AQA A-LEVEL SOCIOLOGY ACTUAL
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Influence of feminism. Answer: Women's rights and opportunities,
changes in law- equal pay, feminist ideas affected girls' self
esteem/image and aspirations
◉ Sharpe. Answer: In the 1970s, girls' priorities included; love,
marriage and children. By the 90s, girls were more focused on a
career.
◉ Francis. Answer: Higher career aspirations so need educational
qualifications.
◉ Beck and Beck-Gernsheim. Answer: Independence valued more
than in the past- careers part of a woman's life project now.
◉ Changes in women's employment. Answer: More equal
opportunities for women, expansion of the service sector (traditional
area of women's work)
◉ Changes in the family. Answer: -more lone parent families(90%
female-headed).
,-more cohabitation, less first marriages.
-smaller families, more women staying single.
◉ Equal Opportunities policies. Answer: Feminist ideas now
widespread in education system; basic belief now that boys and girls
equally capable/same opportunities
◉ Policies aimed at equal opportunities. Answer: GIST and WISE
◉ Role models. Answer: More female teachers/head teacher=
positive, pro educational role models for girls
◉ Mitsos and Browne. Answer: Girls do better than boys in
coursework as they're more conscientious/organised.
◉ Swann. Answer: Boys dominate class disscussion/ girls prefer
group work.
◉ French and French. Answer: similar amounts of attention for
academic reasons but boys more overall for punishement of
misbehaviour means that they have lower self-esteem and
underachieve.
,◉ Francis. Answer: Boys more attention mean that they're
disciplined more harshly. They felt picked on and teacher had lower
expectations of them.
◉ Selection and league tables. Answer: Girls get places at better
schools, meaning that they achieve better.
◉ Archer. Answer: Working Class girls under-achieve due to conflict
between feminine identities and school habitus, which leads to
symbolic capital from peers or educational capital.
◉ Archer. Answer: 4 strategies to create a valued sense of self
- Hyper-heterosexual feminine identities
- Boyfriends
- Being loud and outspokeen
- Becoming ladettes
◉ Evans. Answer: Successful working class girls may be
disadvantaged by their gender and class identity. They go to
university to increase their earning power and help family.
◉ Boys' literacy. Answer: They have poorer literacy skills because
mothers usually read to their sons, making it seem like a feminine
activity.
, ◉ Globalisation and decline in traditional 'mens jobs. Answer: From
the 1980s, there was a decline in heavy industry because of
globalisation. This led to a decline in men's employment and an
identity crisis.
◉ Sewell. Answer: Schools no longer nurture masculine traits and
assessments are feminised (coursework).
◉ Lack of male primary school teachers. Answer: Only 16% of
primary school teachers are male.
60% of 8-11 year olds did not have a male teacher.
◉ Lack of male role models. Answer: Increase in female-headed lone
parent households mean that boys grow up without a positive male
role model.
◉ Francis. Answer: Boys are more concerned about being labelled as
swots by their peers, which might threaten masculinity.
◉ Epstein. Answer: Pro school boys were likely to be labelled as gay.
◉ Ringrose. Answer: Boys failing neglected problems that are faced
by girls such as sexual harassment.
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Influence of feminism. Answer: Women's rights and opportunities,
changes in law- equal pay, feminist ideas affected girls' self
esteem/image and aspirations
◉ Sharpe. Answer: In the 1970s, girls' priorities included; love,
marriage and children. By the 90s, girls were more focused on a
career.
◉ Francis. Answer: Higher career aspirations so need educational
qualifications.
◉ Beck and Beck-Gernsheim. Answer: Independence valued more
than in the past- careers part of a woman's life project now.
◉ Changes in women's employment. Answer: More equal
opportunities for women, expansion of the service sector (traditional
area of women's work)
◉ Changes in the family. Answer: -more lone parent families(90%
female-headed).
,-more cohabitation, less first marriages.
-smaller families, more women staying single.
◉ Equal Opportunities policies. Answer: Feminist ideas now
widespread in education system; basic belief now that boys and girls
equally capable/same opportunities
◉ Policies aimed at equal opportunities. Answer: GIST and WISE
◉ Role models. Answer: More female teachers/head teacher=
positive, pro educational role models for girls
◉ Mitsos and Browne. Answer: Girls do better than boys in
coursework as they're more conscientious/organised.
◉ Swann. Answer: Boys dominate class disscussion/ girls prefer
group work.
◉ French and French. Answer: similar amounts of attention for
academic reasons but boys more overall for punishement of
misbehaviour means that they have lower self-esteem and
underachieve.
,◉ Francis. Answer: Boys more attention mean that they're
disciplined more harshly. They felt picked on and teacher had lower
expectations of them.
◉ Selection and league tables. Answer: Girls get places at better
schools, meaning that they achieve better.
◉ Archer. Answer: Working Class girls under-achieve due to conflict
between feminine identities and school habitus, which leads to
symbolic capital from peers or educational capital.
◉ Archer. Answer: 4 strategies to create a valued sense of self
- Hyper-heterosexual feminine identities
- Boyfriends
- Being loud and outspokeen
- Becoming ladettes
◉ Evans. Answer: Successful working class girls may be
disadvantaged by their gender and class identity. They go to
university to increase their earning power and help family.
◉ Boys' literacy. Answer: They have poorer literacy skills because
mothers usually read to their sons, making it seem like a feminine
activity.
, ◉ Globalisation and decline in traditional 'mens jobs. Answer: From
the 1980s, there was a decline in heavy industry because of
globalisation. This led to a decline in men's employment and an
identity crisis.
◉ Sewell. Answer: Schools no longer nurture masculine traits and
assessments are feminised (coursework).
◉ Lack of male primary school teachers. Answer: Only 16% of
primary school teachers are male.
60% of 8-11 year olds did not have a male teacher.
◉ Lack of male role models. Answer: Increase in female-headed lone
parent households mean that boys grow up without a positive male
role model.
◉ Francis. Answer: Boys are more concerned about being labelled as
swots by their peers, which might threaten masculinity.
◉ Epstein. Answer: Pro school boys were likely to be labelled as gay.
◉ Ringrose. Answer: Boys failing neglected problems that are faced
by girls such as sexual harassment.
