Outline and explain two (10 marks)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Students had a good understanding of material deprivation identifying and developing a range of different factors. Better responses were able to develop and analyse these. Following a logical chain of discussion and reasoning. Some students engaged in repetition and or got material factors confused with other internal and external factors.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be material factors (diet, housing, income, extra resources)
• confusing them with cultural or in-school factors loses focus
• drift into general theory = 1–3
• top band analysis e.g. a reasoned conclusion that in-school factors also matter

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

On the 10-mark 'outline and explain' question (the fourth question in each topic area), and the 6-mark 'outline three...' question (the third question in each topic). For the 10-mark 'outline and explain' questions, students would benefit from clearly identifying a specific way, reason, or factor, followed by a developed explanation. This approach would help make their answers more coherent, structured and easier to reward. This question appeared accessible to most students and some effective answers were given. Some students focused primarily on ethnicity and life chances rather than broadening the scope of their answers out to consider the totality of “experience” as a whole. More successful responses often drew on content from the education topic, exploring concepts such as labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy. Discrimination was the most frequently mentioned theme, with higher-level answers developing this further into discussions of institutional racism.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways, each developed
• examples: discrimination/stigma, institutional racism, media stereotyping or under-representation, differential access, cultural practices, close communities
• drift into general accounts of ethnic differences = 1-3
• some narrowed to life chances rather than experience as a whole
• best developed discrimination into institutional racism

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

On the 10-mark 'outline and explain' question (the fourth question in each topic area), and the 6-mark 'outline three...' question (the third question in each topic). For the 10-mark 'outline and explain' questions, students would benefit from clearly identifying a specific way, reason, or factor, followed by a developed explanation. This approach would help make their answers more coherent, structured and easier to reward. This question required students to name a diverse family form type, for example the lone parent family and suggest how that family form may impact on the domestic division of labour. One common way to do this was found in answers which suggested that in lone parent families the lone parent carried out the entirety of the roles and tasks making up the domestic division of labour. Answers which named a family type generally went on to be developed in an effective way. Where a diverse family type was not named, the development of the answer was limited and often could not gain credit.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must name a diverse family type and link it to the division of labour
• examples: dual-earner/neo-conventional, same-sex couples without gender scripts, lone parents doing all tasks, beanpole/extended and triple shift, cultural diversity
• general accounts of domestic division of labour = 1-3
• unnamed family types rarely earned credit

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

On the 10-mark 'outline and explain' question (the fourth question in each topic area), and the 6-mark 'outline three...' question (the third question in each topic). For the 10-mark 'outline and explain' questions, students would benefit from clearly identifying a specific way, reason, or factor, followed by a developed explanation. This approach would help make their answers more coherent, structured and easier to reward. This question proved to be difficult for students. The expected responses were ideas such as the working class having a more fatalistic attitudes to life and therefore choosing to ignore medical advice. Instead, most students focused not on the “advice take” up part of the question but more general issues of access to health care. As a result, many of these answers were not well applied to the question and struggled to gain credit. Better responses focused on themes of understanding advice, material factors influencing the ability to act on the advice and so on.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• about take-up of preventive ADVICE by class
• examples: middle-class confidence with doctors, cultural capital, work commitments and transport, health knowledge, material limits on diet/exercise, working-class fatalism
• most drifted into general access to health care and gained little
• general accounts of class health differences = 1-3

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

On the 10-mark 'outline and explain' question (the fourth question in each topic area), and the 6-mark 'outline three...' question (the third question in each topic). For the 10-mark 'outline and explain' questions, students would benefit from clearly identifying a specific way, reason, or factor, followed by a developed explanation. This approach would help make their answers more coherent, structured and easier to reward. Students generally had no difficulty in finding reasons why manual workers may experience high levels of alienation. Answers often suggested: the various impacts of scientific management, poor pay and conditions, the negative impact of technology including surveillance and job insecurity. The development of the given reasons was often the limiting factor for some students. Some found it difficult to connect the reason to further development of it.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons each developed
• examples: scientific management and monotony, poor pay and conditions, insecurity, lack of autonomy, deskilling by technology, few promotion chances
• general accounts of manual work = 1-3
• development was the usual limit

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• drifting into disadvantages of qualitative methods = 1-3
• top band: two reasons each developed, e.g. natural settings giving verstehen and validity, flexibility of unstructured interviews, with analysis of why meanings matter to interpretivists
• no examiners' report published

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. This question was not as well answered as expected, with answers sometimes not explicitly focused on ethnic groups. The better answers made connections between ethnicity and consumption by, for example, considering the role of consumption in maintaining cultures based on ethnicity, or comparing consumption between ethnic groups.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• answers must focus explicitly on ethnic groups
• drift into ethnicity in general = 1–3
• top band: consumption to express ethnic identity or keep diasporic culture, and comparing consumption between groups
• not as well answered as expected

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. This was generally answered well. Most responses focused on social changes such as the growth of feminism, changes in women’s ambitions and secularisation. Most answers showed understanding of the effects of change in patterns of divorce. It was good to see some students looking at divorce decreasing due to pure love and cohabitation.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link a social change to divorce patterns
• drift into describing divorce patterns = 1–3
• common answers: feminism and women's independence, secularisation, rising expectations, law changes
• credit also for change reducing divorce (pure relationships, cohabitation, cost of living)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. Students generally chose to interpret this question by focusing on access to health care and how this affected the distribution of health chances. The idea that more affluent individuals resided in places with better health care provision was a common way to do this and the inverse care law frequently featured.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link medicine (consumer choice, private treatment, postcode availability) to the social distribution of health chances
• drift into health chances in general = 1–3
• most answered through access to care and the inverse care law

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. Most answers showed understand of why women might be prevented from entering full time employment. Some of the most successful answers used intersectionality, for example considering how ethnic minority women may face a double oppression of racism and patriarchy that affects employment opportunities.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• drift into full-time employment in general = 1–3
• common reasons: family responsibilities, employer discrimination, reserve army of labour
• best answers used intersectionality (e.g. ethnic minority women facing racism and patriarchy)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. Some students found it difficult to interpret “social groups”, although this term is in the specification, and gave two reasons for secularisation rather than addressing the question. There were some unorthodox social groups, but credit as given where these were reasonable and plausible. Many better answers focused on age and ethnicity; for example, ethnic minorities and cultural defence slowing secularisation down and young people no longer feeling religious speeding it up.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be how social groups (age, class, ethnicity, gender, urban populations) influence secularisation, not general reasons for secularisation (= 1–3)
• plausible unorthodox groups credited
• good answers: ethnic minorities' cultural defence slowing it, young people speeding it

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. This question was generally well answered with successful answers often discussing standardised Western teaching practices spreading globally and ways in which aid from non- governmental organisations may affect education.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• drift into education in general = 1–3
• common answers: spread of standardised Western teaching, NGO aid for schooling
• also global ideas on girls' education and reaction against Western schooling

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. Answers often showed good knowledge and understanding of some issues around this area but did not always manage to make a clear connection between ownership or control and representations of social class. Better answers often gave one way based on ownership (e.g. by media oligarchs) and one on control (e.g. new media allowing the audience to contribute some content).

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link ownership or control to representations of class
• drift into representations in general = 1–3
• better answers gave one way based on ownership (owner interests, chav stereotypes) and one on control (editors' news values, user-generated content)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they have not done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be aware that there are two types of ten-mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10-mark questions, are unlikely to help students and take up time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two answers are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. The most successful answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence such as an example and, where appropriate, theory. Students were generally able to identify two reasons. Answers often discussed lack of educational achievement amongst the working class, reducing their opportunity for upward mobility, contrasting with resources available to the middle classes. Better answers were able to explain how upward mobility could be achieved through, for example, investment, benefitting from inheritance and education. Only a minority of students referred to studies of social mobility such as by the Sutton Trust which could have allowed deeper analysis.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• drift into social mobility in general = 1–3
• common answers: working-class educational underachievement, lack of cultural capital and networks
• few used mobility studies (e.g. Sutton Trust) for analysis

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Question five presented mixed responses. Students who did less well found it hard to keep to just two problems and accounts of validity drifted off into access or representativeness. Students needed to focus on the question set and find two problems with primary methods. Students who performed well gave a problem and were able to link this to a relevant primary research method. They were also able to give an example of a study such as Milgram or Oakley to further illustrate their point.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two problems each developed, e.g. loss of objectivity, ethical issues such as informed consent or guilty knowledge, access, cost and time
• best answers linked each problem to a specific primary method and a study (Milgram, Oakley)
• weaker answers drifted from validity into access or representativeness and could not keep to two

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Question 04: In order to produce a good response to this question, students were required to show an understanding of how two inequalities in wider society impact the achievement of working-class pupils. Most students found this to be accessible and were able to identify at least one way. Good responses were able to identify two ways and develop them.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be inequalities outside school (material deprivation, speech codes, cultural capital, habitus, fatalism) linked to working-class achievement
• drift into achievement of social groups in general = 1–3 band
• most managed one way, good answers developed two

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain’ 10-mark question. Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made then leading to an explanation of it. So, making the student’s answer more cogent. This question proved to be straightforward. Generally, students managed to identify two agencies of socialisation and suggest a way in which they could shape identity. Where students found the question more challenging was in developing the identified way to include wider sociological material and include analysis. For example, the notion of the media stereotyping young people could be developed via use of moral panics or the view that stereotypes might be challenged through the more open access of social media. Students who developed their answers in ways like these produced more creditworthy response.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• name an agency and explain how it shapes age identity
• drift into general accounts of age identity = 1–3
• top band analysis e.g. how gender interacts with age
• better answers developed media stereotyping through moral panics or challenge via social media

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain’ 10-mark question. Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made then leading to an explanation of it. So, making the student’s answer more cogent. This question required students to identify a change in the organisation of paid work and suggest a way in which that change might impact on gender relationships in the family. This question proved more challenging for students. Answers sometimes spent a long time describing changes without connecting them to an impact on gender relationships. A sizeable minority did not refer to changes in the organisation of paid work except to say women now work. Analysis was often developed by reflecting on the response of various perspectives to the change for example functionalism and the new right.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must identify a change in the organisation of paid work and link it to gender relationships in the family
• drift into general gender roles = 1–3
• many described changes without the effect, or said only that women now work
• top band analysis e.g. class and ethnic variation

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain’ 10-mark question. Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made then leading to an explanation of it. So, making the student’s answer more cogent. This question was not answered well, and many students did not seem clear on what the question wanted them to do. Some students talked about health chances rather than health care – which limited the amount of credit they could be given. Popular approaches to the question focussed on language barriers and racism / ethnocentrism amongst some health care professionals.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be professionals' attitudes affecting access to health care, not health chances
• drift into general ethnicity and health = 1–3
• common answers: language barriers, racism/ethnocentrism
• top band analysis of differences between minority groups
• not answered well

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain’ 10-mark question. Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made then leading to an explanation of it. So, making the student’s answer more cogent. Responses to this question often used levels of education and accumulated money as their starting point. For example, higher levels of education of the middle class making it easier for them to avoid long periods of unemployment and to be able to find work again quickly. Answers that used money focussed on money providing the middle class with a cushion not available to the working class so making unemployment more significant for the working class. Less effective answers talked about material or educational differences between the working and middle class without bringing them back to bear on how they might affect the significance of unemployment.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must explain why unemployment matters more for the working class than the middle class
• drift into general effects of unemployment = 1–3
• common answers: savings as a cushion, education and ability to retrain
• weaker answers described class differences without linking them to unemployment

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question presented significant challenges, with many students struggling to understand and address the concept of ‘research design’ as influenced by feminism. Despite this concept being explicitly included in the specification, many responses discussed the impact of feminism in general terms without linking it specifically to aspects of research design. However, there were examples of students who interpreted the question as intended and effectively discussed, for instance, feminist preferences for qualitative methods and the importance of building rapport. Many of the more successful answers referred to feminist researchers often favouring qualitative approaches, such as unstructured interviews, to explore sensitive topics and prioritise participants' perspectives. In addition, some students then cited studies such as Dobash and Dobash's research on domestic violence, illustrating how feminist methodologies can provide deeper insights into women's experiences. They discussed how these methods aim to challenge traditional power dynamics in research, emphasising collaboration and empathy. Despite these strong examples, there were still many responses that failed to connect feminist theoretical perspectives with specific methodological choices, limiting the depth and specificity of the analysis.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link feminism to research design (topic choice such as housework, collaborative research and preference for qualitative methods, small samples, research by and for women)
• drift into feminism in general = 1–3
• many did not grasp 'research design' though it is in the spec
• good answers used unstructured interviews, rapport and Dobash and Dobash

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q1: Most students could identify two reasons why gender may influence consumption choices. Canalisation was the most cited reason, with the use of toys and activities as examples to elaborate the answer. The influence of media was another common reason given. The impact on consumption choices was not always thoroughly analysed, which limited the potential marks awarded.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons each developed (e.g. canalisation and gender role socialisation shaping tastes, media pressure on male and female identities creating markets, women's lower pay and less free time)
• drift into gender identities in general = 1–3
• canalisation with toys and media influence were the most common reasons

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. For example, Topic A2 Question 4 asked about how falling birth rates may affect gender roles and relationships within families; some answers included a lot of material on why birth rates fall, which was not asked for. Q4: The responses to this question achieved mixed success. Most students managed to identify at least one way in which falling birth rates have influenced gender roles and relationships. The most thoroughly explored aspect was the shift towards women engaging in paid work, a change driven by evolving attitudes towards education and careers. The feminist perspective was effectively employed to examine the repercussions on family roles and relationships.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways each linked to gender roles or relationships (e.g. women in paid work and dual-earner households, joint conjugal roles, women's financial independence and decision-making)
• explaining why birth rates fell is not asked for and drifts to 1–3
• most developed the shift to women's paid work

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q7: Students generally chose to interpret this question as referring to issues of access to health care. Responses often used issues of language and gender inhibiting take up and use of health care amongst certain ethnic groups. Other answers referred to possible ethnocentrism and racist attitudes amongst health care professionals as restricting the take up and use of health care services among some ethnic groups.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways each developed (e.g. location of services, language barriers, cultural and religious unfamiliarity of staff, preference for staff of similar background, stigma around mental health, distrust)
• drift into health care provision in general = 1–3
• most treated this as access, using language, gender norms and ethnocentrism or racism among professionals

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q10: Successful answers identified two reasons such as the reduction in traditional employment for working-class males and the emergence of an underclass. Social groups discussed included those based on gender or ethnicity, and people with disabilities. Some students found it difficult to develop the identified reasons. Better answers usually brought in one or more theoretical perspectives.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons each developed for differences between groups (e.g. decline of manual and manufacturing work for working-class men, racism or language barriers, disability discrimination, regional decline, youth inexperience, underclass)
• discussing unemployment in general = 1–3
• development of reasons was the main difficulty

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q13: Most students successfully identified two ways in which social change might lead to secularisation. Popular responses included individualism and personal choice, the privatisation of religion, and rationalisation alongside scientific advancements. Explicit 'connections' to secularisation were often underdeveloped. Some answers focused on changes within religions, which are themselves aspects of secularisation, and so lost focus on the question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways social change drives secularisation (e.g. industrialisation and urbanisation breaking up religious communities, rationalisation and disenchantment, structural differentiation and privatisation, individualism, pluralism undermining the sacred canopy)
• drift into patterns of belief = 1–3
• explicit links to secularisation often underdeveloped

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q16: Most students were able to identify two ways, for example industrialisation increasing employment or creating unemployment by undermining traditional employment patterns. For some students developing the ways proved difficult, though others used perspectives such as dependency or modernisation theories to provide a route.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways each developed (e.g. growth of formal factory employment, new paid work for women, training and mobility, decline of farming and fishing, loss of traditional work)
• drift into industrialisation in general = 1–3
• some used dependency or modernisation theory to develop points

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q19: Globalisation, increased choice, and citizen journalism were commonly referred to in responses. Some were unable to develop their points and others lost focus on new media. Better answers were aware that ownership and control are not the same, and gave examples.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways new media changed ownership and control (e.g. citizen journalism weakening owners' control of content, growth of conglomerates such as Meta, data harvesting, competition for old news sources, harder regulation)
• discussing ownership in general = 1–3
• better answers knew ownership and control are different
• some lost focus on new media

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they will not have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes . There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. A breakdown of the marks awarded by assessment objective can be found in the mark scheme. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions; they take up time and rarely improve the mark. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way/reason is…”, or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Q22: Answers often discussed the creation of new jobs and opportunities or the outsourcing of production so leading to a reduction of employment opportunities. For some students developing the ways by explaining the effects on life chances proved difficult. A minority of students linked globalisation and life chances to other features such as globalisation enabling advances in health care, so improving life chances.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways each linked to working-class life chances (e.g. precarious employment, job losses from relocated production, cheaper consumer goods, weaker unions, migration opportunities)
• describing globalisation in general = 1–3
• explaining the effect on life chances was the difficult step

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question was not accessed well. Students found it hard to stick to just two reasons, and often one reason would list others or drift into others. This meant they found it hard to develop points and in turn access the highest level of the mark scheme. Students also found it challenging to apply examples. Examples of statistics could have included the census, the crime survey for England and Wales, health or education statistics.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two reasons each developed (e.g. positivist search for correlations, large readily available data, only source on some topics such as suicide, trends over time, cheap, few ethical issues)
• drift into advantages of quantitative data in general = 1–3
• students blurred several reasons into one and rarely gave examples (census, Crime Survey for England and Wales)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

In the questions where extended prose was required (10 and 20 mark questions) most students showed their understanding of the different balance of skills required in each question. Question 04: This question required students to be able to apply two government education policies to the needs of the economy. Centres have clearly taught educational policy well and a large proportion of students understood what the economy was and were able to use their knowledge and application skills to answer the question. Raising the school leaving age and the National Curriculum were popular policy choices, as were several from within the 1988 Educational Reform Act. There were several sophisticated responses that applied a policy intended to raise standards in education with a global economy and a greater need for a highly educated workforce. Students were still able to gain credit where they made some link to the economy, eg keeping school leavers out of poverty and families benefitting from being spared the expense of providing food/resources. However, there were a minority of students who missed the intention of the question by suggesting policies that were internal to specific schools, policies that weren’t educational in focus, or not understanding the term ‘economy’.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two policies applied to the needs of the economy
• examples: vocational education/T Levels, Aimhigher widening talent pool, tougher GCSEs, raising leaving age, academies, marketisation
• analysis e.g. economy-driven policy squeezing the arts
• drift into general perspectives on education = 1-3
• raising school leaving age, National Curriculum and 1988 Education Reform Act were popular

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain two’ 10 mark question (the fourth question in every topic area). Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made, then leading to an explanation of it, making the student’s answer more cogent. Students found this question difficult. The challenge to identify a change in work / working arrangements and then make a suggestion as to how that change might have impacted on how a group / individual may see themselves or those around them proved a step too far for many. Answers tended to make an attempt at the first part but not the second. As a result, marks tended to reside at the lower half of the middle mark band.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two changes in work each linked to how people see their class identity (e.g. decline of manual work and unions, gig economy, service sector, proletarianisation)
• drift into social class in general = 1–3
• most identified a change in work but did not take the second step to identity, so marks clustered in the lower part of 4–7

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain two’ 10 mark question (the fourth question in every topic area). Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made, then leading to an explanation of it, making the student’s answer more cogent. The majority of students could identify two policies – though some answers were generic (eg policies/laws divorce laws etc) – and make a connection to gender roles in the family. The standard approach taken was to identify a policy, for example equal pay, and then apply its impact on the domestic division of labour – typically whether the policy strengthened or weakened traditional instrumental/expressive gender roles. Analysis was frequently generated by reviewing the response of various theories and perspectives to the impact or the change described. For answers which did not gain credit in this question, this was often the result of identifying policies but failing to connect them to gender roles inside the family.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two policies each linked to gender roles in the family (e.g. equal pay and equality legislation, maternity vs paternity leave, childcare, welfare payments)
• drift into gender roles in general = 1–3
• generic 'laws' weaken answers
• most common failing was naming a policy without connecting it to roles inside the family

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain two’ 10 mark question (the fourth question in every topic area). Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made, then leading to an explanation of it, making the student’s answer more cogent. Most students were able to engage with this question. The question required students to link a number of elements together. Students could often give good reasons as to why women might seek out health care more than men and why men may do the opposite. This was the most successful part of student answers. Moving on to making a link between the higher/lower morbidity patterns that gender related access created was a less successful feature of student answers.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways gendered access to professionals shapes gender patterns of health (e.g. men less likely to attend surgeries or take time off work, women more willing to admit illness, public health campaigns, gender of professionals)
• general accounts of gender differences in health = 1–3
• many explained why women seek care more but did not link this back to morbidity patterns

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The ‘outline and explain two’ 10 mark question (the fourth question in every topic area). Here students would benefit more if an explicit identification of a way / reason / factor was made, then leading to an explanation of it, making the student’s answer more cogent. Students generally had no difficulty in finding reasons why people with disabilities may not be able to access work opportunities: discrimination, transport to and from the work place; lack of access within the workplace all featured. The development of the given reasons was the limiting factor for some students who found it difficult to connect the reason to further exploration of it - such as its impact on the individual, its connection with broader sociological perspectives and so on.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons each developed (e.g. prejudice and discrimination, restricted education, physical and transport barriers, social vs biomedical model)
• general accounts of disabled people's experiences = 1–3
• reasons were easy to find but development (impact on the individual, links to perspectives) limited marks

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

It was really pleasing to see that the vast majority of students were at least able to attempt this question. This indicated better time management or that this question was more accessible when compared with some other questions in previous series. There were a range of reasons offered for why sociologists may choose to use research methods that produce quantitative data. A number of answers provided a list of reasons as part of their answer. The more successful answers focussed on two reasons and were able to develop these with concepts and examples to illustrate. For example, some students explained that methods that produce quantitative data are more likely to be able to establish cause and effect relationships and that this data is favoured by positivists who prefer to study ‘social facts’ and use this data to be able to make predictions about human behaviour in society. Some were able to apply examples, such as Durkheim’s study of suicide, to illustrate these arguments. There were a number of students who proceeded to evaluate the reasons they provided for this question. Students should be reminded that there are no available marks for evaluation in this question type.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• drifting into disadvantages of quantitative methods = 1–3 band
• two reasons each developed, not a list
• best answers linked quantitative data to positivism and social facts (e.g. Durkheim's study of suicide)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 1: This was well answered. Students were able to develop points about, for example, products or services based on sexuality and ways that consumption can symbolise sexual identity.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways consumption relates to sexuality (symbolising sexual identity, products/services marketed to sexual minorities, the pink pound, heteronormative constraints)
• drift into gender in general = 1–3
• well answered

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 4: This was generally answered quite well, with answers often citing changes in values or legal changes. Some did not explicitly state what the change to pattern of marriage was, although this was usually implicit from the context.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways social change affects marriage (declining stigma, secularisation, same-sex marriage law, feminism, cost of living)
• drift into a general account of marriage patterns = 1–3
• generally answered well via value or legal change
• some did not state the actual change in marriage pattern

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 7: Successful answers developed points about, for example, medical tourism and the availability (or not) in the UK of medicines and procedures.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways the global health industry affects UK health chances (global research and drug availability, medical tourism, aftercare problems, treatments of limited value)
• drift into UK health chances in general = 1–3
• successful answers used medical tourism and availability of medicines/procedures

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 10: Answers often considered how new technology can both make some skills and jobs redundant and can create new opportunities. “Life chances” tended to be taken as employment; looking beyond this would give greater scope for developing points.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways workplace technology affects life chances (deskilling and unemployment, re-skilling and new jobs, surveillance, flexible/home working)
• drift into describing technological change = 1–3
• answers often treated life chances as employment only, limiting development

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 13: Many answers were able to identify two ways that globalisation has affected religion, for example how new media can provide access to a range of beliefs online. The connection to the functions of religion was often less clear and led to less successful answers.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link globalisation to the functions of religion (legitimation, social solidarity, cultural defence, psychological support)
• drift into globalisation in general = 1–3
• many identified effects on religion (e.g. online access to beliefs) without connecting them to functions

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 16: Most answers were able to identify two ways education affects global inequalities. Ways included how girls are often disadvantaged in education or how education can help girls escape restrictive roles. Others looked at how education can help redress inequalities in aspects of development such as health.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways education affects global inequalities (skilled workforce and competitiveness, girls' education, brain drain, elite legitimation)
• drift into education in general = 1–3
• common answers on girls' education and education improving health

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 19: This was generally well done, with most able to discuss two ways in which the new media may affect audiences. Some weaker answers were about media generally, for example outlining models of media effects without considering how these apply to new media.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways new media affect audiences (user-generated content, active audiences/influencers, data harvesting, choice, digital divide)
• drift into media in general = 1–3
• weaker answers outlined effects models without applying them to new media

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. Questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in ways they are unlikely to have done before. It is therefore important for students to allow time to think about how to answer the question. Students should be made aware that there are two types of 10 mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Introductions and conclusions are not required for 10 mark questions and take up valuable time. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two separate points, with wording such as “One way/reason is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. Answers that give more than two points are unlikely to develop two of them sufficiently. Question 22: Most were able to answer this question adequately. Many focused on discrimination and restricted access as ways, but some lacked sociology and were very generalised.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways disability affects social mobility (institutional discrimination, restricted access to occupations, home working, educational support, equality law)
• drift into stereotypes of disabled people = 1–3
• many focused on discrimination and access but some answers were generalised and lacked sociology

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Students should be made aware that there are two types of ten mark questions. These have different requirements and different mark schemes. There are different marks available for the assessment objectives. 10 mark “outline and explain” questions have more marks available for knowledge and understanding, and none for evaluation. Yet some students include evaluation in their responses to this type of question, which is not creditworthy. There is a need to read the question carefully, some students focused on a comparison of interpretivism with positivism which did not meet the demands of the question. There is a level of challenge for students using theory and concepts correctly with some confusing reliability and validity.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two reasons each developed, e.g. verstehen and meanings, validity of unstructured methods, siding with the underdog
• general disadvantages of qualitative methods = 1–3
• comparing interpretivism with positivism missed the question
• some confused reliability and validity

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

In order to produce a good response to this question, students were required to show an understanding of two changes that have taken place in the labour market and then to use their application and analysis skills to relate this to the achievement of boys and/ or girls in education. Unfortunately, many students found the term ‘labour market’ difficult and their response dealt with changes made by the Labour government, or focussed on marketisation. Good responses often referred to declining manual labour opportunities in the UK and the impact this has had on boys in schools, along with equality laws that had a positive impact on the employment of women.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link labour-market change to girls' and/or boys' achievement (more women in work as role models, decline of manual jobs and crisis of masculinity, equality laws)
• drift into achievement of other social groups = 1–3
• many misread 'labour market' as Labour government policy or marketisation

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

In general, this question was answered poorly, with limited knowledge and understanding shown. While students were familiar with the concept of gender identity, they often failed to focus on lifestyle and consumption choices in their responses. Answers often drifted into accounts of conjugal roles in the family or subject choices in education with limited success. Another approach was to write about gender role socialisation or gender stereotypes with limited direct application to the question set. Successful answers were able to discuss involvement in sport or consumption choices such as clothes and make-up as expressions of gender identity.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways gender identity is expressed through lifestyle/consumption (body as project, clothes and make-up, sport and leisure, metrosexuals, ladettes)
• drift into general accounts of gender identity = 1–3
• answered poorly
• many drifted into conjugal roles, subject choice or gender socialisation

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The majority of students understood the demands of this question and were able to apply their knowledge of the ageing population to the affects on family organisation and structure. The most common responses were the increase in extended families, grandparents providing childcare and beanpole families. The extent to which the application was developed was variable and this is reflected in the marks awarded. Weaker responses focused on the effects of the ageing population on the wider society, by discussing the dependency ratio for example.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways an ageing population affects family structure/organisation (beanpole families, three-generation households, grandparent childcare, single-person households)
• drift into general effects on society such as the dependency ratio = 1–3
• development of application varied

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question was generally answered well by students who had not chosen questions from every topic. Successful answers clearly understood the term medicalisation and successfully applied it to relevant aspects of women’s lives. The most common response was pregnancy and childbirth which was often analysed using historical and cross-cultural comparisons. Some students included applications of body-projects and cosmetic surgery. Less successful responses did not show understanding of the concept of medicalisation and tended to identify health screening for women with little elaboration.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways women's lives are medicalised (pregnancy and childbirth, PMS, menopause, cosmetic surgery)
• drift into women's experiences in general = 1–3
• best answers analysed childbirth with historical/cross-cultural comparison
• weaker answers did not grasp medicalisation (health screening only)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

There were some good answers to this question but most students found it difficult to identify and develop two applications successfully. There were some generic responses about the benefits system being difficult to access but this was not applied to disability specifically. The concept of entitlement seemed not to be understood as a common response was that disabled people don’t need benefits as their carers provide for them or they have enough money without claiming benefits. The most common responses related to a lack of awareness of entitlement or incorrect assessments by government agencies.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons for non-take-up (stigma, inaccessible information, wrong DWP assessments, complexity, no advocate)
• drift into general experiences of disabled people = 1–3
• generic points about access to benefits not applied to disability
• some misunderstood entitlement

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

However, knowledge and understanding of group interviews (question 5) and of ‘social facts’ (question 6) tended to be less developed in comparison. The vast majority of students attempted all questions. However, there was a small number of students who did not attempt question 6. This may have been as a result of running out of time or finding the question too challenging. This question was generally challenging and students were much less successful i compared with others on the paper. There were some non-responses to this question which may have been a result of a lack of understanding, or of running out of time. Some others were at least able to offer some limitations of official statistics (or quantitative data) more generally. These often included some general explanations of official statistics not being able to provide the researcher with detailed insights into the reasons behind the statistics or not being able to provide the researcher with ‘verstehen’. However, many of the answers limited to the 1-3 mark band seldom made any reference to why official statistics are not seen as ‘social facts’. It was evident that a number of students were not familiar with this term. Better answers were able to explain, at least in part, one or two reasons why official statistics should not be seen as social facts. The most common reasons tended to focus on official statistics lacking validity due to the way they are socially constructed and therefore should not be seen as truthful and as facts. Stronger answers were able to provide some detailed analysis and application of useful examples to demonstrate these reasons which were drawn from different areas of social life; for example, using crime statistics.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two reasons each developed, e.g. statistics are second-order social constructions from labelling decisions, recording criteria change over time
• general limits of quantitative data (no verstehen) without reference to social facts = 1–3
• many did not know the term 'social facts'
• hardest question on the paper
• good answers used crime statistics as examples

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q1 Answers here often considered agencies of socialisation and the ways in which they can socialise people into ethnic identities. There were some very good answers to this question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band: two ways, e.g. family transmitting norms and traditions, media role models
• analysis of how important ethnicity is as a source of identity
• drift into identity in general = 1–3 band
• agencies of socialisation were the usual route and there were some very good answers

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. For example, some answers to question 4, which asked for effects of increased life expectancy on the experience of childhood, gave reasons for increased life expectancy. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q4 Better answers made points about vertically extended families, the role of grandparents as carers or in socialising, and smaller numbers of siblings.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link longer life expectancy to childhood
• giving reasons for increased life expectancy, or childhood without that link, = 1–3 band (singled out in the report as a misread question)
• better answers used beanpole and vertically extended families, grandparents as carers, fewer siblings, policy shifting towards older people

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q7 Most candidates were able to explain two reasons why some ethnic groups may be more likely than others to be diagnosed as mentally ill. Many gave one cultural reason, such as norms and values related to mental health, and one structural or material reason, such as access to professionals able to give a diagnosis or material deprivation leading to mental problems.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band e.g. racism causing stress, ethnocentric diagnosis by professionals
• analysis of whether differences are social constructs or social facts
• drift into mental illness in general = 1–3 band
• most gave one cultural and one structural or material reason

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q10 There were some very good answers to this question. Many chose to give one positive effect, such as voluntary providers such as foodbanks reducing poverty, and one negative effect, such as their being unable to provide support on the scale that governments can. Good answers usually gave named examples of voluntary or informal welfare providers.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be voluntary and informal providers, not the welfare state (drift = 1–3 band)
• many gave one positive effect (e.g. food banks reducing poverty) and one negative (cannot match state scale, patchy provision)
• named providers improved answers

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q13 A number of answers to this question wrote in general terms about effects of globalisation on religious beliefs and practices rather than focusing on minority ethnic groups in the UK. Answers which leant themselves to a focus on minority ethnic groups included cultural defence and cultural transition. Among more general answers were those that looked at the growth of private worship and online religion.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must focus on minority ethnic groups in the UK
• many wrote generally about globalisation and religion (online religion, private worship) and drifted
• cultural defence and cultural transition were the most fitting answers

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q16 There were some very good answers to this question. Many chose to give one positive effect, such as improved health care and inoculations and availability of medicines, and one negative effect, such as vulnerability to diseases from external sources or increases in diseases associated with affluence. Better answers usually included examples of specific health problems or incidents.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• drift into globalisation in general = 1–3 band
• many gave one positive effect (medicines, immunisation) and one negative (spread of disease, diseases of affluence)
• better answers named specific health problems or incidents

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q19 There were a number of strong answers to this question drawing for example on ways that owners use their power to shape content and on censorship and propaganda.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band e.g. owners as agenda setters, concentration of ownership narrowing news
• analysis of how effects vary by type of media
• drift into media content in general = 1–3 band
• strong answers on owners' power, censorship and propaganda

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. The questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency, however, to attempt to answer the question by giving knowledge based on words or phrases in the question, rather than meeting the demands of the question. Students are advised to spend time reading the question, and, where there is one the item, to ensure that they are answering the question. Some students seemed unaware of the different demands of the two types of questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be aware of this. In particular, it should be noted that there are no marks available for evaluation in “outline and explain” (no item) questions. There is no need for an introduction or conclusion for 10 mark questions. It is helpful if answers are set out to clearly indicate the two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for the second point. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point that addressed the question and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and, where appropriate, theory. Answers need to address all aspects of the question. Q22 Most candidates were aware of ways in which globalisation may affect social mobility. Answers included both social mobility for migrants, ability to move to take advantage of employment and lifestyle opportunities, and threats to employment in the UK, leading to downward social mobility, as companies close down or relocate.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link globalisation to mobility
• describing either alone = 1–3 band
• answers covered migrants' mobility and UK job losses from relocation and foreign competition (downward mobility)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question was accessed by students very well. There were very few no responses to this question. The vast majority of students were able to select two reasons why and develop them. Many students were able to support their reasons with sociological research studies as examples and this was best practice.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• drift into structured interviews = 1–3
• top band: validity and rapport on sensitive topics, with analysis of participant control vs structured interviews
• best practice was supporting each reason with a named study

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

However, a small number of students left questions unanswered (particularly question 5 and/ or 6). Similarly to previous years, some students wrote lengthy answers to the 4-mark and 6-mark questions which may explain why a few of these students seemed to run out of time in answering the final question(s). Many students also seemed to struggle with this question. Some students were unable to offer a clear argument against the positivist view of Sociology being scientific, with some muddled and confused ideas being presented. Others were able to offer some clarity of response in offering arguments, which included difficulties of studying Sociology objectively. However, these were often written with limited or basic analysis. The more successful answers offered more developed application and analysis, for example, in explaining the reasons why studying issues such as divorce, achievement or criminal behaviours are difficult to study objectively and went on to outline reasons why they should not be regarded as ‘social facts’. However, knowledge and skills in the methods in context and Theory & Methods questions were generally weaker than previous series. It appeared that students had prepared less well for these topics and questions.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• arguments must be against the positivist view, e.g. subject matter differs from natural science, science is socially constructed, paradigms (Kuhn), unfalsifiability (Popper), free will
• drift into features of science = 1–3
• many muddled
• best answers explained why topics such as divorce or crime cannot be treated as social facts

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two reasons each developed, e.g. conspicuous consumption to show status, limited choice from lack of money, taste as a marker of class (Bourdieu, Veblen)
• drift into social class in general = 1–3
• no examiners' report comment for this part

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question required knowledge and understanding of functions of families; these could be from functionalist, Marxist, feminist or other perspectives. Discussion of changing roles within families was accepted as being about functions. Some students concentrated on outlining changes to the structure of the family without referring sufficiently to functions. The particular requirements of both types of 10 mark questions mean that the role of the teacher in explaining the format of questions and, for ‘analyse’ questions, the structure and content of the items, is essential, as is practice followed by constructive feedback. Students need to be aware that these questions will always require connections to be made between different parts of the specification for the topic, and that this will require thinking in the examination about how the two aspects are connected.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• each way must link a structural change (lone-parent, dual-earner, same-sex, childless families, divorce) to a family function
• functions from any perspective were accepted and changing roles counted as functions
• many described structural change without linking it to functions
• drift into an account of functions = 1–3

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. private health care widening inequality, preferential treatment of articulate middle-class patients, inverse care law, ideological role of diagnosis
• general accounts of health professionals = 1–3
• no examiners' report comment for this part

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• ways must be about women's experience of work, e.g. gender pay gap, insecure or part-time work, career breaks, less pension provision
• gender differences in poverty not linked to work = 1–3
• no examiners' report comment for this part

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some answers here recounted examples of change influenced by religion, such as the US Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, without being able to make clear connections to globalisation. Those that approached the question by considering aspects of globalisation (such as Westernisation, technology and social media, diasporas and migration) tended to have more success. The particular requirements of both types of 10 mark questions mean that the role of the teacher in explaining the format of questions and, for ‘analyse’ questions, the structure and content of the items, is essential, as is practice followed by constructive feedback. Students need to be aware that these questions will always require connections to be made between different parts of the specification for the topic, and that this will require thinking in the examination about how the two aspects are connected.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• each way must link an aspect of globalisation (technology and social media, migration and diasporas, Westernisation) to religion as a force for change, e.g. fundamentalism as a response to uncertainty
• examples of religious change (e.g. US civil rights) with no link to globalisation = 1–3

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• ways can reduce or increase inequality, e.g. projects supporting girls' education and women's health, or projects ignoring women's views and needs
• drift into gender inequality in general = 1–3
• no examiners' report comment for this part

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. participatory culture blurring producer and consumer, globalised popular culture, influencers, speed of memes
• analysis of how popular culture differs from high or mass culture
• drift into media in general = 1–3
• no examiners' report comment for this part

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. hazardous jobs raising morbidity and mortality, professional pay and benefits, insecure gig work, mobility opportunities
• descriptions of occupations = 1–3
• no examiners' report comment for this part

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question provided the most varied range of responses, with a few students not attempting the question at all. Some students were able to describe two theories but were not able to link this to social policy. Some students could describe ideas around policy but were not able to give specific examples of social policy.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link each perspective to the purpose of social policy (e.g. functionalist gradual reform, New Right minimal state, Marxist and feminist views of the state, social democratic redistribution)
• describing theories or policies alone = 1–3 band
• widest spread of responses and some left it blank
• many could not link theory to policy or give specific policy examples

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link teacher-pupil interaction to minority ethnic achievement (labelling and self-fulfilling prophecy, setting and streaming, exclusions and racism, pupil responses such as subcultures)
• drift into class and education = 1–3
• no examiners' report for this series

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link a named agency (education, media, peer group, religion, family, workplace) to the creation of subcultures
• general accounts of subcultures = 1–3 band
• top band analyses different types of youth subculture

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link migration to UK household structures (e.g. multi-person households of young migrants, extended families, lone-parent households)
• describing household types without the migration link = 1–3 band
• analysis e.g. migrant fertility rates

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band e.g. stress of poverty and labelling by professionals
• analysis of class differences in resources to cope
• general causes of mental illness = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link globalisation to the extent of poverty in the UK (outsourcing and insecure secondary labour market, relocation of jobs, tax avoidance reducing state relief)
• general accounts of poverty = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

However, a few students left questions unanswered (particularly Question 6). Similarly to summer 2019, a significant number of students wrote very lengthy answers to the 4-mark and 6-mark questions which may explain why some seemed to run out of time in answering the final question. Unfortunately, students performed less well on this question compared with the rest of the paper. Many were able to offer two problems of primary qualitative methods, usually referring to practical issues of time taken and costs involved. However, few were able to develop their ideas with any real depth and analysis. A common problem with many answers was confusing and conflating theoretical issues of validity and reliability. A large number of responses seemed to mix or list points together in a confused way. For example, some confused problems of sampling and not being able to generalise with theoretical issues of reliability and/or validity in a rather random way. However, knowledge and skills in the Methods in Context and Theory and Methods questions were generally weaker than in previous series. It appeared that students had prepared less well for these topics and questions.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two problems each developed (e.g. cannot measure trends or generalise, hard to replicate, subjectivity, imposition, cannot establish cause and effect)
• drift into secondary or quantitative methods = 1–3
• most gave only practical time and cost problems with little depth
• validity and reliability often confused or conflated with sampling and generalisability

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways class has become LESS important for identity, e.g. decline of traditional working-class identities, consumption and lifestyle choice
• drift into identities in general = 1-3
• the mark scheme's top-band examples (class subcultures, middle-class taste) describe class still mattering, which reads as a mismatch with the question
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Answers tended to be significantly stronger on gender roles and relationships than on ways in which these might be derived from changes in childbearing patterns. Some students wrote only about changes in gender roles without mentioning changes in childbearing patterns. Better answers often considered how having fewer children and having the first child later had enabled women to engage in paid work more and, importantly, went on to discuss how this might have affected roles and relationships within families. The 10-mark “outline and explain” questions produced variable answers. A common fault was to focus on one element of the question only, rather than recognising that the question required connections to be made between different elements. Students need guidance from their teachers to appreciate that these questions may require them to bring together learning from different sections of the specification within the topic. Students also need to be aware that there are no marks available for evaluation on this question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link childbearing change (fewer children, later first child, childfree women) to gender roles and relationships
• e.g. more women in paid work, joint conjugal roles, dual/triple shift
• drift into reasons for changing childbearing = 1-3
• answers often strong on gender roles but did not link them to childbearing
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• reasons for CLASS differences in consumer choice of health care
• e.g. access to information, trust in professionals, ability to pay for private care, cultural capital, regional availability
• drift into gender or ethnic differences = 1-3
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two policies and their effect on income distribution
• e.g. benefit cuts and sanctions, progressive/regressive tax, minimum wage, trade union limits, universal vs means-tested benefits
• drift into poverty in general = 1-3
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

There was a tendency for answers to focus on general points about gender and religion (such as women being excluded from the priesthood) without explaining why these might or might not apply in the case of New Age movements. Some answers confused New Age movements with sects and cults or with New Religious movements. The 10-mark “outline and explain” questions produced variable answers. A common fault was to focus on one element of the question only, rather than recognising that the question required connections to be made between different elements. Students need guidance from their teachers to appreciate that these questions may require them to bring together learning from different sections of the specification within the topic. Students also need to be aware that there are no marks available for evaluation on this question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• reasons specific to New Age movements: expressive role, escape from patriarchal traditional religion, emphasis on personal experience, nature and healing
• general gender-and-religion points (e.g. exclusion from priesthood) not tied to New Age gain little
• confusing New Age with sects, cults or NRMs is common
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• e.g. demographic transition (high to low birth and death rates), rural-urban migration, falling fertility, longer life expectancy, ageing
• drift into demography in general = 1-3
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• how new media change news selection and presentation: citizen journalism, immediacy, fake news, tweets becoming news, accountability, changing news values
• drift into the media in general = 1-3
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• factors for working-class upward mobility: meritocratic education, widening-participation policies, changes in occupational structure, marrying up, home ownership
• drift into descriptions of class = 1-3
• no marks for evaluation in this question type (examiners' report general remark)

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The majority of responses could identify two ethical issues. However, there was confusion over which research methods were primary quantitative methods. Some students did not address this at all, and this had an impact on the marks awarded. Other students who answered this question well were able to link the ethical consideration to an appropriate study. This displayed excellent knowledge and understanding of both ethical concerns and primary quantitative research methods. Generally, more attention to detail in the research methods 10-mark question (Question 5) must be given.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• ethical issues must be applied to primary quantitative methods (questionnaires, structured interviews, experiments)
• many were unsure which methods these are or ignored the method
• drift into practical or theoretical issues = 1–3
• best answers linked each issue to a study

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

There was clear evidence of teachers preparing students well to answer this question, for example by ensuring that students answered the question with two distinct paragraphs, and without the need for an introduction or conclusion. Students found no difficulty in identifying two relevant policies that have influenced gender differences in achievement, either directly such as through the National Curriculum, coursework, GIST/WISE; or indirectly, by means of the Equal Pay Act or Sex Discrimination Act. However, students then struggled to achieve answers in the top band due to their inability to develop their answers, and/or clearly explain how their chosen policy may have influenced differences in educational achievement between males and females. There was a tendency to over focus on female achievement rather than on explaining gender differences, and this failure by a large number of students to explore how polices may have helped females and discouraged males, meant many students remained in the middle band. Some answers drifted into subject choice or identified polices which were clearly more associated with social class rather than gender differences and as a result they failed to apply their answer specifically to the question set.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must explain how each policy affected the gap between boys and girls, not just girls' achievement
• generic gender and achievement with little on policy = 1–3
• drift into subject choice or class-based policies not credited
• common policies: National Curriculum, coursework changes, GIST/WISE, Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts
• top band considers class and ethnicity within gender groups

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The requirements of the 10-mark question seem to be well understood by the majority of students. In general, this question was answered poorly with limited knowledge and understanding shown. While students were familiar with agencies of socialisation, they were less clear about sexual identities and often answers drifted into accounts of gender role socialisation with limited success. Successful answers were able to discuss the role of schools in shaping sexual identities via the teaching of sex education or via the heterosexual assumptions of everyday interactions in school. Others referred to the role of religion or the media in promoting particular sexual identities. Answers that focused on the family as an agent of socialisation tended to get diverted into a discussion of gender roles rather than attitudes to sexual identities.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. media representations, sex education and heterosexual assumptions in school, religion, peer-group language
• generally poorly answered: many drifted into gender role socialisation
• drift into general labelling = 1–3
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The requirements of the 10-mark question seem to be well understood by the majority of students. Many answers either discussed changes in families and households without explaining how these affected the experience of childhood, or more frequently discussed changes to the experience of childhood without relating these to changes in families and households. For example, students that discussed the disappearance of childhood and the negative aspects of modern technology, or the changes in child labour laws, often failed to make any link to families and households changes. The best answers had a clear example of family change such as increased divorce or decline in family size and were then able to explain how this change had impacted on the experience of childhood. Child centeredness, same sex parents, and changes to gender roles were all common themes. Good answers analysed the impact, both positive and negative, of these changes to the experience of childhood. For example, some answers identified that families in general are more affluent today than in the past. This has had a positive impact on childhood in terms of access to resources and technology but may have come at a price, as both parents are too busy to spend as much time with their children as parents did previously. These ideas could then be developed with reference to toxic childhood or diminished role of parents in the socialisation process vis a vis media or other agents.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• each way must link a family or household change (divorce, working mothers, reconstituted families, stay-at-home dads) to children's experience
• many described changes to childhood (toxic childhood, technology, child labour laws) with no family link
• drift into descriptions of childhood = 1–3
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The requirements of the 10-mark question seem to be well understood by the majority of students. Many students saw this question in relation to health chances rather than access to health care. These answers therefore often struggled to explain how their chosen factor affected class differences in access to health care. Furthermore, some answers failed to stick to material factors but instead spent time outlining cultural differences between social classes and their attitudes to health. More successful responses made reference to the costs of treatment, especially private health care. Others discussed issues to do with lack of transport, getting time off work and the nature of hourly paid employment for many working-class employees. The inverse care law featured in a number of answers, but many students struggled to apply it specifically to the question of access to health care.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• must be material factors and access to health care, e.g. cost of private treatment, time off work, transport, inverse care law
• many wrote about health chances rather than access, or about cultural attitudes
• drift into health chances = 1–3
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The requirements of the 10-mark question seem to be well understood by the majority of students. The best answers tended to start with job satisfaction and discuss the impact of technological change on skill levels. Many answers referred to alienation and these answers were able to provide a fuller account of the impact of technological change on job satisfaction. Some answers were able to discuss at length Fordism and the views of Braverman on autonomy and control in the workplace. Weaker answers focused on technological change and often neglected to relate these ideas to the workplace, let alone to job satisfaction.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. de-skilling or re-skilling, control and surveillance
• best answers started from job satisfaction and used alienation, Braverman, Blauner
• general accounts of technological change not tied to work = 1–3
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Most students seemed to have managed their time appropriately; however, a small minority left some questions unanswered, noticeably Question 06. The wide range of responses to this question ranged from non-responses to a sustained examination of two disadvantages of using personal documents in sociological research. The majority of students were however able to present two reasonable disadvantages. Common answers included reference to difficulties with access, interpretation and invasion of privacy. The best answers showed a clear knowledge of the method and were able to apply studies such as Thomas and Znaneicki, Aries and Hey, and/or refer to particular forms of personal documents. Weaker answers were able to apply examples, particularly of diaries, but leaned towards a discussion on the characteristics of a personal document, rather than a criticism. However, many students performed less well on this question than on the rest of the paper. Few were able to develop points with a depth of understanding, analysis and application, which explains why it had the lowest mean as a percentage of maximum mark (51%). In addition to the issue of timing, this appeared to be due to some students lacking confidence in answering a question on this method. Many students struggled to fully develop their disadvantages, often listing several examples to compensate for their lack of analysis. Some also wrote about general disadvantages of qualitative data, particularly positivist criticisms, without specifically applying their answer to personal documents. A small number confused personal with public documents. Centres are reminded that there are no marks for evaluation for this question. A significant number of students had specific evaluative statements regarding the strengths of personal documents that were ‘tagged on’ to the end of responses that were not awardable.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• tagged-on strengths not credited
• two disadvantages each developed, e.g. access, interpretation without context, representativeness, authenticity, invasion of privacy
• general positivist criticisms of qualitative data not applied to personal documents limit marks
• some confused personal with public documents
• lowest mean on the paper

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. Most students were able to explain two ways in which individuals can be socialised into national identities. Popular answers included within the home (e.g. celebrating a national festival or event), at school, and through the media. A small number did not understand what was meant by national identity.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed in this mark scheme
• two ways each developed, with analysis of how far nationality is a source of identity
• drift into ethnic identity = 1–3
• popular answers: family celebrations of national events, school citizenship, national news and sport in the media
• a few did not understand national identity
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. Some students found this question challenging, being unsure of how to relate the ageing population to policies affecting families. However, there were some very good answers. Detailed knowledge of policies was not required and better answers focused on how families had been affected by policies. Many answers considered retirement ages and, for example, how this might affect grandparents as carers of grandchildren, or the policy of making social care an individual and family responsibility and the effect of this on women in the pivot or sandwich generation. There were also some good answers referring to policies in other countries, such as Singapore’s “have three or more”. Some answers struggled with the connection between the ‘ageing population’ and ‘policies’, sometimes suggesting policies that were in place well before there was an ageing population.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link the ageing population to policies and then to effects on families
• drift into demographic change = 1–3
• detailed policy knowledge not needed
• good answers: retirement age and grandparent childcare, social care left to families and the effect on women in the sandwich generation, pro-natalist policies abroad
• some cited policies older than the ageing population
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. Most students were able to successfully explain two ways, using ideas such as labelling, the medicalisation of childbirth and the sick role.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be ways health professionals construct health and illness
• drift into models of health in general = 1–3
• common answers: labelling, gatekeeping the sick role, medicalisation of childbirth, iatrogenesis
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. A number of students were unsure of the meaning of “structural inequalities”, and some discussed cultural reasons for worklessness, such as welfare dependency or a culture of poverty. There was a tendency also to interpret ‘worklessness’ as only unemployment.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be structural class inequalities
• cultural explanations (dependency culture, culture of poverty) not credited
• drift into structural causes of poverty = 1–3
• many misread worklessness as unemployment only
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. The phrase “conservative force” was misinterpreted by a minority as referring to change. A few answers also had two ways which were almost indistinguishable, such as churches creating a sense of belonging and social solidarity. Other answers gave two examples of only one ‘way’. Most students however were able to answer the question well, by applying a range of sociological ideas from different theoretical perspectives.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• conservative force means maintaining stability, not change (a minority misread it)
• the two ways must be distinct (belonging and solidarity counted as one)
• two examples of one way not credited
• drift into religious organisations in general = 1–3
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. There were some very good answers to this question, with many choosing to discuss one way in which inequalities might be being reduced and another in which they might be increasing, applying relevant theories and examples.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• drift into globalisation in general = 1–3
• good answers gave one way inequalities may be narrowing and one way they may be widening, with theory and examples
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. While many students showed good knowledge of stereotypical media portrayals of women and of how they could be challenged, they were less clear on how the new media enabled challenges. Some presented two examples of new media platforms as different ‘ways’, and these could only be credited as one way.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must explain how new media enable challenge, not just describe stereotyped portrayals of women (drift = 1–3)
• two platforms making the same point count as one way
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks; they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. The word ‘two’ is put in bold in the question to try and draw students’ attention to this. Sometimes it was not clear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Notably, some students wrote far more than was needed for a 10-mark response. The two types of 10-mark question, “outline and explain” and “analysis” types, are marked differently as the assessment objectives have different weightings. It is important that students are aware of this. In particular they should note that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. For 10 mark “outline and explain” questions, students cannot rely on reciting knowledge; these questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge of the topic in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. The best answers to 10-mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, and used sociological concepts, studies, evidence and theory as appropriate. Some students found it difficult to identify “changes in the class structure” and therefore to explain ways in which these might affect social mobility. Answers included the growth of an underclass, which people found it hard to move out of, and the growth of middle-class occupations, creating opportunities for upward mobility into them.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must identify a change in the class structure and its effect on mobility
• drift into class inequality = 1–3
• common answers: growth of middle-class jobs (upward mobility), an underclass that is hard to leave
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question proved difficult for many students. Some had no real idea as to what objectivity meant, often confusing it with reliability, representativeness or validity. At best, these answers made a passing connection with relevant issues in a largely tangential response. Somewhat better responses had an understanding of the meaning of objectivity, but were unable to sustain a discussion for long. For example, some focused on how the participants in research might all have different subjective views, rather than focusing on the idea that it is the researcher's subjectivity that is at issue here. Strong answers developed explanations focusing on the influence of the researcher's preferred perspective, personal values, political commitment or career interests, or on the influence of funding bodies. These answers often addressed the impact of such factors on methodology, research findings and their interpretation. Reference to the work of Becker, Gouldner, Weber and interpretivists often appeared in these answers.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• AO grid not printed
• many confused objectivity with reliability, validity or representativeness
• the point is the researcher's subjectivity, not participants' differing views
• drift into describing methods = 1–3 band
• best answers used values in choice of topic (Weber), perspective, political commitment (Becker, Gouldner), career interests and funding bodies
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question required students to apply their knowledge of one area of the specification (external factors and processes within schools that influence class achievement) to another area (subject choice). Many students had been well prepared for this question and structured their answer with two distinct paragraphs (without the need to include an introduction and conclusion) and demonstrated skills of application and analysis by connecting different aspects of the question. However, weaker answers often focused solely on outlining some of the factors affecting social class and achievement without attempting to link these to subject choice. Additionally, a significant number of responses focused solely on gender and subject choice and therefore did not score as highly. Better answers unpacked knowledge on factors such as parental aspirations, cultural capital, language codes and teacher labelling and applied this in explaining how they affect the subject choices of working and middle class pupils. The most successful responses referred to specific subject choices such as the working class being more likely to opt for vocational courses such as engineering or health and beauty due to their working class habitus.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link class to subject choice, not class and achievement in general (drift = 1–3 band)
• answers on gender and subject choice scored low
• two distinct developed ways, no introduction or conclusion needed
• best answers used habitus, cultural capital, parental aspirations and labelling to explain specific choices such as vocational courses

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. In general, this question was answered poorly with limited knowledge and understanding shown. While students were familiar with agencies of socialisation, they were less clear about national identity. Many answers struggled to find anything specific to say about national identity and instead made generic comments about socialisation and norms and values. Some answers conflated national identity with religious and ethnic identity and often found it difficult to explain how agencies socialise individuals into a national identity. Successful answers were able to discuss the role of schools in shaping national identity via the teaching of history or literature. Others referred to the role of the media in giving people a sense of shared national identity through sporting events, royal weddings or even during wartime.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways agencies create national identity
• examples: schools teaching common history, family and cultural events, media national symbols and sport, common language
• drift into general accounts of nationality = 1-3
• answered poorly overall: generic norms-and-values socialisation, or conflating national with religious/ethnic identity
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. It was not always clear which areas of choice students had chosen to discuss. Some answers were highly descriptive accounts of family diversity without linking this to the idea of increased choice. Some answers failed to identify or discuss how patterns of family life had been affected. The best answers had a theoretical dimension that helped students discuss the nature of the increased choice. These answers often referred to Giddens or Beck and explicitly discussed post-modernist views on family. Common areas of choice included divorce, the decision to get married, cohabitation, same sex relationships as well as career choices for women. Good answers analysed the underlying reasons for these changes for example, by referring to the growth of individualism or debates about the nature of what constitutes a family. Weaker answers often lost focus on family patterns and instead discussed general changes to society or family roles. Alternatively, they covered a number of possible changes in society that affected family without developing any one of them sufficiently. Students should be encouraged to write a two-paragraph answer.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways choice affects family patterns, from a postmodernist angle (Giddens, Beck, Stacey)
• examples: marry/cohabit/live alone, choosing who counts as family, divorce, same-sex relationships
• descriptions of family types or diversity without linking to choice = 1-3
• best analysed individualism
• answer in two developed paragraphs
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. Limited access to health care due to material factors, cultural beliefs, language barriers and racism of health professionals were the most common ways offered by successful students. Differential beliefs about what constitutes a medical condition and different attitudes to traditional remedies were also popular responses. Successful answers were able to explain how these ways affected differences in accessing health care and explained explicitly how these led to ethnic differences in health chances. Less successful students tended to make unsupported statements about, for example, the educational levels of different ethnic groups, or tended just to assert the reason without any appropriate discussion or analysis.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways access to care explains ethnic health differences
• examples: material barriers, language, beliefs about illness, gender norms about doctors, ethnocentrism of staff
• drift into ethnic health experiences in general = 1-3
• must link access to health chances
• unsupported claims about education levels of groups gained little
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. Some answers focused on the impact of technological change and were able to discuss at length Fordism and the views of Braverman on autonomy and control in the workplace. Although knowledgeable, these answers often struggled to identify different social groups and tended to talk in general terms about the effect on the work place. More successful answers discussed the different impact on different types of workers such as skilled/ unskilled or manual/non manual or young/old. These answers were then able explain the impact of technological change in a more focused manner. The impact on workers with disability was also a successful approach taken by some students.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be about different social groups
• examples: young workers retraining, unskilled replaced, skilled replaced, feminisation, older workers' retirement
• general accounts of technological change (Fordism, Braverman) without groups = 1-3
• best compared skilled/unskilled, manual/non-manual, young/old, disabled workers
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Most students managed their time appropriately however a small minority left some questions unanswered. This mainly occurred for Question 06, often resulting from students giving a very broad answer for Question 04. There was a wide range of responses to this question, ranging from the non-response to a sustained examination of two problems of using the functionalist perspective to study today’s society. Many students performed less well on this question than on the rest of the paper. In addition to the issue of timing, this appeared to be due to some students lacking confidence in answering a theoretical question. Whilst the majority of students were able to offer two factors (common responses being ‘outdated, ‘rose tinted’, deterministic or not explaining conflict) few were able to develop these ideas with depth of understanding and analysis. Often good examples of specific functionalist ideas were used and critiqued by Marxism, feminisms or post-modernist perspectives. The best answers showed a clear knowledge of functionalism and why their identified issue is problematic along with sophisticated analysis and application of examples such as fragmentation, diversity and inequalities in society and changing roles and family structures. A small number of students understood the question to be more about the methods used by functionalists, equating functionalism with Positivism. Whereas this was an acceptable approach, it was then difficult for students to develop their response in any depth. Centres are reminded that there are no marks for evaluation for this question. A small number of students had specific evaluative statements regarding the strengths of the functionalist perspective ‘tagged on’ to the end of responses that were not awardable.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type (tagged-on strengths of functionalism not credited)
• drift into how functionalists explain a phenomenon such as crime = 1–3
• common problems: outdated, conservative bias, ignores conflict, deterministic, no value consensus in postmodern society
• many lacked development
• equating functionalism with positivism accepted but hard to develop

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Most students were able to apply their sociological knowledge and to explain two reasons why leisure choices vary across different age groups. Popular answers included constraints of income, age-related legislation and physical limitations. Only a few answers recognised that there might be other age groups than ‘young people’ and ‘the elderly’.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons each applied to differences between age groups (e.g. age-related legislation, social expectations of age-appropriate behaviour, income constraints, physical limits, work/family commitments)
• drift into leisure choices in general = 1–3
• only a few answers looked beyond 'young people' and 'the elderly'
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There was a tendency to go into detail about the chosen policies rather than to discuss effects on family structures. Some answers assumed an effect and did not take the opportunity to use their sociological understanding to explore the ideas in greater depth. For example, some answers said that changes to divorce laws (often described in detail) increased the number of lone parent families, but few discussed increases in reconstituted families or bi-nuclear families. Similarly the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act of 2013 was recognised as increasing the number of same sex married couples but also led to same sex divorces, changes in adoption, surrogacy and so on.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two policies each linked to an effect on family structure (e.g. divorce law, welfare and lone parents, migration and multi-generational households, same-sex marriage, housing and boomerang children)
• drift into family diversity in general = 1–3
• many described the policy in detail but assumed the effect
• few explored reconstituted or bi-nuclear families
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Most students were able to explain two ways in which health professionals affect inequalities in health care. Inequalities addressed included those based on age, social class, ethnicity and region, with popular answers including the distribution of resources and the ways in which different quality services might be provided to different groups.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways professionals widen or reduce inequalities in health care (e.g. better service for middle-class patients, ethnocentrism, rationing for the elderly, private practice, location of services)
• drift into inequalities in health chances = 1–3
• good answers covered age, class, ethnicity and region
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Most students were aware of ways in which globalization may have increased levels of poverty in the United Kingdom. A small number misinterpreted the question by including material on poverty in countries other than the United Kingdom. Popular ‘ways’ in answer to this question included outsourcing and migration.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways globalisation raised poverty in the UK (e.g. TNC power and outsourcing, casualisation, loss of manufacturing jobs, migration)
• poverty in other countries not credited
• drift into causes of poverty in general = 1–3
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. There were some good answers with most students able to explain two ways in which globalisation may have affected religious beliefs and practices. There was a range of ideas with popular answers including pluralism and greater choice, deterritorialisation (although usually without using this concept) and the growth of fundamentalism. Some weaker answers described recent changes in beliefs or practices without making the role of globalisation clear.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways globalisation affects beliefs and practices (e.g. pluralism, deterritorialisation, fundamentalism, cultural defence, spiritual supermarket)
• general account of secularisation = 1–3
• weaker answers described change without making the role of globalisation clear
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. This question tested the ability of students to bring together their knowledge and understanding of aid and of gender inequalities. Many were able to suggest ways in which aid might have increased or reduced gender inequalities, with answers focusing on, for example, aid aimed at education or health issues. There was recognition that aid might help girls achieve an education and improve their life chances, and that in a patriarchal society educational aid might benefit males more than females. There was some misunderstanding of aid with some answers focusing on transnational corporations rather than aid agencies and IGOs.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways aid increases or reduces gender inequality (e.g. micro-credit, girls' education, reproductive rights, aid channelled through patriarchal structures)
• drift into aid in general = 1–3
• some confused aid with TNC activity
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Many answers chose to discuss moral panics, often drawing heavily on a description of Cohen’s mods and rockers, or other examples. Some, however, did not go beyond this to consider, for example, why young people in particular should tend to be cast as folk devils. Some good answers considered, for example, negative news values, the age of those controlling the media and the age of audiences, a reflection of reality linked to pluralism and functionalism’s need for boundary maintenance.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons for negative news portrayal of youth (e.g. young people not producers or consumers of news, journalists' hegemonic values, news values, moral panics, pluralist reflection of reality)
• describing how youth are portrayed without explaining why = 1–3
• many retold Cohen's mods and rockers without explaining why youth become folk devils
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Some students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks, and they also take up time. Some students made only one point in their answers, or three or more, rather than the two asked for in the question. Sometimes it was unclear how many points were being made. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Evaluation is not a requirement for answers to 10 mark “outline and explain” questions. The marks awarded for the assessment objectives being targeted are different in the two types of ten mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. The best answers to 10 mark questions were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, using sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate. In some questions students tended to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. These questions will ask them to bring together aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. This question produced an imaginative range of suggestions as to how age may affect life chances, not all informed by sociological knowledge and understanding. Most answers chose to focus on discrimination in employment and in access to services, with some displaying the students’ frustrations with the limits placed on young people, especially around the minimum wage. Studies, concepts and theories were rarely used in answers to this question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways age affects life chances (e.g. employment discrimination, risk of accidents and violence, access to services, dependency, institutional ageism)
• drift into other dimensions of inequality = 1–3
• studies, concepts and theories rarely used
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Most students could offer two disadvantages of laboratory experiments. Most often these included the artificiality of the setting (often conflated with the Hawthorne effect), while other disadvantages included difficulties in identifying and controlling variables, a lack of representativeness or ethical problems. However, many answers failed to explain or develop these points successfully; some simply described an example of an experiment that experienced such problems. Some students did not know the difference between reliability and validity. A minority of students included evaluation, for which no marks were available on this question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two disadvantages each developed (e.g. artificiality and Hawthorne effect undermining validity, small scale and short duration, informed consent)
• drift into field experiments = 1–3
• many just described an example experiment
• artificiality conflated with Hawthorne effect
• reliability and validity confused
• AO split from AQA's standard grid for this paper (this year's mark scheme does not print it).

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

As the application questions are new in this specification, it is not surprising that students find this style of question more challenging than traditional essay writing. This question required students to apply their knowledge of one area of the specification (educational policies) to another area (ethnic minorities’ experience). A number of responses remained in the bottom band due to being solely focused on outlining some of the factors or processes affecting the achievements of minority ethnic groups without attempting to link these to a specific policy. A common example of this was a discussion of the ethnocentric curriculum and teacher labelling only in relation to achievement. More commonly, many students were able to identify two policies with at least some explanation. A wide range of policies were identified, such as Sure Start, compensatory education, or a collection or policies such as multi-cultural education and EAL support. Some students were able to clearly link a policy towards the experience of education. However, as in the previous year, many referred to social class or religion more generally as a proxy to ethnicity and therefore remained in the middle band. The most successful answers demonstrated knowledge of two policies (one in each paragraph) and applied these explicitly to the experience of minority ethnic groups, such as the impact on achievement, self-esteem and increased opportunities. Popular responses looked at how the National Curriculum appears ethnocentric, applying examples from different subjects across the curriculum. These responses also showed good conceptual knowledge, with studies and/or key concepts and analysis of how and why there may have been an impact on the experience of ethnic minority groups.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two policies each applied explicitly to minority ethnic pupils' experience (e.g. multicultural education, Race Relations Act duty, EAL, National Curriculum ethnocentrism)
• describing factors such as labelling or the ethnocentric curriculum without linking to a policy stays in the bottom band
• using social class or religion as a proxy for ethnicity caps in the middle band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. This question was answered well with some good knowledge and understanding shown. Some students scored well by developing Oakley’s ideas on gender socialisation. Others approached the question in terms of two different agencies of socialisation and their contribution to socialising children into gender roles. The best answers were able to clearly explain how agencies may socialise children in to gender roles (usually family and education). These answers were detailed in their account of the process and they were also able to discuss the way in which these processes applied to girls and boys. They also discussed the way these processes were changing.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. parents' different expectations of sons and daughters, gendered subject choice at school
• drift into general accounts of gender = 1–3
• best answers explained the process for both girls and boys (often family and education, e.g. Oakley) and how it is changing

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. Top band answers were able to identify and develop two ways, such as changes in the position of women in society sometimes linked to other changes, such as divorce law with application to delaying childbirth and smaller family size. Changes to childhood, such as child-centred or economic liability, also successfully developed and applied to smaller family size were also rewarded well, as well as a number of responses that discussed the impact of industrialisation on family size. Occasionally more successful answers discussed how changes could increase or decrease family size, such as the re-emergence of the divorced extended family or one person households following divorce. Good answers analysed the underlying reasons for these changes, for example by referring to the growth of feminism. Weaker answers often lost focus on family size and instead discussed general changes to society or family. Alternatively they covered a number of possible changes in society that affected family size without developing any one of them sufficiently.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two ways each developed, e.g. changing position of women, children as an economic liability, contraception
• descriptions of changing family size without causes = 1–3
• best answers analysed underlying causes such as feminism
• weaker answers lost focus on family size

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. Cultural factors around older people’s expectations of health and attitudes to consulting the doctor were the most common reasons offered by successful students. Differential work opportunities and differences in immune systems were also popular responses. Successful answers were able to explain how these factors affected different age groups and explained explicitly how they led to differences between age groups regarding consultation rates. Less successful students tended to drift away from age into considerations of gender or ethnicity, or tended just to assert the reason without any appropriate discussion or analysis.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two reasons each developed and explicitly linked to consultation rates, e.g. older people not at work, children's vulnerable immune systems, routine screening
• common answer: cultural attitudes of older people
• drift into gender or ethnicity limits marks

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark outline and explain question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them in relation to the second part of the question. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on two. Some students were hampered in their attempts to answer this question because they were unclear about what means tested benefits are. These answers often developed into general criticisms of the provision of welfare benefits and struggled to make relevant points. Successful answers made reference to problems such as the complexity of the system, the stigma attached to claiming and the relatively low amount of money received. Top band answers were able to explain these problems in terms of their effect or scope or underlying causes. For example, by discussing stigma in the context of media stereotypes, the effect this had on claimants and illustrating the issues with examples, such as the provision of free school meals.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• two reasons each developed, e.g. poverty trap, stigma deterring claims, complexity, low levels of benefit
• general dependency-culture accounts = 1–3
• many were unsure what means-tested benefits are and wrote general criticisms of welfare

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The majority of students were able to present two practical disadvantages of documents. Common answers included reference to time, cost, access and authenticity. Stronger answers could explain the problem in some detail and show good application and analysis in relation to both public and personal documents. More developed responses were able to link the disadvantage to a specific piece of research where documents had been used, or linked the disadvantage to a particular issue. However, relatively few students could offer a sustained development of the practical disadvantages they had identified and many responses were quite short in length. Some answers were not rewarded beyond the 1-3 band, as they discussed theoretical or, to a lesser extent, ethical issues, rather than practical disadvantages. Some students identified a practical issue but drifted into explaining it in relation to theoretical concerns. Schools and colleges are reminded that there are no marks for evaluation for this question. A significant number of students had evaluative statements regarding the advantages of documents tagged on to the end of responses that were not relevant to the question.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• practical disadvantages only: drift into theoretical or ethical problems = 1–3 band
• no marks for evaluation (bolted-on advantages not credited)
• common answers: time, cost, access, authenticity
• best answers linked each to public/personal documents or a named study

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. Many answered this by describing features, such as style of dress or preferred music, of particular subcultures with less success in developing general points about the relationship between subcultures and the consumption of goods and services.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways subcultures relate to consumption (music genres, branded clothing/fashion, incorporation into mass consumption, pick-and-mix consumption)
• drift into popular culture in general = 1–3
• many just described the dress or music of particular subcultures without making a general point about consumption

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. For example, in question 4, many answers gave detailed responses on changing gender roles but said little on how these had affected the experience of childhood. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. Most were able to identify two ways and clearly addressed changing gender roles, but often there was little development on the experience of childhood beyond stating that it had become more positive or negative. Popular answers included parents in symmetrical families as good role models, material conditions (such as dual-earners) and changes in socialisation. Some made the error of writing about traditional gender roles rather than how they have changed.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link changing gender roles to children's experience of childhood (role models, daycare, socialisation, dual earners)
• drift into effects on women = 1–3
• childhood effects often left undeveloped ('better' or 'worse')
• some wrote about traditional rather than changing roles

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. The most common answers here discussed stress or other factors in women’s lives and the role of doctors in diagnosis.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons for higher female diagnosis (stressful multiple roles, doctors' gendered diagnoses, women more likely to report symptoms, male problems hidden)
• drift into mental illness in general = 1–3
• common answers: stress in women's lives and role of doctors in diagnosis

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. Students often showed an impressive knowledge of recent and current government policies, such as the bedroom tax and changes to benefits. A few chose zero hours contracts, which are not a government policy. However, it was possible to use this by arguing that government policy was to allow these.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways policy increased poverty (benefit cuts/caps, means-testing and the poverty trap, tax changes such as VAT)
• drift into government policy in general = 1–3
• good answers used current policies e.g. bedroom tax
• zero-hours contracts are not a policy unless framed as government permitting them

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. Better answers identified particular social groups and were able to use specific examples. Some found it difficult to explain why sects would recruit them specifically. A few conflated sects and other organisations, such as NAMs.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two reasons (marginality and theodicy of disprivilege, relative deprivation, status frustration, anomie)
• drift into religious organisations in general = 1–3
• better answers named specific groups with examples
• some could not explain why sects specifically recruit them, or confused sects with NAMs

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. Most were able to identify two ways. Many chose one ‘positive’ way, such as the introduction of Western health care and medical technology, and one ‘negative’ way, such as the increase in diseases of affluence associated with a changing lifestyle. A few neglected the ‘process’ aspect of the question and gave accounts of health problems in LEDCs, such as high infant mortality rates.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must address the process of development (urbanisation and disease, immunisation, unsafe factory work, diseases of affluence)
• drift into health issues in general = 1–3
• many gave one positive and one negative way
• some just described health problems in LEDCs

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. There were some very good answers to this question. Some students struggled with the ‘new’ media aspect and wrote about the media in general. Good points were made about, for example, global branding and advertising, the availability of social media and the dominance of American or Western cultural forms.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must be the new media specifically (social media, TNCs, global advertising, cultural homogenisation)
• a list of popular-culture factors = 1–3
• some wrote about the media in general

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

A number of students wrote introductory paragraphs and/or conclusions. These are not necessary, and are unlikely to gain additional marks. A number of students made only one point in their answer, or three or more, rather than the two asked for. In these cases, the two best answers were rewarded and will be in future series. It is helpful for students to clearly indicate their two answers, with wording such as “One way is…” or by starting a new paragraph for their second point. Schools and colleges should note that there is no reference in the mark scheme for 10 mark ‘outline and explain’ questions to evaluation, and that evaluation is not a requirement for answers to these questions. The assessment objective allocations are different in the two types of 10 mark questions, and students should be made aware of this. There was a wide range of responses to these questions. A minority of students wrote very brief answers. For these 10 mark items, a simple statement of two ways, reasons or factors, without development, is not sufficient to access more than the lower marks in the mark range. The best answers were focused, clearly stating a point and then developing it, with use of sociological concepts, evidence and theory where appropriate, in ways that demonstrated the skills expected from the targeted assessment objectives. There was a tendency, however, for many answers to focus on the first aspect of the question at the expense of the second. Students need guidance on how to approach these questions and how to best demonstrate their sociological understanding. The nature of these questions means that students cannot rely on reciting knowledge. They require students to bring together two aspects of their sociological knowledge in a way that they are unlikely to have done before. Answers will sometimes require claims that students may be unsure of because they do not know of specific evidence (for example, in question 5, whether migrants from Eastern Europe who are single workers tend to live alone or in shared households). However, answers that are sociologically plausible will be accepted. Good answers were able to identify two ways by selecting life chances, such as those in employment, health and education, but some had less success in developing these points. Better answers were able to explain the ‘way’ through appropriate use of sociological knowledge, for example, using theories, or concepts such as the underclass and the reserve army of labour.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways ethnicity affects life chances (employment discrimination, education, health, criminalisation, underclass/reserve army)
• drift into general descriptions of ethnic groups = 1–3
• development often weak
• better answers used theory and concepts

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

Most students were able to identify two appropriate advantages of overt participant observation (OPO) and to offer at least some limited development of one or both of these. The advantages commonly identified included ethical ones (generally, informed consent or avoidance of deception) and ones such as the ability to make notes or to avoid being drawn into dangerous activities. Although the question asked for advantages of OPO compared with covert participant observation (CPO), some students focused on one without reference to the other, leaving the examiner to deduce that, for example, the disadvantage of CPO outlined in the answer meant that there must be a corresponding advantage of OPO. This approach left the relevant point partly implicit and resulted in fewer marks being awarded. By contrast, the best answers made explicit and detailed comparisons, and elaborated on the nature of the advantages (notably, by explaining why or how the advantages were advantages), but weaker answers did not go beyond a basic identification of the advantage(s) with little or no development. Some answers offered a string of advantages in this way, but only the best two of those presented could be credited. Schools and colleges should familiarise students with this rubric requirement and the wording of the question here. Many students drew dubious and over-generalised inferences from some of the stated advantages. For example, some asserted that by researchers being open about their identity and purpose, this would facilitate access or even build rapport, when this is often not the case in such research. Some very weak answers were unable to address any advantages specific to OPO and offered points about the advantages of participant observation in general, such as validity, that are arguably as true or even truer of CPO. A few students unfortunately mixed up OPO and CPO. Although the question was about the advantages of OPO, some students presented extensive but irrelevant evaluative material on either the disadvantages of OPO (eg the Hawthorne effect) or the advantages of CPO (eg greater insight). Schools and colleges should make students aware that there are no marks for evaluation in question 05.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• advantages must be of overt compared with covert participant observation, made explicit
• credited: open note-taking, informed consent and no deception, avoiding dangerous activities, no need to fit in
• general advantages of participant observation such as validity not specific to overt
• only the best two of a list credited
• some mixed up overt and covert

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

This question required students to apply their knowledge of one area of the specification (the role of the education system) to another area (educational achievement). However, weaker answers often focused solely on outlining some of the factors affecting pupils’ achievement without attempting to link these to the functions of education. Better answers had knowledge of one or more functions of the education system, usually from a functionalist and/or Marxist perspective. These included role allocation, socialisation into shared values, transmission of specialist skills, or reproduction of class inequality. However, this knowledge was sometimes patchy, often accompanied by a tendency to present a loose amalgam of different functions rather than a clear and coherent account. The best answers applied a good knowledge and understanding of the functions of the education system to the issue of achievement. For example, an account of the meritocratic nature of selection (from a functionalist perspective) led onto the idea that equal opportunities and being judged by universalistic standards would raise achievement levels by motivating all pupils to achieve to the maximum of their abilities.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link functions of education to achievement, not just list factors affecting achievement (drift caps at 1–3)
• best answers took a clear functionalist or Marxist function (meritocratic role allocation, class reproduction) and applied it to achievement
• weaker answers offered a loose mix of functions

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark ‘Outline and explain’ question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them together them in relation to the question as a whole. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question, or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on the two required. The most successful answers tended to focus on firstly, experiences around access to work, leisure and education, and, secondly, experiences based on stereotyping and labelling. Better answers were able to expand on the issue they were discussing and then develop a number of links from that issue to the social experiences of a disabled person. Weaker answers tended to describe some aspect of an individual’s social experiences, for example limited wheelchair access, without fully explaining the impact it may have on those individuals.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways, each applied and analysed
• examples: discrimination/stigma, media under-representation, differential access to work, education and leisure
• drift into accounts of types of disability = 1-3
• weaker answers described an experience (e.g. wheelchair access) without explaining its impact on the person

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark ‘Outline and explain’ question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them together them in relation to the question as a whole. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question, or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on the two required. Most students were able to give two examples of government policies, even if these were not very specific or accurate. Some particularly vague answers described policy areas rather than identifying a specific policy. There was some difficulty in linking policies to a specific impact on the experience of childhood today. Many candidates just said it was ‘better’, whilst others linked the policy to benefits in the future, eg better jobs. Some gave quite lengthy descriptions on the changes in childhood or various sociologists' views on the position of childhood today. Whilst sociological knowledge was often good, they failed to apply this explicitly to the question, resulting in limited marks. Others identified two policies, but then described just one way that it affected childhood. Some identified two policies and two ways, but very briefly with no development. Overall, relatively few students explained the effects on childhood experiences sufficiently effectively for top band marks. The policies most frequently cited were the extension of the school leaving-age, child protection policies, and various benefits. Weaker students then wrote only briefly about the extension of childhood, it being 'better' or more dependence on parents. Some wrote at a tangent, for example, about New Right views of benefits. Only a small proportion managed to identify a policy and link its effects well to several points about changed childhood experiences (eg through the effects of divorce law changes, or the arrival of legal gay marriage).

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two ways a policy affects childhood now
• examples: child poverty measures, child protection, education changes, childcare provision, benefits
• vague policy areas rather than named policies, saying childhood is just 'better', or future effects only limited marks
• drift into general accounts of childhood = 1-3

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark ‘Outline and explain’ question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them together them in relation to the question as a whole. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question, or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on the two required. Most students were able to identify two reasons why members of some ethnic groups may be more likely to be diagnosed with mental illness than members of other ethnic groups. The most common reasons given were racism, labelling/stereotyping, poverty and cultural differences. Successful answers were able to explain clearly how the reason identified was a feature of some ethnic groups, and also how this led to a higher incidence of mental illness. For example, how poverty might lead to stress, lower status, feelings of inadequacy, loss of independence, frustration and so on. Less successful answers spent too long describing the differences in diagnosis rather than the reasons, or discussed differences between ethnic groups without relating them to differential diagnoses of mental illness.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• reasons for higher diagnosis rates, not descriptions of the differences
• examples: psychiatric racism/ethnocentrism, stress of poverty, cultural misinterpretation, language barriers, entry via criminal justice system
• drift into general views of mental illness = 1-3
• best answers explained how the reason affects the group and leads to diagnosis

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Examiner's comment

The 10 mark ‘Outline and explain’ question requires students to link two aspects of the specification. The best answers took note of both aspects of the question, clearly identified two separate points and developed them together them in relation to the question as a whole. Weaker answers either ignored one aspect of the question, or attempted to cover a number of ideas rather than focusing on the two required. Good answers were able to identify two government policies (often tax and benefit policies) and explain clearly how these have impacted on the gap between rich and poor during the last 40 years. Weaker answers were either less than clear about the policy, and/or failed to explain its impact on the gap between rich and poor. The most common successful approach was a discussion of minimum wage legislation, with a clear description of what this is coupled with some analysis of its potential impact on the poorest sections of society.

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two policies and their effect on the gap between rich and poor
• examples: tax changes, housing policy, benefit cuts, minimum wage, trade union law, privatisation
• drift into government policies in general = 1-3
• minimum wage the most common successful example

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• specimen paper, no examiners' report
• no marks for evaluation in this question type
• arguments must be against sociology as a science
• drift into arguments for = 1–3
• top band applies criteria such as Kuhn's paradigms and Popper's falsification
• other credited points: free will vs determinism, value-laden sociology, interpretivist study of meanings

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• specimen paper, no examiners' report
• top band: two agencies (e.g. education and family) applied to class identity, with analysis of class differences in how education socialises
• drift into socialisation in general = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link women's paid work to family structures (smaller families, delayed marriage, childlessness)
• analysis e.g. dual burden in relationships
• drift into family diversity in general = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• each difference must contrast the social and biomedical models on mental illness (environmental vs organic cause
• community vs pharmacological or surgical treatment)
• analysis e.g. prevention vs cure
• drift into health inequalities in general = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band e.g. concentration in areas of industrial decline, lower qualifications
• analysis of school discrimination affecting achievement
• general accounts of minority ethnic groups' position = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link sects and NAMs to secularisation (sects as response to lost certainty and atomisation
• NAMs serving secular, this-worldly goals)
• analysis of their appeal to particular social groups
• general accounts of religious organisations = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band e.g. TNCs undercutting local businesses, training and skills transfer
• analysis of capital-intensive TNC activity
• drift into industrialisation and development in general = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• must link ownership to effects on audiences (e.g. ideology for a passive audience, false needs)
• analysis of the roles of owners and journalists in producing messages
• drift into media representations in general = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• top band e.g. class position shaped by factors beyond occupation, occupational status itself shaped by racism
• analysis of labour-market discrimination
• Marxist and Weberian ideas (racialised class fractions, underclass, dual labour market) creditable
• general class inequality = 1–3 band

Mark scheme, including the levels grid and indicative content

Notes from the mark scheme and report

• two advantages, e.g. comparability and reliability
• analysis of why positivists favour official statistics
• other creditable points: cheap and accessible, large representative coverage, trends over time, cause and effect
• discussing disadvantages = 1–3 band