Sociology · Oct / Nov 2024 · Paper 11 · Question 2

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Sociologists debate the existence of a global culture. However, sociologists agree that socialisation occurs in all cultures. Imitation is an important part of the socialisation process. Inadequate 2 socialisation may have negative consequences for an individual. Many factors affect our social identity including ethnicity.

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2(a)[2]
What is meant by the term ‘imitation’? One mark for partial definition e.g. copying Two marks for clear definition e.g. copying the norms of behaviour and roles you observe appropriate to your identity or status.
2(b)[4]
Describe two examples of inadequate socialisation. Possible response:
the Cambodian woman Rochom P’ngieng who disappeared when she was 8, so had received primary socialisation, and reappeared 20 years later. She had lost the ability to speak, preferred to crawl rather than walk and couldn’t adjust to human society;
Genie Wylie: suffered extreme abuse and neglect by her parents and did not go through many of the most important parts of primary socialisation. When found she could not speak or stand upright, focus on anything not close to her or chew on food;
Oxana Malaya: a Ukrainian girl who was neglected by alcoholic parents. She allegedly crawled into the dog kennel when three years old where the family dogs effectively ‘raised her. she quickly learned the animal habits necessary to survive, eating raw meat, barking, walking on all fours, and sleeping in a kennel;
7-year-old Danielle Crockett was found severely neglected in a dark room, surrounded by her own dirty nappies. She was malnourished and weighed 46 pounds. She was unable to chew or swallow solid foods, couldn’t talk and didn’t know how to communicate;
in Uganda, John Ssesubunya, a 3-year-old boy fled to the jungle after witnessing the murder of his mother. There he was allegedly befriended by monkeys who fed him and kept him alive;
according to the New Right the underclass (associated with unemployment criminality and violence) is the result of inadequate socialisation, often associated with single parent families;
any other reasonable response. One mark for an example that is correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for an example that is correctly developed (up to a maximum of two).
2(c)[6]
Explain how agencies of secondary socialisation control individuals. Possible response:
religion transmits norms through laws and guidelines, role models and teachings of holy books, e.g. Muhammad and the Qur’an;
media transmit norms via role models of desirable appearance, examples of good and bad behaviour, and ridicule/censure of bad behaviour or undesirable appearance;
peer groups transmit norms informally via positive praise and also peer pressure, e.g. ostracism;
the workplace transmits norms via training or encourages conformity through rewards and sanctions e.g., promotion/demotion;
education – schools transmit norms via the hidden curriculum, e.g. assemblies, rules, teacher expectations and sanctions;
any other reasonable response. [0 marks] No creditworthy response. [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. [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 globalisation could create a global culture. Possible response:
because Hollywood films are seen all over the world and often express represent Western values;
because toys and merchandise associated with Hollywood films are played with by children all over the world;
because social media and the internet have made it easier for people all around the world to come together and share ideas;
because market leading fashion brands such as Nike and Adidas are worn and advertised in all parts of the world;
because transnational corporations like McDonalds are able to offer similar food in outlets across the globe;
because English is the dominant language particularly on the internet so we all speak the same;
because sports that originated in Europe are now dominant across the globe and played by all cultures e.g. football;
because transnational companies exist across the globe – these are vast employers that are able to shape the values of workers everywhere;
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 ethnicity the most important aspect of social identity? Possible arguments for:
we are socialised into ethnicity from an early age and as part of our primary socialisation, it is thus often core to how individuals see themselves and the world;
ethnicity affects many norms of daily life that are core to our social identity such as food and clothing;
some ethnic groups are strongly influenced by religion and hence the values that are core to individuals and groups are often strongly held;
in a multicultural society the experience of being an ethnic minority can be marked by prejudice and discrimination – your ethnicity can be linked to inequality and reduced life chances relative to the dominant ethnic group;
ethnicity can affect how others see us in the sense that it can mark individuals out as different – it can thus lead to stereotyping, labelling and scapegoating of ethnic minorities;
peer groups in multicultural society are often ethnically based leading to segregation in schools and wider society;
ethnicity is part of our ascribed status and, as such, it is difficult to change unlike other aspects of our identity which may be the result
of individual choice;
new ethnic hybrids are emerging as a result of multiculturalism and globalisation, e.g. in Britain many individuals have parents from different ethnic groups;
any other reasonable response. Possible arguments against:
Marxists would argue that social class is the main influence on social identity as it decides many of our life chances and opportunities for social mobility are limited in some countries;
feminists like Oakley may argue that gender is the main influence on social identity in patriarchal societies as it is a crucial part of primary socialisation and continues to impact on individuals throughout their lives;
some sociologists may argue that nationality has become increasingly important as an influence on identity, e.g. nationalism has been a factor in many conflicts and wars throughout the twentieth century, there are increasing movements for devolution in the UK and Spain/Catalonia, Brexit, etc.;
some argue that age identity is the main influence on social identity as it is often linked to legal rights/responsibilities, e.g. the age at which individuals can marry, work, vote;
age identity is linked to the peer group which can often strongly influence how we see ourselves and others in society, e.g. in youth sub-cultures, and this can transcend all other influences;
postmodernists argue that ethnicity is not the main influence as identity is now much more a matter of individual choice in a media-saturated and global society;
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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