Sociology · May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Question 2
0495
As printed in the paper
Show the answer and mark scheme
2(a)(i)[2]
Define the term penal system. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. prison. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. the formal means for enforcing punishments for crime.
2(a)(ii)[2]
Define the term consensus. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. agreement. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. agreement on shared values in society.
2(b)[2]
Give two examples of protest groups. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). Possible answers:
anti-racism groups e.g. Black Lives Matter;animal rights groups e.g. PETA;environmental groups e.g. Schools Strike for Climate;human rights groups e.g. Amnesty International;indigenous land rights groups;anti-sexism group e.g. #MeToo;anti-war protest groups;any other reasonable answer.2(c)[6]
Explain three ways an individual’s identity can be positively affected by social networks. 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:
people can be who they want to be on social networks e.g. they can choose which aspects of their identity they wish to make public and such profiles can be edited in line with the image they wish to present;peers/friends are part of our social network – peers can give support during adolescence when identity is being established;institutions like religious groups/workplace are part of our wider social networks e.g. religion can influence identity through core values that inform our interactions with others;role models in the media or workplace (mentors) can influence people’s behaviour in a positive way e.g. bolster their self-esteem, increase confidence through self-care;media connections – people can find new interests and new communities across the world e.g. fan sites, online/offline sub-cultures, support groups etc., expanding their social world and adding to their wellbeing;family can act as a social network – connections with parents and siblings can influence our core values, norms and aspects of identity such as gender, social class etc.;teachers are part of our social network – they act as role models for children in terms of how to behave and conduct themselves e.g. teaching respect for others via the hidden curriculum;social networks can have a very positive effect on people who may be disabled and unable to go outside or travel, allowing them to access online from others experiencing the same issue or connecting, communicating and interacting with others who are not disabled e.g. on gaming networks;social media networks can help families and friends stay in touch across vast distances e.g. a migrant worker can stay in contact with their home country, allowing them to maintain their social ties and familial/national identity;social networks can help those who face prejudice and discrimination to re-afform their identity by standing in solidarity and offering support to each other, including using platforms to express protests and organise campaigns for change e.g. Black Lives Matter or #MeToo;any other reasonable answer.2(d)[6]
Explain three reasons why the media is an effective agency of socialisation. 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:
celebrity role models/influencers in both traditional and new media exert a big influence over the young in terms of their appearance and behaviour who may imitate their appearance/behaviour;some people may be politicised/radicalised via media campaigns/videos;the media often promote stereotypes and the demonisation of some social groups e.g. labelling theory – Cohen argues that the media can provoke a moral panic through the creation of folk devils, thus influencing the way the audience view certain social groups;we live in a media-saturated society children and adults interact with multiple media every day and with increasing frequency, e.g. via films, TV and social media and the influence extends throughout life so in terms of the extent of our exposure the media is the most effective;the media shows how deviants are punished e.g. via the news reports about the sentencing of criminals, thus helping to promote conformity;the media influences how we see ourselves and others via how different groups are represented, e.g. women are still represented in stereotypical ways (also age, the underclass, the young and the old etc.);postmodernists would argue that the media is highly effective in influencing culture, creating a consumer culture where we are encouraged to buy products on the basis of celebrity endorsements or association with a particular lifestyle;social media is a new form of social control with likes and de-friending, and there is evidence that this has a big effect on young people in particular, having the ability to frame self-identity and social interactions in a way that other agencies such as the workplace or education cannot;media effects theories such as the hypodermic syringe model – shows the media has a direct impact on individuals e.g. copycat violence;any other reasonable answer.2(e)[8]
Discuss the view that cultural identities are becoming the same all over the world. Your answer should include:
at least three developed points with evidence. Use Table C to mark answers to this question. Possible answers:due to globalisation Americanisation/westernisation is occurring whereby American/western culture is spreading and replacing native cultures e.g. promoting materialism or consumerism and ‘convenience’ foods which may ultimately be harmful both for individuals and also the environment;Hollywood films are viewed all across the world and glorify an American way of life – often such films use merchandising such as toys which may influence children;most of the global music superstars are western and largely English- speaking e.g. France has tried to limit the amount of English language music played on the radio to encourage more French music due to the global dominance of Anglo-American music;fashion styles are becoming more similar e.g. the American style of jeans, t-shirt, trainers and baseball cap have become a kind of uniform for young people around the world;food preferences have been influenced by American fast food diet e.g. McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC can all now be found across the world;world news is now supplied by a small number of mainly American/western news channels and companies reflecting American/western interests and values;attitudes to women are changing and becoming similar e.g. a growing recognition of women’s rights;any other reasonable answer.2(f)[14]
Evaluate Marxist views of social control. 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:Althusser argues that social control is maintained by the ideological state apparatus – institutions that make people believe that it is right to conform to social norms and laws e.g. schools promote the myth of meritocracy so young working people buy into the idea that they can achieve top positions in society through hard work and effort when, in fact, this is highly unlikely;the family assists in social control by promoting capitalism e.g. by socialising children into respect for authority and need to conform to social rules and laws;Bowles and Gintis argue that there is a correspondence between school and work in terms of the hidden curriculum e.g. working class children are taught to follow the rules in school and to obey teachers without question, which teaches them how to behave when they transition to the workplace which will exploit their labour;Althusser argues that the repressive state apparatus kicks in when the ideological apparatus fail e.g. the police, courts and armed forces may be used to quell riots and protests by using coercion and punishments;the media promote consumerism and the desire for goods which effectively brainwashes the working class into an acceptance of the naturalness and desirability of the economic system that exploits them;any other reasonable answer. Possible arguments against:feminists argue that the Marxist view fails to take the social control of women into account e.g. families reinforce the traditional female role as housewife and mother with girls being socialised into stereotypical expectations at an early age;feminists argue that women are socially controlled through the threat or reality of domestic violence in the home – through such abuse they are forced into becoming submissive to their husband’s will;feminists point out that women’s behaviour and movements are often controlled by society e.g. women being unable or afraid to go out alone, particularly at night for fear of attack by males;feminists point out that females are often controlled within group/public settings by males e.g. male dominance in youth sub-cultures led to girls forming a bedroom sub-culture (McRobbie) as a safe place to experiment with make-up and chat, relax with other girls;functionalists argue that social control is a force for good in that it is essential in promoting social conformity and shared values e.g. the use of positive and negative sanctions in the family train children and young people into the behaviours and attitudes needed for social order and the avoidance of anomie;postmodernists argue that the Marxist view is out of date – individuals have freedom and the agency to make their own choices – they are not controlled by the state as Marxists argue;any other reasonable answer.
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