Fiducia TogetherSociology basics
How sociology explains society: the main perspectives and the vocabulary.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Core perspectives: functionalism (institutions serve society's needs), Marxism (conflict between classes), feminism (gender inequality), and interactionism (meaning built in everyday interaction).
Where it applies
GCSE and A Level sociology.
How it works
Key concepts recur across every topic: socialisation, norms and values, culture, social control, status, and the difference between ascribed and achieved status.
Each perspective reads the same institution differently — education is preparation for society to a functionalist, reproduction of class advantage to a Marxist.
How to use it in your work
Apply perspectives rather than describing them. "A Marxist would argue that the hidden curriculum prepares working-class pupils for subordinate roles."
Use studies as evidence and name the sociologist.
For evaluation, set perspectives against each other and reach a judgement.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification — these qualifications vary more between boards than the traditional GCSEs do, and much of the grade is coursework marked against stated criteria.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Sociology Song The GCSE sociology topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.