GCSE AQA Sociology Unit 1 Specimen Paper

41901 version 1.1 General Certificate of Secondary Education Sociology Unit 1 Specimen paper for examinations in June 2010 onwards This question paper uses the new numbering system and new AQA answer book Time allowed • 1 hour 30 minutes Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Examining Body for this paper is AQA. The Paper Reference is 41901. • This paper is divided into three Topic Areas. Topic 1: Answer all questions. Topic 2: Answer all questions from Section 1 and one question from Section 2. Topic 3: Answer all questions from Section 3 and one question from Section 4. • Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work that you do not want to be marked. Information • The marks for questions are shown in brackets. • The maximum mark for this paper is 90. • Quality of Written Communication will be assessed in all questions where extended writing is required. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: -use good English -organise information clearly -use specialist vocabulary where appropriate For this paper you must have: • an AQA 12-page answer book. 41901 2 TOPIC 1: Studying Society You must answer all questions on this topic. Total for this topic: 30 marks Study Items A, B and C below and answer the questions that follow. Item A Ethnic and Gender Differences in Examination Performance Percentage of Boys and Girls Achieving 5 A*–C GCSE Grades Ethnic Group Girls % Boys % White 60 50 Black Caribbean 49 33 Indian 76 65 Pakistani 54 43 Chinese 85 77 Item B Learning To Labour In a study entitled ‘Learning to Labour: How Working Class Kids Get Working Class Jobs’, Paul Willis studied a group of 12 working class boys during their last year and a half at a Midlands’ school. He observed ‘the lads’ in classes, around the school and during their leisure activities and interviewed several of them together. In these group interviews, he was also able to observe the social interaction between these working class boys. 3 Item C Human Diversity The idea of race refers to the attempt to divide humans according to physical characteristics (like skin colour) into different racial groups, such as Caucasian (white). Sociologists generally regard this as a rather pointless exercise, as it has no value in explaining human culture. This is because human behaviour is largely the result of socialisation, and cannot be explained by purely biological characteristics. 0 1 From Item A, for every ethnic group listed, do boys or girls achieve a higher percentage of 5 A*–C GCSE grades? (1 mark) 0 2 From Item B, identify a research method used by Paul Willis. (1 mark) 0 3 Outline one advantage and one disadvantage of using the research method you have identified in (b) (i) above. (2 marks) 0 4 Study Item C. Describe how the sociological idea of ethnic groups differs from the biological idea of race. (4 marks) 0 5 Explain what sociologists mean by a multicultural, multi-ethnic society. (4 marks) 0 6 Explain one way in which sociological research might help educational authorities to design policies to reduce educational underachievement in Britain. (4 marks) You have been asked as a sociologist to investigate the attitudes towards schooling amongst different ethnic groups. 0 7 Identify and explain one ethical issue which may arise in the course of doing your research. (4 marks) 0 8 Identify one useful secondary source you might use and explain why it would help. (4 marks) 0 9 Identify one primary research method you would use and explain why it is better than another possible primary method for obtaining the information you need (6 marks)4 TOPIC 2: Education Answer all questions from Section 1 and one from Section 2. Total for this topic: 30 marks Study Items D and E below and answer the questions that follow. Item D Faith Schools The debate about faith schools and whether they help to create a divided society is not simple. Many people see Muslim faith schools as reinforcing the way in which some communities have become isolated. Others believe that parental choice and population changes are more important factors. The government wishes to encourage more faith schools within the state sector, seeing them as able to raise educational standards. Source: adapted from an article in The Guardian, Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited, September 26, 2007 Item E Educational Success and Family Income A five-year-old whose parents earn £30,000 to £67,500 has reading skills almost 4 months more advanced than one whose parents are jobless. Families with an earned income are more likely to be actively involved in society, have a stricter attitude to their children’s learning and have higher expectations of their children. Teachers will assume that children who enter school already confident, fluent and familiar with learning have great potential. Source: adapted from The Guardian Copyright Guardian Newspapers Limited 5 Section 1 1 0 From Item D, identify one possible disadvantage of faith schools. (1 mark) 1 1 From Item E, why might teachers expect higher academic achievements from children whose parents have a higher income? (1 mark) 1 2 Identify two reasons why parents may wish to send their children to faith schools (2 marks) 1 3 Explain what sociologists mean by selective education. (4 marks) 1 4 Describe one way in which pupils with Special Educational Needs may be educated and explain the advantages of this method of education. (5 marks) 1 5 Describe one way in which governments have attempted to improve educational standards over the last 20 years and explain how successful this policy has been. (5 marks) Section 2 EITHER 1 6 Discuss how far sociologists would agree that encouraging pupils to adopt British values has become in recent years the most important function of the education system. (12 marks) OR 1 7 Discuss how far sociologists would agree that parental attitudes are the most important influence on a child’s educational achievement. (12 marks) 6 TOPIC 3: Families Answer all questions from Section 3 and one from Section 4. Total for this topic: 30 marks Study Items F and G below and answer the questions that follow. Item F Household Division of Labour Among Married or Cohabiting Couples in Great Britain 1990s Source: adapted from An introduction to Sociology 3rd edition, by KEN BROWNE, Polity, 2005 7 Item G Percentage of Lone Parent Households with Dependent Children By Ethnic Group in Great Britain – 2001 Ethnic Group Lone Parent Households % Black Caribbean 18 Black African 17 Bangladeshi 8 Pakistani 8 White 7 Chinese 6 Indian 4 Source: adapted from Social Trends 37, The Office for National Statistics, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007 © Crown Copyright 2007 Section 3 1 8 From Item F, which household task is most shared? (1 mark) 1 9 From Item G, identify the ethnic group that had the highest percentage of lone parent households. (1 mark) 2 0 Identify two reasons for the general rise in the divorce rate in Britain during the last 40 years. (2 marks) 2 1 Explain what sociologists mean by a reconstituted family. (4 marks) 2 2 Describe one way governments have attempted to help families in recent years and explain how successful this policy has been. (5 marks) 2 3 Describe one social or economic need of the elderly in our society and explain how governments might try to meet that need. (5 marks) Section 4 EITHER 2 4 Discuss how far sociologists would agree that living in a family tends to benefit men more than women. (12 marks) OR 2 5 Discuss how far sociologists would agree that it is realistic to talk of a typical British family today. (12 marks)8 END OF QUESTIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COPYRIGHT-HOLDERS AND PUBLISHERS Question 1 Item A: Source: adapted from DCFS Item B: Source: adapted from Sociology Themes and Perspectives 6th edition, by HARALAMBOS and HOLBORN, Collins, 2004 Item C: Source: adapted from JORGENSEN, BIRD, HEYHOE, RUSSELL, SAVVAS, Sociology: An interactive Approach, HarperCollins,1997. Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. 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