2024 Cambridge IAS-Level Sociology (9699) Practice Paper with Answers

Way 1: Peer groups exert informal social control through positive and negative sanctions (e.g., inclusion or ridicule). This encourages individuals to conform to shared norms, values, and subcultural behaviors, which teaches them how to navigate social relationships outside the family.

Way 2: Peer groups offer a space for individuals to transition from the primary socialisation of the family to the wider social world. Within peer groups, individuals learn to negotiate roles, establish status, and develop an independent social identity free from parental supervision.

For each of the two ways:
- 1 mark for identifying a valid way peer groups contribute to secondary socialisation (up to 2 marks maximum).
- 1 mark for describing/explaining how this process occurs (up to 2 marks maximum).

Suitable responses may include:
- Enforcement of conformity/peer pressure.
- Development of subcultures and alternative identities.
- Providing a transition/bridge between the family and wider society.
- Learning gender roles or youth culture.

Way 1: Peer groups exert informal social control through positive and negative sanctions (e.g., inclusion or ridicule). This encourages individuals to conform to shared norms, values, and subcultural behaviors, which teaches them how to navigate social relationships outside the family.

Way 2: Peer groups offer a space for individuals to transition from the primary socialisation of the family to the wider social world. Within peer groups, individuals learn to negotiate roles, establish status, and develop an independent social identity free from parental supervision.

For each of the two ways:
- 1 mark for identifying a valid way peer groups contribute to secondary socialisation (up to 2 marks maximum).
- 1 mark for describing/explaining how this process occurs (up to 2 marks maximum).

Suitable responses may include:
- Enforcement of conformity/peer pressure.
- Development of subcultures and alternative identities.
- Providing a transition/bridge between the family and wider society.
- Learning gender roles or youth culture.

Peer groups act as a powerful secondary agency of socialisation that constructs gender identity in several ways:

1. **Enforcement of Gender Norms and 'Borderwork':** Within peer groups, children and adolescents actively police gender boundaries. Peer groups often encourage gender-typed activities (such as rough-and-tumble play for boys and collaborative, talk-based activities for girls). Sociologist Barrie Thorne noted 'borderwork' where children reinforce gender boundaries through games like chasing, which highlights differences between genders.

2. **Verbal and Symbolic Policing (Peer Pressure):** Peer groups use peer pressure, ridicule, and labels to keep members within traditional gender lines. For instance, boys who show vulnerability may be labelled with derogatory feminine terms, forcing them to conform to 'hegemonic masculinity' (as discussed by Robert Connell). Similarly, girls may face exclusion or negative labelling (such as being called 'tomboys' or worse) if they do not conform to expected standards of femininity.

3. **Role Modelling and Subcultures:** Peer subcultures can offer distinct gender templates. For example, Mac an Ghaill's study of the 'macho lads' illustrates how peer groups can form subcultures that celebrate aggressive, anti-school, and hyper-masculine behaviour to secure status among peers.

1-3 marks: General, descriptive comments about peer groups or gender identity without clear application of how the peer group actively constructs this identity.
4-5 marks: Explains one or two ways peer groups construct gender identity, with some sociological support or concepts (e.g., peer pressure, play).
6-7 marks: Explains two or more ways in detail, using precise sociological concepts (e.g., gender policing, hegemonic masculinity, borderwork, macho lads) and demonstrating a clear, analytical link to how identity is shaped.

A pilot study is a small-scale dress rehearsal of a larger research project. It improves the validity (the extent to which the data paints a true, accurate, and genuine picture) of the final research in the following ways:

1. **Refining Research Instruments (Questionnaires/Interviews):** A pilot study allows researchers to test whether questions are clear, unambiguous, and interpreted as intended. If participants find a question confusing, offensive, or leading, the researcher can rephrase it. This ensures that the final questions accurately measure what they are designed to measure, avoiding invalid data caused by misunderstanding.

2. **Evaluating Research Procedures and Access:** Pre-testing methods helps identify practical barriers, such as whether the setting causes participants to feel uncomfortable or self-conscious (leading to the Hawthorne effect or social desirability bias). By addressing these issues beforehand, researchers can foster a more natural environment during the actual study, yielding more authentic and valid responses.

3. **Developing Interviewer Skills:** For qualitative research, a pilot study helps interviewers practice maintaining neutrality and rapport. This reduces interviewer bias and ensures that they do not unintentionally guide participants' answers, leading to more valid, truthful reflections of the participants' experiences.

1-3 marks: Limited understanding of pilot studies or validity. Simplistic points with little explanation of the link between the two.
4-5 marks: Explains one or two ways a pilot study helps research, with some explicit links to validity and use of sociological terms.
6-7 marks: Clear, well-reasoned explanation of at least two distinct ways pilot studies enhance validity. Uses key sociological terms (e.g., operationalisation, social desirability bias, Hawthorne effect) and shows a mature understanding of how testing methods avoids systemic errors.

Functionalists, such as Talcott Parsons, argue that socialisation is essential for the survival and stability of society. Through primary socialisation in the family and secondary socialisation in institutions like education, individuals internalise the shared norms and values of their culture. This process creates a 'value consensus' and a strong collective conscience, which ensures that social behavior is predictable, cooperative, and orderly. Consequently, individuals willingly conform to their social roles, maintaining social cohesion.

However, Marxists criticise this view by arguing that it presents an over-harmonious picture of society. Instead of socialisation promoting a neutral value consensus that benefits all members of society, Marxists argue it acts as a form of ideological control. Through the 'ideological state apparatus' (such as schools and media), the working class is socialised into accepting ruling-class norms and values, creating a 'false class consciousness' that prevents social change and maintains the capitalist status quo.

Up to 4 marks for explaining the functionalist view:
1–2 marks: Basic explanation of how socialisation maintains order (e.g. teaching norms and values).
3–4 marks: Developed explanation using relevant sociological concepts (e.g. value consensus, collective conscience, primary/secondary socialisation) or theorists (e.g. Parsons, Durkheim).

Up to 4 marks for explaining one criticism of this view:
1–2 marks: Basic identification of a criticism (e.g. it ignores conflict or assumes people are passive).
3–4 marks: Developed explanation of the criticism, linking it to a sociological perspective (such as Marxism or Interactionism) and using relevant concepts (e.g. false class consciousness, ideological control, or 'cultural dopes').

Positivists argue that sociology should adopt the scientific methodology of the natural sciences. They prefer quantitative methods, such as structured questionnaires, social surveys, and official statistics, because these methods yield highly reliable and standardised data. This allows researchers to remain objective and detached, replicate studies to verify findings, and identify patterns or correlations to establish social laws that can be generalised to the wider population.

Conversely, interpretivists strongly criticise this preference, arguing that quantitative methods lack validity. They claim that social reality is constructed through subjective meanings rather than governed by external social forces. Quantitative methods restrict respondents' answers and produce an 'imposition effect' where the researcher's own assumptions dictate the data. As a result, these methods fail to achieve 'Verstehen' (deep, empathetic understanding) and treat human agents as passive objects rather than active meaning-makers.

Up to 4 marks for explaining the positivist preference:
1–2 marks: Basic explanation of why positivists use quantitative methods (e.g. they want to be scientific or look for patterns).
3–4 marks: Developed explanation of the preference, utilising key methodological concepts (e.g. reliability, objectivity, generalisability, replication, social facts).

Up to 4 marks for explaining one interpretivist criticism:
1–2 marks: Basic identification of an interpretivist objection (e.g. quantitative data lacks depth or ignores human feelings).
3–4 marks: Developed explanation of the criticism, using key methodological concepts (e.g. validity, Verstehen, imposition effect, active human agency) to explain why the positivist approach is limited.

### Model Essay Response

**Introduction**
Social identity refers to how individuals define themselves and are defined by others in relation to the social groups they belong to. The debate over what shapes identity most powerfully is central to sociology. While structuralist perspectives often emphasise the role of primary institutions like the family or economic class, other sociologists point to secondary agencies of socialisation. This essay will evaluate the claim that peer groups are the most significant influence on social identity, comparing their impact against other primary and secondary agencies such as the family, education, media, and structural divisions like gender and social class.

**Arguments for the Significance of Peer Groups**
Peer groups play a critical role in secondary socialisation, particularly during transition periods such as adolescence. According to structural-functionalists like Talcott Parsons, peer groups act as a 'bridge' between the particularistic values of the family and the universalistic values of wider society. Within the peer group, individuals learn to negotiate social status independently of adult authority, which is fundamental to constructing an autonomous identity.

Furthermore, interactionists and subcultural theorists highlight how youth subcultures allow individuals to resist dominant societal norms and construct distinct identities. For example, Paul Willis's study of the 'lads' demonstrated how peer group culture shaped a working-class counter-school identity that prepared them for manual labor. In contemporary society, this is mirrored in digital peer groups and online subcultures, where shared interests, slang, and fashion codes create a powerful sense of belonging and distinct social identities that shield youth from parental or institutional influence. Judith Rich Harris also argues in her group socialisation theory that peer groups have a far more enduring impact on personality and adult identity than parental upbringing, as children are highly motivated to conform to the norms of their same-age peers to secure status.

**Arguments against the Significance of Peer Groups / Alternative Influences**
However, a major limitation of this view is that it understates the foundational role of the family. Primary socialisation occurs first and builds the 'internalised lens' through which all subsequent socialization is filtered. Functionalists emphasise that the family instills core values and basic personality structure. From a Marxist perspective, the family reproduces social class identity by passing on cultural capital (as Pierre Bourdieu argues, the *habitus* acquired in early childhood determines an individual's taste, language, and future trajectory, which in turn influences which peer groups they are drawn to or accepted by).

Similarly, feminists argue that gender identity is primarily constructed within the family through processes such as canalisation, manipulation, and verbal appellations (Oakley). These early gender scripts are deeply entrenched long before a child enters a peer group.

Furthermore, other secondary agencies like the education system and the mass media exert immense control over identity. Schools socialise students through the 'hidden curriculum' to accept hierarchy and conformity (Bowles and Gintis), shaping class and occupational identities. Meanwhile, in a postmodern, globalised world, the mass media and digital social networks provide individuals with a 'supermarket of styles' (Polhemus). Postmodernists argue that identity is now fluid, fragmented, and consumption-based, meaning that individuals exercise agency to construct hybrid identities using media-saturated symbols, rather than conforming to a singular local peer group.

**Conclusion**
In conclusion, while peer groups are highly significant in shaping identity—particularly during youth and within subcultural contexts—they do not operate in a vacuum. The choices individuals make within peer groups, and the peer groups they choose to join, are heavily patterned by the primary socialisation of the family and structural variables like class, gender, and ethnicity. Therefore, peer groups should be seen as an important mediator of identity rather than its primary or most significant source.

### Marking Scheme (26 Marks total)

#### **Knowledge and Understanding (8 marks)**
* **7–8 marks**: Outstanding knowledge and understanding of the role of peer groups and other agencies of socialisation (family, media, education) in shaping social identity. Shows a clear grasp of relevant sociological theories (functionalism, Marxism, feminism, interactionism, postmodernism) and concepts (e.g., secondary socialisation, habitus, subcultures, peer pressure).
* **5–6 marks**: Good knowledge and understanding of how peer groups shape identity, with some comparative reference to other agencies. Explains relevant sociological concepts.
* **3–4 marks**: Basic knowledge of peer groups or socialisation. Limited use of sociological terms or perspectives.
* **1–2 marks**: Very limited, vague, or common-sense assertions about friends or peer pressure.

#### **Application (8 marks)**
* **7–8 marks**: Excellent application of sociological evidence, studies (e.g., Willis, Bourdieu, Oakley, Harris), and contemporary examples (such as digital subcultures or social media peers) directly to the question of whether peer groups are the *most* significant influence.
* **5–6 marks**: Good application of sociological material, though some points may lack tight focus on the specific evaluative prompt.
* **3–4 marks**: Some relevant sociological material applied, but with limited development or a tendency to be descriptive.
* **1–2 marks**: Minimal application of sociological material, mostly generic descriptions.

#### **Analysis and Evaluation (10 marks)**
* **9–10 marks**: Clear, sustained, and highly sophisticated evaluation of the claim. Explicitly weighs peer groups against other agencies (such as the family or media) and structural forces (such as class or gender). Evaluates the extent of individual agency vs. structural determination. Concludes with a balanced, well-supported judgment.
* **7–8 marks**: Good analysis and evaluation. Considers alternative views (e.g., structuralism vs. interactionism) and contrasts peer groups with other agencies, though the evaluation may be slightly one-sided or rely on juxtaposition rather than integrated debate.
* **5–6 marks**: Explains arguments for and against the view, but the analysis is largely sequential (e.g., 'on the one hand / on the other hand') without deep critical engagement.
* **3–4 marks**: Limited evaluation. May identify alternative agencies but fails to explicitly compare their significance to peer groups.
* **1–2 marks**: Minimal or no evaluation; largely assertive or descriptive.

To gain full marks for this question, two distinct ways must be described, with 2 marks available for each way.

First way: State policies can legally recognise diverse relationship types. For example, legalising same-sex marriage allows non-traditional couples to secure the same legal rights as heterosexual married couples, directly increasing the proportion of recognised same-sex family households.

Second way: State welfare or legal reforms can change the ease of exiting or forming families. For example, easing divorce laws leads to a higher rate of marital breakdown, which subsequently increases the prevalence of single-parent families and reconstituted families as individuals remarry or cohabit.

For each of the two ways described:
- 1 mark for identifying a way state policies can influence family diversity (e.g., through legal changes like divorce reform, same-sex marriage laws, or welfare systems).
- 1 mark for describing/explaining how this policy leads to changes in family diversity (e.g., explaining how easier divorce creates more single-parent or reconstituted families).

Maximum of 2 marks per way described (total of 4 marks).

To achieve full marks (7 marks), candidates should provide two well-explained ways with sociological depth, concepts, and/or theoretical references.

Way 1: Unit of consumption. The family buys goods produced by capitalist industries, driving demand and profit. Capitalists target families through advertising, relying on 'pester power' and the pressure to keep up with consumer trends. This keeps the capitalist system profitable.

Way 2: Ideological socialisation/reproduction of labor. The family teaches obedience, hierarchy, and subordination (Althusser). Parents teach children to accept authority, which prepares them for their future roles as submissive workers in a capitalist workplace, preventing rebellion.

Award marks as follows:
- Up to 3 marks for the first way (1 mark for identifying, 2 marks for explaining and applying sociological concepts/theories).
- Up to 3 marks for the second way (1 mark for identifying, 2 marks for explaining and applying sociological concepts/theories).
- 1 mark for the overall use of appropriate sociological language and clarity of explanation.

Acceptable answers include:
- Unit of consumption (Zaretsky)
- Social reproduction of labor power / Ideological socialisation (Althusser)
- Safety valve / 'Cushioning' effect of the family (Zaretsky)
- Reproduction of gender inequality that supports capitalism (Marxist Feminist perspectives)

To get full marks (7 marks), candidates should explain two distinct reasons with sociological backing.

Reason 1: Reduced social stigma and changing social attitudes. Secularisation and individualisation mean that divorce and births outside marriage are normal, reducing pressure on couples to stay in unhappy relationships.

Reason 2: Economic independence of women. The expansion of the welfare state and women's increased participation in the labor market (the 'feminisation' of the workforce) means women can support themselves and their children without a male breadwinner.

Award marks as follows:
- Up to 3 marks for the first reason (1 mark for identifying, 2 marks for explaining/developing with sociological concepts).
- Up to 3 marks for the second reason (1 mark for identifying, 2 marks for explaining/developing with sociological concepts).
- 1 mark for the overall use of appropriate sociological terms.

Acceptable reasons include:
- Changes in divorce legislation (e.g., easier/cheaper divorce)
- Secularisation and decreased religious influence
- Growth of welfare state support
- Feminisation of the workforce and women's financial autonomy
- Rise of individualisation (Beck and Beck-Gernsheim)

The functionalist 'fit thesis', primarily associated with Talcott Parsons, argues that as society industrialised, the family structure changed from extended to nuclear. This shift occurred because the nuclear family is structurally isolated and uniquely 'fits' the needs of an industrial economy. Specifically:
1. Geographical Mobility: Industrial economies require a workforce that can easily move to where jobs are. A small, two-generation nuclear family is far easier to relocate than a large, multi-generational extended family.
2. Social Mobility: In industrial societies, status is achieved rather than ascribed. An individual's status can rise above their parents' status. In an extended household, this could cause structural conflict between fathers and sons; a separate nuclear household prevents this tension.

However, this view has been heavily criticised. One major argument against the fit thesis comes from historical sociology and Peter Laslett's study of English parish records. Laslett found that the nuclear family was already the dominant household structure in pre-industrial England (from 1564 to 1821). This suggests that industrialisation did not cause the rise of the nuclear family; rather, the pre-existence of the nuclear family may have actually helped facilitate the development of industrial capitalism.

Band 1 (1–4 marks):
- 1-2 marks: Basic, descriptive knowledge of the functionalist view of the nuclear family or industrialisation.
- 3-4 marks: Clear sociological explanation of the 'fit thesis' using appropriate concepts (e.g., Parsons, geographical mobility, social mobility, structural isolation).

Band 2 (5–8 marks):
- 5-6 marks: Identifies and briefly explains one critique of the fit thesis (e.g., mentioning Laslett, Anderson, or feminist/Marxist critiques).
- 7-8 marks: Provides a fully developed, coherent counter-argument with clear sociological evidence (such as Laslett's historical research on pre-industrial household sizes or Michael Anderson's study of industrial Preston showing the resilience of extended networks) to demonstrate high-quality analysis.

Marxist-feminists argue that the unpaid domestic labor performed primarily by women within the family plays a vital role in supporting the capitalist economy. They identify two main ways this occurs:
1. Reproduction of Labor Power: Women maintain and care for the current workforce (their husbands) and raise the next generation of workers (their children) at no direct cost to the capitalist class.
2. Emotional Support ('Safety Valve'): Marxist-feminists like Fran Ansley argue that women act as the 'takers of shit' within the home. They absorb the anger and frustration of male workers who are alienated by their exploitation under capitalism. This prevents the workers' anger from being directed at the capitalist employers.

However, this perspective has faced significant criticism. Radical feminists argue that Marxist-feminists place too much emphasis on capitalism and ignore the fact that patriarchy is an independent, trans-historical system of oppression. They argue that men, not capitalism, are the primary beneficiaries of women's unpaid domestic labor. Radical feminists point out that domestic exploitation and male dominance also exist in non-capitalist societies, meaning that ending capitalism alone will not guarantee gender equality in the home.

Band 1 (1–4 marks):
- 1-2 marks: Basic knowledge of the feminist or Marxist view of housework, showing some understanding of exploitation.
- 3-4 marks: Clear explanation of the Marxist-feminist view of unpaid domestic labor, incorporating key concepts (such as the reproduction of labor power, emotional stabilizing, Ansley's work, or the benefit to capitalism).

Band 2 (5–8 marks):
- 5-6 marks: Identifies and explains one critique of the Marxist-feminist view (such as radical feminist, liberal feminist, or difference feminist arguments).
- 7-8 marks: Provides a highly detailed and sociologically sophisticated critique, clearly demonstrating how other perspectives challenge the Marxist-feminist focus (e.g., explaining the radical feminist focus on patriarchy over capitalism, or the liberal feminist evidence pointing to modern symmetrical and egalitarian relationships).

Introduction: Define conjugal roles as the roles played by partners in a marriage or cohabiting relationship. Outline the central debate between those who argue that roles have become symmetrical/equal (Functionalist and march-of-progress views) and those who argue that gender inequality remains deeply embedded (Feminist perspectives). Arguments for equality (The March of Progress): 1. Young and Willmott's concept of the 'symmetrical family', where spouses' roles are more similar, characterized by shared leisure time, shared decision-making, and joint conjugal roles. 2. Gershuny's research on 'lagged adaptation', suggesting that as women spend more time in paid work, men are gradually taking on a larger share of domestic labor. 3. Silver and Schor's 'commercialisation of housework' thesis, arguing that technological advancements and commercial services (e.g., ready meals, online shopping) have reduced the burden of domestic labor on women, allowing for more equal role distribution. 4. Postmodernist/Individualisation views (Beck, Giddens) suggesting that relationships are now based on choice and 'confluent love', leading to negotiated roles rather than traditional gender scripts. Arguments against equality (Persistent Inequality): 1. Feminist critiques (Ann Oakley) showing that symmetry is a myth; even when men 'help', the primary responsibility for childcare and housework remains with women. 2. The dual burden (paid work and housework) and Duncombe and Marsden's 'triple shift' concept, which includes paid work, domestic labor, and emotion work. 3. Power and financial control: Pahl and Vogler's research on money management reveals that even with pooled resources, men often retain control over major financial decisions. Edgell's study shows that men make the most important decisions (e.g., moving house), while women make minor ones. 4. Dunne's study of lesbian relationships highlights that heterosexual gender scripts are what drive inequality; where these scripts are absent (e.g., in same-sex couples), roles are far more equal. Conclusion: While there is evidence of some shifting attitudes and greater sharing of tasks, structural inequalities in the domestic division of labor, emotional responsibility, and decision-making power persist, meaning conjugal roles remain fundamentally unequal for most heterosexual couples.

Award marks according to the following level-based marking scheme for 26-mark essays: Level 4 (19-26 marks): Shows detailed and wide-ranging sociological knowledge and outstanding understanding of the debate on conjugal roles. Sophisticated use of theoretical perspectives (Functionalism, Marxism, Liberal/Radical/Marxist Feminism, Postmodernism) and concepts (symmetrical family, triple shift, lagged adaptation, gender scripts). Excellent, balanced evaluation that is sustained throughout the essay, with a clear, well-supported conclusion. Level 3 (13-18 marks): Explains relevant sociological theories and empirical evidence relating to conjugal roles (e.g., Young and Willmott, Oakley, Gershuny). Shows good understanding of the debate but the evaluation may be somewhat unbalanced or rely on a list of juxtaposed points rather than a fully integrated debate. Level 2 (7-12 marks): Offers some descriptive knowledge of conjugal roles, perhaps focusing heavily on the division of housework without broader links to decision-making or power. Limited or superficial evaluation. Level 1 (1-6 marks): Answers are brief, offering a few common-sense assertions about men and women doing chores with little or no sociological framing or terminology.