CAIE A Level 9699

Sociology 2024 · May/June · Paper 12

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7 Questions Q&A Available
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This CAIE A Level Sociology Paper 12 focuses on core research methods and key social topics such as age and the elderly, deviance and cultural deprivation, identity and socialisation, and debates about the value of scientific methods in sociology. Students can expect structured short-answer questions that ask them to describe and explain concepts, followed by longer evaluative essay questions that require balanced arguments and sociological evidence; there are no calculations, but there is a strong emphasis on application, analysis, and evaluation.…

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Questions & Model Answers 7 Qs

Q1
Short Answer 4 marks
Describe two social characteristics associated with the elderly.
One social characteristic associated with the elderly is retirement, meaning many older people are no longer in paid employment and may depend on pensions or savings.
Retirement is a common social role linked to old age.
Another social characteristic is social isolation, as some elderly people may have fewer social contacts due to bereavement, reduced mobility, or living alone.
Isolation is often associated with ageing because social networks may shrink.
Q2a
Structured 8 marks
Explain two reasons why positivists favour the use of questionnaires.
Positivists favour questionnaires because they produce quantitative data that can be easily coded and compared. This allows researchers to identify patterns and correlations, which fits the positivist aim of discovering general laws of social behaviour.
Questionnaires often generate standardised data suitable for statistical analysis.
Questionnaires are also seen as reliable because the same questions are asked in the same way to all respondents. This standardisation reduces interviewer bias and makes it easier to replicate the research, which positivists value.
Reliability and replicability are key positivist concerns.
Q2b
Structured 6 marks
Explain two limitations of field experiments as a research method.
One limitation of field experiments is that they have less control over variables than laboratory experiments. Because the research takes place in a natural setting, it is harder to isolate the effect of the independent variable, which reduces validity.
Lack of control can make it difficult to establish cause and effect.
Another limitation is that ethical issues may arise because participants may not know they are being studied. This can involve deception and a lack of informed consent, which makes field experiments problematic.
Field experiments often involve covert observation or deception.
Q3a
Structured 10 marks
'Cultural deprivation is the main cause of deviant behaviour.' Explain this view.
The cultural deprivation view argues that deviant behaviour is mainly caused by individuals not being properly socialised into the norms and values of mainstream society. As a result, they may not learn acceptable behaviour and may be more likely to act in ways defined as deviant.
The view links deviance to inadequate socialisation.
This perspective often suggests that people from deprived backgrounds may lack strong parental supervision, positive role models, or educational support. These factors can lead to weak commitment to conventional values and greater involvement in deviant subcultures or delinquent peer groups.
Cultural deprivation explanations focus on family, education, and peer influences.
It may also be argued that cultural deprivation creates frustration and failure in school or work, which can encourage deviance as an alternative response. In this way, deviant behaviour is seen as a product of social disadvantage and the absence of shared cultural norms.
The view connects deprivation with deviance through social disadvantage.
Q3b
Structured 6 marks
Using sociological material, give one argument against this view.
One argument against the view is that deviant behaviour may be caused by labelling rather than cultural deprivation. Interactionists argue that people become deviant when others define and treat them as deviant, and this can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Labelling theory offers an alternative explanation for deviance.
Q4
Essay 26 marks
Evaluate the view that peers are the most important agent shaping an individual's identity.
Indicative model answer: Peers are important in shaping identity because they provide approval, pressure, and opportunities for role experimentation, especially during childhood and adolescence. However, family, education, media, and wider social structures may also be equally or more important depending on age, class, gender, ethnicity, and context. A full evaluation would consider interactionist, functionalist, feminist, and postmodern perspectives, and assess whether peer influence is strongest in all stages of life or only in particular settings.
Essay questions do not have a single fixed answer; this is a model response outline.
Q5
Essay 26 marks
Evaluate the view that scientific methods have no value in sociological research.
Indicative model answer: Scientific methods can be valuable in sociology because they can produce reliable, comparable, and systematic data, especially through questionnaires, structured interviews, and experiments. However, critics argue that social life is too complex and meaningful to be studied scientifically in the same way as the natural sciences. A strong evaluation would compare positivist and interpretivist approaches, consider issues of validity, reliability, objectivity, and ethics, and judge whether scientific methods are useful for some sociological purposes but limited for others.
Essay questions require evaluation rather than a single correct factual response.
Paper Details
Board CAIE
Level A Level
Subject Sociology
Code 9699
Year 2024
Session May/June
Paper No. Paper 12
Q&A 7 questions
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