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Medicine, the health professions and the globalised health industry

Past-paper questions pack

Name
Class
Date set
Date due
Score/ 224

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 · 20 parts · mark schemes follow the questions · www.alevelsociologytutor.com · Questions and mark schemes © AQA

1. June 2025 · Paper 2 · Q7 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 7 Outline and explain two ways in which the role of medicine affects the social distribution of health chances. [10 marks]
2. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q17 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
1 7 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Weberian sociologists argue that the medical profession use various strategies to maintain their high status and power over patients. Furthermore, they believe that the medical profession may serve the interests of themselves rather than their patients. This contrasts with the functionalist view that sees the medical profession as protecting patients and benefitting society. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the view that the medical profession may serve the interests of themselves rather than their patients. [20 marks]
3. June 2024 · Paper 2 · Q9 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 9 Read Item F below and answer the question that follows. Item F Conflict sociologists argue that powerful groups contribute to inequalities in health and illness. For example, Marxists claim that the medical profession and health care industries reinforce class inequalities in health and illness. Other sociologists argue that the medical profession has lost power. Individuals now have increased choice when monitoring health and treating illness. Applying material from Item F and your knowledge, evaluate the extent to which powerful groups control health and illness. [20 marks]
4. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q16 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
1 6 Outline and explain two ways in which attitudes of health professionals may affect how some individuals from ethnic minorities access health care. [10 marks]
5. June 2023 · Paper 2 · Q7 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 7 Outline and explain two ways in which the globalised health industry may affect health chances in the UK. [10 marks]
6. June 2023 · AS Paper 2 · Q17 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
1 7 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Some sociologists argue that global pharmaceutical companies (‘big pharma’) have a negative impact on patient wellbeing and society as a whole. They point to the general medicalisation of aspects of social life as well as specific examples of negative consequences of some drug treatments. Supporters of global pharmaceutical companies point to the substantial advances in medical knowledge that continue to be driven by these companies. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the view that global pharmaceutical companies have a negative impact on patient wellbeing and society as a whole. [20 marks]
7. June 2022 · Paper 2 · Q9 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 9 Read Item F below and answer the question that follows. Item F Functionalists argue that health professionals perform an important role in helping society remain stable. They also suggest that health professionals, such as doctors, possess the expert knowledge to diagnose and provide treatment in the interests of patients. Other sociologists argue that functionalists fail to consider that health professionals may operate in the interests of powerful groups. Applying material from Item F and your knowledge, evaluate the functionalist view of the role of health professionals. [20 marks]
8. June 2022 · AS Paper 2 · Q16 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
1 6 Outline and explain two ways in which aspects of women’s lives may have become medicalised. [10 marks]
9. November 2021 · Paper 2 · Q7 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 7 Outline and explain two ways in which health professionals may affect social class inequalities in health and illness. [10 marks]
10. November 2020 · AS Paper 2 · Q13 · 2 marks · AO1=2
1 3 Define the term ‘big pharma’. [2 marks]
11. June 2019 · Paper 2 · Q7 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 7 Outline and explain two ways in which health professionals may contribute to the social construction of health and illness. [10 marks]
12. June 2019 · Paper 2 · Q8 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 8 Read Item E below and answer the question that follows. Item E The growth of the global health industry in recent years has meant that a wider range of services and products are now available. The needs of this industry to maintain sales and profits can conflict with people’s health needs. Applying material from Item E, analyse two ways in which the global health industry may affect people’s health. [10 marks]
13. June 2019 · AS Paper 2 · Q14 · 2 marks · AO2=2
1 4 Using one example, briefly explain why there may be a decline in respect for medicine. [2 marks]
14. June 2018 · Paper 2 · Q7 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2
0 7 Outline and explain two ways in which health professionals may affect inequalities in health care. [10 marks]
15. June 2018 · AS Paper 2 · Q13 · 2 marks · AO1=2
1 3 Define the term ‘medicalisation’. [2 marks]
16. June 2018 · AS Paper 2 · Q17 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
1 7 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Feminists argue that the medical profession and the biomedical model of health serve the interests of patriarchy. They argue that women’s views and women’s interests are often marginalised by modern medical practice. However, some sociologists argue that modern medicine serves the interests of society as a whole. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate the view that modern medicine serves the interests of patriarchy. [20 marks]
17. June 2017 · Paper 2 · Q8 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3
0 8 Read Item E below and answer the question that follows. Item E One aspect of globalisation has been the growth of a huge globalised health industry, involving transnational corporations. These organisations have enormous political, economic and cultural power. Health care in the United Kingdom has been affected in several ways by this worldwide health industry. Applying material from Item E, analyse two ways in which the globalised health industry affects health care in the United Kingdom. [10 marks]
18. June 2017 · AS Paper 2 · Q14 · 2 marks · AO2=2
1 4 Using one example, briefly explain why there may have been a decline in the confidence of patients in the medical profession. [2 marks]
19. June 2016 · AS Paper 2 · Q15 · 6 marks · AO1=6
1 5 Outline three ways in which the medical profession may serve its own interests rather than the interests of society as a whole. [6 marks]
20. Specimen set 1 · Paper 2 · Q9 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6
0 9 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Doctors present themselves as acting in the interests of their patients and wider society in the fight against disease and suffering. However, according to conflict sociologists, doctors serve the interests of powerful groups such as the pharmaceutical industry and the capitalist class as a whole. They also protect their own self-interest as highly privileged, well-paid professionals. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that the medical profession serves the interests of powerful groups in society. [20 marks]

Mark schemes

1. June 2025 · Paper 2 · Q7
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 2 Q7
2. June 2025 · AS Paper 2 · Q17
Mark scheme June 2025 Paper 2 Q17
3. June 2024 · Paper 2 · Q9
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 2 Q9
4. June 2024 · AS Paper 2 · Q16
Mark scheme June 2024 Paper 2 Q16
5. June 2023 · Paper 2 · Q7
Mark scheme June 2023 Paper 2 Q7
6. June 2023 · AS Paper 2 · Q17
Mark scheme June 2023 Paper 2 Q17
7. June 2022 · Paper 2 · Q9
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 2 Q9
8. June 2022 · AS Paper 2 · Q16
Mark scheme June 2022 Paper 2 Q16
9. November 2021 · Paper 2 · Q7
Mark scheme November 2021 Paper 2 Q7
10. November 2020 · AS Paper 2 · Q13
Mark scheme November 2020 Paper 2 Q13
11. June 2019 · Paper 2 · Q7
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 2 Q7
12. June 2019 · Paper 2 · Q8
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 2 Q8
13. June 2019 · AS Paper 2 · Q14
Mark scheme June 2019 Paper 2 Q14
14. June 2018 · Paper 2 · Q7
Mark scheme June 2018 Paper 2 Q7
15. June 2018 · AS Paper 2 · Q13
Mark scheme June 2018 Paper 2 Q13
16. June 2018 · AS Paper 2 · Q17
Mark scheme June 2018 Paper 2 Q17
17. June 2017 · Paper 2 · Q8
Mark scheme June 2017 Paper 2 Q8
18. June 2017 · AS Paper 2 · Q14
Mark scheme June 2017 Paper 2 Q14
19. June 2016 · AS Paper 2 · Q15
Mark scheme June 2016 Paper 2 Q15
20. Specimen set 1 · Paper 2 · Q9
Mark scheme Specimen set 1 Paper 2 Q9