MATSEC AM Sociology study plan

Map the four assessment domains against the syllabus weighting and rank your weakest sub-topics in theory and methods before you start reading

Explain in writing the core claims of functionalism, Marxism and symbolic interactionism on social order, using one Maltese or Mediterranean example per perspective

Distinguish consensus, conflict and action approaches by the level of analysis each assumes (macro versus micro) and the kind of evidence each demands

Build a one-page glossary of 20 theory terms (norms, values, socialisation, anomie, hegemony, dramaturgy) with a one-sentence definition each

Trace the development of sociological theory from classical to contemporary thinkers and state the central question each was answering

Evaluate the strengths and limits of structuralist accounts by applying one to a contemporary Maltese institution such as the family or the Church

Construct arguments that link theory to evidence rather than describing theorists in isolation

Practise writing two exam-style theory essays under timed conditions (35 minutes each)

Compare quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods designs by the research questions each can and cannot answer

Explain the logic of sampling: probability and non-probability techniques, sampling frame, representativeness and bias

Draft a short research proposal that states an aim, two research questions, a design and a sampling strategy

Identify the ethical obligations of research on human participants, including informed consent, confidentiality and the right to withdraw

Distinguish reliability, validity and representativeness, and judge which threat applies to a given method

Evaluate questionnaires, interviews, observation, documents and official statistics against criteria of practicality, ethics and data quality

Analyse the relationship between theory and method, explaining why positivist and interpretivist positions favour different techniques

Design an interview schedule or questionnaire of 10 items and critique it for leading questions and ambiguous wording

Define culture, norms, values, sanctions and subculture, and illustrate each with examples from Maltese social life

Trace the agencies of socialisation (family, school, peers, media, religion) and explain primary versus secondary socialisation

Debate nature versus nurture using at least two empirical or theoretical sources

Analyse how gender, class and ethnicity are socially constructed and reproduced through socialisation

Explain the main theories of stratification (functionalist, Marxist, Weberian) and their differing accounts of inequality

Distinguish class, status and party, and apply the distinction to a contemporary example of social mobility or closure

Describe the institutions of family, education and religion and evaluate one sociological account of each

Assess how globalisation and digital media are reshaping identity and social institutions

Compare theories of social change, including evolutionary, conflict and cyclical accounts, and identify their assumptions

Analyse one process of social change in Malta (migration, secularisation, EU membership, labour-market shift) using sociological concepts

Evaluate the relationship between social institutions and power, including the role of the state and the media

Revise the full stratification and institutions syllabus using a self-test of 30 short-answer questions

Sit two full mock papers under exam conditions and mark them against the official assessment criteria

Diagnose recurring errors by domain and re-teach the two weakest concepts from source notes

Consolidate theory-to-evidence links by writing a one-page planning template for essay questions

Practise concise definition recall across all four domains in a 45-minute rapid-recall session