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Conceptions of culture: subculture, mass, folk, high, popular and global culture

Past-paper questions pack

Name
Class
Date set
Date due
Score/ 172

Questions are numbered; the mark schemes (the answer key) follow on separate pages so the question pages can be handed out alone. www.alevelsociologytutor.com

AQA AQA AS and A-level Sociology past-paper questions since 2016 · 18 parts · mark schemes follow the questions · www.alevelsociologytutor.com · Questions and mark schemes © AQA

1. June 2025 · Paper 2 · Q2 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 2 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Globalisation makes international travel cheaper and easier. As a result of globalisation, the same consumer products are now being sold around the world. Globalisation may have affected popular culture in the UK. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways that globalisation may have affected popular culture in the UK. [10 marks]
2. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q3 · 2 marks · AO1=2
0 3 Define the term ‘popular culture’. [2 marks]
3. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q5 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 5 Outline three characteristics of a subculture. [6 marks]
4. June 2024 · Paper 2 · Q2 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 2 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Popular culture is easily accessible and enjoyed by many people. Popular culture broadly reflects mainstream norms and values of society, which some people may reject. Popular culture may affect an individual’s sense of self. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways that popular culture may affect an individual’s sense of self. [10 marks]
5. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q3 · 2 marks · AO1=2
0 3 Define the term ‘high culture’. [2 marks]
6. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q7 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 7 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A For some Marxists, culture in society reflects ruling class ideology. It expresses the distorted view of the world put forward by the dominant class. Therefore, the key role of culture is to maintain the system of social inequality that exists in capitalist society. Alternatively, functionalist sociologists argue that the culture of society reflects the shared values of that society. Society needs a shared culture to run effectively, and various agencies play their part in socialising members of society. Applying material from Item A and your knowledge, evaluate the Marxist approach to the role of culture in society. [20 marks]
7. June 2022 · AS Paper 2 · Q3 · 2 marks · AO1=2
0 3 Define the term ‘subculture’. [2 marks]
8. June 2022 · Paper 2 · Q3 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 3 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Subcultures are groups within a society whose lifestyle, attitudes and values are different to some extent from those in wider society. Subcultures can be based on gender, ethnicity, taste or other factors. Youth subcultures, for example, are seen by functionalists as giving young people ways to cope with the transition to adulthood. However, they are seen by other sociologists as expressing resistance against the dominant culture. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of subcultures. [20 marks]
9. November 2021 · Paper 2 · Q3 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 3 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Globalisation involves greater connections between different parts of the world, and these have made people more aware of how others live. This may help people create new identities, for example by using social media. Some sociologists argue that this weakens the strong sense of identity that many people used to have, for example based on family and community. Other sociologists point out that not everyone can afford to be part of a global culture based on consumerism, brands and fashions. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that globalisation is increasingly shaping people's identities. [20 marks]
10. November 2020 · Paper 2 · Q2 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 2 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Mass culture is usually seen as commercially produced by businesses for profit rather than being created by ordinary people or reflecting their experiences. Mass culture is also seen as oversimplified, requiring little thought or evaluation. Mass culture may prevent social change. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which mass culture may prevent social change. [10 marks]
11. November 2020 · AS Paper 2 · Q6 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 6 Outline and explain two ways in which agencies of socialisation may help to create subcultures. [10 marks]
12. June 2019 · Paper 2 · Q3 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 3 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Marxist sociologists argue that mass culture makes people passive consumers and undermines their ability to think critically about society. Marxists also say that cultural industries make products for profit rather than for their merit. Other sociologists prefer to use the term popular culture, rather than mass culture, because this suggests diversity and choice. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological contributions to the understanding of mass culture. [20 marks]
13. June 2019 · AS Paper 2 · Q5 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 5 Outline three ways in which global culture may influence an individual’s sense of identity. [6 marks]
14. June 2018 · AS Paper 2 · Q5 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 5 Outline three characteristics of folk culture. [6 marks]
15. June 2017 · Paper 2 · Q1 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
Topic A1 Culture and Identity 0 1 Outline and explain two ways in which subcultures may be related to the consumption of goods and services. [10 marks]
16. June 2017 · AS Paper 2 · Q3 · 2 marks · AO1=2
0 3 Define the term ‘global culture’. [2 marks]
17. June 2016 · AS Paper 2 · Q5 · 6 marks · AO1=6
0 5 Outline three characteristics of mass culture. [6 marks]
18. Specimen set 1 · Paper 2 · Q2 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 2 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A One of the features of the world today is a global culture in which there is increasing interconnectedness between people living in different parts of the world. Technology has allowed people to exchange ideas and information at a rapid and expanding rate. Sociologists have pointed out that this global culture has both positive and negative impacts on the culture of people in the UK. Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which global culture affects the culture of people in the UK. [10 marks]

Mark schemes

1. June 2025 · Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 2 Q2
2. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 2 Q3
3. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 2 Q5
4. June 2024 · Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 2 Q2
5. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 2 Q3
6. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q7
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 2 Q7
7. June 2022 · AS Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 2 Q3
8. June 2022 · Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 2 Q3
9. November 2021 · Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme November 2021 Paper 2 Q3
10. November 2020 · Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme November 2020 Paper 2 Q2
11. November 2020 · AS Paper 2 · Q6
Mark scheme November 2020 Paper 2 Q6
12. June 2019 · Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 2 Q3
13. June 2019 · AS Paper 2 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 2 Q5
14. June 2018 · AS Paper 2 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2018 Paper 2 Q5
15. June 2017 · Paper 2 · Q1
Mark scheme June 2017 Paper 2 Q1
16. June 2017 · AS Paper 2 · Q3
Mark scheme June 2017 Paper 2 Q3
17. June 2016 · AS Paper 2 · Q5
Mark scheme June 2016 Paper 2 Q5
18. Specimen set 1 · Paper 2 · Q2
Mark scheme Specimen set 1 Paper 2 Q2