Sociology · May / June 2022 · Paper 12 · Question 1
0495
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The table shows self-reported data on health in Great Britain from 2005 to 2011. 1 The data was gained from people aged 16 and over who filled in a questionnaire. Table 1.1 2011 % 2010 % 2009 % 2008 % 2007 % 2006 % 2005 % Percentage who reported their general health was: 34 39 40 35 34 33 34 Very Good 43 40 39 40 43 43 41 Good 18 15 15 16 17 17 18 Fair 5 5 5 4 5 5 6 Bad 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Very Bad 13100 13330 13480 14720 15670 16720 18010 Sample size Adapted from source: General Lifestyle Survey, Office for National Statistics.
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1(a)[2]
From Source A identify the two years in which the highest number of people reported their health as ‘very good’. Acceptable answers:
2005 and 2006. One mark for each correct year identified (up to a maximum of two).1(b)[2]
Identify two primary research methods useful for studying people’s health, apart from questionnaires. Possible answers:
interviews (any type);observations (any type);experiments;case studies;surveys;longitudinal studies;triangulation;any other reasonable response. One mark for each method correctly identified (up to a maximum of two).1(c)[4]
Using information from Source A, describe two problems with the data gathered on health. Possible answers:
surveys like the one in source A are based on self-reported data – this may be highly inaccurate as participants may be unaware of underlying health conditions or conversely exaggerate their level of ill-health;in source A the data has been taken only from people aged 16 and over – this is unrepresentative of the whole population as it ignores children and some teenagers;the information in source A is from 2005–11 so it is more than ten years out of date, the situation could be very different today;the categories by which people are asked to rate their health (‘very good’, ‘fair’ etc.) are subjective and open to differing interpretations thus the data may be unreliable;the data is quantitative – we do not get detailed information on why people rate their health as they do;the percentages in each year do not add up to one hundred suggesting that some people may have given more than one answer which gives a confusing answer;the sample sizes get smaller each year so there may be an increasing issue with the representativeness of the sample and thus any ability to generalise or the sample size is too small to represent the whole nation;the data is adapted from national statistics and hence it may have been changed/modified and thus be inaccurate;any other reasonable response. One mark for each problem that correctly references the source (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each problem that is developed (up to a maximum of two).1(d)[4]
Describe two limitations of using telephone questionnaires in research. Possible answers:
telephone questionnaires take up more of a researcher’s time (e.g. than postal questionnaires) because the researcher has to spend time reading the questions out and researcher time may add to the cost;on the telephone participants may give socially desirable answers or answers that they think are the ‘right’ ones or the ones that the researcher wants to hear, lowering validity;in some countries or regions not everyone may have access to a telephone which may lower the representativeness of the sample, inhibiting generalisability;it is more difficult for the interviewer to read non-verbal cues or body language on the telephone which may inhibit accuracy;it is more difficult to establish rapport over the phone which may negatively affect respondent answers e.g. they won’t open up;the researcher may influence the answers given through their own social characteristics (such as age, gender etc.) or through their interaction with the participant;many people today may not answer a phone number they do not recognise and this could impact negatively on the sample size;any other reasonable answer. One mark for each limitation, correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each limitation that is developed (up to a maximum of two).1(e)[8]
Describe two strengths and two limitations of stratified sampling in research. Possible strengths:
stratified sampling overcomes the problem that random samples are not always representative in that the researcher is able to divide the sampling frame into relevant categories such as age, gender etc.;stratified sampling may allow for more generalisability of findings given the sample is likely to represent the target population in terms of its subdivisions;a stratified approach allows correlations and comparisons to be made between sub-sets of the population;it is still possible to maintain a randomised approach as random samples can be taken once the sampling frame is divided, thus reducing researcher bias in the sample selection;any other reasonable answer. Possible limitations:a sampling frame may not be available for certain research populations who are hard to reach (e.g. drug users) and so another form of sampling, such as snowball, may be needed;it can be hard to stratify as accurate up-to-date population data may not be available and it may be hard to identify people’s age or social background effectively;it can be complex to do if several social characteristics are needed e.g. age, gender, ethnicity, social class etc. and therefore requires some skill;it is more complex to do than simple random sampling and hence takes up more researcher time and money;stratified samples are prone to become skewed in cases of participant drop out e.g. if many women dropped out of a study stratified by gender this would make the sample uneven;any other reasonable answer. One mark for each strength, correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each strength that is developed (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each limitation, correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each limitation that is developed (up to a maximum of two).1(f)[10]
Explain why some sociologists prefer large scale research. Possible answers:
a large-scale study offers scope for multiple methods/triangulation and thus can generate a huge amount of data leading to a more holistic picture of social reality;positivists believe that we can only generalise from findings based on a large sample otherwise it would be unsafe to extend any conclusions from the sample to the wider research population;representativeness can only be achieved with a large sample, particularly when studying different social groups, and an unrepresentative sample would render any conclusions useless;positivists are interested in uncovering scientific, law-like social facts which are generalisations based on large samples or many cases;positivists are interested in identifying patterns and trends in data in order to make comparisons and large-scale quantitative methods, such as surveys, are most likely to yield these;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 [4–7 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 [8–10 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.1(g)[15]
To what extent are ethical issues the most important factor when planning sociological research? Possible answers: Arguments for:
in qualitative research ethical issues are more prominent as there is more face-to-face contact and probing of participants, so in this type of interpretivist research ethics are far more important in planning than with a purely quantitative positivist approach;it is often crucial to anticipate ethical issues to ensure funding from outside bodies who may not wish to support an unethical study;it is wrong to harm participants either psychologically or physically and this moral consideration must override all other considerations when planning research;information must be kept private and confidential – this ethical issue is core to the research process, as without it not only would researchers be acting unethically but participants are less likely to take part or give valid answers;deceiving people in the name of research is never justifiable on moral grounds and may result in danger for the researcher should the deception be uncovered, it is thus crucial to find a way to avoid this at the planning stage;getting informed consent is a crucial right – people are more likely to join a research project if they are clear about why it is important, how data will be used etc.;ethical guidelines are particularly important when dealing with vulnerable adults or young children as they may be more susceptible to researcher effect and they may have special legal rights;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:funding is a more important factor than ethical issues as without funding the research project may not be able to take place at all;practical issues such as time, access to participants, researcher training etc. are all more important than ethical issues as they are more fundamental to the viability of the research project;sampling decisions are just as or more important than ethical issues as without appropriate sampling techniques and proper access to samples any results would be untenable because of a lack of representativeness and thus generalisability;the choice of method is just as or more fundamental than ethical issues as this will largely determine the quality of the data gathered and a considered choice of methodology will avoid or minimise ethical issues anyway;getting informed consent is not always possible or desirable – not always possible if a researcher is observing a large number of people and not always desirable as some important research may have to be done covertly in order to maximise validity;deception may need to be employed in order to get people to act more naturally e.g. in researching pupil behaviour a researcher may take on the role of a teacher’s assistant in order to minimise the Hawthorne Effect;the BSA gives ethical guidelines rather than rules and this is because there are disagreements over what is and is not ethically acceptable so whilst it is important to factor ethical issues in to planning it is not the most important factor;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 question 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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