Revision Q

Question 1

Outline two ways in which education promotes social solidarity (4)

Answer 1

• Ethnocentric Curriculum: Schools teach a common history and language, fostering a sense of shared identity among students.
• Collective Activities: Participation in school events like assemblies and sports promotes unity and teamwork.

Question 2

Outline two ways in which schools operate on meritocratic principles (4)

Answer 2

• Standardized Assessments:
  Exams and grading systems aim to evaluate students based on ability and effort.
• Equal Opportunities: Policies are designed to provide all students with the same access to educational resources.

Question 3

Outline two policies aimed at reducing social inequalities in education (4)

Answer 3

• Pupil Premium: Additional funding is provided to schools for disadvantaged students to close the attainment gap.
• Free School Meals: Ensures that children from low-income families receive nutritious meals, supporting better concentration and learning.

Question 4

Outline two ways the education system can serve private profit (4)

Answer 4

• Academisation: Schools converting to academies may involve private sponsors and businesses in management.
• Outsourcing Services: Private companies provide services like catering and cleaning, profiting from school contracts.

Question 5

5. Outline two ways in which class identities may cause underachievement (4)

Answer 5

• Lack of Cultural Capital: Working-class students may lack the cultural experiences valued by the education system.
• Self-Exclusion: Feeling that higher education is “not for people like us” can deter working-class students from pursuing further studies.

Question 6

6. Two reasons why a shortage of male teachers might not explain boys’ underachievement (4)

Answer 6

• Curriculum Bias: Teaching methods may not cater to boys’ learning styles, regardless of teacher gender.
• Peer Pressure: Boys may face social pressure to conform to anti-academic norms, impacting performance.

Question 7

7. Outline two ways in which working-class girls’ identities impact achievement (4)

Answer 7

• Conflict Between Identity and School Values: Prioritizing
  appearance and social life may clash with academic expectations.
• Fear of Success: Achieving academically might threaten their social identity within peer groups.

Question 8

8. Outline two in-school factors affecting ethnic achievement gaps (4)

Answer 8

• Teacher Expectations:
  Stereotyping can lead to lower expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies.
• Curriculum Content: An ethnocentric curriculum may disengage students from minority backgrounds.

Question 9

Evaluate the view that Sociology should be scientific (30)

Answer 9

1. Positivism – YES, sociology should be scientific
   • Positivists (e.g., Comte, Durkheim) say society is made up of social facts that can be studied like natural laws.
   • Use quantitative methods: surveys, stats, experiments.
   • Durkheim’s study of suicide: used official stats to find patterns → showed how social forces like religion and family affect suicide rates.
   • Science = objectivity, reliability, general laws.

Criticism:
But people aren’t like rocks or chemicals — they have feelings and free will. So treating people like “objects” may ignore what really matters.

2. Interpretivism – NO, sociology should not be scientific
   • Interpretivists (e.g., Weber) say humans act based on meanings, not causes.
   • Need to understand people’s point of view (verstehen).
   • Use qualitative methods: unstructured interviews, observations.
   • Paul Willis: studied how working-class boys resisted school. This insight wouldn’t show up in a survey.

Evaluation:
These methods give deep insight but are harder to repeat and may not apply to everyone (low reliability/generalisation).

Question 10

Evaluate the view