Ruth’s Sociology Resources Blog

Contemporary social change works its way through this unit as a theme. Throughout we have been asking how identities have changed over time and how changes in wider society have affected individuals.

This unit focuses primarily on contemporary social change – this means now, at the moment – so while you might be able to get away with talking about changes that occurred 20 years ago, the industrial revolution doesn’t really count – it is useful background, but it is not contemporary.

The examiners are looking for you to have knowledge of what is happening in society today and of recent sociological studies. Some contemporary changes that you could reference are:

• The changing occupational structure in the UK – more service industries, fewer jobs in manufacturing and manual work
• Globalisation – the effect of increased communications, trade, migration and cultural sharing
• Technology – this links into the previous two points
• Education – people are staying in education for longer and gaining more qualifications, girls do better than boys, education has a powerful effect on attitudes, life-chances and lifestyles
• Changing social attitudes, towards a whole range of things, including marriage, childbearing, science … - cross-reference your material on families and households

Read newspapers, check out the online news sites, especially the BBC, keep up to date with what is going on in the world – you can use events as examples and evidence in your exam answers, as well as using the studies we have talked about.