UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE LOCAL EXAMINATIONS SYNDICATE
Joint Examination for the School Certificate
and General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level
SOCIOLOGY
2251/1
PAPER 1
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER SESSION 2001
2 hours 30 minutes
Additional materials:
Answer paper
TIME
2 hours 30 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer paper/
answer booklet.
Answer four questions.
Write your answers on the separate answer paper provided.
If you use more than one sheet of paper, fasten the sheets together.
INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.
This question paper consists of 4 printed pages.
SB (CW) SO3572/2
© UCLES 2001
http://www.xtremepapers.net
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2
Through socialisation, children learn what is expected of them in society.
(a) What is meant by the term socialisation?
[2]
(b) List the main agencies of socialisation.
[4]
(c) In what ways are boys and girls socialised differently?
[6]
(d) Why is socialisation important both for individuals and for society?
[8]
People develop a sense of self through their interactions with others.
(a) What is meant by the phrase ‘a sense of self’?
[2]
(b) In what ways might a child’s behaviour change as his/her ‘sense of self’ develops?
[6]
(c) How might a person’s sense of self change as he/she moves from childhood to adulthood?
[6]
(d) How might an event such as imprisonment or divorce affect a person’s sense of self?
3
[6]
Some people believe that women are not as intelligent as men or that recent immigrants are a
threat to the host population. Such beliefs rely on stereotypes.
(a) What is meant by the term ‘stereotype’?
[2]
(b) Describe two examples of stereotypes other than those in the above passage.
[4]
(c) Describe, with examples, how stereotyping can affect the lives of people who have been
stereotyped.
[6]
(d) What social factors lead some people to hold stereotyped views?
4
[8]
Young people from some ethnic minority groups experience low self-esteem and failure at school.
(a) What is meant by the term ‘low self-esteem’?
[2]
(b) What factors in society might lead young people from some ethnic minority groups to
experience low self-esteem?
[6]
(c) How might an individual’s peer group affect his/her self-esteem?
[6]
(d) How might efforts to provide equal opportunities in a society help to improve the self-esteem
of young people from ethnic minority groups?
[6]
2251/1/O/N/01
3
5
What is regarded as beautiful in one society might be seen as ugly in another.
(a) What characteristics are associated with beauty in modern western societies?
[2]
(b) Describe the characteristics associated with beauty in one society which does not fit into the
western model.
[4]
6
(c) What factors affect the social definition of beauty in a society?
[6]
(d) Why are people’s perceptions of things like beauty difficult to change?
[8]
A person’s social class is influenced by their occupation.
(a) What is meant by the term ‘social class’?
[2]
(b) How does a person’s occupation influence their social class position?
[4]
(c) In what ways has social class structure changed in modern western societies during the
twentieth century?
[6]
(d) What factors influence changes in social mobility?
7
[8]
In the past, in many societies, trades unions were closely associated with strikes and industrial
conflict. This has largely changed in the last twenty years.
(a) What is meant by the term ‘industrial conflict’?
[2]
(b) In what ways has the role of trades unions changed in many modern industrialised societies?
[6]
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(c) What factors have led to this changed role for trades unions?
[6]
(d) In what ways can trades unions contribute to the success of modern businesses?
[6]
The distribution of wealth in Britain is now more unequal than it was twenty years ago.
(a) What is meant by the phrase ‘distribution of wealth’?
[2]
(b) What factors contribute to the unequal distribution of wealth in society?
[6]
(c) What steps can a government take to reduce inequalities in the distribution of wealth in a
society?
[6]
(d) What steps can poor individuals and communities take to improve their wealth?
2251/1/O/N/01
[6]
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9
An increasing number of women are going out to work and this is a reflection of a rapidly
modernising society.
(a) Why are increasing numbers of women going out to work in modern industrialised societies?
[4]
(b) What kinds of jobs are women likely to have in modern industrialised societies?
[4]
(c) How has the increased number of women working affected the economic position of women
in society?
[6]
(d) What impact has the increased number of women working had on family life in modern
industrialised societies?
[6]
10 In some democratic countries the same political party stays in power for a considerable period of
time.
(a) What is meant by ‘democracy’?
[2]
(b) What are the main features of a democratic society?
[6]
(c) Why are some political parties in power for a considerable length of time in some societies?
[4]
(d) How do some powerful groups manage to wield the same level of power in society no matter
which party is in government?
[8]
2251/1/O/N/01