Sociology · Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 22 · Question 2

0495

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The question as text

Some sociologists claim that discrimination has been reduced in schools. They argue that education is a fair and equal system that rewards intelligence and effort. Other sociologists disagree as some 2 social groups achieve better than others in education. This may be due to the type of school attended. For example, experiences in single-sex schools will be different to other schools.

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘single-sex school’? One mark for a partial definition, e.g. girl’s school. Two marks for a clear definition, e.g. schools that accept either only boys or only girls.
2(b)[4]
Describe two functions of education. Possible answers:
socialisation – schools pass common norms and values on from one generation to the next;
shared values – schools socialise children to accept shared values e.g. patriotism, a country’s heritage – this promotes social solidarity;
social control – schools use rewards and sanctions to teach social expectations and to ensure children understand the consequences of their actions;
individual achievement – schools teach children about achieved status as they are judged largely on what they achieve, measured by universal standards and standardised testing;
skills and abilities – economic function – schools ensure individuals have the skills and abilities needed as adults for the workplace;
sifting and sorting – selective function – schools sort children out into ability groups and so lead them into the future roles that are appropriate for their ability e.g. professional or manual work;
Marxism – schools reproduce and normalise capitalist values, meaning that the system of elitism is not challenged and the status quo remains – so benefiting the ruling class;
feminism – schools send out the message that boys are superior and so girls learn to lower their expectations later in society;
any other reasonable response. One mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how gender discrimination has been reduced in schools. Possible answers:
positive discrimination – many schools have introduced initiatives to try and reduce gender discrimination – this could be through STEM clubs for girls, female priority access to the labs, female masterclasses, female access to university schemes, etc.;
equal opportunities – legislation is now clear that all students need to be given the same opportunities to succeed and that sexism is not to be tolerated – schools must follow these practices and so gender discrimination reduces;
changing attitudes – as norms and values about gender change in wider society so they do in schools – gender discrimination is not acceptable, therefore there is a culture of acceptance that will sanction discriminatory behaviour both at school and in the peer group;
co-ed/comprehensive schools – the introduction of schools for students of both genders meant that male and female students studied alongside one another and had access to the same subjects and opportunities, thus reducing gender discrimination;
teaching staff – many schools have actively tried to recruit more female staff to leadership positions, so creating positive role models and reducing gender discrimination;
coursework – the introduction of coursework in many educational syllabuses has facilitated better achievement for girls and so has reduced gender discrimination;
careers advice – schools have ensured that male and female students can all have access to the same careers advice and guidance, regardless of gender – so reducing gender discrimination;
textbooks – representations and written text has become less stereotypical as care is taken to avoid gender discrimination;
curriculum – in schools in most modern industrial societies, boys and girls now follow the same curriculum in order to reduce gender discrimination, e.g. a national curriculum;
access – in some areas of the world girls have now been given access to education/secondary education, thus reducing gender discrimination;
single-sex schools – increase in or encouragement of single-sex schooling means that gender discrimination can be avoided;
functionalism – schools now operating on principles of meritocracy means that gender becomes irrelevant and instead students are treated based on how hard they work and their achievements;
social media/hashtag campaigns – the global nature of these campaigns means they have far-reaching impact and can raise awareness of gender discrimination that then filters down into schools e.g. ‘This Girl Can’, ‘Everyone’s Invited’, ‘#metoo’;
gender discrimination against female teachers may also have been reduced e.g. via equal pay with males or females getting higher posts in schools where they can act as role models for girls;
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 some sociologists are critical of private schools. Possible answers:
money – most parents cannot afford private schools, it is wrong that the wealthy can buy a better education;
charities – private schools are charities so attract subsidies and benefits even though they only educate a wealthy minority;
teaching standards – teaching is often no better in private schools than state schools and so better exam results are probably more likely to be down to the smaller class sizes and greater individual attention than in state schools;
education for all – elite private schools spend about four times as much each year on students than state schools and this money could be better spent on improving education for everybody;
Marxism – private schools ensure that the higher classes pass on their privileges to their children and maintain social inequalities;
university – attendance at private schools is often a pre-cursor to attendance at elite universities e.g. Oxbridge is dominated by private school pupils and this is not seen to be fair;
access to the top jobs – attending a private school often leads to unfair advantages in the job market;
life chances – students who attend private schools have better life chances than those from the state sector, regardless of qualifications or effort;
capital (Bourdieu) – private schools cultivate cultural and social capital which then benefit students in society – this is unfair;
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 is educational achievement determined by a student’s intelligence and effort? Possible answers: Arguments for:
some people argue that some people are more intelligent than others and this explains how well people do in schools;
IQ tests – these exist in various forms in education and are used to assess student intelligence and capabilities to inform school selection procedures, e.g. the 11+ exam used to decide whether a student is admitted into a high achieving grammar school;
equality of opportunity – functionalists believe education is based on a system of meritocracy that allows anyone to succeed based upon their natural ability and their efforts to succeed;
social mobility – the functionalist belief explains why those from underprivileged backgrounds and minority ethnic groups can still do well in education if they are bright and try hard, e.g. in the UK it is an ethnically diverse, inner city comprehensive school that currently sends most students on to Oxbridge universities;
universal standards – all students are judged by the same criteria and many study the same national curriculum, this gives all students the same chances of success therefore ability must explain any differences in educational achievement;
sifting and sorting – functionalists believe that education sorts students by ability, setting and streaming can be used to ensure the brightest students are pushed to achieve the best qualifications and enter professional careers whilst a more vocational route is chosen for less bright students;
comprehensive schools – allow all students from different backgrounds to get the same educational opportunities, meaning that those who are intelligent and try hard can be placed in top sets/streams and excel;
any other reasonable response. Arguments against:
social class – research shows that students in the lower social classes do not achieve as well as students in the higher social classes (Marxism) and this is not to do with effort or ability but inequality;
ethnicity – minority ethnic groups typically do less well in education than other ethnic groups and this is likely to be caused by racism rather than a lack of effort or intelligence;
gender – in some countries the education of boys is prioritised over that of girls (feminism) and so boys have an unfair advantage in their education, regardless of intelligence or effort;
school factors – educational achievement may be determined by teacher labelling, the type of school attended and the institutional practices and ethos;
peer group – peer group pressure and anti-school/pro-school subcultures may be a significant influence on pupil achievement;
home factors – the value placed on education, parental aspirations and engagement with school as well as the community may all impact upon educational achievement;
material factors – how much money a family has may influence educational achievement e.g. private tuition, school attended, extra resources, internet access, quiet study space, etc.;
intersection – it is unlikely that one factor alone, e.g. ability, is responsible for educational success, most sociologists believe that different factors intersect;
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 knowledgeof 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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