GCSE Sociology Topics by Exam Board: Full List

As a GCSE sociology student, locating the information you require about the exam board you are studying can be challenging. This article provides a detailed breakdown of the GCSE sociology topics covered by the following exam boards: AQA and WJEC Eduqas. This way, you will know exactly what to learn and where to look for the best exam board specific revision materials.

AQA GCSE Sociology Topics

AQA GCSE Sociology is divided into six topics:

1. Families

2. Education

3. Crime and deviance

4. Social stratification

5. The sociological approach

6. Sociological research methods

1. Families

The study of families examines their functions, diversity, conjugal roles, and evolving relationships, using perspectives like functionalism, feminism, and Marxism. 

You will learn about the criticisms of families, marital breakdown, and divorce trends since 1945, highlighting their causes, societal impacts, and consequences for family structures and members.

Topics include:

• Functions of families

• Family forms

• Conjugal role relationships

• Changing relationships within families

• Marriage and divorce

2. Education

This topic explores the roles of education, including fostering social cohesion, mobility, and serving economic needs, using perspectives like functionalism, feminism, and Marxism. 

You will learn how factors like social class, gender, and ethnicity influence educational achievement, with key thinkers examining social class inequalities, parental choice, and counter-school cultures..

Topics include:

• Roles and functions of education

• Educational policies

• The structure of Britain’s educational system

• Factors affecting educational achievement

3. Crime and Deviance

This topic examines the social construction of crime and its causes, using perspectives like functionalism, feminism, Marxism and interactionism.

You will learn how factors like social class, gender, ethnicity and age influence criminal and deviant behaviour, with key thinkers examining theories such as anomie, labelling and subcultures.

Topics include:

• Explanations of crime and deviance

• Sources of statistical data on crime

• Factors affecting criminal and deviant behaviour

• The media and public debates over crime

4. Social Stratification

This topic covers social stratification, including life chances, poverty and power relationships, using perspectives like functionalism, feminism, Marxism, and New Right theories.

You will learn how factors like class, gender, and ethnicity influence societal roles, opportunities, and inequalities through various sociological perspectives.

Topics include:

• Theories of social stratification

• Life chances

• Poverty as a social issue

• Power and authority

5. The Sociological Approach

This topic examines UK-based social structures, processes, and issues using perspectives like functionalism, feminism, Marxism, and interactionism.

You will learn how key thinkers (Durkheim, Marx, and Weber) have shaped our understanding of society and how their ideas have been applied to topics like families, education, crime and social stratification

Topics include:

• Sociological perspectives on social structures, processes and issues

• The founders of sociology

• Debates within sociology

6. Sociological Research Methods

This topic covers the different qualitative and quantitative methods sociologists use to conduct their research, including primary and secondary data sources and mixed methods approaches.

You will learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the different methods and consider ethical issues, such as informed consent, confidentiality, and participant welfare. Practical challenges like time, cost, and access will also be examined. 

Topics include:

• Research design

• Qualitative and quantitative methods

• Different types of data

• Primary and secondary sources

• Practical and ethical issues

• Interpretation of data

What is Covered in AQA GCSE Sociology Paper 1 & 2?

Revision Resources for AQA GCSE Sociology

If you’re looking for revision resources for the AQA GCSE Sociology course, the experts at Save My Exams have meticulously combed through the AQA GCSE Sociology specification to ensure that the revision notes and past papers we provide are perfectly aligned with the exam board’s requirements.

• AQA GCSE Sociology Revision Notes 

• AQA GCSE Sociology Past Papers
  

WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology Topics

WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology is divided into seven topics:

1. Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission

2. Families

3. Education

4. Sociological research methods

5. Social differentiation and stratification

6. Crime and deviance

7. Applied methods of sociological enquiry

1. Key concepts and processes of cultural transmission 

This topic covers key sociological concepts like culture, norms, values, roles, and identity. You will explore debates on how identity is acquired, including the nature vs. nurture argument and examples of feral children. 

You'll also study the processes of socialisation, focusing on how family, education, media, and peers influence culture, identity, and social control

Topics include:

• Key sociological concepts

• Debates over the acquisition of identity

• The process of socialisation

2. Families

This topic explores the diversity of family forms in the UK and globally, such as nuclear, extended, and single-parent families, and cultural variations like polygamy.

You will learn how social changes and technology impact family structures, roles, and relationships. You'll also study sociological theories, including functionalism, Marxism, feminism, and New Right perspectives.

Topics include:

• Family diversity and different family forms

• Social changes and family structures

• Social changes and family relationships

• Sociological theories on the role of the family

• Criticisms of the family

3. Education

This topic examines the role of education through sociological theories, including functionalist, Marxist, and feminist perspectives. 

You will learn how processes within schools, such as labelling and the hidden curriculum, influence achievement, along with analysing factors affecting educational outcomes based on gender, class, and ethnicity.

Topics include:

• Theories of the role of education

• Processes inside schools

• Patterns of educational achievement

• Factors affecting educational achievement

4. Sociological Research Methods

This topic explores different methods of research, such as qualitative and quantitative approaches, and the strengths and limitations of these methods.

You will learn about sampling techniques, ethical considerations like informed consent and confidentiality, and practical issues such as access, time, and cost. You will also consider the usefulness of different types of data to sociologists, such as primary and secondary data. 

Topics include:

• Usefulness of different types of data

• Methods of research

• Sampling processes

• Practical issues affecting research

• Ethical issues affecting research

5. Social Differentiation and Stratification

This topic covers social differentiation and stratification, including life chances, poverty and power relationships, using perspectives like functionalism, feminism, Weberian and Marxism.

You will learn about different forms of power, equality/inequality across social factors (class, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexuality), and their impact on life chances. You’ll also learn about globalisation's influence on societal structures.

Topics include:

• Theories of social stratification

• Different forms and sources of power and authority

• Factors affecting equality and inequality

• Factors influencing life chances and power

• Poverty as a social issue

6. Crime and Deviance

This topic examines how crime and deviance are socially constructed concepts that vary historically and culturally. 

You’ll examine social control and sociological theories of deviance and criminal behaviour through the lens of functionalist, Marxist, subcultural, and feminist perspectives. You will also learn about crime data sources, biases, and issues like unreported crime and moral panics.

Topics include:

• Social construction of concepts of crime and deviance

• Social control

• Patterns of criminal and deviant behaviour

• Theories and explanations of deviance and criminal behaviour

• Sources of data on crime

7. Applied Methods of Sociological Enquiry

This topic covers designing sociological research, including choosing a research area, setting aims or hypotheses, selecting methods, conducting pilot studies, and analysing data. 

You'll learn about different sampling techniques, the benefits of mixed methods, and how to interpret graphs, charts, and tables to identify patterns and trends effectively.

Topics include:

• The process of research design

• Interpretation of data

What is Covered in WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology Components 1 & 2?

Revision Resources for WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology

If you’re looking for revision resources for the WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology course, the experts at Save My Exams have meticulously combed through the WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology specification to ensure that the past papers we provide are perfectly aligned with the exam board’s requirements.

• WJEC Eduqas GCSE Sociology Past Papers

Improve Your Grades with Save My Exams

Here at Save My Exams, we develop high-quality, affordable revision resources that will help you study effectively and get the most out of your revision. Our revision resources are written by teachers and examiners. That means notes, questions by topic and worked solutions that show exactly what the examiners for each specific exam are looking for. 

Explore our GCSE Sociology resources to kick-start your journey to exam success.

References

AQA (2021) GCSE Sociology Specification (8192), Version 1.1: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/p28bar15/green/22005e5d630f41170aad50fb0592ceab156b2176.pdf  Accessed 15 January 2025

WJEC Eduqas (2019) GCSE (9-1) Sociology Specification (C200QS), Version 2: https://www.wjec.co.uk/media/ysbbv1j4/eduqas-gcse-sociology-spec-from-2017-e.pdf  Accessed 15 January 2025