OxfordAQA IGCSE Sociology: Introducing Sociology — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside OxfordAQA’s own specimen paper and mark scheme for Paper 1.

Paper 1 is examined in three sections: Section A Families (22 of the paper’s 60 marks), Section B Education (22 marks) and Section C Research methods (16 marks: short questions and a structured question based on data about an issue of global sociological significance). This paper follows that shape: Section C has two short questions and one structured question on a data item.

Related: Introducing Sociology revision notes

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Section A: Families (22 marks)

1. Identify and briefly describe two types of family structure, other than the nuclear family. [4]

2. Explain one difference between a functionalist view and a Marxist view of the family’s role in society. [6]

3. Explain two ways in which family life has become more diverse in recent decades. [6]

4. Explain two ways in which gender or age shapes the experience of family life, such as the division of domestic labour. [6]

Section B: Education (22 marks)

5. Explain the difference between the official curriculum and the hidden curriculum, giving an example of each. [4]

6. Explain one difference between a functionalist view and a Marxist view of the role of education in society. [6]

7. Explain how teacher expectations and labelling can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy in the classroom. [6]

8. Explain two factors that may help to account for differences in educational achievement between pupils. [6]

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Section C: Research methods (16 marks)

9. Define what is meant by secondary data. [2]

10. A sociologist wishes to study bullying in a secondary school. Identify and briefly explain two ethical issues the sociologist should consider. [4]

11. Study Item A and answer the questions that follow.

Item A — Percentage of young people aged 15–24 who used the internet in the previous three months, by sex, in five countries

Hypothetical data, invented for this practice question. The countries are identified only by letter.

Country	Females (%)	Males (%)
P	92	94
Q	61	74
R	85	83
S	38	55
T	77	79

(a) Using Item A, identify the country with the lowest percentage for females and the country with the highest percentage for males. [2]

(b) Using Item A, identify the country with the largest difference between males and females, and state the size of that difference. [2]

(c) Identify one pattern shown by the data in Item A. [2]

(d) Identify and explain one limitation of the data in Item A. [2]

(e) Identify and explain one strength of the data in Item A. [2]

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Answers: Section A

A1 [4 marks — 2 marks per type identified and briefly described]

Award 2 marks per named type with a brief accurate description, up to a maximum of 4. Acceptable types include: extended families; single-parent families; reconstituted (step-) families; “living apart together” couples; child-free couples; “beanpole” families (multiple generations, few members per generation). A bare name with no description scores 1 mark for that type.

A2 [6 marks]

Functionalist (e.g. Parsons): the family performs positive functions for society and its members — primary socialisation and the “stabilisation of adult personalities” [1] [1] — and the nuclear family is well suited to an industrial society [1]. Marxist (e.g. Engels): the family serves the interests of capitalism rather than society as a whole [1] [1] — it reproduces labour power and transmits private property through inheritance, and functions partly as a means of social control [1]. Award full marks only where the difference between the two views is explicitly drawn out.

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A3 [6 marks — up to 3 marks per way, explained not just named]

Two from: increased family diversity through reconstituted families following divorce and remarriage [1] [1] [1]; growth of “living apart together” relationships and child-free couples as accepted alternatives to the traditional family life-cycle [1] [1] [1]; the emergence of “beanpole” families, with more living generations but fewer members in each generation, linked to rising life expectancy and falling birth rates [1] [1] [1]; growth of the “pivot generation”, adults simultaneously caring for both children and ageing parents [1] [1] [1].

A4 [6 marks — up to 3 marks per way, explained not just named]

Two from: unequal division of domestic labour, with women typically carrying out more housework and childcare even in dual-earner households [1] [1] [1]; the changing status of children within the family, from economic contributors historically to being financially dependent for longer [1] [1] [1]; “boomerang” adult children returning to live with parents, often for economic reasons, changing family roles and finances [1] [1] [1]; the changing role of older people, including providing childcare for grandchildren or requiring care themselves [1] [1] [1].

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Answers: Section B

A5 [4 marks]

The official (or “formal”) curriculum is the subjects and content that schools formally set out to teach, e.g. mathematics, science or history lessons [1] [1]. The hidden curriculum is the attitudes, values and behaviours schools teach informally, through the way the school is organised and run rather than through what is formally taught, e.g. punctuality, respect for authority or competitiveness, taught through rules, routines and rewards [1] [1].

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A6 [6 marks]

Functionalist (e.g. Davis and Moore): education performs a positive function of role allocation, sorting and training individuals for their future positions in society based on ability [1] [1], and socialises pupils into shared values, helping to maintain social order [1]. Marxist (e.g. Bourdieu): education reproduces existing class inequality rather than allocating roles fairly, since pupils from better-off backgrounds start with more cultural capital — knowledge and ways of behaving that schools value and reward [1] [1] [1]. Award full marks only where the difference between the two views is explicitly drawn out.

A7 [6 marks]

Labelling is when a teacher attaches a description to a pupil, such as “bright” or “disruptive,” often based on limited information [1] [1]. This shapes teacher expectations, which can affect how the teacher treats the pupil — for example, giving more attention or opportunities to a pupil labelled positively [1] [1]. The pupil may then internalise and act out the label, so that the original expectation comes true purely because it was expected — a self-fulfilling prophecy [1] [1].

A8 [6 marks — up to 3 marks per factor, explained not just named]

Two from: social class, e.g. wealthier families being able to afford private tuition, books and a stable home-study environment, and possessing more of the cultural capital that schools reward [1] [1] [1]; gender, e.g. differing subject choices or expectations linked to gendered stereotypes about ability and behaviour [1] [1] [1]; ethnicity, e.g. some ethnic minority pupils experiencing lower teacher expectations or stereotyping which can affect motivation and achievement [1] [1] [1]. Credit any factor that is explained rather than just named.

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Answers: Section C

A9 [2 marks]

Secondary data is data that already exists, having been collected or produced by someone else — such as a government, an organisation or another researcher — for a different purpose [1], which the sociologist then uses, e.g. official statistics, documents or earlier research findings [1].

A10 [4 marks — 2 marks per issue: 1 for identifying it, 1 for the explanation]

Two from: informed consent [1] — because the participants are children, consent should be obtained from parents or guardians as well as from the pupils, who must be told they may refuse or withdraw at any point [1]; protection from harm [1] — questions about bullying may cause distress by making pupils recall upsetting experiences, so questions should be worded carefully and support from pastoral staff should be available [1]; confidentiality and anonymity [1] — pupils must not be identifiable, or they could face reprisals, although a disclosure of serious harm may still have to be reported, which should be explained in advance [1].

A11 (a) [2 marks]

Lowest percentage for females: Country S (38%) [1]. Highest percentage for males: Country P (94%) [1].

A11 (b) [2 marks]

Country S [1]; the difference is 17 percentage points (55 − 38) [1].

A11 (c) [2 marks — 1 for the pattern, 1 for supporting figures from Item A]

e.g. In four of the five countries the percentage for males is higher than for females [1] — Country R is the only exception, at 85% for females and 83% for males [1]. Or: the countries with the lowest overall internet use have the largest gaps between males and females [1] — S (17 points) and Q (13 points), compared with 2 points in P, R and T [1].

A11 (d) [2 marks — 1 for the limitation, 1 for the explanation]

e.g. The data does not say how internet use was measured [1] — using it once in three months counts the same as using it every day, so the figures may hide large differences in how much young people actually use it [1]. Or: the data shows patterns but not their causes [1], so it cannot explain why fewer females than males use the internet in some countries [1]. Or: it gives no information about who was sampled or how [1], so we cannot judge whether the percentages are representative of all young people in each country [1].

A11 (e) [2 marks — 1 for the strength, 1 for the explanation]

e.g. The data is quantitative and uses the same measure for every country [1], so patterns and differences can be compared quickly and directly across countries and between the sexes [1]. Or: it covers several countries [1], so it can reveal global inequalities that a study of one society would miss [1].

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Where marks are usually lost

• Confusing the official/formal curriculum with the hidden curriculum.
• Naming a family type or a factor in achievement without explaining it.
• Describing a perspective on families or education without a clearly-stated point of difference from the other perspective.
• Reading a data item carelessly — giving the wrong country, or a gap without stating its size — and describing a pattern without quoting figures from the item to support it.
• Forgetting that research with children requires parental consent as well as the child’s own agreement.