A-level SOCIOLOGY Paper 1 Education with Theory and Methods

A-level SOCIOLOGY Paper 1 Education with Theory and Methods Monday 20 May 2024 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours Materials You will need no other materials. Instructions • Use black ink or black ball-point pen. • Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. • Answer all questions. • You must answer the questions in the spaces provided. Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages. • If you need extra space for your answer(s), use the lined pages at the end of this book. Write the question number against your answer(s). • Do all rough work in this 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 80. • Questions carrying 10 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. IB/M/Jun24/G4004/E4 7192/1 Education Answer all questions. outside the box 0 1 Outline two advantages of vocational education. [4 marks] Extra space 0 2 Outline three reasons why parental choice may be limited when selecting a school for their child. [6 marks] Extra space Turn over ► 0 3 Read Item A below and answer the question that follows. Item A Pupils may be able to choose what subjects to study at GCSE and beyond. Pupils can express their identities in a variety of ways, some of which may lead to conflict. Girls may experience problems as a result of relationships and processes in schools. Applying material from Item A, analyse two problems girls may experience as a result of relationships and processes in schools. [10 marks] Extra space box Turn over ► 0 4 Read Item B below and answer the question that follows. Item B From a Marxist perspective, the education system supports capitalism. Marxists claim that schools transmit ideology that benefits the ruling class. Schools also reproduce existing class inequalities in the next generation. Marxists generally see pupils as passive in this process. However, functionalists argue that the education system is meritocratic and schools provide all pupils with opportunities to succeed. They also claim that the values taught in schools benefit all members of society. Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the usefulness of Marxist perspectives in understanding the role of education. [30 marks] Turn over ► Extra space Turn over ► Methods in Context outside the box 0 5 Read Item C below and answer the question that follows. Item C Investigating pupil subcultures in schools Pupil subcultures in schools may be pro-school or anti-school. Pupil subcultures can be based on class, gender, ethnicity or other factors. They may be a way that pupils assert their identity or express their frustration. Sociologists are interested in understanding reasons for the formation of these subcultures and the functions they fulfil for their members. One way of studying pupil subcultures is to use overt participant observation. This type of observation allows researchers to be honest with the group and also avoid taking part in any rule-breaking behaviour. However, participants might change their behaviour as they know they are being observed. Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using overt participant observation to investigate pupil subcultures in schools. [20 marks] Turn over ►