Sociology · May / June 2025 · Paper 12 · Question 3
0495
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3(a)(i)[2]
Define the term capitalism. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. bourgeoisie and proletariat. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. the economic system based on private ownership of the means of production.
3(a)(ii)[2]
Define the term modern slavery. Award one mark for a partial definition, e.g. child workers/forced to work. Award two marks for a clear definition, e.g. the severe exploitation of vulnerable people for personal or commercial gain.
3(b)[2]
State two global ecological issues. Award one mark for each point correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). Possible answers:
climate change/global warming;acid rain;soil erosion and desertification;loss of biodiversity;rising sea levels;deforestation;over-fishing;species extinction;waste disposal;use of pesticides and chemicals in farming that pollute land and water;plastic pollution in the sea and on land;increasing wildfires;any other reasonable answer.3(c)[6]
Explain three push 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:
poverty – people in poor countries may feel unable to support their families and be trapped in their situation, hence seeing migration as a way of achieving a better life;lack of opportunity – some countries have few opportunities for education or employment so people will be unable to achieve social mobility in their homeland therefore travelling abroad is a good option;famine and environmental problems e.g. some people in some African countries may be forced to migrate over borders just to seek help in feeding their families;violence and war – some people migrate to escape conflicts like war;persecution – some people may be persecuted for their ethnicity, sexuality, religion or political views to the extent that they move to another country in search of better human rights protection;any other reasonable answer.3(d)[6]
Explain three reasons why social mobility exists. 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:
there is now a legal basis for equal opportunities, e.g. the Equal Pay Act, and this means that individuals from the lower social classes are now free to achieve upward mobility in terms of higher pay and status in the workplace;intragenerational social mobility now occurs in which individuals work hard and move from the working class into the middle class;individuals have risen to the top through entrepreneurial activity, such as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos and these inspire others to work hard to become successful;downward mobility is possible due to factors like an economic downturn – if a middle class person loses their job they may end up living on benefits and hence fall into the working class;intergenerational mobility can now occur wherein children of working class parents succeed in education and move upwards into middle class jobs as lawyers, doctors and accountants etc.;functionalists argue that modern industrial societies are mostly meritocratic, so it is accepted that people can rise to the top through hard work and ability;people can achieve social mobility these days through marriage e.g. a woman from the middle class may marry an upper class man and take on his status and lifestyle;some would argue that both embourgeoisement and proletarianisation are possible and hence social mobility exists in society;people can achieve social mobility through winning money through games like the lottery or through inheritance;any other reasonable answer.3(e)[8]
Discuss the view that people’s life chances are affected by age. Your answer should include:
at least three developed points with evidence. Use Table C to mark answers to this question. Possible answers:many older people in developing countries are likely to be illiterate as they may not have gone to school and hence their chances of getting work are limited to those needing no formal qualifications;in some countries children need to work to help support the family – this will likely affect their achievement at school, if they go to school, with a knock-on effect in terms of social mobility;older people face ageism at work e.g. they may not be considered in job applications or for promotion which affects their income;the introduction of state pensions, as part of a welfare state, has improved the income of many elderly people who are too old or too ill to work;the health and life expectancy of children globally has been increased by improvements in hygiene, sanitation and nutrition as well as vaccination programmes e.g. vaccinations against polio, cholera and typhoid have saved the lives of many millions;older people are sometimes more prone to die from certain diseases e.g. during the covid-19 pandemic many of those who died were elderly;the physical and mental health of elderly people has been made worse by insufficient state social care in some countries – people may need support after their partner dies as they live alone and sometimes such support is inadequate due to a lack of funds;in some countries more elderly people are now living in specialist accommodation which caters for their needs, with some facilities ensuring they get good quality healthcare e.g. sheltered housing and retirement homes and this can improve a person’s quality of life and their longevity;any other reasonable answer.3(f)[14]
Evaluate the view that labelling theory is the best explanation for social inequalities. 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:Becker argues that individuals and people from powerless groups can be labelled according to negative stereotypes and this can lead to prejudice and discrimination e.g. the stereotype of those in poverty as lazy, welfare dependent and deviant can mean that such people are ridiculed and socially excluded;when a person is labelled it may become their master status – they may internalise the label and find it difficult to change their behaviour or see themselves in a more positive way e.g. a working class person who has stolen something as a teen may be labelled, and begin to see themselves, as primarily a thief (rather than as an employee) and begin a deviant career;a self-fulfilling prophecy may occur – people who have been labelled may begin to act in certain ways, making the expectations of the label come true e.g. a child labelled as a trouble-maker at school may find it hard to change teacher perceptions, become fatalistic and end up becoming more deviant in school;labelling can lead to moral panics e.g. Cohen’s study of media stereotyping of mods and rockers show that exaggeration of a small number of fights led to further violence and the intervention of police and courts;Cicourel’s study showed how the labelling of working class and ethnic minority delinquents as ideal criminals by police and probation officers led to targeting and a self-fulfilling prophecy;deviancy amplification – agents of social control, such as the police, can cause more deviance by labelling and criminalising people’s actions so they commit more serious crime;any other reasonable answer. Possible arguments against:labelling theory cannot account for why a particular group is labelled in the first place e.g. young Black males are criminal – is it because this group is liable to commit more crime?labelling theory is limited because it shifts the focus from structural inequalities – by emphasising the effects of labelling on individuals, the theory downplays the role of larger social, economic, and political forces that contribute to inequality in the first place such as social class, ethnic disadvantage or patriarchy;Marxists argue that labelling theory fails to take into account the fact that poverty and wealth are inevitable consequences of capitalism e.g. the bourgeoisie will pay workers as little as possible to maximise profit and/or bring in automation leading to unemployment and the poverty trap;Marxists argue that ethnic inequalities are not purely the result of negative labels but are ultimately social class inequalities e.g. Asian migrant workers may be scapegoated as taking white working class jobs as part of a divide and rule strategy;feminists argue that labelling theory fails to fully explain the social inequalities experienced by women in employment where structural features like vertical and horizontal segregation and the glass ceiling hold women back from achieving higher status and rewards;feminists argue that the dual burden/triple shift and the division of labour in the home are better explained as features of a patriarchy or male- dominated society where gender inequality is naturalised though the processes of socialisation and social control;functionalists argue that social inequalities are natural and inevitable and not the result of a social process of labelling e.g. if someone is poor it is because they lack the talent and/or motivation to work hard to achieve social mobility in society;racism is a better explanation for ethnic inequalities as there is institutional racism across many areas in society such as schools, workplace and media;any other reasonable answer.
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