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The Stratification and Differentiation unit in A Level Sociology (AQA 7192/2) offers students an in-depth investigation into how society is divided and how inequality is structured, maintained, and challenged. This topic explores the systems and processes through which individuals and groups are socially stratified by class, gender, ethnicity, and age, and examines how these divisions affect people’s life chances, status, and power.

Students are introduced to a range of sociological perspectives on inequality, including Functionalist, Marxist, Weberian, Feminist, and Postmodernist approaches. These are applied to key themes such as social mobility, class structure, life chances, poverty, and cultural and economic capital. The unit also investigates ideologies of inequality, looking at how beliefs like meritocracy and individualism justify or obscure systemic disadvantage.

A focus is on how patterns of stratification have changed over time in British society, examining whether society is becoming more open and mobile, or whether old inequalities persist in new forms. Students will assess the extent of social mobility, the significance of work and education in shaping outcomes, and the influence of values, identity, and ideology in maintaining or challenging inequality.

The unit is both theoretical and applied, encouraging students to critically evaluate empirical evidence, historical trends, and sociological theory. It supports strong development of AO1 (knowledge), AO2 (application to contemporary society), and AO3 (critical analysis and evaluation), making it essential preparation for success in Paper 2 and for building synoptic links across the specification.

By the end of this unit, students will be able to confidently assess the nature and extent of inequality in modern society, the mechanisms by which it is reproduced, and the ideologies that seek to justify or resist it