Sociology · May / June 2021 · Paper 12 · Question 2
0495
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Most sociologists agree values are a social construction. They also believe that people acquire their gender, class, ethnic and age identity through the agencies of socialisation and social control. 2 But sociologists disagree on which agency is most effective. Some sociologists claim that the media successfully socialises individuals. Other sociologists claim that the peer group socially controls people effectively, particularly during adolescence.
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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘adolescence’? Acceptable answer:
the period of growing up between childhood and adulthood One mark for a partial definition e.g. teenager Two marks for clear definition e.g. the transition between being a child and an adult.2(b)[4]
Describe two ways the media socialises individuals. Possible answers:
the behaviour and appearance of role-models in the media are imitated by many, especially the young;individuals are manipulated by techniques used in the media such as advertising which may create ‘false needs’;representations of women and other groups in popular media are influential in establishing social expectations for various forms of social identity such as gender, age etc;the worldview reflected in global media is often a westernised or Americanised one which some may believe is leading to a global culture where individuals share common norms and values;the media socially controls individuals by showing the negative consequences of not conforming to social norms and values e.g. labelling, ‘naming and shaming’ etc.;the media uses praise and positive comments to show approval and reward conformity to social norms and values;social media ‘likes’ can be seen as a reward for and expression of social approval for conformity;cyberbullying and negative emojis online can be seen as expressions of disapproval and an attempt to negatively sanction an individual in order to bring them back to conformity with expected norms;any other reasonable response. One mark for each way correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each way developed (up to a maximum of two).2(c)[6]
Explain how values are a social construction. Possible responses:
values vary from society to society e.g. the acquisition of money brings status in some cultures whereas in others physical bravery or helping others may been seen as more important;values are created in and by society rather than being naturally occurring e.g. we are taught values by parents in primary socialisation;values vary between age groups e.g. the young may value appearance, popularity and peer approval more than older age groups;values differ according to social class e.g. the working classes may place more importance on immediate gratification whereas the middle classes may think deferred gratification is crucial to future success;values differ according to ethnicity and religion e.g. in many Asian and African cultures the extended family is still highly valued whereas it is not seen as important in more secularised western cultures;values differ across time e.g. marriages in medieval England were often arranged for the purposes of social mobility and the maintenance of privilege whereas now love and physical attraction are valued more highly as a basis for marriage;values are relative to time, place and culture, rather than being universal, and this shows that they are social constructions;values may differ according to gender e.g. women stereotypically may put more importance on appearance and relationships than men who may value success, competition and strength;laws in every society reflect the dominant values e.g. the law-change on homosexual marriage in the UK reflects changing values and hence the values are socially constructed;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 ethnicity is an important influence on social identity. Possible answers:
human beings are socialised into an ethnic identity through primary and secondary socialisation e.g. being taught to pray or observe cultural celebrations and festivals;ethnicity can affect what we eat e.g. prohibitions against pork in religions such as Judaism and Islam;ethnicity can affect gender roles e.g. the norms and expectations of the roles of women and men in Islam;ethnicity can affect age identity e.g. in some ethnic groups old age is generated and there is a gerontocracy;ethnicity can affect social identity through negative labelling and stereotyping of a group which may lead to discrimination and self- fulfilling prophesy;ethnicity can affect the type of family you live in e.g. contrast the one (now three) child policy in China with the extended family networks often found in ethnic groups in India;social control is applied in some groups to those who transgress against ethnic norms and values e.g. sanctions against those who marry outside of their ethnic group;ethnic identity is often expressed through clothing as a ‘marker’ and displays our identity to the world e.g. the Jewish kippah is a visible sign of Jewish identity;ethnicity is sometimes linked to religion which can have a profound influence over the values and norms that an individual follows e.g. Muslims fasting during Ramadan;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] 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. Band 3 [7–8 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.2(e)[15]
To what extent is the peer group the most effective agent of social control? Possible answers for:
the peer group can exert a strong influence over socialisation into identity by setting out what is normal for particular roles, e.g. gender roles;the peer group can give positive sanctions in the form of praise and compliments, for example in the workplace, and this can be a big motivator for continued conformity to groups norms and values;people feel they need to belong in groups and so the kind of social control exerted by peers, such as the threat of being rejected, is powerful;the peer group can use negative peer pressure to ensure individuals conform to group norms and this can be very powerful e.g. ostracism;the peer group can use sarcasm, ridicule, shame and criticism in an attempt to control individuals;for many youth peers are a more powerful socialising agent than families or education e.g. the peer control that takes place in anti-school subcultures;youth spend a great deal of time with peers, for example in school, and hence their impact is magnified;any other reasonable response. Against:the effect of peers is negligible compared to the family – as Oakley shows it is the family that sets the agenda for gender identity, for example, through canalisation, manipulation etc;education has a more profound influence in socialising the young through the hidden curriculum which is reinforced by positive and negative sanctions;for some people religion is the most powerful socialising agent as it is also promoted by the family and in some societies, by schools and the media too – it can shape the core norms and values that individuals believe in and live by;formal social control is more effective, police have the power to apply severe sanctions that restrict right and liberty;postmodernists may argue that we live in a media-saturated world and that the media – particularly the internet – is now more powerful in terms of the way it shapes attitudes, opinions and identities;functionalists would argue that all of the agents of socialisation must work together to ensure that successful socialisation takes place so to pinpoint one as more effective than another is incorrect;the workplace is a more powerful agent of socialisation e.g. the social controls exercised by pay and promotion and the threat of being fired/sacked is significant;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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