Sociology · Oct / Nov 2016 · Paper 13 · Question 1
2251
As printed in the paper
The question as text
Source A In 1942 a fourteen year old girl began a diary about her life in the Netherlands during the Second World War. In her diary she wrote: ‘I’m not planning to let anyone else read this … ‘diary’, unless I should ever find a real friend, it probably won’t make any difference. Now I’m back to the point that prompted me to keep a diary in the first place: I don’t have a friend. Let me put it more clearly … I have loving parents and a sixteen year old sister and about thirty people I can call friends … on the surface I seem to have everything, except my one true friend.’ Adapted from: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. The diary later became a famous historical account.
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1(a)[2]
Identify two reasons why sociologists might use personal documents like diaries in their research. [2]
Possible answers:
They offer valid accounts of events;They are provide insight that may be missing from statistical evidence;They offer first-hand accounts of events;They offer depth and detailed understand of social interactions;They can be cheap and readily available e.g. from public records office and national;archives so you don’t have to do the research yourself (do not credit just ‘cheap’ it must be qualified);
Any other reasonable response. One mark for each correct reason identified (up to a maximum of two).1(b)[2]
Identify two primary methods that might be used to collect qualitative data. [2]
Possible answers:
Unstructured interviews;Semi-structured interviews;Group interviews;Focus groups;Questionnaires: open questions;Participant observation (overt and covert);Non-participant observation (overt and covert);Longitudinal studies;Case studies;Any other reasonable response. One mark for each correct method identified (up to a maximum of two).1(c)[4]
Using information from Source A, describe two ways in which diaries might lack validity. [4]
Candidates may refer to :
Bias – the diary is private and won’t be verified, e.g. ‘I’m not planning to let anyone else read this’;Distortion – she may exaggerate her situation, e.g. ‘I have everything except…’;Subjective not objective e.g. ‘I have loving parents’;Fantasy – she may make things up because she is feeling sad, e.g. ‘I don’t have a friend’;Emotional e.g.’ everything except one true friend’;Any other reasonable response. Band 0 No creditworthy response. Band 1 (1–2) Answers at the bottom of the band will offer one reason without reference to Source A. Alternatively;answers may be vague or general with little sociological knowledge. Answers at the top end of the mark band may offer two reasons but without reference to Source A. Note: answers that do not make use of Source A cannot go into Band 2 Band 2 (3–4) To reach this band candidates must make reference to Source A. To reach the top of the band candidates will give two reasons with development and reference to the Source A. E.g. In Source A the writer says she is ‘not planning to let anyone else read this’ this would make her diary more valid than someone who planned to have their diary published. Source A also says ‘I don’t have a friend’ as the diary is private and there is no way to verify this she could be distorting the truth because she is unhappy.
1(d)[4]
Describe two strengths of using qualitative data in sociological research. [4]
Possible answers:
They generally have greater validity;They offer greater insight;They have more depth and detail;They allow researchers to understand the thought and feelings of the research subjects;They help to establish verstehen;Any other reasonable response. One mark for each strength correctly identified (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each point that is developed (up to a maximum of two).1(e)[8]
Describe two strengths and two limitations of using an interpretivist approach in sociological research. [8]
Strengths:
Validity;Offer greater insight;Understand the meaning placed on social interactions by the social actors;Most suitable method because positivist methods are not appropriate to understand social meaning;Any other reasonable response. Limitations:They may be unrepresentative;They may be biased;It may not be possible to generalise the results for the rest of the population;Research produced may be unreliable almost impossible to replicate;More expensive if qualified i.e. comparative to other research methods;More time consuming if qualified i.e. relative to other research methods;Any other reasonable response. One mark for each strength correctly identified (up to a maximum of two) and one mark for description of each strength (up to a maximum of two). One mark for each limitation correctly identified (up to a maximum of two) and one mark for description of each limitation (up to a maximum of two).1(f)[10]
Explain why some personal documents may lack reliability. [10]
Candidates need to demonstrate an understanding that personal documents may not be reliable because they are often unique and impossible to replicate. Possible answers:
Secondary data – personal documents are secondary data so it is difficult to replicate and control variables;Historic – personal documents are often historic in nature it is impossible to go back in time to repeat the unique set of variables;Unique – personal documents are usually unique and again almost impossible to replicate, even if you used the same individual or individuals to check the research they are unlikely to behave or feel the same at another time;Too many variables – there are too many social variables to control to be able to repeat the work;Any other reasonable response. Band 0 No creditworthy response. Band 1 (1–3) Answers at this level are likely to show limited understanding and be based on common sense or demonstrate little in the way of clear sociological knowledge or terminology, e.g. ‘some personal documents are completely individual’. At the top of the band candidates may begin to use some appropriate knowledge or terminology, e.g. they may be able to define ‘reliable’ but candidates may only give one reason. Band 2 (4–7) At the bottom of the band, candidates demonstrate basic understanding of the issue and begin to use some appropriate knowledge and terminology. Supporting explanation may be weak or over simplistic. E.g. ‘personal documents like photos may only be from special occasions like weddings and these are unique, never to be repeated events’. At the top of the band, candidates use appropriate knowledge and terminology but may not fully focus on the question. Candidates are likely to offer more than one reason, e.g. ‘personal documents like letters may not be reliable because they will all be unique from one person to another’. Band 3 (8–10) The candidates’ answer is fully focused on the question, e.g. personal documents need to be treated with caution, such documents are often unique memories and moments in time which could never be replicated as there would be too many social variables to consider. In some cases it would be impossible to replicate the situation for example historical documents could never be replicated because the research cannot step back in time. There is evidence of good use of sociological terms and candidates may make clear reference to reliability throughout.. At the top of the band, candidates should offer a range of reasons as well as demonstrate accurate use of sociological concepts.1(g)[15]
To what extent can secondary data provide valid evidence of social life? [15]
Candidates may recognise that there is a wide range of secondary data and that its validity is not related to it being secondary. Alternatively candidates may take a qualitative vs. quantitative, primary v secondary route to answering the question. Arguments for:
Secondary data can be valid because it is carried out by experienced researchers;Secondary data like diaries, historical documents etc. can offer great insight and may be a valid snap shot of that person’s social interactions;Secondary data may be unique and give insight into particular groups or sub-cultures;Documents never intend for publication may be valid because the individual has no reason to be biased/lie;Any other reasonable response. Arguments against:May be unrepresentative;May contain researcher bias and distortion;May have been produced for another purposeOfficial statistics may reflect the way things have been categorised rather than reality e.g. crime figures;Primary data done by the researcher for the researchers own purposes may be more valid;Any other reasonable response. Band 0 No creditworthy response. Band 1 (1–4) Answers in this band may be largely based on common sense showing limited or no knowledge of sociological terms or concepts. The candidate may define secondary data but that is all in terms of sociological knowledge. Candidates are unlikely to understand the nature of secondary data and may assume it is just official statistics, e.g. secondary data may not be valid because it doesn’t measure what it says it does. Band 2 (5–8) In this band candidates will tend to offer some basic discussion of the strengths and/or limitations of secondary data. They may describe types of data and their problems. Alternatively, they may offer an answer which is list-like in nature but there will be no real attempt to address the issue of validity. At the top of the band, candidates may offer a description of more than one types of data or issue. One sided answers can not score higher than 8 marks. Band 3 (9–12) Answers in this band will show good use of sociological language and will make some attempt at addressing the issue of the validity of various types of secondary data but this may be weak or focus only on either agreement or disagreement with the question. At the bottom of the band, candidates may provide a good range of points but there might be a lack of focus on the issue. At the top of the band, candidates are likely to show either strong agreement or disagreement with clear focus on the question but are unlikely to debate both sides of the argument. Band 4 (13–15) Answers in this band will be clearly focused on the question and address the ‘extent’ of the validity of the secondary data. Candidates will offer a range of arguments both for and against the question but this need not be balanced. They show excellent grasp of sociological terms and knowledge. At the top of the band there will also be an evaluative conclusion, e.g. ‘The extent of the validity depends on the nature of the secondary data being used. Some data will be more valid in nature than others. To some extent the validity depends on the nature of the research being conducted’. Section B: Culture, identity and socialisation
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