AS SOCIOLOGY Unit 2 Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods

Transcription

1 AS SOCIOLOGY Unit 2 Education with Research Methods; Health with Research Methods Tuesday 24 May 2016 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours Materials For this paper you must have: an AQA 12-page answer book. Instructions Use black ink or black ball-point pen. Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is SCLY2. The paper is divided into two sections. Choose one section and answer all the questions in that section. Do not answer questions from more than one section. Do all rough work in your answer book. Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. Information The marks for questions are shown in brackets. The maximum mark for this paper is 90. Questions carrying 12 marks or more should be answered in continuous prose. In these questions you will be marked on your ability to: use good English organise information clearly use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. G/TI/113062/Jun16/E3 SCLY2

2 2 Choose either Section A or Section B and answer all the questions in that section. Section A Education with Research Methods You are advised to spend approximately 50 minutes on questions 0 1 to 0 4. You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on question 0 5. You are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on questions 0 6 to 0 9. Education Read Item A below and answer questions 0 1 to 0 4 that follow. Item A There are significant gender differences in educational achievement in the United Kingdom today. At all levels of the education system, girls tend to do better than boys. For example, since the early 1990s, about ten per cent more girls than boys have gained five or more A* C grades at GCSE each year. In addition, more girls than boys now enter university. These are relatively recent developments and some sociologists explain them in terms of changes both within the education system and in wider society. 0 1 Explain what is meant by the correspondence principle. [2 marks] 0 2 Suggest three cultural factors that may lead to class differences in educational achievement. [6 marks] 0 3 Outline some of the ways in which factors and processes within schools may affect ethnic differences in educational achievement. [12 marks] 0 4 Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of gender differences in educational achievement.

3 3 Methods in Context The following question requires you to apply your knowledge and understanding of sociological research methods to the study of this particular issue in education. Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B Investigating pupil subcultures Some pupils form subcultures with their peers. Pupils who are successful in terms of the school s values and expectations are more likely to form pro-school subcultures. By contrast, pupils that the school has labelled as failures may form anti-school subcultures where they can find an alternative source of status. This status is often achieved by defying the school s authority. There are often social class differences between these two subcultures. Some sociologists may use non-participant observation to investigate pupil subcultures. This method allows the researcher to see how people actually behave in real-life situations. However, it may be difficult to observe a group without affecting their behaviour in some way. There is also the problem that, as an outsider, the researcher may not be able to understand the behaviour they observe. Other sociologists may use unstructured interviews to investigate pupil subcultures. This method is useful for exploring feelings about sensitive subjects. However, some people may refuse to be interviewed, for example because they mistrust the interviewer s motives or loyalties. There are also a great many practical obstacles to arranging and conducting a large enough number of unstructured interviews. 0 5 Using material from Item B and elsewhere, assess the strengths and limitations of using one of the following methods for investigating pupil subcultures: Either non-participant observation or unstructured interviews. Section A continues on the next page Turn over

4 4 Research Methods The following questions permit you to draw examples from any areas of sociology with which you are familiar. 0 6 Explain what is meant by a sampling frame. [2 marks] 0 7 Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of using longitudinal studies in sociological research. [4 marks] 0 8 Suggest two factors affecting sociologists choice of topic. [4 marks] 0 9 Examine the problems of using mailed questionnaires in sociological research.

5 5 Section B Health with Research Methods You are advised to spend approximately 50 minutes on questions 1 0 to 1 3. You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on question 1 4. You are advised to spend approximately 40 minutes on questions 1 5 to 1 8. Health Read Item C below and answer questions 1 0 to 1 3 that follow. Item C There are ethnic differences in health chances. For example, people of African or south Asian descent have a higher risk of certain blood disorders due to genetic factors. There are also ethnic differences in health care, for example in the use of the National Health Service (NHS). Some sociologists argue that these differences are the result of institutional barriers within the NHS, while others argue that cultural differences between ethnic groups may be responsible. 1 0 Explain what is meant by the artefact explanation of class differences in health. [2 marks] 1 1 Suggest three reasons for gender differences in life expectancy. [6 marks] 1 2 Outline some of the functions of the medical profession. [12 marks] 1 3 Using material from Item C and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of ethnic differences in health chances and health care. Section B continues on the next page Turn over

6 6 Methods in Context The following question requires you to apply your knowledge and understanding of sociological research methods to the study of this particular issue in health. Read Item D below and answer the question that follows. Item D Investigating mental illness The term mental illness covers a wide variety of different conditions. Some social groups may be more likely than others to be diagnosed as mentally ill. A small minority of patients are hospitalised (for treatment of severe psychoses, for example), but most patients are treated by community health care professionals such as general practitioners or counsellors. However, it is probable that many more people suffer mental illness but do not seek medical help. Some sociologists may use participant observation to investigate mental illness. This method allows the researcher to gain understanding by personal involvement and empathy with a group. However, it is sometimes difficult for the researcher to gain access to relevant situations and roles. Even if the researcher is able to do so, they may still only be able to observe small groups. Other sociologists may use unstructured interviews to investigate mental illness. This method is useful for exploring feelings about sensitive subjects. Unstructured interviews also tend to give interviewees more power than some research methods because the interviewee has more control over what is discussed. However, unstructured interviews involve the frequent use of probing follow-up questions that may cause distress to interviewees. 1 4 Using material from Item D and elsewhere, assess the strengths and limitations of using one of the following methods for investigating mental illness: Either participant observation or unstructured interviews.

7 7 Research Methods The following questions permit you to draw examples from any areas of sociology with which you are familiar. 1 5 Explain what is meant by a sampling frame. [2 marks] 1 6 Suggest one advantage and one disadvantage of using longitudinal studies in sociological research. [4 marks] 1 7 Suggest two factors affecting sociologists choice of topic. [4 marks] 1 8 Examine the problems of using mailed questionnaires in sociological research. END OF QUESTIONS

8 8 There are no questions printed on this page Copyright information For confidentiality purposes, from the November 2015 examination series, acknowledgements of third party copyright material will be published in a separate booklet rather than including them on the examination paper or support materials. This booklet is published after each examination series and is available for free download from after the live examination series. Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team, AQA, Stag Hill House, Guildford, GU2 7XJ. Copyright 2016 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.