Using one example, briefly explain (2 marks)

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was well answered on the whole. Many students were able to select a reason that may prompt the formation of a subculture, gaining the first mark. However, fewer were able to expand on this and relate this to how this results in the group forming. Credit was given for both pro and anti-school subcultures along with other pupil adaptations.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a cause (labelling, academic failure, pre-existing class/ethnic/gender subcultures) explained as leading pupils to group together
• many gave the cause but not how the group forms
• pro- and anti-school subcultures both credited

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was successfully answered by most students. Popular approaches involved using aspects of interactionist theory labelling or the looking glass self to gain credit.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: master status, looking-glass self, rejecting others' perceptions
• labelling and looking-glass self were popular and successful

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Most students found this question straightforward and were able to gain both marks. Secularisation and changes in the position of women were popular ways of gaining credit.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: secularisation, less stigma for alternatives (cohabitation, single life), women's changed position, fear of divorce
• secularisation and women's position most popular

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was answered well. Lack of physical adjustments for example and absence of ramps, lifts and other variants was the most popular way of tackling the question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: lack of physical adjustments excluding people, discriminatory attitudes, media representation
• ramps/lifts was the most popular route

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was quite intuitive, and most students could suggest why wealthy people are likely to stay wealthy for example through inheritance or being enabled by their wealth to be able to make investments.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: wealth generating more wealth through investment, cultural capital, talent
• inheritance and investment were common

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Question 02: This question was answered well by most students. They were able to identify an internal factor and then apply it to differential achievement amongst different ethnic groups. A minority identified external factors. This could still be awarded if then linked to an internal factor eg. language barriers in the school. However, some students did not make the link. Partial credit was given for identification but an insufficient link to achievement.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for an internal factor (e.g. labelling, ethnocentric curriculum, anti-racism training), +1 for linking it to ethnic differences in achievement
• answered well
• a minority wrongly gave external factors

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was successfully answered by most students. Popular approaches involved using aspects of interactionist theory backstage / frontstage for example. Choice of leisure activities and clothes / fashion were also popular and successful approaches.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained example (e.g. language, clothes, leisure choices) with how it shapes the impression given
• front-stage/back-stage ideas popular and credited

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Most students had little difficulty in answering this question and as a result gained both marks. There were many reasons to explain a fall in infant mortality over the last 100 years. The majority of answers focussed on improvements in the nature of health care and provision.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained reason (diet, health care, housing, vaccination) with its effect
• most gained both marks, usually via health care improvements

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was broad in nature and in general answered well. Students could select any aspect of society and how it might impact on any type of mental illness. Popular answers featured gender inequality and stress, and racism and its impact on stress / anxiety / depression.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a structural factor (poverty, racism, gender inequality) explained as causing a pattern of mental illness
• any structural aspect and any mental illness credited
• ER comment for Q14 also printed under Q13

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Many students did not understand what “informal” welfare was as opposed to other types such as public etc. As a result, finding examples of how informal welfare might provide day to day support proved difficult. “Voluntary” examples of welfare such as food banks were often presented in answers as a type of informal welfare but could not be credited.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained example of informal care (family, friends, neighbours)
• voluntary-sector examples such as food banks not credited
• many confused informal with other types of welfare

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

It was evident that students had been well-prepared to understand the demands of the different styles of questions, giving appropriately short responses to the 2 mark questions and using bullet points in their answers to question 3. Question 02: This question required students to show an understanding of how streaming (as a cause) may impact student achievement (effect). In order to do so, students needed to show an understanding of ability grouping within a school setting and that there is an element of being in a ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ ability group. Many were able to show this skill, with students most frequently suggesting that being in a lower ability grouping could place a label of ‘low achiever’ on a pupil which they would then internalise to create a self-fulfilling prophecy by attaining low grades in final exams. Where answers didn’t receive full credit, generally this was due to a description of a school class in general (no link to high/ low ability), or that they compared different types of schools.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must show cause (streaming) and effect on achievement
• credited: higher streams gain confidence, lower streams feel marginalised and join anti-school subcultures or give up
• most common answer: lower-stream label internalised as a self-fulfilling prophecy

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was answered in the main successfully and most answers went down the route of sexuality being liable to be subject to various forms of discrimination. One limitation to the effectiveness of student responses was to focus overly on gender and gender identity as opposed to sexuality.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the way sexuality shapes experience, +1 for explaining it (e.g. workplace discrimination, abuse at school, presumption of heterosexuality leading to concealment)
• answers focused on gender or gender identity rather than sexuality lose credit

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Most students found this question straight forward and accessible and in general the question was answered well. The most popular responses referenced differences in levels of parental control, different experiences resulting from specific family forms such as extended or lone parent and differences in the length of childhood.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the difference, +1 for explaining it (e.g. experience of racism, family structure such as lone-parent or extended households, levels of parental control and obligation)
• accessible, answered well

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was generally answered well. Popular routes were: discrimination within health, physical access to the place of health care and accessibility of the building once there. Partial marks generally arose from students identifying a difficulty but offering no explanation of it.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the difficulty, +1 for explaining it (e.g. professionals' prejudice, mobility problems getting to appointments, information in unsuitable formats)
• naming a difficulty without explanation = 1

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Many students did not understand what “private” welfare was as opposed to other types such as public etc. As a result, identifying appropriate advantages proved difficult. The most common approach taken by students was therefore to reach for various advantages of different kinds of welfare provision, some of which were creditworthy and others not, so producing uneven responses.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the advantage, +1 for explaining it (e.g. better quality, quicker service, more tailored choice)
• many did not know what private welfare is and gave uneven advantages of welfare in general

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was answered very well by most students. Centres have clearly taught the correspondence principle well and this was used by many students to gain full marks. Other students were equally successful using a less theoretical approach, giving practical examples from schools. Where some students missed available marks, they tended to lack an explicit link to the world of work.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the example +1 for explaining the link to work (discipline codes and punctuality, competition, repetitive tasks and alienation)
• answered well, often via the correspondence principle or practical school examples

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

For low mark tariff questions where candidates are required to either define, explain or outline, care should be taken to ensure that points are not just identified. This question proved to be difficult for many students, with few scoring full marks. The most successful answers used the example of education and the teaching of British history. The most common responses used the example of religion without linking this to national identity and failed to score.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the example +1 for explaining the link to national identity (school teaching a common history, international sport, national rituals)
• found difficult
• religion without a link to national identity scored nothing

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

For low mark tariff questions where candidates are required to either define, explain or outline, care should be taken to ensure that points are not just identified. In general, this question was answered well. In stronger responses there was a clear idea of blurring with an example and brief explanation. The most common response was new media technology resulting in exposure to adult knowledge. Partial responses identified an example but failed to develop it, for example ‘same clothing’. There were a number of incorrect responses such as an increase in teenage pregnancies.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the example +1 for explaining the blurring (media technology giving children access to adult themes, adults in youthful leisure, loss of innocence)
• answered well, mostly via new media
• undeveloped examples (same clothing) got 1
• teenage pregnancy not credited

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

For low mark tariff questions where candidates are required to either define, explain or outline, care should be taken to ensure that points are not just identified. This question was generally answered well. Partial responses included poverty but this was not always developed into an answer directly related to accessing health care. There were a variety of responses that failed to gain credit, for example countries with no health care or children not having the language skills to tell parents they are ill.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the example +1 for explaining the barrier to access (parents' lack of transport, lack of confidence with professionals, cannot afford private care)
• poverty often not developed into access
• countries without health care or children's language skills not credited
• this part's examiners' comment is also attached to 13 in the source

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

For low mark tariff questions where candidates are required to either define, explain or outline, care should be taken to ensure that points are not just identified. The most common response to this question was the idea that volunteers are not paid therefore they will provide a worse service, indicating a lack of understanding of the disadvantages of voluntary groups providing welfare services. Some responses identified patchy coverage or lack of expert knowledge but this usually gained partial marks only.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the example +1 for explaining the disadvantage (unreliable funding, lack of expertise, patchy coverage)
• 'volunteers are unpaid so give a worse service' showed misunderstanding
• patchy coverage and expertise usually only partially explained

Mark scheme

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the school response +1 for explaining it (recruiting EAL-competent teachers, adjusting the school day for religious observance, culturally diverse menus)
• no examiners' report for this series

Mark scheme

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for a way disability shapes experience (abuse, restricted job opportunities, transport access), +1 for its consequence (e.g. social exclusion, limited leisure)

Mark scheme

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for an improvement (legal protection and rights, child-centred families, higher living standards), +1 for explaining it

Mark scheme

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for a reason (class make-up of regions, hazardous industries, uneven access to health care), +1 for explaining it

Mark scheme

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for a problem (deciding necessities vs luxuries, subjective judgements, comparisons over time), +1 for explaining it

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

There was a wide range of answers provided for this question. A large number of students struggled to identify an explicit way in which schools select students. For example, many offered ‘social class’ as a way that schools select without mentioning any explicit way in which schools select on that basis. Furthermore, despite the question stating ‘other than by academic ability’, many students offered selection criteria that referred to ability, for example ‘by testing students’. Most students that offered ‘social class’ as a selection criterion then went on to explain that this was because it would help schools to improve their ranking in league tables, and so was implicitly about ability and therefore not credit worthy. In addition, most students who offered selection by ‘sex’ then went on to explain that this is because girls do better in tests and portray the school in a more positive light, and therefore was again about ability and not worthy of the full 2 marks. Other students offered ‘cream skimming’ without any mention of the process of selection. More successful answers were often based around the ideas of ‘catchment area’ or ‘faith’ which then were explained by, for example, stating ‘by selecting students who live in a certain proximity of the school’ or ‘selecting students that could demonstrate church attendance’.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must name an explicit selection method and explain it
• anything based on ability (tests, league-table motives, cream-skimming without the mechanism) not credited
• 'social class' alone is not a selection method
• best answers used catchment area or faith (e.g. proof of church attendance)

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question proved to be relatively straight forward for most students. The most common successful answers were able to relate social class to income and the impact financial constraints have on leisure choices. Partial answers merely gave examples of class-based leisure activities.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• 1 mark for a class-based leisure example (e.g. horse riding vs football and darts), +1 for explaining why (income, cultural expectations, different opportunities)
• best answers linked class to income and financial limits
• just naming class-based activities = partial
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The most common response was to make a reference to the ‘triple shift’ or ‘domestic violence’ and these were rewarded accordingly. Some answers described conjugal roles but omitted to explain the negative side for women of the aspect of family life that they identified.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• 2 marks for a clearly explained example, 1 if partial
• common answers: triple shift, domestic violence, warm bath for men
• describing conjugal roles without saying why they are negative for women = partial
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

In general, this was answered well. Many responses referred to examples of the medical profession causing harm to patients and the resulting decline in public respect for medicine. Some successful answers made reference to the rise of alternative medicine. Others discussed the role of the internet as a source of knowledge that has enabled patients to more readily challenge the medical profession.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• 2 marks for a clearly explained example, 1 if partial
• credited: medical harm and scandals, alternative medicine, internet knowledge to challenge doctors, degenerative diseases, patients' rights groups
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Most students were able to explain why households with children may be more at risk from poverty with reference to the cost of children for families. This was often developed by discussing the specific expenses that children incur, or in relation to having to give up work, wholly or partially, to care for children.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• 2 marks for a clearly explained reason, 1 if partial
• common answers: cost of children and childcare, carers giving up work, inadequate benefits
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question produced a wide range of answers. Successful responses clearly identified an aspect of boys’ behaviour which could lead to educational underachievement. The most common behaviours identified included ‘messing around/ being disruptive’, ‘truanting’ and ‘not bothering with work’. Many were then able to go on and explain, for example, that ‘therefore boys miss out on their learning and underachieve’. Some students were able to offer an example of boys’ behaviour but were less successful in explaining how this leads to them doing less well in education. Unsuccessful answers were unable to explicitly identify an example of boys’ behaviour, for example, mentioning ‘laddish subcultures’ or ‘anti-school subcultures’ more generally. Others referred to ‘teacher labelling’ but did not link this to how boys’ behaviours change as a result and so did not gain credit.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for a specific behaviour, +1 for explaining how it hinders achievement (e.g. disrupting lessons, truanting, 'having a laugh')
• naming 'laddish' or anti-school subcultures in general without a specific behaviour gained nothing
• teacher labelling only credited if linked to boys' behaviour

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question proved to be more difficult than anticipated. Some answers focused on the impact of social class on choice of leisure activity but did not relate this to an individual’s identity. The most common successful answers were able to relate work to class identity or some sort of work- based relationships that helped individual’s see themselves as part of a group.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: work defining class identity through a shared work situation, work routine giving meaning and purpose, colleague friendships defining sense of self
• harder than expected
• class and leisure choices not linked to identity gained little
• successful answers used class identity or work-based group belonging
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The most common answer was "toxic childhood ", with an example explained. Many answers referred to negative aspects of technology and problems of children’s exposure to it. Those who failed to score usually omitted to explain what was negative about the experience that they identified. For example identified ‘poverty’ or ‘divorce’ without explaining what the negative consequence was.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: abuse, stress and mental illness, age patriarchy
• toxic childhood and technology were common
• naming poverty or divorce without the negative consequence = no credit
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Some students struggled to explain how individuals with mental illness may be stigmatised. These answers tended to describe labelling without being clear about what the labels were or how they were stigmatised labels. Answers that were more successful were able to explain with reference to individuals seen as deviant in some way or as somehow culpable for their own situation and therefore not deserving of any sympathy.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: seen as deviant, blamed for own condition, seen as weak
• describing labelling without saying what the stigmatising label is did poorly
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The most common responses explained the impact of loss of routine or loss of purpose on an individual’s sense of identity. Unsuccessful answers tended to repeat the question without actually explain the impact of loss of job on identity.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: loss of routine/purpose, lack of money and self-worth, loss of status
• repeating the question without the effect on identity = no credit
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Students offered a wide variety of responses to this question. Some students were unable to clearly identify a selection policy and instead offered policies, such as league tables, Ofsted and marketisation. Others referred generally to the effects, processes or elected to discuss social class differences in general, without relation to a specific selection policy. Some students conflated choice with selection and referred generally to parental choice (or parentocracy), rather than the school choosing. More successful students were able to identify a range of selection policies, with most referring to the 11+ exam, setting and streaming, and entrance exams. The most successful answers were then able to explain how the identified policy may advantage middle-class pupils or disadvantage working-class pupils in terms of educational achievement.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for the selection policy, +1 for explaining how it advantages middle-class or disadvantages working-class pupils (e.g. 11+, streaming, catchment areas)
• league tables, Ofsted or general marketisation are not selection policies
• parental choice confused with schools selecting pupils

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The most common successful answers were able to relate age or gender or social class and leisure choices, and then explain how they shaped identity. Weaker answers described a leisure activity and then often struggled to make some connection with identity.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained example, 1 if partial
• best answers linked leisure choices to age, gender or class and then to identity
• weaker answers described a leisure activity with no clear link to identity

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The most common answer was ’the warm bath’, closely followed by ’satisfaction of sexual drive’, while a few referred to the economic benefits. Stabilisation of the adult personality was often developed well as was ‘meeting emotional needs’. The most frequent error made was to confuse functions with roles, or to talk about the functions the family fulfils for society (eg reproduction, primary socialisation).

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained example, 1 if partial
• common answers: warm bath, sex drive, stabilisation of adult personality, economic needs
• common error: confusing functions with roles or giving functions for society (reproduction, primary socialisation) rather than for adults

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question proved to be quite difficult for many students. Partial answers tended to ignore the aspect of declining confidence in the question and just tended to assert that doctors did not operate in the best interests of their patients. More successful students cited the increased use of the internet undermining the traditional authority of the medical profession. Other good answers made direct reference to recent scandals involving the medical profession and related these to a decline in confidence in the medical profession.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained example, 1 if partial
• good answers: internet access to medical knowledge, alternative medicine, medical scandals
• many ignored the 'decline in confidence' and just asserted doctors act against patients' interests

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Most answers were able to explain a problem of using an absolute definition of poverty, usually with reference to cultural differences in defining basic necessities. A minority of students wrote answers that were tangential, such as by discussing the merits of the benefit system.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 2 marks for a clearly explained example, 1 if partial
• most common answer: cultural differences in what counts as a basic necessity
• tangents such as the merits of the benefit system not credited

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The most popular response was to identify league tables or parental choice as a marketisation policy and then explain how this may advantage middle-class pupils because of their parents’ greater cultural or economic capital. However, a significant minority failed to identify any specific marketisation policy, while a few misidentified the tripartite or comprehensive systems as examples of marketisation policies. Some scored one mark for identifying a relevant policy without explaining its effect on class differences in achievement.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• 1 mark for a named marketisation policy (parental choice, league tables, free schools) +1 for explaining its effect on class differences
• common answers: league tables or parental choice favouring middle-class pupils via cultural/economic capital
• some named no specific policy or wrongly cited the tripartite or comprehensive systems

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

The key to this question was to link the idea of labelling to the individual as opposed to linking it to the general impact of labelling on society. Most successful answers tended to discuss the self- fulfilling prophecy and the idea that an individual may internalise their label.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link labelling to the individual, not to society in general
• credited: master status, self-fulfilling prophecy, resisting the label
• best answers used internalising the label/self-fulfilling prophecy

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

This question was generally answered well and a high proportion of students gained full marks. The majority referred to the dual burden or the triple shift as the form that exploitation takes, and were then able to explain what the term meant. Others answered successfully by citing and explaining unpaid domestic labour, emotion work or domestic violence.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: domestic labour, abuse, lack of power in decisions
• most used dual burden/triple shift, also emotion work and domestic violence
• generally well answered

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Successful answers were able to identify the consequences of travel and the spread of communicable diseases as affecting the patterns of health and illness in the United Kingdom. Some students were able to identify different susceptibilities to different diseases among different ethnic groups, but failed to link it back to movement of people between countries. Answers that discussed health tourism often struggled to explain how this might affect patterns of health and illness in the United Kingdom.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: travel and spread of communicable disease, migration bringing groups with different susceptibilities
• must link back to movement between countries
• health tourism answers struggled to explain the effect on patterns of illness

Mark scheme

Examiner's comment

Most answers were able to explain how technological change may lead to reskilling, usually with reference to the introduction of computer technology.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• credited: computers replacing unskilled tasks with new skills, more complex equipment needing training, flexible workers who keep updating skills
• mostly well answered via computer technology