With just 11 days remaining until the first paper, I am trying to cover as many potential 10 markers as I can for the Theory and Methods question 6 to make sure students are prepared for all eventualities. I have had a few requests to discuss values – a question that has popped up on one of the earlier specimen papers but causes some confusion amongst pupils. When questions ask about ‘values’ it is not referring to the norms and values of say Functionalists. It is referring to objectivity and subjectivity, positivism and interpretivism, the desire to be scientific or be a commentator. It also refers to a sociologist’s career path, committed sociology, the social position of sociology and the application and implications of research. It is often an area that goes uncovered in the specification or one that student’s struggle with, but for those worried about a values question on paper 1 or paper 3 I thought I would include it in the #40DayChallenge.

Previous answers to the ’40DayChallenge are available on model answers page.