...which religion could be said to ‘exert social control over the members of society’ (June2006) b) Identify and briefly explain some of the ways in which functionalists see religion meeting the needs of society and / or individuals. (June 2007) New syllabus: 12 mark questions a)Using material from item a and elsewhere, briefly examine the extent to which religion can still be said to be functional for individuals and society (June 2002) b) Briefly examine the evidence and or arguments in favour of the view that religion can act as a force for change in society (June 2006) c) Briefly examine post-modernist views on the nature and role of religion (June 2007) NEW SYLLABUS: 40 mark essay questions • Assess the role and functions of religious institutions and movements in contemporary society. (40) Sample A2 paper (Issued May 2000) • Evaluate the view that religion acts as a conservative force in modern society (40) Jun 2001 “The main function of religion is to provide people with a code of behaviour which regulates personal and social life.” Assess the extent to which sociological arguments and evidence support this view of religion in modern society (40) January 2002 Assess and evaluate the relationship between religion and social change. (40) Jan 2003 Assess the view that in most societies, religion functions more to cause conflict than to bring about harmony and consensus. (40) June 2003 Assess the view...
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...CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS GCE Advanced Level MARK SCHEME for the May/June 2014 series 9699 SOCIOLOGY 9699/33 Paper 3 (Social Inequality and Opportunity), maximum raw mark 75 This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have considered the acceptability of alternative answers. Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for Teachers. Cambridge will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes. Cambridge is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2014 series for most IGCSE, GCE Advanced Level and Advanced Subsidiary Level components and some Ordinary Level components. Page 2 1 Mark Scheme GCE A LEVEL – May/June 2014 Syllabus 9699 Paper 33 (a) Explain how the achievement of pupils may be influenced by pupil sub-cultures. [9] 0–4 A few general observations about pupils’ educational achievement, with no direct links to the question, would be worth 1 or 2 marks. A basic account of what is meant by pupil sub-culture, with no further development in relation to the question, would be placed in the higher part of the band. 5–9 Lower in the band, answers are likely to provide a basic...
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...words | Theories o religion: | Religious organisationsTypologies | Religious organisationsWhy people join. | Religious organisationsdevelopment | NAMs/NRMs | Religion in global context:Secularisation | Religion in a global contextFundamentalism- | Religion and social Change | Religion as source of conflict or consensus | Religiosity: Class | Religiosity: Age | Religiosity: Gender | Religiosity: Ethnicity | Belief Systems: Religion | Belief Systems: Science: | Belief Systems: ideology | Jun12 | Religion is still the most significant ideological influence in the world today. ’To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Critically examine sociological views of sects in society today. (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that women are no longer oppressed by religion. (18 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jan 12 | The growth of New Age and similar movements is evidence of a spiritual revolution in society today.’ To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view? (33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Assess the usefulness of functionalist theories in understanding religion today.(33 marks) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the view that most people...
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...Assess the Functionalist view that religion benefits both society as a whole and its individual members? (18) Functionalists see religion in a positive light and as it is a key institution of society. This differs from the Marxist and Feminist view that religion is there to simply reinforce the oppression. For functionalists, society’s key need is for social solidarity and order enabling members to cooperate. Religion ensures that this is maintained, and individuals do not pursue their own selfish desires alone as this would cause society to disintegrate. Durkheim acknowledged that the key feature of religion was not a belief in the Gods but the apparent distinction between the sacred and the profane which is found in all religions. Sacred being things that are set apart which give feelings of awe and wonder and profound being things which have no significance and are ordinary and mundane. In Durkheim’s study of an Australian Aboriginal tribe signified these differences. When the group practised their rituals, through prayer to the sacred, this was done collectively as a social group which binds individuals together reminding them that they are part of a community in which they owe their loyalty to. Durkheim’s view on sacred symbols represents societies collective consciousness, the shared norms and values, shared value beliefs and our knowledge that make a harmonious society and social solidarity possible. In contrast, responding to Durkheim’s claims Worsley maintains that...
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...anomie; civil religions * Marxism: religion as ideology, legitimating social inequality, disguising exploitation etc * Weber: religion as a force for social change: theodicies, the Protestant ethic * Neo-Marxism: religion used by those opposing the ruling class, liberation theology * Feminism: religious beliefs supporting patriarchy * Fundamentalist beliefs: rejecting change by reverting to supposed traditional values and practices. Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice * Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults, with examples of each New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each * New Age movements and spirituality, with examples * The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice. The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices * Reasons why people join NRMs, NAMs and other organisations * Gender and religion: women: women’s greater participation, women in religious organisations including NRMs; men’s participation and organisational roles in religions; sexuality and religion; images of gender in religions * Ethnicity and religion: religion and ethnic identity; religion in migrant...
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...anomie; civil religions * Marxism: religion as ideology, legitimating social inequality, disguising exploitation etc * Weber: religion as a force for social change: theodicies, the Protestant ethic * Neo-Marxism: religion used by those opposing the ruling class, liberation theology * Feminism: religious beliefs supporting patriarchy * Fundamentalist beliefs: rejecting change by reverting to supposed traditional values and practices. Religious organisations, including cults, sects, denominations, churches and New Age movements, and their relationship to religious and spiritual belief and practice * Typologies of religious organisations: churches, denominations, sects and cults, with examples of each New Religious Movements and typologies of NRMs eg world rejecting/accommodating/affirming; millenarian beliefs, with examples of each * New Age movements and spirituality, with examples * The relationship of these organisations to religious and spiritual belief and practice. The relationship between different social groups and religious/spiritual organisations and movements, beliefs and practices * Reasons why people join NRMs, NAMs and other organisations * Gender and religion: women: women’s greater participation, women in religious organisations including NRMs; men’s participation and organisational roles in religions; sexuality and religion; images of gender in religions * Ethnicity and religion: religion and ethnic...
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...“Religion today is more about believing than belonging.” Assess this view. Beliefs – religiosity, do you have to attend a place of worship to believe? Grace Davie – you can believe without attending a place of worship Religious organisations – some religious organisations are happy for people to follow without belonging - NRMs membership is increasing scientology, televangelism, NAM’s- crystal therapy, tarot card readings etc Believing: (people are believing, their practices have changed, not necessarily secular) • Decreasing church attendance – however people have private practice (David Voas) Grace Davie • Religious education • Laws are based on 10 commandments • NRM’s – people believe but don’t necessarily go for formal worship. Wallis • Rise in world faiths – their attendance stats aren’t considered • Postmodernist – religion is changing – televangelism, spiritual shopping, jesus in Disneyland, supply led religion, civil religion eg USA • Methodological evaluation of church stats – are they valid indicator of secularisation? Belonging: (secularisation is happening) • Wilson – secularisation – religious beliefs, practices and institutions are declining • Brierly • Bruce • Attendance, membership, age, women, social class • Rationalisation • Disengagement • Technological worldview – Weber • Structural differentiation – parsons • Social and cultural diversity • Religious diversity ...
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...Assess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today. Family diversity is the theory that there are many different family types, rather than the nuclear family being the dominant type. However there are many different sociological explanations and two different conflicting views. The modernist view, and the postmodernist view. For example New Right sociologists believe that the nuclear family is the bedrock of society, and is the natural family, unlike lone-parent families which are consider unnatural and harmful as they believe that mothers cannot discipline children. This leads on to the theory that marriage is essential in the socialisation of children. They also believe that traditional roles have been undermined by divorce legislation and welfare benefits. New Right sociologist think that many social problems, such as high crime rates, are caused by the decline in nuclear families. However there are many criticisms of this, such as Oakley who believes that this view is a negative view against the feminist campaign for women's equality. New Right sociologists also fail to recognise unequal relationships in families. Another modernist view is that of Chester and his neo-conventional theory. Chester sees a shift from the conventional nuclear family to the neo-conventional family where both spouses play a bread winner role. A neo-conventional family is a dual-earner family. Chester also recognises that there has been an increase of family...
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...Assess the Marxist views of society (33 marks) When looking at the Marxists views of society there are three main theorists to look at, Marx, Gramsci and Althusser. All of these theorists focus on how capitalism has been maintained in many societies and how eventually it will be over thrown. Both Gramsci and Althusser’s ideas originate from the works of Karl Marx who, unlike functionalist Emile Durkheim, saw no evolutionary progress of society but a gradual change in which capitalism would increase human misery. Marx suggested that capitalism needed to replaced by ideas such as communism. He looked at historical materialism and suggested that our society is altered by forces of production from the base and the superstructure. He argues that capitalist production forms the economic base and this ultimately shapes our superstructure, like institutions, religion, law and education. However, Althusser criticises this for being too simplistic and suggests a more complex two way causality model. He argues there are three levels; Economic level: comprising all those activities that involve producing something in order to satisfy and need. Political level: comprising all forms of organisation. And the Ideological level: involving the ways that people see themselves and their world. He believes each level can affect each other and impact different choices and beliefs on each level. This approach discourages political action because it is the role of structural forces rather than...
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...sociological perspectives and explain the different approaches to health and ill health. Functionalist Perspective and the approach to Health: The functionalist perspective was published in 1951 by Talcott Parsons which studied the social structure as a whole and the ways in which it functions. This view promotes the social solidarity and value consensus; this is the belief that each person should share the same basic norms and values within society. Therefore, this would make each society run smoothly. Functionalists believe strongly that each individual has an equal opportunity of success within their life, that the nuclear family is a vital concept as it provides the most suitable environment for children to be raised within and believe if an individual has ill health that it is there responsibility to work with health professionals to re-gain good health status. This perspective has been widely criticised by individuals as it is believed that they do not value the diversity within a society. The functionalist approach to health is identified through the relationship shared between an individual who is sick and the whole of society. Talcott Parsons strongly believed that for a society to run smoothly all individuals must be free of ill health and that ‘medicine serves the wellbeing of society as a whole’. Individuals in which believe the functionalist perspective believe that having a sick role in society is classed as an act of deviance and that they should exempt from the average...
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...University LRAFB Coleman Do questions ___, ___, ___, and any two others. 1. Compare and contrast the three main sociological perspectives. The symbolic interactionist perspective, also known as symbolic interactionism, directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other. According to the functionalist perspective, also called functionalism, each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society's functioning as a whole. The government, or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. The conflict perspective, which originated primarily out of Karl Marx's writings on class struggles, presents society in a different light than do the functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives. While these latter perspectives focus on the positive aspects of society that contribute to its stability, the conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society. Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, avoid social change, and believe people cooperate to effect social order, conflict theorists challenge the status quo, encourage social change (even when this means social revolution), and believe rich and powerful people force social order on the poor and the weak. Conflict theorists, for example, may interpret an “elite” board of regents raising tuition...
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...the wealth and the power to rule. The proletariat are exploited because they are not treated fairly. • Marxists argue that the education system plays a key role in disseminating the ideology of the ruling class. • Education acts as a force of oppression for the children of the working classes Key questions (AO1) What do Marxists believe? (AO1) How do Marxist theories apply to the education system? (AO2) What strengths are there to the Marxist view of education system? (AO2) How have Marxist views been criticised by other writers? Summary of key points Marxists see capitalist society as being ruled by the economy. The minority, the ruling class or 'bourgeoisie' rule the majority, namely the workers or 'proletariat'. The bourgeoisie have the wealth and the power to rule. The proletariat are exploited because they are not treated fairly. This is the basis of class inequality. Institutions such as organised religion, the mass media, the political and the education systems all reinforce the ideology that the rich and powerful should control society. They promote an ideology or belief that our society is fair and just and that the proletariat should quietly accept capitalist society. Marxists argue that the education system plays a key role in promoting the ideology of the ruling class. Traditionally, the Labour Party has been associated with Marxist principles. It believes that the interests of the...
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...symmetrical family. b) Explain the difference between 'expressive' and 'instrumental' roles. (4 marks) Expressive - 'homemaker', usually the female's role as it is more caring and nurturing and stating that they should stay at home and be a housewife and not go to work. Instrumental – 'breadwinner', usually the male's role as it is more physical and states that men should go to work and earn money for their family in order to provide for them. c) Identify three of the types of family diversity described by the Rapoports. (6 marks)Organisational – difference in how roles within the family are organised and shared between husbands' and wives'. (e.g. joint or segregated conjugal roles)Cultural - differences in family structures between different cultures, religions and ethnic groups. (e.g. female headed households in African-Caribbean). Generational – different generations have different attitudes and experiences that reflect the historical periods in which they have lived. (e.g. morality of cohabitation or divorce) Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of the nature and extent of family diversity today. Family diversity refers to any family type that is not nuclear, such as single parent families and gay couples. Family diversity is becoming more common and accepted in society due to changing family patterns. There are mixed views amongst different sociologists on whether family diversity is beneficial or harmful to society...
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...Assess the usefulness of micro sociology to our understanding of society (33marks) Micro sociology focuses on the actions and interactions of individuals and is a bottom-up approach. Such micro approaches, see society as shaped by its members, who possess agency, in other words, the ability to act as free agents. Micro approaches, also known as action theories, include social action theory, symbolic interactionism, phenomenology and ethnomethodoly. However, macro sociologists take a deterministic approach, as they believe that our actions are determined by society. Macro theories include Functionalism and Marxism, who see individuals as puppets, under the control of social structures. One micro approach to sociology is Weber’s social action theory. According to Weber, in order to understand human behaviour, we must take into account both the level of structural cause, and the level of subjective meaning that individuals attach to their actions. Weber argues that there are an infinite number of subjective meanings that actors give to their actions; however he attempts to classify actions into four types. Instrumentally rational action refers to action that is driven by a given goal, in order to achieve through the most efficient means. Value rational action involves action towards a goal that the actor regards as desirable, for example worshipping god in order to get to heaven. Unlike instrumentally rational action, there is no way of calculating whether the means of achieving...
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...Assess the view that the main function of religious belief is to promote social stability (33 marks). One way that religious belief promotes social stability can be through Durkheim’s idea of totemism and what is considered sacred and profane in society. Durkheim made a significant distinction between what is sacred and profane in society; sacred referred to the things in society that inspired feelings of awe and fear, whereas profane referred to the things in society that held no special meaning. For Durkheim, the sacred things in society elicited such powerful emotions from individuals, he noted that they often became symbols of great power. Thus, as individuals worship society, for Durkheim the sacred symbols became a part of their religious rituals, which in turn helped to promote the societies collective conscious as they were all worshipping the symbol together. Durkheim applied his ideas to the Arunta Tribe who performed rituals involving the worship of a sacred totem which was seen as the clans emblem. In Durkheim’s view, as the totem was seen as the clans emblem, they were, in fact, worshipping their society and reinforcing the collective conscious that came with it. This is important in terms of social stability as if a society does not have a strong collective conscious then the social life and cooperation within the society will be impossible. Religion, therefore, does not only perform a wider function on society by reinforcing social solidarity and the...
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