Sociology · Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 12 · Question 3
0495
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Some sociologists argue that social inequality still exists in many societies. Institutional racism, scapegoating and apartheid are factors that make upward social mobility difficult for some social 3 groups. Some people that cannot find employment accept benefits from a welfare state. Some sociologists argue a welfare state can lead to a dependency culture.
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3(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘apartheid’? One mark for a partial definition e.g. separating groups. Two marks for a clear definition e.g. a stratification system based on keeping racial groups apart e.g. pre 1994 South Africa.
3(b)[4]
Describe two examples of scapegoating in modern industrial societies. Possible answers:
unemployment is sometimes blamed on immigrants even when this is not true;through racism some groups are falsely blamed for high crime rates;young people are often unfairly labelled as delinquents this can be seen in the work of Cohen on Mods and Rockers;the New Right often scapegoat the poor/underclass as being responsible for their own poverty through their culture and values, categorising them as ‘scroungers’ and ‘lazy’ etc.;some groups are represented stereotypically in the media leading to scapegoating e.g. single mothers responsible for out of control/delinquent children;Stuart Hall argues the ‘Black mugger’ was created as a scapegoat to shift attention away from other structural inequalities;during the recent riots in Delhi it is argued the government scapegoated Muslims as being responsible rather than the agricultural reforms that were being introduced;any other reasonable response. One mark for each example correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each example that is developed (up to a maximum of two).3(c)[6]
Explain how a welfare state may cause a dependency culture. Possible answers:
New Right theorists argue that by providing for people’s needs people take advantage of benefits and think they do not have to look after themselves;if welfare payments become too high this discourages people from looking for work so they rely on the state;if the welfare state does too much for people it can become a nanny state and so takes away personal responsibility;providing for people’s needs has produced a new class, the underclass, whose values are based on reliance and welfare;the welfare state can cause fatalism in recipients causing individuals to avoid taking personal responsibility and become dependent upon welfare;if individuals receive welfare they might develop the traits of instant gratification as they move from welfare cheque to welfare cheque rather than trying to form a long-term plan for upward mobility;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 the working class may find it difficult to achieve upward social mobility. Possible answers:
because they have lower educational outcomes the opportunities for getting higher status and higher paid jobs are reduced;the working class are negatively labelled at school and this can lead to internalising negative labels leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure;schools are said to be middle class institutions and as such the working class lack the cultural capital to interact positively with teachers and so may do less well in terms of educational attainment, e.g. unable to use the elaborated code;because the working class may have poorer health and well-being these factors will impact educational achievement and employability;because the working class have fatalistic attitudes, they feel they have limited opportunity for social mobility and this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy;because the working class are more focused on immediate gratification, they fail to consider longer term planning which is required for upward social mobility;material deprivation may limit the opportunities that many working-class children have and this can impact their chances of upward social mobility e.g. lack of educational resources or poor diet affecting achievement at school;because the working class lack social capital e.g. ‘the old boys’ network’ they are denied opportunities to be upwardly socially mobile;the working class may lack cultural capital which may prevent them from achieving success in the workplace/society;because, as Marxists would argue, the working class are controlled and exploited by the upper class who actively deny them the opportunity for upward social mobility;some members of the working class may be caught in the poverty trap and/or the cycle of poverty as they try to survive on a minimum wage – in some countries this may mean that working class children do not go to school but work to help support the family;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 institutional racism explain social inequality? Possible answers: Arguments for:
ethnic minorities are more likely to be arrested by the police – this type of institutional racism can impact the life chances of ethnic minorities;institutional racism around the world has been highlighted by the BLM movement following the unlawful killing of George Floyd by a US police officer, making it clear how deep-rooted institutional racism can be and how the life chances of some ethnic minority groups are curtailed;ethnic minorities are often negatively labelled in education – this type of institutional racism can cause a self-fulfilling prophecy causing ethnic minorities to have worse educational outcomes;ethnic minorities may find it difficult to get jobs or promotion at work – for example very few big companies have ethnic minorities on the executive board;ethnic minorities may be stereotyped negatively in the media and as such this causes prejudice in society that increases inequality for ethnic minorities;ethnic minorities may be denied access to social services such as healthcare and housing this type of institutional racism denies ethnic minorities fair access to services and hence increases inequality;any other reasonable response. Arguments against:feminists are likely to argue that gender is a more important explanation of inequality than institutional racism, e.g., facing the glass ceiling in the workplace denies women the opportunity to earn higher wages;equalities legislation has now come into force outlawing institutional racism e.g. the Equality Act 2010 (UK), the Equality Act 2021 (India);popular movements like BLM are challenging inequalities in all areas of life and work and as the movement gains momentum institutional racism is likely to decline;Marxists argue that class-based inequalities are more influential than institutional racism, e.g. the working class are likely to prioritise immediate gratification which may limit the possibility of upward mobility;functionalists argue society is meritocratic and opportunities exist for those that work hard and achieve;not all forms of racism are institutional and people from ethnic minority groups may be ostracised from the wider community and face social exclusion;some argue ageism is a bigger cause of inequality than institutional racism, e.g. young people in many countries are growing up with huge university debts and limited opportunity to get on the career ladder;some argue discrimination against people with disabilities is a bigger cause of inequality than institutional racism, e.g. many disabled people find access to public transport difficult and so are denied employment opportunities;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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