Sociology · May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Question 3
0495
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3(a)(i)[2]
Define the term welfare state. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. unemployment benefits. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. where the government provide services and financial support to those in need.
3(a)(ii)[2]
Define the term intersectionality. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. being black and female. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. the way in which different forms of stratification and inequality interact with each other.
3(b)[2]
Give two features of the poverty trap. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). Possible answers:
it is difficult or impossible for poor people to change their situation;people do not have the opportunities and resources necessary to escape from poverty;poor people cannot travel to cheap supermarkets on the edge of town so they buy goods at more expensive local shops which makes their poverty worse;they cannot afford to buy products in bulk which is cheaper in the long run;they cannot afford insulation for their homes so they pay a lot for fuel;they buy second hand or poor-quality goods which are more likely to break and need to be replaced more frequently;they cannot afford childminders which means that they cannot take up job opportunities or work longer hours if they have a job;they may be unable to take loans from a bank and hence may turn to ‘loan sharks’ who charge high interest so they may end up in more debt;they cannot afford the cost of new clothes and travel to interviews which is likely to impact their ability to find work;any other reasonable answer.3(c)[6]
Explain three pull factors that may cause people to migrate to another country. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of three). Award one mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of three). Possible answers:
pull factors like quality education may influence students to migrate e.g. some may aspire to Ivy League universities in the US or Oxbridge in the UK as they are world renowned;employment opportunities – some are drawn to work abroad as wages are higher and individuals can often send money home to help support their families;living standards – even for those on a low wage the country of arrival may offer higher standards of living in terms of housing, healthcare and schooling for children;political stability – some persecuted people may seek asylum in countries which they perceive to be more free and democratic, where their human rights will be respected;western lifestyles based on consumer goods may lure some people in the developing world who have been socialised by the media to see them as desirable and the key to happiness;having family and friends in another country may lead some to migrate e.g. a family migrate to unite with a father who is working abroad;any other reasonable answer.3(d)[6]
Explain three criticisms of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of three). Award one mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of three). Possible answers:
aid stops people in poorer countries supporting themselves because it can promote dependency on handouts and lead to a lazy mindset where people lose the willingness to work;sometimes aid can be inappropriate to the needs of the recipients because staff from the NGOs may come from another culture and do not properly understand the context in which they are operating;some NGOs have not behaved well and staff may not be well trained or vetted e.g. staff in some countries have taken advantage of local people and this can lead to a mistrust on the part of the local population and bad publicity for the NGO involved;there may be corruption in some NGOs e.g. money/aid being diverted for private use;Marxists argue that aid from developed nations fosters cultural dependency (e.g. to provide education or health services) whilst they continue to exploit the developing countries natural resources and cheap labour so nothing really changes;feminists argue that sometimes aid projects neglect possible impacts on women – either it does not ensure that aid meets the needs of women and children or it may be culturally insensitive e.g. giving loans to women to help them start a small business may not be approved of by their husbands and cause friction in the relationship;any other reasonable answer.3(e)[8]
Discuss the view that ethnicity affects life chances. Your answer should include:
at least three developed points with evidence. Use Table C to mark answers to this question. Possible answers:some ethnic groups are advantaged by their skin colour or culture e.g. white privilege in the former apartheid system in South Africa;some ethnic groups face hate crime on the street or via social media e.g. Islamophobia, anti-Semitism – this causes fear and alarm in the affected communities;ethnic minorities experience negative labelling in the media – for example Black youth in the UK are the focus of moral panics around delinquency and crime which leads to higher stop and search rates;negative labelling of ethnic minorities can lead to police targeting (e.g. stop and search) and further discrimination in the criminal justice system e.g. George Floyd;ethnic minorities may face an ethnocentric curriculum in education where their culture is either invisible or misrepresented leading to a feeling of alienation and social exclusion which is likely to adversely affect achievement;in education ethnic minority students may experience negative labelling from teachers which develops into a self-fulfilling prophecy with students failing to achieve well or being excluded due to enacting the label of disruptive student;ethnic minorities face discrimination in recruitment to employment e.g. employers not giving someone an interview based on their surname;ethnic minorities experience a ‘concrete ceiling ’when they aspire to promotion and higher positions thus lowering chances for social mobility;some ethnic minorities face institutional racism which negatively affects their life chances e.g. in healthcare and housing;any other reasonable answer.3(f)[14]
Evaluate the view that legislation has reduced inequalities in society. Your answer should include:
at least three arguments for and three arguments againsta conclusion. Use Table D to mark answers to this question. Possible arguments for:progressive taxation has been introduced in many countries and this redistributes wealth from the richer to the poorer by asking the rich to contribute more and then using this money to fund the welfare state or other measures that benefit poorer people;the redistribution of wealth through benefits – the unemployed, people with long-term illness or disability, single parents or carers often receive subsidies, grants and benefits which help them to achieve a basic standard of living;the introduction of the minimum wage helps to keep the low paid out of the worst poverty, and often the minimum wage is linked to inflation so poorer people should not be made much worse off by rising costs of living;equal opportunities laws such as the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Equality Act (2010) ensure that female workers and minorities get basic rights in law and this enables them to improve their economic and social status in society;some governments subsidise food, energy consumption, transport etc. for certain groups such as children from low-income, single parent families or the elderly thus allowing them to enjoy a basic standard of living when they would otherwise fall into poverty;any other reasonable answer. Possible arguments against:radical feminists argue that legislation has not brought down patriarchy they point out that women still suffer gender inequality in the workplace through the glass ceiling, horizontal segregation etc.;racism continues to be a major issue in society despite equality laws it is hard to prove racism has occurred, for example, in job applications so it is hard to challenge;ageism has not been eradicated by anti-discrimination legislation – both younger and older people are discriminated against in employment due to stereotypes;poverty remains despite legislation – the underclass experience the poverty trap from which they cannot escape and this often becomes a cycle of poverty as their children also become trapped;the minimum wage is not always adhered to by employers or some find a way around it e.g. classifying workers as self-employed where they are paid for a specific task rather than per hour which may mean they end up working for less than the minimum wage;Marxists argue that tinkering with laws is only scratching the surface – capitalism is inherently unfair and that the bourgeoisie oppress and exploit the proletariat who often live in poverty and false consciousness;disability rights campaigners argue that disabled people often remain invisible and socially excluded despite laws intended to help them - they often cannot access essential services like adequate education, transport or work and this impacts on their lifestyle and identity;some measures brought in by legislation such as subsidies or the welfare state encourage a dependency culture which makes people lazy and unwilling to work for a living, hence the huge divide between the haves and have nots continues;any other reasonable answer.
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