2024 Sociology Exam Past Paper

Exam Instructions and Format

Understanding the structure is crucial for A-level success. You've got 2 hours to tackle this 80-mark paper, which is split into two main sections.

The format is straightforward: pick one topic from Section A and one from Section B, then answer all questions within those topics. You'll need to show off your sociological knowledge whilst demonstrating clear English and proper use of specialist vocabulary.

Top Tip: Plan your time carefully - the 20-mark essays need substantial depth and evaluation, so don't spend too long on the shorter questions.

Remember that examiners are looking for continuous prose rather than bullet points, so practice writing fluently about complex sociological ideas.

Section A Topics: Culture, Families, Health, and Work

Culture and Identity questions explore how factors like gender and social class shape who we are. You'll need to discuss consumption choices, popular culture's impact on identity, and debate whether class is the most important factor in shaping our sense of self.

The Families and Households section tackles modern family life. Key areas include how falling birth rates affect gender roles, how social policies change children's status, and the ongoing debate about family diversity versus the traditional nuclear family.

Health questions examine inequalities in healthcare access and outcomes. You'll explore ethnic differences in health provision, gender differences in health chances, and evaluate how much control powerful groups have over health and illness.

Key Insight: All these topics connect to broader themes of inequality and social change - look for these links in your answers.

Work, Poverty and Welfare covers unemployment patterns, technological change in the workplace, and functionalist versus conflict views of poverty's role in society.

Section B Topics: Beliefs, Development, Media, and Stratification

Beliefs in Society examines religion's changing role in modern life. You'll explore secularisation, religion as ideology, and how globalisation affects religious belief and fundamentalism.

Global Development focuses on how industrialisation transforms developing countries. Key themes include transnational corporations' environmental impact and gender differences in development experiences.

The Media section is particularly relevant to your generation. Questions cover how new media has changed ownership and control, why media influence isn't always direct, and how different social classes are represented in media.

Remember: Use contemporary examples from social media and digital platforms to strengthen your media answers.

Stratification and Differentiation explores social inequality. You'll analyse how globalisation affects working-class life chances, gender's impact on status, and competing explanations of social mobility in the UK.