation group
- 12.4 how agents of socialisation pass on culture and identity, for example: gender, class and ethnic identity
- 12.5 informal and formal social control 2 Families Required content

How OmniStudy helps you revise

Answer exam-style questions on any topic below and get marked in seconds, with feedback on how to win more marks.
Flashcards, quizzes and revision games generated for every topic.
Practise real past papers with mark schemes.
A study planner with an exam countdown, built around your weakest topics.
Everything works in English and Welsh.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg): Welsh (Cymraeg) guide

Ready to start?

Free to start. Pick your subject, answer a question, and see your first mark in minutes.

Start revising free