Sociology · May / June 2020 · Paper 11 · Question 2

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Marshall McLuhan described the world as a global village. He argued that the world was becoming more interconnected and as a consequence we are now seeing the emergence of a global culture. This has an effect on identities, such as gender. 2

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘global culture’? Global culture – idea that as a result of globalisation there is or will be a single culture shared by people all around the world. One mark for partial definition. Two marks for clear definition.
2(b)[4]
Describe two customs practised in society. Customs – norms in a particular society that are widely accepted and carry on over time. Possible response:
it’s a sign of deference to bend down and touch a respected elder’s feet in India
at Christmas time in the UK people bring a pine tree into the house and decorate it
body art or Aboriginal body painting is tied directly to and is a major part of aboriginal culture
Any other reasonable response. One mark for each custom correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each custom developed (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how globalisation brings cultures closer together. Globalisation – growing integration and interdependence of countries and peoples around the world. Possible responses:
global communication systems – satellite and internet communications enables people from all round the world to communicate easily
global mass media allows peoples from all over the world to see the film and music of other cultures
global migration has seen different communities emerge in all parts of the world – e.g. Surrey in Canada has the largest Sikh settlement outside of Punjab
global sporting events such as the Olympics bring people from all over the world together
world tourism and cheaper travel enable people to visit all parts of the globe
trading patterns are now global and goods and services are traded right across the globe
international governing bodies such as the UN attempt to make laws that are applicable to all people across the world e.g. Universal declaration of Human Rights
Any other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1–3 marks] Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of the question. Responses may be short and un/underdeveloped. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point, but there may be a tendency towards simplistic answers, engaging with sociological ideas without using sociological language. Band 2 [4–6 marks] Answers in this band will have clear and accurate explanation, showing good sociological knowledge and understanding. Sociological terms and concepts should be expected and explained. At the bottom of the band, the range of points covered may be narrow or lack detail. Higher in the band, answers will cover more than one point in a well-developed way or cover several points in less detail.
2(d)[8]
Explain why cultural diversity may be good for society. Diversity – where there are many differences;
cultural diversity refers to the wide differences between human cultures Possible answers:
diversity means recognising that everyone is different in some way, this also means ‘valuing’ the difference
people from different countries and backgrounds are all living together so they can share and enjoy aspects of each other’s culture e.g. food or music
learning to live side by side with diverse groups helps make society more tolerant
bringing diverse customs and ideas together leads to new and exciting hybrid ideas
diversity is a way of combatting genetic health risks associated with isolationist groups e.g. the Amish
cultural diversity acknowledges there are multiple ways to solve problems and therefore helps people focus on common needs and goals
diversity is positive for the workplace because helps create a wider pool of talent
societies face many problems, having a diverse society allows for new and unique solutions to problems
Any other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1–3 marks] Answers in this band will show only a limited awareness of the question. A tendency to description is likely. Responses may be short and undeveloped and points stated without explanation. Sociological terms and concepts are unlikely to be used. At the bottom of the band (1 mark), expect one weak point. Higher in the band (2–3 marks), candidates may offer more than one weak point. Band 2 [4–6 marks] Answers in this band will show basic sociological knowledge and understanding. Responses may be underdeveloped and lacking in range. At the bottom of the band, candidates are unlikely to use sociological terms and concepts accurately. Higher in the band, candidates may be beginning to use sociological terms and concepts with greater accuracy. However, some aspects of the answer may only be partially developed/explained. Band 3 [7–8 marks] Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding and will be well-developed and explained. Sociological terms and concepts will be used accurately overall. Answers will be well-focused on the question and there will be a range of points presented. At the top of the band explanations will be clear throughout.
2(e)[15]
To what extent is the family the most important agency in shaping an individual’s gender identity? Arguments for:
family for most is the first agency of socialisation and the strength of family bonds make this the most important agency of primary socialisation
parents are role models for their children and in many nuclear families these role models are gender divided i.e. mother and father
children learn through imitation and those households that have a gendered division of domestic labour will help to shape gender identities of children
verbal appellations – according to Oakley the way parents address their children in gender specific ways such as naughty boy or pretty girl will help to shape gender identities of children
different activities – e.g. girls helping their mothers to cook or boys helping their dads in the garden will help to shape gender identities of children according to Oakley
canalisation refers to the way in which parents channel the child’s interests in activities or toys in conjunction with gender as deemed appropriate according to Oakley
manipulation refers to the way in which parents deter of encourage behaviour on the basis of appropriateness in regard to gender according to Oakley
Any other reasonable response. Arguments against:
schools construct gender identity through subject choice, different curriculums, single sex education as well as gendered educational resources
the media, particularly mainstream media such as Hollywood films often reinforce conventional gender roles and stereotypes thus shaping gender identity
many peer groups reinforce gender roles through peer pressure and other types of informal social control such as ostracism thus shaping gender identity
many religions have strict rules concerning the roles of men and women thus shaping gender identity
many MIS have gender divisions in the workplace (horizontal and vertical) and these can shape gender expectations and identity
Any other reasonable response. Band 0 [0 marks] No creditworthy response. Band 1 [1–4 marks] Answers in this band may be vague and largely based on common sense showing limited knowledge of the debate. Use of sociological terms or concepts is very unlikely. Responses may be short, undeveloped and one- sided. Lower in the band (1–2 marks), expect one or two weak points. Higher in the band (3–4 marks) candidates may offer more than two points and provide a weak definition of key terms in the question. Band 2 [5–8 marks] In this band candidates will show some basic knowledge of the debate. Alternatively, they may offer an answer which is list-like in nature but there will be no real attempt to assess the issues raised by the question. There may be limited/some use of sociological terms or concepts. Responses may be underdeveloped and lack range. Answers may be simplistic and two- sided or only cover one side of the debate. Lower in the band, the response may be rather narrow in the points covered and there may be some development. Higher in the band, more points are likely to be covered with some development. Alternatively, a list-like answer with some development covering both sides of the argument may score up to 8 marks. A one-sided answer cannot score higher than 8 marks. Band 3 [9–12 marks] Answers in this band will show good sociological knowledge and understanding of the debate. Sociological terms and concepts will be used with greater accuracy and/or frequency. For the most part, answers will be well- developed, focused on the questions and there will be a range of points presented. There will be a two-sided response but it may lack range on one side. At the bottom of the band, candidates may provide a narrower range of developed points. At the top of the band, expect a wider range of developed points and clear focus on the question. Band 4 [13–15 marks] Answers in this band will show excellent knowledge and understanding of the debate. There will be a strong grasp of the arguments as well as accurate and frequent use of sociological terms and concepts. Answers will be well-developed, clearly focused on the question and discuss a wide range of points. Responses will be two-sided and have a range of points on each side. At the bottom of the band (13 marks), the answer may lack a specific conclusion. Higher in the band, there will be a clear attempt to offer an assessment of the ‘To what extent.?’ part of the question through a focused conclusion.

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