Sociology · May / June 2020 · Paper 22 · Question 2

0495

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Many sociologists believe that how well an individual does in education is not down to their efforts or IQ but more to do with social characteristics such as ethnicity, gender and social class. This can 2 be explained by looking at both school and home factors. Other sociologists believe that academic and vocational education are meritocratic and open to everyone.

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘home factors’? One mark for partial definition, e.g. family factors. Two marks for clear definition, e.g. things in the home background of children (family or community) that affect how they do in school.
2(b)[4]
Describe two examples of vocational education. Candidates will describe two examples of vocational education. This could be to do with the skills learnt, the qualifications or the institution but must be linked to preparing people for work in some way. Specific examples may be referred to. Possible answers:
skills – where students are prepared for work e.g. ICT;
training – training students for a particular job or career e.g. hairdressing;
courses – vocational courses offered in secondary schools or further education institutions e.g. BTEC’s;
apprenticeships – e.g. training students to be car mechanics;
workplace – on the job training;
other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how private schools may reproduce social inequalities. Candidates should consider how private schools may reproduce social inequalities. The Marxist theory may be referred to. Possible answers:
private schools are fee-paying therefore they exclude those who can’t afford them from an elite education thus reproducing social inequalities;
many private schools are single-sex with a lot being for boys – this can mean a continuation of patriarchal institutions such as the ‘old boys network that reproduce social inequalities (social capital);
private schools typically get the best examination results which benefits their students in terms of life chances and so reproduces social inequalities;
private schools are typically selective and it is argued that having cultural capital (associated with the higher classes in society) aids passing the entrance exam – this cultural capital reproduces social inequalities as more of the higher classes get accepted;
Marxists believe that education is another institution controlled by the bourgeoisie and therefore private education ensures through social closure that the elite maintain their privileged position in society;
going to private school is seen to be advantageous to attending elite universities and so reproducing social inequalities as this is likely to be the higher classes (economic capital);
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 how private schools may reproduce social inequalities and may talk about e.g. ‘private schools get better results than state schools so people who go there do better in life’. Responses may be short and un/under developed. 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] A clear and accurate explanation, showing good sociological knowledge and understanding of how private schools may reproduce social inequalities. Sociological terms and concepts should be expected e.g. ‘Private schools involve an entrance exam which favours those with cultural capital – the higher classes. It is therefore easier for them to be admitted. Once there, they will receive an elite education that facilitates entry to the best universities and then the highest paid and highest status jobs’. This would be followed by explanation of factors leading to this. 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 factor in a well-developed way or cover several factors in less detail.
2(d)[8]
Explain why some ethnic groups do less well than others in education. Candidates need to explain different reasons why some ethnic groups do less well in education than others. Candidates are likely to refer to their own cultural context here so expect a wide variety of responses. Points may be made generally or may focus on specific ethnic groups. Either way is fine to credit. Possible answers:
an ethnocentric curriculum may explain why some ethnic minorities do less well than the ethnic majority in education;
social class and ethnicity often interlink – the lower an ethnic groups social class, the less well they are likely to do in education;
social factors -there is prejudice and discrimination in society which may cause the formation of anti-school subcultures in school as an act of rebellion against racism which negatively impacts upon educational achievement;
lack of ethnic minority teachers – if there is a lack of positive role models in education it may be that ethnic minorities do not see educational success as a possibility for them;
cultural differences – if home values clash with school values e.g. on uniform, religious practices/commitments, gender expectations etc, then this may hamper pupil progress;
some students’ home language or language code (e.g. restricted) may not be the same as the schools, this makes educational success more difficult (linguistic barriers);
ethnic minority students are often disproportionately found in the lower sets in school – this may be due to negative teacher labelling and could lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy which limits educational success;
some ethnic groups will have a more positive attitude towards education than others e.g. Chinese and Indian parents are seen to value education highly and so push their children to do well (Archer);
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 why some ethnic groups do less well in education than others. A tendency to description is likely. Responses may be short and undeveloped, e.g. ‘some don’t do very well because they don’t speak the same language as the school’, 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 of why some ethnic groups do less well than others in education. Responses may be underdeveloped and lacking in range. e.g. ‘Schools set pupils based on tested ability and those in the bottom sets are often looked down on by teachers. There are a lot of ethnic minority students in the lower sets. This means they see no point to education and so rebel against it instead’. 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 of why some ethnic groups do less well in education than others and will be well developed and explained. e.g. Ethnic minority students in school may find that the curriculum they are forced to study has little in it that reflects their own experiences. This kind of ethnocentric curriculum can mean students lose interest in their academic study. This can be further worsened by a lack of ethnic minority teachers in schools, suggesting that academic achievement is no something that this ethnic group does’. They can then expand on the explanation of this and other factors as necessary. Sociological terms and concepts will be used accurately overall. Answers will be well focused on the question and there will be a range of reasons presented. At the top of the band explanations will be clear throughout.
2(e)[15]
To what extent is the feminist view of education accurate? Candidates should consider feminist views of education in their answer and debate the accuracy of the claims. In evaluation alternative theories such as Marxism and functionalism may be considered but this is not essential. Candidates may look at subjects studied, types of school, teachers, classrooms, curriculum etc. Local examples may well be used and should be credited. Possible answers: FOR
in some countries, today and in the past, the education of boys is seen to be more important than the education of girls;
the gendered curriculum – the content of education has often been different for boys and girls e.g. through the subjects offered to them;
feminists believe that schools, like the other agents of socialisation, send out the message to both boys and girls that boys are superior – they reinforce and maintain patriarchy;
feminists believe that education sends out the message to girls and boys that girls should lower their expectations and accept traditional/segregated gender roles in the future;
gendered subject choice – even in countries where boys and girls have access to the same subjects, they are pushed towards different choices e.g. girls into cookery and childcare, boys into sciences, technology etc;
teachers may have higher expectations of boys and encourage and push them into future careers whereas girls may be assumed to be heading for marriage and motherhood;
gender role models in schools – headteachers and senior staff are often male which gives pupils the impression that men are better suited to leadership roles than women;
some feminists believe that inside the classroom boys dominate the space and the teacher’s attention, leaving girls on the ‘sidelines’;
textbooks – these can be criticised by feminists for the often stereotypical representations of males and females;
even when girls do better than boys in education, feminists note that this does not translate into pay and status in the workplace;
other reasonable response. AGAINST
equal opportunities legislation has changed practices in schools and ensured, through things such as the national curriculum and positive discrimination, that girls and boys have the same opportunities;
many believe the feminist views to be out-dated as girls now outperform boys at every level of education;
single sex schools can challenge feminist views as here there is only one sex – results for girls are typically better than for boys;
positive female role models around the world have raised female aspirations and girls now grasp all the opportunities that education offers them to be successful;
representations of males and females in textbooks have changed to show the more equal world that we now live in;
more women are obtaining the highest positions in education, as senior leaders and headteachers – this motivates females to do well and encourages them to believe they can be successful;
school – functionalists say that education is meritocratic therefore anyone can be successful as long as they work hard, gender is irrelevant;
social class – this factor may be more important than gender according to Marxists in determining educational success e.g. elitism, private education, capital;
ethnicity – this factor may be more important than gender in determining educational success e.g. institutional racism, labelling;
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 extent to which the feminist view of education is accurate. Use of sociological terms or concepts is very unlikely. Responses may be short, undeveloped and one-sided. e.g. ‘In some countries boys go to schools, not girls’ . 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 or provide a weak definition of key terms, e.g. feminists believe society benefits men. Band 2 [5–8 marks] In this band candidates will show some basic knowledge of the extent to which the feminist view of education is accurate. 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 responses are unlikely e.g. ‘Parents of boys may value their education more than girls and so prioritise sending them to school’ etc. Lower in the band, the response will be rather narrow in the points covered and there will be little development. Higher in the band, more points will be covered and there will be limited development of some points. Alternatively, a list-like answer with little 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 extent to which the feminist view of education is accurate. 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 question and there will be a range of points presented. Candidates may say that e.g. ‘despite there being many ways that education is seen to favour boys, today’s systems and schools see girls typically achieving the most. The national curriculum ensures that girl and boys are offered the same subjects for study in an attempt to remove patriarchal barriers in society. Textbook representations have been altered to better reflect the positive female role models and changing gender roles typical of so many societies. Feminism, therefore, seems a little outdated in their views’. There will be a two-sided response but this may be unbalanced. At the bottom of the band, candidates may provide a narrower range of well developed points. At the top of the band, expect a wider range of points and clear focus on the question. Band 4 [13–15 marks] Answers in this band will show excellent knowledge and understanding of the extent to which feminist views are accurate. There will be a strong grasp of the argument 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 balanced. 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. Candidates should show consideration of points for and against the idea of whether the feminist view of education is accurate, citing some of the examples given.

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