IGCSE Sociology: Family, Education and Crime — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions; examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes, 80 marks) has three questions, one on each topic: Family, Education, and Crime, deviance and social control. Candidates answer two of the three. Each question is worth 40 marks and has six parts, (a) to (f), with the same structure. This practice paper follows that shape; the part tariffs (2 + 2, 2, 6, 6, 8 and 14) follow Cambridge’s specimen Paper 2 for examination from 2025.

Related: Family, Education and Crime revision notes

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Answer two questions.

Question 1: Family

(a) Define the term:

(i) reconstituted family [2]

(ii) beanpole family. [2]

(b) Give two examples of ways grandparents may support their adult children’s families. [2]

(c) Explain three ways an ageing population is changing family life. [6]

(d) Explain three criticisms of the functionalist view of the family. [6]

(e) Discuss the differences between New Right and postmodernist views of family diversity.

Your answer should include:

• at least three developed points with evidence. [8]

(f) Evaluate the view that family life has become equal for men and women.

Your answer should include:

• at least three arguments for the view and three arguments against the view
• a conclusion. [14]

Question 2: Education

(a) Define the term:

(i) hidden curriculum [2]

(ii) cultural capital. [2]

(b) Give two examples of the hidden curriculum in schools. [2]

(c) Explain three in-school factors that may affect educational achievement. [6]

(d) Explain three ways feminist sociologists argue education perpetuates gender inequalities. [6]

(e) Discuss how material factors may affect the educational achievement of students from different social classes.

Your answer should include:

• at least three developed points with evidence. [8]

(f) Evaluate the view that education provides equal opportunities for all students.

Your answer should include:

• at least three arguments for the view and three arguments against the view
• a conclusion. [14]

Question 3: Crime, deviance and social control

(a) Define the term:

(i) crime [2]

(ii) white-collar crime. [2]

(b) Give two examples of formal agencies of social control. [2]

(c) Explain three reasons why white-collar crime may be under-recorded compared with other types of crime. [6]

(d) Explain three ways informal agencies of social control may prevent deviance. [6]

(e) Discuss the problems of using official statistics to measure crime.

Your answer should include:

• at least three developed points with evidence. [8]

(f) Evaluate the view that the police are the most effective agency of social control.

Your answer should include:

• at least three arguments for the view and three arguments against the view
• a conclusion. [14]

(Each question: (a) 2 + 2, (b) 2, (c) 6, (d) 6, (e) 8, (f) 14 = 40 marks. Two questions answered: 80 marks.)

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How the marks work

• (a)(i) and (a)(ii): 2 marks each; 1 for a partial definition, 2 for a clear one.
• (b): 1 mark for each correct example, up to 2.
• (c) and (d): 1 mark for each of three points identified, and 1 further mark for each point that is developed (3 + 3 = 6).
• (e), levels of response out of 8. Level 3 (7-8): good knowledge and understanding; three points supported by evidence and analysis; sociological terms used appropriately and often; points well developed. Level 2 (4-6): some knowledge; most points supported; some use of terms; some points only partly developed. Level 1 (1-3): limited knowledge; descriptive points with little evidence; few terms; points undeveloped. 0: nothing creditable.
• (f), levels of response out of 14. Level 4 (12-14): excellent knowledge; terms used consistently; three developed, evidenced points on each side; balanced, with a conclusion or judgement. Level 3 (8-11): good knowledge; one or two developed points on each side, or a range of developed and partly developed points on both sides; two-sided but may lack balance. Level 2 (4-7): some knowledge; some partly developed points; simple two-sided discussion or one side only. Level 1 (1-3): limited, list-like or descriptive. 0: nothing creditable. A one-sided answer cannot score more than 6.

Answers: Question 1 (Family)

(a)(i) [2] A reconstituted family is one in which one or both partners have children from a previous relationship living with them, forming a step-family (2). “A step-family” alone: 1.

(a)(ii) [2] A beanpole family is a vertically extended family that is long and thin: several generations alive at once but few members in each generation, because life expectancy has risen and birth rates have fallen (2). “Many generations” alone: 1.

(b) [2] Any two, 1 mark each: regular childcare while parents work; economic support such as money or housing; wisdom and advice; help with household tasks.

(c) [6] Any three, 1 for identifying and 1 for developing each. An ageing population (4.3.1) results from falling birth rates and rising life expectancy, so those are causes, not changes in family life, and earn no marks on their own.

• More generations alive at once: with more members living into old age and fewer children in each generation, families take a longer, thinner vertical or beanpole shape.
• The pivot or sandwich generation: adults in middle age may care for ageing parents while still supporting their own children, adding to their caring and financial responsibilities.
• Changing roles of grandparents: healthier, longer-lived grandparents can provide childcare and economic support to their adult children.
• Older relatives as dependants: in very old age, grandparents may need care from the family, which can bring financial pressure and strain.

(Do not credit boomerang children here: the syllabus lists them among the changing roles of children (4.3.5), and adult children returning home is not an effect of an ageing population.)

(d) [6] Any three, 1 for identifying and 1 for developing each:

• It assumes the family benefits all members equally, ignoring conflict and inequality such as an unequal domestic division of labour or domestic violence and abuse (feminist criticism).
• It ignores how the family serves capitalism: Marxists argue it reproduces class inequality and acts as a unit of consumption rather than meeting everyone’s needs.
• It treats the nuclear family as the norm, overlooking family diversity (lone-parent, reconstituted, childless and extended families) and cross-cultural variation.
• The “warm bath” idea is idealised: family life can be a source of stress rather than stabilisation, for example for dual-earner couples carrying a dual burden.
• It underplays loss of functions: other institutions such as schools, nurseries and the welfare state now take on many functions once performed by the family.

(e) [8] Levels as above. Possible points:

• Is diversity harmful? The New Right sees growing diversity, such as more lone-parent and reconstituted families, as a sign of social decline and a cause of dysfunctional families; postmodernists see diversity positively, as evidence of greater individual choice and freedom.
• Is there an ideal family? The New Right holds the traditional nuclear family, with married parents, as the best structure for socialising children; postmodernists reject the idea that any single family type is normal or ideal.
• Consequences for children: the New Right links lone parenthood to inadequate socialisation and later deviance; postmodernists argue that the quality of relationships matters more than the structure.
• Policy: the New Right favours policies that support marriage and the nuclear family; postmodernists argue policy should support all family types, including alternatives such as friends as family.
• Credit evidence such as trends in divorce, cohabitation and single-person households, and the debate about the extent of diversity and the continuing dominance of the nuclear family (4.1.3).

(f) [14] Levels as above. Possible arguments:

• For: movement from segregated to joint conjugal roles and the symmetrical family; dual-worker families with shared financial decision-making; more active fathers and some house-husbands; legislation on equal pay and divorce giving women more power; female empowerment and more women choosing careers or childlessness.
• Against: feminists point to the dual burden and the triple shift, with women still doing most housework, childcare and emotional work; domestic violence and abuse, mainly against women; decisions about major spending often still dominated by men; gendered socialisation of children continues within families; in many societies patriarchal family norms remain strong.
• Conclusion: a supported judgement, for example that roles have become more equal in some families and societies but that full equality has not been reached, with differences by social class, ethnicity and culture.

Answers: Question 2 (Education)

(a)(i) [2] The hidden curriculum is the norms, values and attitudes, such as punctuality, conformity and gender roles, that pupils learn from the way school is organised rather than from formal lessons (2). “Things learned at school that are not taught”: 1.

(a)(ii) [2] Cultural capital is the knowledge, language, tastes and values, typically of middle-class families, that schools recognise and reward, giving those pupils an advantage (2). “Middle-class culture” alone: 1.

(b) [2] Any two, 1 mark each: school uniform rules teaching conformity; bells and timetables teaching punctuality; respect for teachers’ authority; competition through tests and rankings; different expectations of boys and girls.

(c) [6] Any three, 1 for identifying and 1 for developing each:

• Labelling and the self-fulfilling prophecy: teachers’ expectations of a pupil shape how the pupil is treated, and the pupil may come to act out the label.
• Setting by ability: pupils in lower sets may be given less demanding work and lower expectations, widening gaps.
• Pro- and anti-school subcultures: peer groups that value or reject education reinforce effort or disengagement.
• Ethnocentric curriculum: a curriculum reflecting one culture may alienate pupils from other ethnic backgrounds.
• Role models: a lack of teachers from pupils’ own background may reduce aspiration.

(d) [6] Any three, 1 for identifying and 1 for developing each (5.2.3):

• Gendered curriculum and subject choice: boys and girls are channelled towards different subjects and careers.
• Teacher expectations: teachers may expect different behaviour and abilities from boys and girls.
• Gender hierarchy and male power: senior posts in schools are more often held by men, teaching pupils that men hold authority.
• Role models: the subjects taught by male and female teachers can reinforce gender stereotypes.
• Peer groups and social control: pupils who do not conform to gender expectations may face name-calling or exclusion.
• Access to education: in some countries girls are less likely to attend or complete school.

(e) [8] Levels as above. Possible points:

• Access to digital technology: pupils without a computer or reliable internet at home struggle with online learning and homework.
• Study space and resources: overcrowded housing and a lack of books make homework and revision harder.
• Diet and health: poor nutrition and illness can affect concentration and attendance.
• Costs of education: trips, uniforms, private tuition and, in some societies, school fees favour better-off families; selective and private education can be bought.
• Paid work: pupils from poorer families may need part-time jobs or to leave education early to earn money.
• Credit evidence such as class differences in attainment and analysis comparing material with cultural explanations.

(f) [14] Levels as above. Possible arguments:

• For (functionalist): meritocracy, in which rewards are based on ability and effort; free state education and equal-opportunities policies; standardised testing treats all candidates the same; compensatory education helps disadvantaged pupils; social mobility through qualifications.
• Against: Marxists argue the myth of meritocracy hides the reproduction of class inequality; cultural capital and material factors advantage middle-class pupils; private and selective schools; labelling and setting by ability; institutional racism and an ethnocentric curriculum; feminist arguments about gendered subject choice; unequal access to education in different countries, especially for girls.
• Conclusion: a supported judgement about how far formal equality of opportunity translates into equal outcomes.

Answers: Question 3 (Crime, deviance and social control)

(a)(i) [2] Crime is behaviour that breaks the criminal law of a society and can be punished by formal agencies such as the police and courts (2). “Breaking rules” alone: 1.

(a)(ii) [2] White-collar crime is crime committed by people in relatively high-status, trusted jobs in the course of their work, such as fraud, embezzlement or tax evasion (2). “Crime by rich people” alone: 1.

(b) [2] Any two, 1 mark each: the police; the courts; the armed forces; the government; the penal system (prisons).

(c) [6] Any three, 1 for identifying and 1 for developing each:

• Positions of trust: offenders often work with little direct oversight, so offences are hard to detect.
• Complexity: financial and technical crimes may not be recognised as crimes by victims or investigators.
• No obvious individual victim: losses are spread across many people or an organisation, so nobody reports the crime.
• Dealt with internally: organisations may dismiss or discipline staff quietly to protect their reputation rather than report to the police.
• Policing priorities: the police focus more on street and property crime, so fewer resources go into detecting white-collar crime.

(d) [6] Any three, 1 for identifying and 1 for developing each (6.1.3):

• Family: primary socialisation teaches children norms and values, and negative sanctions such as being grounded discourage rule-breaking.
• Education: school rules, detentions and rewards teach conformity and respect for authority.
• Peer group: disapproval, ridicule or exclusion discourage behaviour the group rejects.
• Workplace: the threat of losing a job or promotion encourages conformity to rules.
• Religion: a moral code backed by the community’s expectations and beliefs about right and wrong.
• Traditional and digital media: coverage that shames offenders or shows the consequences of crime, and public reaction on social media.

(e) [8] Levels as above. Possible points:

• Unreported crime: victims may think a crime too trivial to report, fear revenge, distrust the police or not realise they are victims.
• Unrecorded crime: the police use discretion over whether a reported incident is recorded as a crime.
• Police targeting: stop and search focused on particular groups or areas inflates their recorded crime.
• Changes in law and recording rules: trends may reflect changes in counting rather than in behaviour.
• Social construction: interactionists argue statistics show the activity of control agencies rather than the true extent of crime; Marxists argue crimes of the powerful are under-represented.
• Credit evidence such as the gap between official statistics and victim surveys, and analysis of self-report studies as an alternative.

(f) [14] Levels as above. Possible arguments:

• For: the police have legal powers of arrest and use of force; visible patrols and surveillance deter crime; stop and search and targeting can disrupt gang and organised crime; the police are the gateway to the courts and penal system; community policing can build trust and gather information.
• Against: most everyday conformity comes from informal agencies such as family, education, religion and peers; many crimes are never reported or solved; police targeting can create a self-fulfilling prophecy and damage trust among some ethnic groups and young people; the police depend on courts, government and the penal system; military-style policing may provoke conflict; digital surveillance and the media also control behaviour; effectiveness varies between societies.
• Conclusion: a supported judgement, for example that the police are most important for serious crime but that informal agencies do more to produce everyday conformity.

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Where marks are usually lost

• On (a), giving an example instead of a definition.
• On (c) and (d), listing three points without developing each one, which earns only half the marks.
• On (e), writing fewer than three points, or points with no evidence.
• On (f), giving arguments on one side only (capped at 6 marks) or leaving out the conclusion.
• Choosing the two questions badly: check every part of a question, including (f), before committing to it.