Sociology 2024 · Oct/Nov · Paper 12

Social values are shared ideas about what is good, desirable or important in a society. Two examples are equality and respect for authority.

An interviewer may influence answers through leading questions, where the wording suggests a preferred response. They may also influence answers through their tone, appearance or body language, which can encourage respondents to answer in a socially desirable way.

One strength of overt participant observation is that it is ethically more acceptable because participants know they are being studied and can give informed consent. One limitation is that participants may change their behaviour because they know they are being observed, reducing validity.

This view suggests that religion provides people with beliefs, values, norms and a sense of belonging that strongly shape how they see themselves and how they behave. Religion can influence identity by giving individuals a moral framework, a shared community, and a sense of purpose. It may shape gender identity, ethnic identity, and lifestyle choices through religious rules and expectations. For example, religious dress codes, dietary rules, and ideas about family life can become central to a person's self-concept. Religion can also be important because it offers answers to questions about meaning, suffering and death, which may help individuals form a stable identity. In some societies, religion is closely linked to culture and tradition, so it becomes a major source of identity from childhood.

One argument against this view is that identity is shaped more strongly by other factors such as family, peer groups, class, gender, ethnicity, media and education. For example, in secular societies many people define themselves more through lifestyle, occupation or consumer choices than through religion. This suggests religion is not always the most important influence on identity. Sociologists also argue that identity is increasingly individualised, so people may pick and mix beliefs or reject religion altogether.

Longitudinal studies involve collecting data from the same people or group over a long period of time. A key strength is that they allow sociologists to study social change and development over time, making it possible to identify patterns, trends and possible causal relationships. They are especially useful for examining life chances, educational achievement, family change, or the effects of policy. Because the same respondents are followed, longitudinal studies can provide rich data about how attitudes and behaviour change. They may also improve validity by showing real-life change rather than a snapshot. However, longitudinal studies have several limitations. They are expensive and time-consuming, so they are difficult to carry out on a large scale. There is also the problem of attrition, where participants drop out over time, which can make the sample less representative and reduce reliability. Respondents may also change in ways that are unrelated to the issue being studied, making interpretation difficult. In addition, the original sample may become outdated if social conditions change significantly. Evaluation should consider that longitudinal studies are particularly valuable when the research aim is to understand change over time, but less suitable when quick, low-cost data is needed. Their usefulness depends on the topic, the size and stability of the sample, and the resources available. Overall, they are a powerful method for studying social processes, but practical problems often limit their use.

Socialisation is the process through which individuals learn the norms, values and roles of society. Sociologists often argue that behaviour is strongly shaped by socialisation because people internalise expectations from the family, education, peer groups, media and religion. This helps explain why behaviour is patterned and why people often act in ways that reflect social norms. For example, gender roles, class-based attitudes and cultural identities are learned through socialisation. However, the view that sociologists exaggerate the importance of socialisation can be supported in several ways. Human behaviour is not fully determined by socialisation because individuals have agency and can interpret, resist or reject social expectations. People may behave differently in the same social environment, showing that personal choice and situational factors matter. Biological influences, such as temperament or inherited traits, may also affect behaviour. In addition, postmodern and interactionist perspectives suggest identity is fluid and negotiated rather than simply produced by socialisation. A balanced evaluation would note that socialisation is clearly important in shaping behaviour, but it does not completely determine it. The extent of its influence varies by context, social group and individual circumstances. Sociologists may sometimes overstate socialisation if they ignore agency, biology and wider structural factors. Overall, socialisation is a major influence, but not the sole or always the dominant one.