Sociology · Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 21 · Question 2

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Education is a necessary part of young people’s lives. Schools can be private or governed by the state. Education can be selective or non-selective. Sociologists have different views about what is 2 good and bad in the different education systems and schools. However, all sociologists believe that it is not just the official curriculum and teaching that influences students, but also the peer group and the hidden curriculum.

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘selective education’? One mark for a partial definition, e.g. schools for bright children. Two marks for a clear definition, e.g. pupils are selected and others excluded usually on the basis of their academic ability.
2(b)[4]
Describe two ways the hidden curriculum socialises students. Possible answers:
informally – students learn acceptable behaviour and views outside of the classroom and through parts of lessons not focused on formal lesson content;
sanctions – students are punished if they don’t conform to socially approved actions e.g. late detentions;
rewards – students are rewards/praised if they do something that is approved of e.g. showing good manners;
following authority – students learn that they must follow the rules set by others higher up in the hierarchy, whether they agree with them or not;
gender roles – students learn what is expected from their gender e.g. boys may be asked to carry heavy boxes whereas girls may be asked to tidy up and clean;
boredom – Marxists claim that schools teach children how to cope with boredom and to be passive, this will then be replicated in their adult working lives;
workplace – students at school are socialised into the norms and values of the workplace – functionalists would say this keeps society running smoothly, Marxists would say it maintains capitalist ideologies;
any other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how peer groups can influence educational achievement. Possible answers:
conformity – adolescence is a turbulent period in a young person’s life and they want to fit in and be accepted by the peer group, therefore peer pressure may influence educational achievement;
social class – lower social classes typically achieve less well in school and so may react to this perceived failure by joining an anti-school sub- culture to improve their self-esteem;
status frustration – Cohen – he says that peer groups who do not gain much status from the educational system may look to gain status by being the class clown and ‘cheeking’ the teacher, this is reinforced by the peer group and is likely to lead to educational underachievement;
Willis – the lads – the working-class male peer group in his study did not see the point of education as they didn’t need the qualifications for the manual work they would enter on leaving school – this affected their educational achievement;
racism – some anti-school sub-cultures e.g. Sewell’s study – form on ethnic lines and may be the peer group’s way of resisting the perceived inequalities and racism within schools – this resistance can lead to educational underachievement;
Mac and Ghaill – ‘the black sisters’ – this study found that a female Asian and Afro-Caribbean peer group all decided to work hard at school as doing well in their education was important to them – the peer group reinforced educational achievement;
Jackson – ladettes – her research found a new kind of female peer group emerging in schools that rejected authority and adopted behaviour typically associated with males e.g. challenging authority – educational underachievement characterised such peer groups;
culture of masculinity – laddish sub-cultures may form due to the perceived feminisation of education where authority figures are often female and where academic success typically involved reading and writing – this resulted in educational underachievement
pro-school sub-cultures – some peer groups embrace the culture and values of education and work hard, encouraging and supporting one another to succeed and so achieve highly in education;
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 functionalists claim education is necessary. Possible answers:
socialisation – norms and values are passed on from one generation to the next through the hidden curriculum and through teacher role models;
social control – a system of sanctions and rewards is used in schools in order to control children and to ensure socially approved of behaviour;
shared values – education creates social order and solidarity through the promotion of shared values e.g. national identity, religion, heritage etc.;
individual achievement – education introduces children to the concept of achieved status and the idea that they will be judged by what they achieve based on universal standards;
knowledge and skills – education is necessary in order to teach young people the skills and knowledge necessary to be productive workers of the future;
sifting and sorting – education is necessary as it selects those people most appropriate for each role in life e.g. by assessing children’s abilities school allows them to follow different paths – education produces the right people for the right jobs;
learning social control – education socialises children to accept that they must conform to the wishes of those in power;
meritocracy – education epitomises the meritocratic system and represents the idea that hard work and talents will be rewarded in society;
social mobility – education allows for social mobility to occur and can therefore break cycles of deprivation;
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 maybe 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 are private schools the best for students? Possible answers: Arguments for:
smaller class sizes – this means there is more one-to-one attention and support for students which will increase their confidence, understanding and achievement;
resources – because private schools are funded through private fees, they are able to offer better resources and facilities than state schools which makes learning more pleasurable and easier;
results – results in private schools are typically better than in other types of schools and therefore this will benefit students when looking for a university place and a job;
scholarships – private school systems of bursaries and scholarships mean that disadvantaged young people can also benefit from their facilities leading to improved life chances and upward social mobility;
social capital – Bourdieu – students will meet and mix with influential individuals and families at private school giving them a large social network that can aid with work experience placements, jobs, opportunities etc.;
academic culture – private schools have high expectations and will therefore encourage students to study hard and to put their best effort into the work they produce – this will lead to higher achievement and independent study skills useful for higher education and work;
peer group – pro-school sub-cultures are likely to be the norm in private schools meaning there is less peer pressure to misbehave;
extra-curricular opportunities – students are likely to have the opportunities to participate in a wide variety of sports, debating societies, cultural visits and overseas travel – all will improve their cultural capital (Bourdieu);
meritocracy – functionalists would say that if students are bright enough to pass the selection criteria for private school then they deserve the manifold opportunities that this kind of school brings them;
university access – attending elite private schools often makes it easier to gain acceptance to the top universities worldwide e.g. Harvard, Oxford etc.;
any other reasonable response. Arguments against:
boarding – many private schools require students to leave home and live at the school, this means they miss out on essential primary socialisation and family love and activities;
elitism – private schools breed a culture of elitism that puts students in competition with one another – this is not healthy;
lack of diversity – private schools are not typically very diverse in their student or teacher populations and this therefore does not prepare student’s well for the real world;
pressure – because parents are paying for their child to attend a private school, the pressure to succeed academically is huge and this has been reported to lead to real problems with mental health issues for young people;
social inequalities – private schools are not good for anybody as they maintain a system of inequality, allowing only the rich to attend – those that gain a scholarship place are not treated in the same way and may be subject to negative teacher and peer labelling;
feminism – many private schools are single-sex and a lot are male only and traditional/patriarchal in focus – this disadvantages female students so is not the best for them;
Marxism – they believe private schools reproduce the system of capitalism that is good for nobody, encouraging selfishness, elitism and greed;
teaching – teaching is often rated better in inspections in non-private schools meaning that private school students may miss out on opportunities for creative work, collaborative work, interactive teaching etc.;
grammar schools – these are said to provide the same standard of education as private schools but without the hefty price tag and within the local area;
community – private schools are unlikely to be based in the student’s local area therefore they are unable to form community bonds and networks and travel time can be extensive;
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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