OCR A-Level Sociology: sociological theory, a synoptic overview

Sociological theory is the backbone of OCR A-Level Sociology (H580). The same perspectives are applied across every component, and the highest-tariff essays reward weighing them against one another. This overview ties the theories together and shows how they run through the whole course. Each section has a matching dot-point page.

Why theory runs through everything

There is no separate "theory paper" in OCR Sociology, but theory is everywhere: functionalism, Marxism, feminism, interactionism, the New Right and postmodernism are applied to socialisation and the family (Component 1), inequality and research methods (Component 2), and globalisation, the digital world and crime (Component 3). Mastering theory therefore lifts marks across all three papers.

Functionalism and Marxism

The two great structural theories. Functionalism (Durkheim, Parsons, Merton) is a consensus theory: institutions meet society's needs and transmit a shared value consensus. Marxism (Marx, Gramsci, Althusser) is a conflict theory: institutions serve the ruling class and reproduce inequality. The consensus versus conflict debate frames many essays.

Feminism and interactionism

Feminism (liberal Oakley, radical Walby, Marxist, difference Crenshaw) is a conflict theory centred on gender and patriarchy, exposing the neglect of women in "malestream" sociology. Interactionism (Mead, Goffman, Becker) is a social action theory centred on meaning and agency, challenging structural theories for treating people as puppets.

Modernity and postmodernity

The debate about whether society has changed era. Postmodernists (Lyotard's incredulity towards metanarratives, Baudrillard's hyperreality) argue grand theory is obsolete. Theorists of late or liquid modernity (Giddens, Beck's risk society, Bauman) argue modernity has intensified, not ended, and that structural inequalities persist.

Structure, agency and value freedom

Two framing debates. Structure versus agency asks whether society shapes us or we shape it, with Giddens's structuration combining the two. Value freedom asks whether sociology can be objective: positivists and Weber argue for objectivity, while Gouldner and Becker ("whose side are we on?") argue all research is value-laden, which matters when it informs social policy.

How theory is examined

• Outline and explain (AO1 and AO2). Differences between perspectives, or features of a theory, with applied examples.
• Assess essays (AO3-heavy). Weigh perspectives against one another (consensus versus conflict, structure versus agency, modern versus postmodern) and reach a judgement.