AQA A-LEVEL SOCIOLOGY FINAL
PAPER 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Deviance. Answer: Behaviour that differs from the norms of a
particular group or society.
◉ How is crime relative/a social construction. Answer: changes
depending on place, time, gender etc
For example, the death penalty is illegal in UK but legal in USA,
homosexuality used to be illegal.
◉ Criminal justice system - courts. Answer: weigh up the evidence to
decide if someone is guilty or not
Police and crown prosecution service - Get the evidence to give to
the correct people and enforce the law (build the cases)
◉ Criminal justice system - Rehabilitation Schemes. Answer:
rehabilitate criminals to avoid recommitting
, ◉ Criminal justice system - Prison and probation service. Answer:
carry out the punishments and reintegration into society
◉ Criminal justice system - magistrates. Answer: deal with 97% of
criminal cases, no jury, unpaid volunteers with no formal training
◉ AO3 of criminal justice system juries. Answer: people who have
more time e.g. older people, retired, middle class are likely to
volunteer
◉ Functions of punishment - deterrence. Answer: Deter people from
committing the crime or recommitting
◉ Functions of punishment -Incapacitation. Answer: - Taking away
criminals freedom
◉ Functions of punishment - retribution. Answer: justice for the
victims
◉ Functions of punishment - protection. Answer: Protect society
from criminals
◉ Functions of punishment - rehabilitation. Answer: Reform
criminals to prevent rehabilitation
,◉ Durkheim view on punishment. Answer: reinforce boundaries of
acceptable behaviour and maintain social order.
◉ Functionalist view on punishment. Answer: Old view: retributive
justice - desire for revenge against the wrongdoers
New view: restitutive justice - form of compensation for the damage
caused
◉ Marxist view on punishment. Answer: Laws are created and
enforced in ways to benefit the ruling class. For example, it is more of
an offence to drive without insurance than to drink drive.
Other laws criminalise working class behaviour which makes it easier
for ruling class to control them.
Laws created based on capitalist principles. For example,
imprisonment creates a financial punishment as you can no longer
earn money, leading to lose of house, job etc.
◉ New right view on punishment. Answer: all crime is a rational
choice. If the punishment outweighs the benefits, the crime won't
take place.
All punishments for crime should be harsh.
, ◉ AO3 of rational choice theory/new right view on punishment.
Answer: What if people don't think rationally? Drunk, mental health.
◉ Post modern view on punishment. Answer: Foucault - theorised
perfect prison where prisoners are all watched by one guard but they
have no idea when they're being watched
In the 20th century, there is control over all aspects of society and all
people through surveillance (disciplinary power).
Control takes place in non-criminal areas all the time.
◉ Panoptican. Answer: prison where prisoners are all watched by
one guard but they have no idea when they're being watched
◉ post modern view on punishment similar to CCTV. Answer: This is
similar to CCTV, if people believe they're always being watched they
will behave well. This is 'reform' however they haven't changed their
norms and values.
◉ How prisons have changed. Answer: Previously, it was a holding
place before the punishment whereas now prison has become the
punishment.
Role of the prison is to act as the punishment in today's society
PAPER 2026 SOLVED QUESTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Deviance. Answer: Behaviour that differs from the norms of a
particular group or society.
◉ How is crime relative/a social construction. Answer: changes
depending on place, time, gender etc
For example, the death penalty is illegal in UK but legal in USA,
homosexuality used to be illegal.
◉ Criminal justice system - courts. Answer: weigh up the evidence to
decide if someone is guilty or not
Police and crown prosecution service - Get the evidence to give to
the correct people and enforce the law (build the cases)
◉ Criminal justice system - Rehabilitation Schemes. Answer:
rehabilitate criminals to avoid recommitting
, ◉ Criminal justice system - Prison and probation service. Answer:
carry out the punishments and reintegration into society
◉ Criminal justice system - magistrates. Answer: deal with 97% of
criminal cases, no jury, unpaid volunteers with no formal training
◉ AO3 of criminal justice system juries. Answer: people who have
more time e.g. older people, retired, middle class are likely to
volunteer
◉ Functions of punishment - deterrence. Answer: Deter people from
committing the crime or recommitting
◉ Functions of punishment -Incapacitation. Answer: - Taking away
criminals freedom
◉ Functions of punishment - retribution. Answer: justice for the
victims
◉ Functions of punishment - protection. Answer: Protect society
from criminals
◉ Functions of punishment - rehabilitation. Answer: Reform
criminals to prevent rehabilitation
,◉ Durkheim view on punishment. Answer: reinforce boundaries of
acceptable behaviour and maintain social order.
◉ Functionalist view on punishment. Answer: Old view: retributive
justice - desire for revenge against the wrongdoers
New view: restitutive justice - form of compensation for the damage
caused
◉ Marxist view on punishment. Answer: Laws are created and
enforced in ways to benefit the ruling class. For example, it is more of
an offence to drive without insurance than to drink drive.
Other laws criminalise working class behaviour which makes it easier
for ruling class to control them.
Laws created based on capitalist principles. For example,
imprisonment creates a financial punishment as you can no longer
earn money, leading to lose of house, job etc.
◉ New right view on punishment. Answer: all crime is a rational
choice. If the punishment outweighs the benefits, the crime won't
take place.
All punishments for crime should be harsh.
, ◉ AO3 of rational choice theory/new right view on punishment.
Answer: What if people don't think rationally? Drunk, mental health.
◉ Post modern view on punishment. Answer: Foucault - theorised
perfect prison where prisoners are all watched by one guard but they
have no idea when they're being watched
In the 20th century, there is control over all aspects of society and all
people through surveillance (disciplinary power).
Control takes place in non-criminal areas all the time.
◉ Panoptican. Answer: prison where prisoners are all watched by
one guard but they have no idea when they're being watched
◉ post modern view on punishment similar to CCTV. Answer: This is
similar to CCTV, if people believe they're always being watched they
will behave well. This is 'reform' however they haven't changed their
norms and values.
◉ How prisons have changed. Answer: Previously, it was a holding
place before the punishment whereas now prison has become the
punishment.
Role of the prison is to act as the punishment in today's society
