Sociology · Oct / Nov 2021 · Paper 11 · Question 3
0495
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Sociologists study different types of society such as open, closed, traditional and industrial societies. One of the features of an open society is that social mobility between social classes is possible. 3 However, some social groups have more opportunities than others and so sociologists often research whether discrimination still exists.
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3(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘industrial societies’? One mark for partial definition e.g. societies with machines. Two marks for clear definition e.g. societies that use technology for mass production, in contrast to traditional societies.
3(b)[4]
Describe two examples of closed societies. Possible responses:
in parts of India the caste system still applies, in this closed system individuals are not allowed to integrate across lines of social strata;in the feudal system individuals were born into a social layer called an estate, from which they could not move;slavery – slaves were denied human rights and were deemed to be the property of their owners and hence movement up the social ladder was impossible;apartheid – some societies (formerly South Africa) segregate different racial groups;any other reasonable response. One mark for each example correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each example that is developed (up to a maximum of two).3(c)[6]
Explain how patriarchy affects individuals. Possible responses:
schools are seen to be sexist in terms of an individual’s subject choices;in schools, boys often dominate certain spaces (playgrounds), equipment (science lessons) and teacher focus;women are more likely to live in poverty than men which is evidence of structural patriarchy;women are seen as a reserve army of labour which keeps their pay lower and reduces opportunities;women are often reduced to the caring/expressive role in the family whilst men have the instrumental role;major decision making in the family is often controlled by men, denying women a voice;the media is seen to be patriarchal, both in terms of men in management positions but also in the limited nature of female representations, thus affecting women’s opportunities and identity through stereotypes;glass/concrete ceiling – women often face barriers to promotion which prevent them from climbing the career ladder;dual burden/triple shift – women are often restricted to low paid or part time jobs because of other conflicting roles such as wife and mother;gender pay discrimination – despite the equal pay act, in general women earn less than men;gendered division of labour – this refers to the way work is divided between men and women according to their gender roles;horizontal segregation – men and women find themselves in different occupations such as men in construction and women in care work;vertical segregation – refers to the situation where men and women work in the same occupation but men hold higher positions compared to women;domestic violence – although men may suffer, the vast majority of domestic violence victims are women;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.3(d)[8]
Explain why social classes may be changing. Possible responses:
because embourgeoisement has broken down barriers between middle and working class people as society has become more affluent;because society has become increasingly meritocratic allowing the working class to raise their status to that of the middle class;in a postmodern society we see fragmentation of formerly held structures which leads to a blurring of class boundaries;because modern industrial societies are increasingly open and many middle class fall down the social ladder whilst the working class climb the social ladder;because formerly middle class jobs have a lower status than they used to have;because middle class wages are falling relative to working class wages;because the conditions of employment are changing, such as job security and benefits, the middle and the working class begin to share the same status;because proletarianisation has seen a deskilling of middle class jobs which sees them now have the same status as working class jobs;the welfare state is said to have caused a dependency culture and the emergence of an underclass;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.3(e)[15]
To what extent does discrimination still exist in societies? Arguments for:
racial discrimination in the workplace is negative for the individual because it denies s/he access to employment or promotion and can leave the individual in poverty;ethnocentric curriculums may have a negative effect because they make ethnic minority people feel disenfranchised from education and hence they will have lower levels of attainment affecting their future life chances;negative stereotyping and scapegoating in the media may be negative for the individual because s/he will be negatively labelled on the basis of exaggerated media representations;institutional racism in the police force may have a negative effect on an individual because s/he is more likely to be arrested which can damage future employment opportunities;glass ceiling – women often face barriers to promotion which prevent them from climbing the career ladder;concrete ceiling – the concrete ceiling is the barrier associated with minority women that prevents them being promoted in the workplace;dual burden – women are often restricted to low paid or part time jobs because of other conflicting roles such as wife and mother;triple-shift – women are often restricted to low paid or part time jobs because of the conflicting roles as wife and mother;gender pay discrimination – despite the equal pay act in general women earn less than men;the working classes are discriminated against in education because of their lack of material and cultural capital;Marx might argue that meritocracy is a myth and that the working class face discrimination and exploitation and hence don’t have the same life chances as the upper class;the elderly and disabled often face discrimination in the workplace and are denied opportunities for employment;many minority groups can be socially excluded and discriminated against across a range of institutions in society e.g. some ethnic minority groups encounter barriers when trying to access social housing;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:many modern industrial societies have education systems that educate children for free and consequently nobody is discriminated against;the law is applied evenly to all members of society;modern industrial societies are generally open societies that enable people to climb the social ladder regardless of one’s position in the social stratification system;functionalists would argue that rewards are based on merit and not social identities, such as ethnicity or age, and therefore society runs without discrimination;many modern industrial societies are welfare states that redistribute wealth to those in need regardless of their background;many laws exist, such as the Equality Act 2010 in the UK, that make discrimination illegal;there are universal Human Rights that apply to all people regardless of background;many modern industrial societies have healthcare systems that provide services based on need and not money so all people can receive care;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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