Sociology · May / June 2021 · Paper 11 · Question 2

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Social identity is the result of many influences. Some sociologists argue that nature may affect human behaviour and identity. Others believe that nurture is more important and that individuals 2 are socialised into roles and identities based on age, gender, class and ethnicity. Social institutions are very important in the socialisation process.

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘social institutions’? Acceptable answer:
parts of society that have their own sets of norms and values, such as the family or education. One mark for partial definition e.g. the family or education. Two marks for clear definition e.g. organisations or parts of society that influence the norms and values of society.
2(b)[4]
Describe two ways nature affects human behaviour. Possible answers:
an individual’s personality may be influenced by genetic factors and hence their sociability, level of aggression etc. may also be affected;
functionalists argue that gender is built upon sexual differences which are purely biological and this explains why women are expressive (e.g. housewife) and men are instrumental in their behaviour (e.g. breadwinner);
some argue that males as physically suited to certain jobs because of their greater strengths (e.g. construction) whereas women as better at other jobs such as being office workers which isn’t physically demanding;
sociobiologists argue that all human behaviour is directed by biological drives or natural instincts e.g. the desire for sex and reproduction;
some sociobiologists argue that criminal behaviour may have a genetic component and that some are pre-disposed to
rule-breaking behaviour;
some argue that intelligence is more a product of nature than nurture and that it is therefore passed down from generation to generation;
some believe that sexual orientation is genetic and thus more to do with nature – so whether people are heterosexual, homosexual or bi-sexual, for example, is determined by their genes;
any other reasonable answer. One mark for each way identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each description (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how girls are socialised into femininity. Possible answers:
girls are socialised into femininity via canalisation (Oakley) – the use of toys to reinforce gender stereotypes, for example playing with dolls reinforces norms about appearance and care-taking;
manipulation – the use of activities to create and maintain traditional gender traits e.g. dance/ballet to encourage girls to be graceful and expressive;
verbal appellation – the use of names and language that steers young girls into femininity e.g. ‘princess’;
role models in the media – girls are encouraged to imitate celebrity role models enshrine the norms of femininity such as preoccupation with appearance;
the hidden curriculum at school – via teacher expectations and encouragement of traditional feminine stereotypes i.e. girls as more passive and conforming, caring about being neat and tidy etc.;
peer pressure – the use of positive and negative sanctions by peers to ensure that girls conform to the norms and values of femininity;
religions socialise female into stereo typical femininity through the use of role models and religious texts pertaining to the appearance and behaviour of women;
any other reasonable answer. 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 roles influence an individual’s identity. Possible answers:
gender roles influence individuals in terms of how they view themselves and also how others see them and this can impact on identity (e.g. housewife/mother and breadwinner/protector);
family roles – the roles of mother, father and children all come with a certain status, norms and values, rights and responsibilities and they are seen as an important part of an individual’s identity;
roles within the workplace – job roles can be profoundly important to individuals and how they see themselves and their status with some job roles being seen as a vocation e.g. nursing, teaching etc;
conjugal roles within a partnership or marriage – whether these be traditional/segregated or more modern/integrated – give individuals a set of norms and values through which they conduct their most important and intimate relationship;
roles can come with ascribed status because they may be inherited e.g. the royal family play an important social role in the UK;
any other reasonable answer. 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 under developed 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 age the most important factor in a person’s social identity? Possible answers: Arguments for:
age is often a boundary line for access to legal rights and responsibilities e.g. in the UK the age of criminal responsibility is 12 and individuals are not allowed to vote until 18 etc.;
the elderly are often the subject of negative stereotyping in the media – for example as frail, dependent and a burden – and this can affect the way they are treated in society;
the elderly have a distinct social identity in most societies – it is seen as a time of disengagement from social roles and retirement as they make way for the younger generation;
youth is seen as a time of rebellion and experimentation as young people establish their own identities, so youth sub-cultures are formed with their own distinct norms and values sometimes in opposition to mainstream society;
children are seen as a distinct and vulnerable group requiring special protection from exploitation hence the need for children to be given their own legal and social ‘rights’;
childhood is viewed as a time of innocence and play and this has led to the emergence of whole industries devoted to the markets in products and activities associated with children e.g. Disney;
functionalists argue that adolescence is seen as a difficult period as it brings status anxiety and as a result young people turn to their peers for support in a youth culture which eases the transition to the expectations of adulthood;
generation gaps – members of the same age group are a generation and a peer group who often share experiences and attitudes e.g. teenagers may think that older people are ‘past it’ and older people may see teenagers as disrespectful and anti-social;
age is a social construction so the roles assigned to different age groups vary across different societies e.g. children in western societies spend a longer period relative to most other societies undergoing socialisation into adult roles;
any other reasonable answer: Arguments against:
feminists argue that gender is more important than age as a source of social identity – it pervades the life of all from cradle to grave and impacts across age groups in terms of status, power and life chances;
ethnicity is more important than age as a source of social identity for many groups – norms and values linked to food, clothing, relationships etc. are central to the social identity of many people;
ethnic minority groups are often labelled negatively and this often provides a platform for discrimination across age groups thus affecting social identity and the way people are perceived by others;
Marxists argue that social class is more important than age as each class has its own distinct culture and their social identity is inevitably linked to life chances with the upper class having the majority of the power, status and privileges regardless of age;
for some national identity is core to social identity and more important than age – the rise of nationalist and separatist movements across the world shows that it is national identity rather than age identity that is central;
postmodernists argue that the factors that used to influence and shape our social identity – like age or gender – are now no longer important as people can create their own identity through consumption and style/lifestyle choices;
any other reasonable answer. 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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