Sociology · May / June 2022 · Paper 12 · Question 3

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Sociologists often research inequalities such as vertical segregation and scapegoating. Many sociologists research ascribed status and how it affects life chances. Some sociologists consider 3 gender to be the most influential factor in social inequality. However, in many societies a welfare state has been created to help individuals affected by some of these issues.

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3(a)[2]
What is meant by the term 'vertical segregation'? One mark for a partial definition e.g. women not getting top jobs. Two marks for a clear definition e.g. the idea that some social groups (e.g. men or ethnic majorities) are more likely to achieve higher positions in a social hierarchy.
3(b)[4]
Describe two ways the welfare state helps individuals in modern industrial societies. Possible answers:
welfare states redistribute wealth via taxation, taking more money from the richer members of society and using this to fund initiatives and benefits for the poorer members;
old age pensions are a feature of welfare states and these give financial support to individuals when they retire from work and their income is thereby diminished;
many welfare states provide unemployment benefit which gives some financial protection to workers if they lose their jobs in an economic downturn;
many welfare states provide a health service which may be free at the point of delivery – this ensures that all citizens have access to medicine and treatment if they need it;
free education is a feature of welfare states which enables those who would otherwise be unable to educate their children to send them to school and this enhances life chances;
some welfare systems provide affordable social housing when otherwise poorer people would struggle to pay for good quality housing;
some welfare states provide support to disabled people to allow them to maintain a basic standard of living e.g. medical aids, benefits or job opportunities etc.;
any other reasonable response. One mark for each way correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each way that is developed (up to a maximum of two).
3(c)[6]
Explain how some ethnic minority groups are scapegoated in society. Possible answers:
Marxists argue that the ruling class use the power of the media to persuade the working class that immigrants and ethnic minorities are the cause of unemployment whereas this is due to the workings of the capitalist system;
racist stereotypes depict some ethnic minorities as more liable to engage in deviant and criminal behaviour, thus they may be seen as a threat to society and become targeted by the agencies of formal social control;
in multicultural societies some ethnic groups are scapegoated as ‘terrorists’ and may suffer prejudice and discrimination because of this, or are blamed for taking the jobs of the ethnic majority in times of recession;
New Right sociologists link some poorer ethnic minorities with an underclass mentality, blaming their culture and values for poverty instead of unjust social policies which lead to social exclusion;
some ethnic minorities may be subject to scapegoating in employment e.g. immigrants’ ethnic minorities;
some ethnic minorities may be subjected to an ethnocentric curriculum which effectively scapegoats them as a minority;
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 ascribed status can affect a person’s life chances. Possible answers:
royalty – being born into a ruling or royal family means that you automatically have high status and invariably have more money and power in comparison to those who have not been born into that position;
gender – being born a woman can mean less chance of being educated to the same level as men, discrimination in the workplace etc. all of which affects female life chances;
being born into certain ethnic groups may mean that you face prejudice and discrimination in the media e.g. labelled as ‘criminal’ which can then lead to police targeting;
age – young people and the elderly may face discrimination in the workplace where they may not be employed (elderly) or face differential wage rates (the young);
in some closed societies individuals born into a low caste will tend to be denied social mobility and face prejudice, whereas being born into a high caste means a life of privilege and high status;
in many societies social class is ascribed at birth and this can impact on life chances both for the under/working class and also for the upper class in terms of their access to things like education, social and economic capital etc.;
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 is gender the most influential factor in social inequality? Possible answers: Arguments for:
sexism and prejudice against women – some argue that patriarchy is a universal system of oppression that differs only in degree between cultures;
many women face a triple burden (Walby) of paid work, childcare and emotional work supporting family members and this limits their life chances;
women suffer vertical segregation through the operation of the glass ceiling and this operates across different social classes;
women are subject to horizontal segregation by being channeled into lower status, lower paid occupations such as caring, cleaning and cooking;
there are still educational gender inequalities in some countries with women being discouraged from schooling and this limits their freedom and ability to be independent;
domestic violence blights the lives of many women and this cuts across different social classes and cultures;
Marxist feminists argue that women act as a reserve army of labour, so many women often work part-time or on zero hours contracts which means that they can be fired easily in times of economic recession;
any other reasonable response. Arguments against:
Marxists argue that social class is a more fundamental barrier to social mobility than gender – the oppression of women is part of the deeper problem of capitalism e.g. women’s support role within the family is designed to support capitalist processes;
structural barriers such as the cycle of poverty are more important as obstacles to better life chances than simply gender e.g. rich women are not subject to the grinding poverty of the underclass;
disability is just as big a barrier to social mobility as gender with disabled people suffering from stereotypes and social discrimination in terms of access to services and the proper support and equipment to function successfully in the workplace;
ethnicity is just as important a factor in social inequality as gender – Marxists argue that ethnic minorities are sometimes scapegoated in times of economic crisis and this can lead to prejudice and discrimination in the spheres of education and work, making it harder for ethnic minorities to move upwards in society;
equal opportunities legislation – functionalists argue that we live in a meritocratic society e.g. women can get to the top of the social ladder e.g. Teresa May, Christine Lagarde etc.;
in a postmodern world gender identity is now no longer a constraint on identity e.g. people identifying as non-binary, gender neutral/fluid etc.;
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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