Sociology · May / June 2024 · Paper 12 · Question 2
0495
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Many modern industrial societies have now become multicultural. Both male and female roles are also in a process of change. However, sociologists agree that culture and socialisation are important 2 in all societies. Despite this agreement, sociologists debate which agent of socialisation is the most influential.
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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘culture’? One mark for a partial definition e.g. lifestyle. Two marks for a clear definition e.g. the way of life/norms and values of a society.
2(b)[4]
Describe two ways male roles are changing in modern industrial societies. Possible responses:
men now work in what were once seen as ‘feminine’ job roles e.g. as nurses, hairdressers, nursery workers etc.;men now often share childcare responsibilities with their wives/partners e.g. in the symmetrical family whereas in the past this was seen as ‘women’s work’;men are no longer seen as the sole breadwinner with the breakdown of the expectation to be the ‘protector’ of the family and also the emergence of dual income families;due to the breakdown of stereotypes and greater economic freedom for women, some men now choose role reversal where they are solely responsible for domestic and childcare whilst their wife/partner takes on the role of the breadwinner;the masculine gender role itself is changing e.g. hegemonic masculinity is breaking down and it is now more acceptable for men to show ‘feminine’ behaviours such as crying, talking about relationships and forming close emotional bonds with their children;there has been a crisis in masculinity (Mac an Ghaill) as there are now fewer manual/heavy industry jobs that was a source for traditional hegemonic masculinity so some men experience an identity crisis;as women have become more empowered in society, some men have found alternative ways to express their masculinity including through crime and deviance (toxic masculinity);any other reasonable response. One mark for each way correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each way correctly developed (up to a maximum of two).2(c)[6]
Explain how some sociologists criticise the idea of a multicultural society. Possible responses:
multicultural societies have people with quite different values and belief systems and this can lead to disagreements and conflicts;for example,
multicultural societies give too many rights to minorities e.g. if they have the right to be educated in their home language this would be expensive to provide;minority communities often choose to stay separate and apart from the host community so there may be a lack of social integration;it is too idealistic – evidence of conflict between diverse groups in society shows that it is unlikely that very different groups can co-exist peacefully and live in harmony with each other;the host culture becomes just one of many cultures within the society when it should be providing the value-system that holds the society together;living alongside other cultures will inevitably lead to some individuals losing aspects of their cultural heritage as they inevitably take on aspects of other cultures lifestyle, norms etc.;some may fear that multiculturalism may lead to the erosion of the host culture due to the inclusion /tolerance of minority group norms and values that may be vastly different;some argue that an influx of immigrants which is often characteristic of multicultural society can be a strain on resources and take jobs from members of the host population;functionalists argue that it is more difficult to achieve a ‘value consensus’ in multicultural society as different groups have different norms and values, this may lead to anomie and a lack of social stability;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 research on feral children provides evidence for the importance of socialisation. Possible responses:
feral children are by definition children who have not been adequately nurtured or socialised and therefore find it difficult to speak a language as language and words are taught, starting in primary socialisation, and a child who misses this will not be able to communicate effectively, e.g. Rochom P’ngieng;feral children can find it difficult to adapt to normal food, for example, they may prefer to eat uncooked meat, showing that even something so basic as what we eat is affected by socialisation;feral children illustrate the norms that human beings take for granted, e.g. walking upright, toileting etc., are skills which have to be taught, e.g. Genie Wylie;feral children may not develop emotionally as without human stimulation and nurture they may never learn to love or feel empathy for others, suggesting that these abilities are a product of socialisation rather than ‘nature;’feral children may seem uninterested in other people and be unable to understand how others might see them and react to them – they lack a social awareness because they have been deprived of the processes of socialisation and social interaction through which such an awareness is built up;feral children may not like wearing conventional clothing and find, for example, the wearing of shoes constricting which shows that clothing norms are taught through socialisation rather than being innate;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 education the most influential agent of socialisation? Possible arguments for:
educational institutions use the hidden curriculum to pass on cultural expectations, gender roles etc;functionalists believe schools teach vital skills and knowledge that go beyond what the family and other agents can teach and this allows young people to progress into the economy;Marxists argue that education passes on the ideology of the ruling class to the masses, promoting unquestioning acceptance of capitalism e.g. acceptance of authority, acceptance of boredom and the naturalness of competition and hierarchy;Marxists believe that education controls the level of aspiration of working class children promoting false consciousness – e.g. Willis’ working class lads’ and their fatalism;young people spend a prolonged period of time with their peers in educational settings and this means that the messages, skills and values promoted via schools is more effective than other agencies;functionalists argue that the key function of education is to spread value consensus and without this social order would breakdown and anomie would occur;any other reasonable response. Possible arguments against:functionalists argue that the family is a particularly important agent of socialisation and the basic building block for society in that it socialises the young;without this base education would not be able to continue its socialising work;
the effectiveness of education as a form of socialisation is limited in some cultures due to the fact that many children may not attend school for one reason or another;some would argue that peers are more effective than education, particularly for the young, through the various techniques of peer pressure such as ostracism;the organic analogy - education alone is not the most important agent of socialisation – functionalists argue that all of the agents are needed in order to transmit collective norms and values and regulate behaviour;the media can be a more effective agent of socialisation via tv, film and particularly the internet e.g. children are often more influenced by media role models and the messages put out on social media than what their teachers have to say;postmodernists argue that the media is now the most effective agent of social control due to the ‘media-saturated’ nature of our society etc.;some feminists argue that the family, rather than education, most effectively socialises and socially controls women and their bodies and labour via domestic violence, and the free work that women do in the home which helps to maintain capitalism;the workplace is more effective than education for adults as it links to the economic well-being and future life chances of individuals and their families – the use of training, mentors and the threat of sanctions like dismissal or the promise of rewards like promotion and higher pay and status are powerful tools in ensuring people obey social norms and values;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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