Sociology · Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 12 · Question 2
0495
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Many modern industrial societies are multicultural with diverse norms and values. Sociologists are interested in the way different cultures nurture their children and how rewards and sanctions are 2 used to maintain social control. In most societies there are many ways individuals try to achieve a higher status.
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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘values’? One mark for a partial definition e.g. honesty. Two marks for a clear definition e.g. standards shared by members of a culture and used to judge whether behaviour is right or wrong.
2(b)[4]
Describe two features of a multicultural society. Possible answers:
a variety of spoken languages can be found in multicultural societies, for example Belgium has three official languages;multicultural societies can be home to a wide range of customs and traditions, for example religious festivals or ceremonies;a range of different foods from different cultures e.g. Chinese and Indian food in the UK;within one society many social groups have different clothing e.g. shalwar kameez, saris, kippah;there can be many religious groups for example in India, while most people are Hindus there are also Muslims, Christians and Buddhists;multicultural societies can be home to hybrid cultural identities where individuals embrace norms of both the ethnic minority and majority;multicultural societies are made up of many different cultures co-existing side by side respecting each other’s traditions and lifestyles;conflict – some multicultural societies may feature racism, discrimination and scapegoating when the ethnic majority blame minority groups for social issues;any other reasonable response. One mark for each feature correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each feature that is developed (up to a maximum of two).2(c)[6]
Explain how individuals may achieve a higher status in society. Possible answers:
through charitable work and dedication which can be rewarded with greater prestige, respect and status;social media gives the individual new opportunities to increase their public profile and enhance their status by becoming influencers;by working hard and gaining promotion and thus earning a higher status within an organisation e.g. a supervisory or managerial role;through educational success gaining qualifications which can bring status in themselves e.g. degree and higher degrees or as a route to higher status as part of a job;through dedication e.g. being a professional athlete requires talent, dedication and hard work and often brings high status if successful;joining a sub-culture – some youths experience status frustration and join with their peers in a group where they can achieve more respect and prestige e.g. youth sub-cultures like Goths, K Pop or delinquent gangs;becoming an accomplished criminal – e.g. within a gang engaging in highly deviant acts may bring higher status within the hierarchy;through marriage which can be a route to higher status, particularly in traditional societies;functionalists argue meritocratic societies provide an environment in which it is possible to raise one’s status by, for example, working hard;through mass media recognition people can gain celebrity status;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 rewards and sanctions are useful for social control. Possible answers:
the fear of being ostracised or shunned by a peer group is likely to prevent a member from going against the norms;imprisonment or other legal sanctions are serious and have implications for an individual’s future;physical punishment, e.g. hitting will make individuals less likely to deviate from accepted norms;receiving a reprimand, e.g. verbal telling off at home or at school can be shaming and therefore it is to be avoided;some institutions have huge importance, for example religions in some societies and fear of their sanctions makes individuals conform;receiving a reward from a parent, e.g. extra pocket money for good behaviour will encourage the child to repeat the desired behaviour;receiving rewards at school such as prizes or certificates encourage students to continue to work hard and increase their chances of educational success;financial rewards for conforming, e.g. those who fulfil the role of good worker are given a pay rise and/or promotion for hard work and are highly desired;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.2(e)[15]
To what extent is nurture more important than nature in explaining human behaviour? Possible answers. Arguments for:
social relativity of gender roles, i.e. in different societies gender roles are different suggesting nurture is the more important;cultural traditions e.g. religion at times demands that we overcome natural instincts e.g. fasting or celibacy;inadequate socialisation, i.e. individuals may not be recognisably human without socialisation, e.g. feral children;Ann Oakley’s theories of primary socialisation suggest nurture best explains human behaviour;different ethnicities are socialised to accept culturally specific norms and values, different cultural norms and values points to the importance of nurture over nature;the role of agencies and processes of socialisation/re-socialisation in developing human behaviour in society, e.g. the hidden curriculum in school or the training in the workplace;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:Talcott Parson’s theory of woman’s expressive role is influenced by biological determinism;Aggression – it is argued that an individual’s propensity for aggressive behaviour is genetically determined – aggressive responses are in our DNA;hormones and changes in hormone levels will affect an individual’s mood and behaviour;Sociobiologists argue that much of human behaviour is driven by ‘natural instincts’ such as hunger, fear or the drive to reproduce;mothering instinct, Bowlby’s work on maternal deprivation concludes that the maternal instinct is innate;intelligence – it is argued by some that intelligence is determined by genetic inheritance;physical appearance is a key part of our identity and is inherited genetically e.g. skin colour;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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