Sociology and science | AQA A-Level Sociology

For Specification 7192

AQA A-Level Sociology | Free Revision Notes

Estimated study time: 35 minutes

exam questions by topic 👇

Whether Sociology can be regarded as scientific is a compulsory theoretical debate in AQA A-Level Sociology. This Sociology and science A-Level Sociology revision page examines the nature of science, the arguments surrounding Sociology's scientific status and the connections between this debate and sociological research. It builds on positivist approaches [Positivism and social facts] and interpretivist approaches [Interpretivism and sociological methods], before preparing you for the wider theory-methods relationship [The relationship between theory and methods]. AQA specifically requires students to examine both the nature of science and the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

Learning Objectives 🎯

By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:

• Explain why the nature of science is an important issue in sociological theory.

• Identify different issues that need to be considered when deciding whether Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

• Examine connections between the scientific-status debate and positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods.

• Analyse the relationship between evidence, methods and claims to scientific Sociology.

• Examine connections between scientific status, objectivity and values.

• Evaluate the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

Revision Notes 📚

Sociology and science A-Level Sociology revision: what AQA requires

AQA explicitly requires students to examine:

• the nature of science

• the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

This appears within compulsory Theory and Methods alongside:

• quantitative and qualitative methods

• research design

• primary and secondary data

• positivism and interpretivism

• social facts

• theoretical, practical and ethical considerations

• sociological theories

• modernity and post-modernity

• the relationship between theory and methods

• subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom

• Sociology and social policy.

The position of this topic in the specification is important. Questions about science are connected to broader debates about how sociological knowledge is produced and evaluated, rather than being an isolated definition to memorise.

What is meant by the nature of science?

This means detailed textbook material about competing philosophies of science cannot be added while keeping the AQA specification itself as the absolute content boundary.

What the specification does establish is that students must consider what science is before evaluating whether Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

The debate therefore contains two connected questions:

1. What is the nature of science?

2. To what extent does Sociology qualify as scientific?

The second question cannot be answered clearly without considering the first.

Why the nature of science matters

Whether Sociology is scientific depends partly on what is meant by science in the first place.

If different interpretations of science exist, then they may lead to different conclusions about Sociology's scientific status.

This is why the lesson plan specifically requires students to:

• explain different views of the nature of science

• examine arguments about Sociology's scientific status

• evaluate that status.

However, the structure of the debate can still be understood:

view of science → assessment of Sociology → argument about scientific status → evaluation

📌 Exam focus: Do not begin by declaring that Sociology is or is not a science. Establish what the relevant view means by science, then use that as the basis for assessing Sociology.

Sociology, positivism and science

The scientific-status debate connects particularly clearly with positivism and social facts [Positivism and social facts].

AQA requires students to study:

• the relationship between positivism and sociological methods

• the nature of social facts

• the nature of science

• whether Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

These specification points make positivism relevant to the wider science debate.

However, the supplied specification does not state the precise positivist argument about what makes Sociology scientific. That argument must therefore come from additional course material rather than being invented from the specification.

When revising, you should nevertheless recognise the connection:

positivism → sociological methods → social facts → debate about scientific Sociology

This helps prevent Theory and Methods from becoming a collection of unrelated topics.

Sociology, interpretivism and science

AQA also requires students to understand the relationship between interpretivism and sociological methods [Interpretivism and sociological methods].

Interpretivism therefore forms part of the theoretical background against which arguments about scientific Sociology can be examined.

What students can safely recognise from the specification is that:

• positivism and interpretivism represent different theoretical approaches to sociological methods

• the course separately requires debate about the nature of science

• both form part of the same Theory and Methods unit.

A developed course answer can therefore connect these areas where supported by detailed teaching materials.

Quantitative and qualitative research

The scientific debate also sits alongside AQA's compulsory requirement to study quantitative and qualitative methods of research.

Students must understand:

• quantitative and qualitative research

• research design

• questionnaires

• interviews

• observation

• experiments

• documents

• official statistics

• primary and secondary data.

This creates an important question:

How do different ways of producing sociological evidence relate to arguments about whether Sociology is scientific?

The specification requires the relevant topics but does not itself give a rule stating that one particular type of data is scientific and another is not.

⚠️ Therefore, avoid unsupported statements such as:

"Quantitative data are automatically scientific."

or:

"Qualitative research can never be scientific."

Neither claim is made in the supplied specification.

Instead, explain the specific argument about science and methods taught in your course and evaluate it.

Research design and the scientific-status debate

AQA requires research design alongside the study of quantitative and qualitative methods.

This means students should be able to consider how sociological evidence is actually produced.

When assessing an argument about Sociology's scientific status, useful specification-supported questions include:

• What research method produced the evidence?

• What type of data was produced?

• What were the strengths and limitations of the research design?

• What theoretical assumptions influenced the research?

• How does the research contribute to sociological knowledge?

AQA states that the design of research, including its strengths and limitations, should be an integral part of topic study.

This reinforces an important point: arguments about scientific Sociology are connected to the actual process of sociological research.

Sociology and social facts

AQA explicitly requires students to understand the nature of social facts as part of the relationship between positivism and sociological methods.

This makes social facts relevant prior knowledge for the science debate.

You should therefore revisit positivism and social facts [Positivism and social facts] before studying this lesson.

However, the specification does not provide enough information to state exactly how social facts are used within a particular argument about whether Sociology is scientific.

A safe revision structure is therefore:

1. Understand social facts from the earlier lesson.

2. Understand their relationship to positivism and methods.

3. Apply that knowledge to the science debate using supported theoretical material.

4. Evaluate the resulting argument.

Sociology and objectivity

The scientific-status debate leads naturally into subjectivity and objectivity [Subjectivity and objectivity].

AQA separately requires students to examine:

• debates about subjectivity

• debates about objectivity

• the nature of science

• the scientific status of Sociology.

These are therefore closely related areas of Theory and Methods.

A student evaluating Sociology as a science may need to consider questions about whether sociological knowledge can be objective.

However, the specification does not state that science necessarily requires one particular definition of objectivity, nor does it specify the detailed arguments connecting objectivity and scientific status.

Those details belong to the next lesson and to supported course materials.

Sociology and values

AQA also requires students to understand the role of values across the course and later study the debate about value freedom [Value freedom].

This creates another important theoretical connection.

Questions about scientific Sociology may involve consideration of:

• how sociologists produce knowledge

• whether that knowledge can be objective

• the role values may play in sociological research.

⚠️ Avoid assuming that "scientific" automatically means "completely value free" unless the particular argument you have studied supports this.

The relationship between theory and methods

The next lesson is the relationship between theory and methods [The relationship between theory and methods].

Its learning objectives require students to:

• explain relationships between sociological theory and research methods

• examine how theoretical perspectives may influence methodological choices

• evaluate the extent to which theory determines the methods sociologists use.

This follows naturally from the science debate.

Arguments about whether Sociology is scientific may depend partly on:

• theoretical assumptions

• approaches to sociological evidence

• research methods

• the way sociologists understand their subject matter.

The AQA specification deliberately includes all of these within the same Theory and Methods section.

Is Sociology scientific?

This is the central evaluative question.

AQA does not require students simply to memorise a yes/no answer. The wording of the specification is:

the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

The phrase "the extent to which" makes this an evaluative debate.

A successful approach therefore considers arguments before reaching a judgement.

A useful reasoning structure is:

1. Establish a particular view of what science is.

2. Explain the argument for how Sociology relates to that view.

3. Apply the argument to sociological research or knowledge.

4. Consider an alternative view or argument.

5. Compare the strength of the competing positions.

6. Reach a reasoned judgement about the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

This structure keeps the evaluation focused on the actual issue.

Avoiding a simple yes/no answer

A weak answer might state:

"Sociology is a science."

or:

"Sociology is not a science."

Neither statement is enough by itself.

The specification requires students to examine the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.

A stronger argument should therefore make clear:

• what conception of science is being used

• why Sociology does or does not meet the relevant criteria

• which sociological approach supports the argument

• how an alternative approach challenges it

• what conclusion follows.

Different views of science

One learning objective specifically requires students to explain different views of the nature of science.

This means students should expect the debate to involve more than one understanding of what science is.

Evaluating the scientific status of Sociology

The final learning objective requires students to evaluate Sociology's scientific status.

A strong evaluation can be organised around four questions.

1. What counts as science?

Evaluation begins with the nature of science.

Different answers to this question may produce different assessments of Sociology.

2. What kind of knowledge does Sociology produce?

AQA requires students to study sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods.

Evaluation can therefore consider how sociological knowledge is produced and what claims can reasonably be made from it.

3. How does research methodology affect the debate?

Theory and Methods requires students to understand:

• quantitative and qualitative research

• research design

• different sources of data

• positivism and interpretivism

• theoretical considerations.

These can all provide relevant material when examining competing arguments about scientific status.

4. What is the overall judgement?

AQA's Assessment Objective 3 (AO3) requires students to analyse and evaluate theories, concepts, evidence and research methods in order to:

• present arguments

• make judgements

• draw conclusions.

Your conclusion should therefore answer "to what extent?"

It should not simply repeat the introduction.

Building an evaluative argument

A useful paragraph sequence for an extended response is:

Argument

Explain one supported view of the nature of science and its implications for Sociology.

Application

Show how that argument relates to sociological theories, methods or evidence.

Analysis

Explain why this affects Sociology's claim to scientific status.

Counterargument

Introduce a competing view of science or Sociology.

Judgement

Assess which argument is more convincing and why.

This creates a debate rather than a list.

Science and the study of crime

The revision plan later revisits this theoretical content through science, values and the sociology of crime [Science, values and the sociology of crime].

Students are expected to:

• apply debates about science to sociological research into crime

• examine subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom in the study of crime

• evaluate the extent to which sociological research into crime can be objective.

This is a useful example of synoptic Sociology.

The scientific-status debate can therefore be applied to actual sociological research rather than being learned only as abstract theory.

Science as part of wider Theory and Methods

The sequence of lessons shows how closely these debates connect:

Positivism and social facts

↓

Interpretivism and sociological methods

↓

theoretical, practical and ethical issues

↓

sociological theories

↓

modernity and post-modernity

↓

Sociology and science

↓

the relationship between theory and methods

↓

subjectivity and objectivity

↓

value freedom

↓

Sociology and social policy

The sequence reflects the wider AQA requirement to understand and evaluate sociological methodology, theories and conceptual issues.

Exam application: AO1, AO2 and AO3

AO1: Knowledge and understanding

You need accurate knowledge of:

• different views of science

• relevant sociological arguments

• concepts and methodological issues.

The detailed views must come from supported course material because they are not specified in the supplied document.

AO2: Application

You may need to apply the debate to:

• sociological research

• particular methods

• evidence

• substantive sociological issues.

The later crime lesson explicitly demonstrates this type of application.

AO3: Analysis and evaluation

You should:

• compare arguments

• analyse their implications

• assess evidence

• make a judgement

• draw a conclusion.

📌 Exam focus: The strongest answers do not simply list characteristics of science. They keep returning to the question: what does this particular view of science imply about the scientific status of Sociology?

Key Words 🔑

Key word	Student-friendly definition	How it may be used in an exam
Science	A concept whose nature AQA requires students to examine before considering Sociology's scientific status. The supplied specification does not provide a detailed definition.	Establish what is meant by science before assessing Sociology.
Scientific status	The question of the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.	Form the central judgement in an evaluative Theory and Methods response.
Sociology	The subject whose scientific status students must examine and evaluate.	Apply different views of science to sociological knowledge and research.
Positivism	A theoretical approach whose relationship with sociological methods is compulsory AQA content.	Connect earlier knowledge of positivism to the wider science debate where supported.
Interpretivism	A theoretical approach whose relationship with sociological methods is also required by AQA.	Use as part of debates about sociological methodology where supported.
Social facts	A concept AQA requires students to understand in relation to positivism and sociological methods.	Connect to arguments about Sociology and science using supported theoretical knowledge.
Objectivity	A concept examined in the debate about subjectivity and objectivity in Sociology.	Use when considering the production of sociological knowledge where relevant.
Value freedom	A debate about whether Sociology can or should be free from values.	Connect to wider questions concerning knowledge and scientific status.
Research design	The decisions involved in designing sociological research, including consideration of strengths and limitations.	Analyse how sociological evidence is produced when evaluating claims to scientific status.
AO3	Analysis and evaluation used to present arguments, make judgements and draw conclusions.	Reach a reasoned judgement about the extent to which Sociology is scientific.

Common Mistakes ⚠️

Mistake: Giving a yes/no answer to whether Sociology is scientific

Why this is incorrect: AQA requires students to examine the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific. This requires evaluation rather than assertion.

How to improve: Present competing arguments, compare them and reach a reasoned judgement about the extent to which Sociology can reasonably be described as scientific.

Mistake: Discussing Sociology without defining what counts as science

Why this is incorrect: The specification requires both the nature of science and Sociology's scientific status.

How to improve: Establish the relevant view of science before applying it to Sociology.

Mistake: Assuming there is only one view of science

Why this is incorrect: The lesson plan explicitly requires students to explain different views of the nature of science.

How to improve: Compare the different specification-appropriate views contained in your course materials and explain how they lead to different judgements about Sociology.

Mistake: Assuming quantitative research is automatically scientific

Why this is incorrect: The AQA source requires quantitative and qualitative research alongside the scientific-status debate, but does not state that one form of data is automatically scientific.

How to improve: Explain the reasoning connecting a research approach to a particular view of science rather than relying on a label.

Mistake: Assuming qualitative research proves Sociology is not scientific

Why this is incorrect: The specification makes no such claim.

How to improve: Evaluate methods within the relevant theoretical debate rather than treating the type of data as a shortcut to a conclusion.

Mistake: Confusing a research method with a theory about science

Why this is incorrect: Questionnaires, interviews, observations and experiments are sources of sociological data. The nature of science is a theoretical issue.

How to improve: Explain how the method or evidence contributes to an argument about scientific status rather than treating the method itself as the argument.

Mistake: Ignoring objectivity and values when making relevant connections

Why this is incorrect: AQA includes science, subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom within the same Theory and Methods section.

How to improve: Where relevant, connect the science debate to subjectivity and objectivity [Subjectivity and objectivity] and later debates about values, without assuming these concepts are identical.

Exam-Style Questions ✍️

Question 1

Identify the theoretical issue that AQA requires students to examine alongside the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific. [1 mark]

Question 2

Identify two approaches whose relationship with sociological methods may be relevant to debates about Sociology and science. [2 marks]

Question 3

Outline two reasons why defining the nature of science is important before deciding whether Sociology is scientific. [4 marks]

Question 4

Explain two ways in which the debate about Sociology and science can be connected to sociological research methods. [6 marks]

Question 5

Item A

A sociologist argues that it is impossible to decide whether Sociology is scientific without first deciding what should count as science. Another sociologist uses a different view of science and reaches a different conclusion about Sociology.

Using Item A, explain why different views of the nature of science may lead to different conclusions about the scientific status of Sociology. [6 marks]

Question 6

Item B

Researchers investigate the same social issue using different research designs. One study produces quantitative data while another produces qualitative data. Students disagree about what these studies imply for the scientific status of Sociology.

Using Item B and your knowledge of Theory and Methods, analyse why the type of data alone is not sufficient to decide whether Sociology is scientific. [10 marks]

Question 7

Item C

A sociologist examining crime considers how evidence was collected, the theoretical perspective influencing the research and whether the resulting sociological knowledge can be objective.

Using Item C and your knowledge of Theory and Methods, analyse how debates about science can be applied to sociological research. [10 marks]

Question 8

Evaluate the view that Sociology can be regarded as scientific. [10 marks]

Answers and Mark Scheme

Question 1

Award one mark for:

• the nature of science.

Question 2

Award one mark each, maximum two marks:

• positivism

• interpretivism.

Question 3

Award up to two marks for each developed reason, maximum four marks.

Possible content includes:

• whether Sociology can qualify as scientific depends partly on what is meant by science

• different views of science may provide different criteria for judging Sociology

• different views may therefore lead to different conclusions about Sociology's scientific status

• defining science gives the evaluation a clear basis rather than beginning with an unsupported yes/no assertion.

Question 4

Award up to three marks for each developed connection, maximum six marks.

Possible content includes:

• AQA requires quantitative and qualitative research alongside the scientific-status debate, so arguments about science can be related to different ways of producing sociological data.

• Research design can be considered because AQA requires students to examine the strengths and limitations of research used to produce sociological evidence.

• Positivism and interpretivism can be connected to methodological choices.

• Different sources of data can be considered when evaluating how sociological knowledge is produced.

Higher marks require explanation of how the connection contributes to the science debate rather than simply naming research methods.

Question 5

Indicative content includes:

• Item A identifies different views of the nature of science.

• AQA requires students to understand different views before evaluating Sociology's scientific status.

• A judgement about Sociology depends on the standards being used to define science.

• If views of science differ, the way Sociology is assessed may also differ.

• This can result in competing arguments about whether Sociology should be regarded as scientific.

• Evaluation should compare these arguments before reaching a conclusion.

Higher marks require direct application to Item A rather than a general discussion of research methods.

Question 6

Possible analysis includes:

• Item B distinguishes quantitative and qualitative data, both of which are compulsory AQA content.

• The specification does not state that one type of data is automatically scientific and the other unscientific.

• The scientific-status debate also involves the nature of science, theoretical perspectives and research design.

• Students therefore need an argument explaining why a particular form of research meets or does not meet the relevant conception of science.

• The strengths and limitations of the research design may also be relevant.

• A judgement should therefore consider the broader theoretical and methodological argument rather than relying only on the type of data.

Higher-level responses sustain the distinction between data type and scientific status.

Question 7

Indicative content includes:

• Item C concerns actual sociological research, allowing an abstract theoretical debate to be applied.

• Research design is relevant because AQA expects students to consider how evidence is obtained and its strengths and limitations.

• Theoretical perspectives may influence sociological methodology.

• The issue of objectivity connects with the later AQA debate about subjectivity and objectivity.

• Arguments about science can therefore be applied to how sociological knowledge about crime is produced.

• The revision plan explicitly revisits science, values and objectivity through the sociology of crime.

• A developed response would analyse how these different issues affect claims about the scientific nature of the research.

Question 8

A fully developed answer needs the specific competing views of science and their sociological arguments. These are not provided in the supplied AQA specification.

Using only the supplied sources, relevant indicative content includes:

• AQA explicitly requires debate about the nature of science

• students must examine the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific

• positivism and interpretivism provide relevant theoretical context

• sociological methods and research design are relevant to how evidence is produced

• quantitative and qualitative approaches should not automatically be labelled scientific or unscientific without argument

• the debate can be connected to objectivity and value freedom

• competing views should be analysed before a judgement is reached

• the conclusion should answer the extent to which Sociology can be regarded as scientific.