sc12-13 / sc1021_exc12

Examiners’ commentaries 2012

Examiners’ commentaries 2012

SC1021 Principles of sociology

Important note

This commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2011–12. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publicised on the virtual learning environment (VLE).

Information about the subject guide

Unless otherwise stated, all cross-references will be to the latest version of the subject guide (2011).

General remarks

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, and having completed the Essential reading and activities, you should be able to:

•describe the nature of the sociological perspective and the major theories of society

•apply the major sociological perspectives to at least two aspects of social life

•read the set texts critically and creatively, and select relevant material cited by the authors selectively in your examination answers

•explain and evaluate the scope of the research process and the approach of different methods of social inquiry and be able to criticise these

•explain the relationship between theory and method in sociology

•outline the debates surrounding sociology as a science and the major theories of knowledge

•evaluate the sociological debates surrounding the processes of modernisation and globalisation and be able to compare and criticise these

•apply the skills and knowledge learnt in Sections A and B to a specialist topic in Section C

•describe the key sociological debates surrounding the subject matter of the area chosen, especially in relation to the development of key concepts, epistemological concerns and social research.

Planning your time in the examination

This course is examined by a three-hour paper which is divided into three main sections.

You should spend at least 90 minutes on Section A. This section contains up to 10 short questions which encourage you to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and application of the subject. Some questions (or parts of the question) are allocated one or two marks but others are

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SC1021 Principles of sociology

assigned up to 15 marks; this will reflect the form of answer required. If a question is given two marks, you will not be expected to write more than two sentences. You should therefore ensure that you have enough time to answer the longer questions in this section. In answering this section the Examiners advise you to answer the questions in the order in which they have been asked, as each question will lead on from the previous one. If you cannot answer a question, leave space and come back to it. Do not spend time worrying about an answer which is allocated a few marks and leave yourself no time to answer a question which has been allocated 15. Otherwise, you are likely to fail.

Section B consists of one compulsory essay question on globalisation. Please note that there are new chapters in the subject guide for this section. You will need to spend time analysing the question and making a short plan before you start writing. You should spend at least 35 minutes writing your answer and the rest of the time checking for any errors in the essay. Make sure that you provide examples and answer the question directly.

To prepare your answer for Section C you should spend time ensuring that you have selected the question which reflects your studies throughout the year. Remember the Examiners only require you to answer on one topic in this section. Again, plan your answer and then allocate at least 35 minutes to writing it.

You should aim to finish writing your answers with at least five minutes to spare to check all your work. If you select the most important information, examples, arguments and theories in your answers, you will have plenty of time to complete the examination paper.

Remember: the Examiners allocate marks to each section. If you do not answer one of the essay questions you have missed out on the opportunity of 25 marks, and are likely to fail.

What are the Examiners looking for?

Examination papers are a method by which academics test whether candidates have achieved the skills, abilities, knowledge, understanding and application listed in the learning outcomes. This testing is carried out in a variety of ways. The Examiners use different ‘command words’ to ask candidates to demonstrate the abilities indicated in these outcomes. In SC1021 Principles of sociology the Examiners sometimes ask

for simple recall, which is identified by a ‘What’ question. When the Examiners want you to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding and application they often start a question with a statement and ask you to discuss it. Therefore you should look over past examination papers and identify such ‘command words’. You will notice that there are many. Please read Strategies for success for a list of these ‘command words’, particularly the section ‘Understanding what the question is asking for’.

You should look carefully at the mark scheme printed in Strategies for success and at the suggestions the Examiners give you in the accompanying Zone A and Zone B commentaries. You will see that the

Examiners look for evidence of your abilities, mark candidates on a scale and allocate marks within ‘bands’. If the candidate has interpreted the question well, demonstrated that they have read a range of the literature, provided evidence for the examples given and indicated a sophisticated approach by being both critical and creative, then they would be given

a mark at the top of the scale. Whereas if a candidate recalls some information which answers the question but goes no further, then they

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Examiners’ commentaries 2012

will barely pass and, more importantly, if they do not answer the question but provide a pre-learnt answer to another question they will fail.

The ‘knowledge’ expected is clearly indicated in the subject guide at the beginning of each chapter. The introduction to this is provided in the subject guide but most of it will emerge from the readings given in the essential textbooks.

If you answer the question directly and provide good examples then you have demonstrated that you understand the material and approach of course. The Examiners reward candidates on their ability to select the most important material to answer the question; therefore a long answer is not necessarily a good answer. Five or six good points which are well illustrated will be marked into a higher band than one which tells the Examiners everything about a topic.

Examiners allocate scripts into the highest bands if they can see that the candidate can be sceptical about what they have read and are able to be critical of the theories. This can be achieved by knowing a variety of approaches and key debates, but if candidates can demonstrate that they have thought critically about new material, particularly in the essay questions, then they will be rewarded accordingly.

You are reminded that the Examiners do not set questions on individual chapters. The Examiners expect you to relate and refer to material across the syllabus. This is especially true in the case of Section A where each chapter is dependent on the others. For example, a question on socialisation cannot normally be answered without reference to the social theory indicated in Chapter 4 of the subject guide. Examiners expect you to know, understand and use your knowledge of the sociological theories

(Chapter 4) to answer questions on globalisation. Therefore the Examiners are looking for your command of the subject of sociology.

Please note: the Examiners remind you not to pre-learn essays by heart and reproduce them in the examination. The Examiners will mark down any group of essays which are broadly similar in style, structure, content and even spelling. Therefore you should always create your own answers and not use someone’s borrowed one.

Studying for Principles of sociology

A note on reading

The Examiners advise candidates to use the subject guide as a ‘guide’ and to read each chapter carefully. The readings required are given within the text of the subject guide and these should be understood thoroughly. There is no alternative to doing this. If you are

studying at a teaching institution, your lecturers’ notes may be helpful but you must understand that the Examiners require you to do the reading and will test you on this. We have provided you with guidance on your Essential reading and this will be important not only in providing you with the knowledge of the subject but it will give you a much deeper understanding; it will allow you to look beneath the surface rather

than skate over the top. The Examiners require you to give examples of sociological research so you should have read some of these accounts so that you can relate them to the question being asked. Examiners find that many candidates worry about remembering the names and dates of the work. This will not happen if candidates have read and investigated the work themselves.

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SC1021 Principles of sociology

If possible, work with others to prepare for the examination, answer sample questions and discuss your answers together. Feedback is very important and will allow you to assess your understanding and indicate what more you need to do. If you are studying at a teaching institution, ask your lecturers to provide feedback on the work you do after you have completed a part of this course.

Answering essay-based questions in the examination

You will find Strategies for success very useful in helping you construct answers to essay questions. We advise you to read the question carefully and interpret what the Examiners are looking for (see information above and in Strategies for success). Remember that the Examiners are not there to fail you, they are testing whether you understand the subject.

Introduction: A clear introduction helps both you and the Examiners. In this course it should be structured in the following way:

First, indicate to the Examiners that you have understood the question. You can provide a quote, some evidence about the topic, or you can interpret the question. For example, in an answer to the following question:

‘Social inequality exists in all societies.’ Discuss.

You may want to give some evidence of a recent report, or provide a quotation from Marx, etc.

Then indicate the key concepts that have been identified in the question and demonstrate that in most cases there is no agreement about this. In the question above, for example, the concepts are central to the answer to the essay and there are continual debates as to what constitutes social inequality.

The third part of the introduction should be like a route map. You should explain how you will analyse and answer the question so that both you and your Examiners have a clear line to follow. You will have noticed that the Examiners reward candidates who can select the most relevant and appropriate material to support their statements and so you may like to indicate these major features but indicate that you will be concentrating on three or four in depth.

Essays need paragraphs: Each paragraph should indicate to the Examiners that you can apply relevant material and analyse it. An analysis is an investigation, so you should be able to demonstrate to the Examiners the importance of your selected points. If you are answering a question on globalisation and are introducing Sklair’s work then you need to demonstrate his assumptions by direct reference to his work and

then indicate why he would have taken this approach. You should provide evidence for and against this and then come to a conclusion. You may want to link each paragraph together to develop an argument or you may want to contrast each paragraph as in a contest or a court room.

Conclusions: These should draw your essay to a close, and should not introduce another topic. Simply indicate your argument. For example:

The evidence presented above indicates clearly that what constitutes social inequality and social injustice is dependent on the perspective of the sociologist, but most societies today do indeed demonstrate wide disparities of wealth and income whatever way this is measured or operationalised.

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Examiners’ commentaries 2012

Question spotting

Many candidates are disappointed to find that their examination performance is poorer than they expected. This can be due to a number of different reasons and the Examiners’ commentaries suggest ways

of addressing common problems and improving your performance. We want to draw your attention to one particular failing – ‘question spotting’, that is, confining your examination preparation to a few question topics which have come up in past papers for the course. This can have very serious consequences.

We recognise that candidates may not cover all topics in the syllabus in the same depth, but you need to be aware that Examiners are free to set questions on any aspect of the syllabus. This means that you need to study enough of the syllabus to enable you to answer the required

number of examination questions.

The syllabus can be found in the Course information sheet in the section of the VLE dedicated to this course. You should read the syllabus very carefully and ensure that you cover sufficient material in preparation for the examination.

Examiners will vary the topics and questions from year to year and may well set questions that have not appeared in past papers – every topic on the syllabus is a legitimate examination target. So although past papers can be helpful in revision, you cannot assume that topics or specific questions that have come up in past examinations will occur again.

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SC1021 Principles of sociology

Examiners’ commentaries 2012

SC1021 Principles of sociology – Zone A

Important note

This commentary reflects the examination and assessment arrangements for this course in the academic year 2011–12. The format and structure of the examination may change in future years, and any such changes will be publicised on the virtual learning environment (VLE).

Information about the subject guide

Unless otherwise stated, all cross-references will be to the latest version of the subject guide (2011).

Comments on specific questions

Candidates should answer THREE of the following EIGHT questions: QUESTION 1 of Section A (50 marks), QUESTION 2 of Section B (25 marks) and ONE question from Section C (25 marks). Candidates are strongly advised to divide their time accordingly.

Section A

Answer all six parts of question 1 (50 marks in total).

Question 1

The world of nature as explored by the natural scientist does not ‘mean’ anything to molecules, atoms and electrons therein. The observational field of the social scientist, however, namely the social reality, has a specific meaning and relevance structure for beings living, acting and thinking therein. (Schutz, 1954).

a. What are the key differences between social science and natural science?

(8 marks)

Reading for this question

For each part of this question we have indicated the relevant sections in one of the core textbooks which will provide some background for each of the topics:

Macionis, J. and K. Plummer Sociology: a global introduction. (Harlow: Prentice Hall, 2011) fifth edition [ISBN 9780273727910].

Giddens, A. Sociology. (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2009) sixth edition [ISBN 9780745643588].

Fulcher, J. and J. Scott Sociology. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011) fourth edition [ISBN 9780199563753].

Approaching the question

In answering this question, candidates should demonstrate that science is both an empirical and a theoretical enterprise. The question as to what a science is, should be addressed; for example, theorising and doing research in a scientific manner is different from common sense. Fulcher and Scott (2011) address the question directly in their first chapter where they explain that sociology/social science may be considered a science

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but, in addition, outline the arguments as to whether it can be considered as a natural science. This is a very useful chapter. Giddens (2009) has a short section in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 in Macionis and Plummer (2011) has a general overview but a much more thorough discussion about science generally in Chapter 27.

Candidates should first attempt to question the question; namely, what is meant by the concept of social science along with the concept of natural science. Some sociologists do not suggest that there is a difference between social and natural science, either in the development of sociological theorising or in doing research. A simple statement about the differences in their subject matters; namely, the subject matter of social scientists, is society, whereas natural scientists examine the material world

– a world of ‘matter’.

Good answers should address the issues on both sides of the debate but also suggest that whatever position is held, most social scientists believe that theories should be developed on the basis of scientific logic and rigour in the same way as natural science. Thus theories should be tested using the criteria of objectivity, standardisation, transparency, reliability and validity (see Chapter 2 of the subject guide).

Candidates should outline the reasons given by those who suggest that it is possible to use natural science methods and the fact that these ‘scientists’ distrust those methods which interpret ‘meanings’ as they are too subjective.

This question asks candidates to comment on social science rather than sociology, so in answering this question, it would be useful to indicate that economists, psychologists, etc. may suggest that social science is the same as natural science. However Shutz, indicated in the passage above, believed that there are differences between natural and social sciences. The Examiners would expect candidates to use the material in the passage and explain the meaning in the answer to this question.

Answers should also include those social scientists who suggest that the methods of the natural sciences are inappropriate; for example, that sociologists are part of the social world they are attempting to explain/ interpret and that the subjects of research are not like inanimate objects and will react to being investigated.

Here candidates could use a particular example to illustrate the points made; for example, Durkheim’s Suicide (1952) and its critics, J. Douglas and J. Maxwell Atkinson (see Chapter 4 of the subject guide).

b.What do sociologists mean when they argue that identity is ‘constructed’?

Illustrate your answer by referring to at least one of the sociologists you have

Reading for this question

Subject guide, Chapters 1 and 4, particularly the sections on Mead, Goffman, Blumer, Berger and Luckman, and phenomenology.

Giddens (2009), Chapter 8.

Macionis and Plummer (2011), pp.227–35. Fulcher and Scott (2011), Chapter 4.

Approaching the question

This question requires candidates to relate the ideas of socialisation and identity learnt in Chapter 1 of the subject guide with ideas of social constructivism learnt in Chapter 4.

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SC1021 Principles of sociology

A good starting point would be to explain the meaning of the idea that ‘identity is constructed’. The material in Chapter 1 relating to personal and social identity could be used to suggest that an individual’s social identity is given by society or is constructed through interaction, whereas a person’s personal identity is developed by individuals in society/societies and this defines them as a particular individual not as a member of a social group.

Excellent answers would relate these debates to the work of Berger and Luckman introduced in The Social Construction of Reality (1966) and in the subject guide. Here candidates should demonstrate their understanding of this work and of Goffman’s The Social Construction of

Everyday Life. Labelling theories introduced by Becker could also be used to illustrate this answer well.

c.You have been asked by a local University which is planning changes to the delivery of their programmes to find out the attitudes of the lecturers to these proposed changes.

i.Identify and critically discuss which are the most appropriate methods for you to use to carry out this research.

ii.What potential difficulties might you face in undertaking such research?

(8 marks)

Reading for this question

This style of question is used to test whether candidates can apply what they have learnt about the strengths and weakness of different methods covered in Chapter 2 of the subject guide.

Giddens (2009), Chapter 2 ‘Asking and answering sociological questions’, particularly pp.52–54 for surveys.

Fulcher and Scott (2011), Chapter 3, ‘Methods and research’, pp.74–80 for surveys.

Macionis and Plummer (2011) ‘Studying the social: an introduction to sociological method’, pp.74–76 for surveys.

Approaching the question

Note: In this short ‘case study’ we indicated where the research was to take place – a university – and who it was for – again a university.

Candidates can suggest who in the university had asked for this research to be done. It could be the governors, the administrators or even the trade unionists. Therefore candidates should think about the issue to be researched, who this research is for and how it will be used.

This is a two-part question and, as with all such questions, it is advisable for candidates to organise their answers in two parts to ensure that they tackle all aspects.

Candidates could identify any methods as long as they indicate why they are appropriate. Most candidates in 2012 chose a survey of some sort as the university wanted to understand the lecturers’ attitudes to

changes in the delivery of the programmes. The managers would probably want to get objective data on this sensitive subject and therefore, while ethnographic methods might be more ecologically valid, they might not produce the data in a form that the university administrators required. Other groups, however, might want to get an in-depth understanding of the lecturers’ views, and suggest in-depth interviewing or even short-term observations. A good answer might suggest the use of a pilot study to test the schedule, or to use triangulation, to overcome the deficiencies of a single method.

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Examiners’ commentaries 2012

The difficulties would depend in some way on the research method chosen.

Difficulties can be both practical and theoretical.

If a survey method was chosen, these difficulties might include:

Non-response problems/distrust – how do those being researched think that the information gathered will be used; survey fatigue, etc.

Imposition problems – the interview schedule may be constructed in such a way that the lecturers have no ‘space’ to demonstrate their

attitudes to the changes. Remember, most surveys are only able to get the information they ask for. It is difficult for surveys (closed ended and structured) to get unexpected data.

Wording/language/meaning – particularly the problem of dealing with concepts used in the schedule.

Problems of alignment – differences in the researchers’ and university administrators’ understanding of the proposed changes and correspondence effects with the interviewees’ understanding of the proposed changes.

Interview effects.

Imposition effects. Survey questions impose a set of possible answers, so unlike in-depth interviews, it is said that surveys ‘impose’ a set of options on those being interviewed and there is little scope for the respondents to ‘tell it how it is’.

d. Identify and illustrate some ethical issues which may arise when sociologists

Reading for this question

The VLE has an interview with Eileen Barker on her work with the Moonies and this would provide some very useful illustration for candidates attempting to answer this question.

Subject guide, Chapter 2.

Giddens (2009), Chapter 2, pp.35–37 for a description of Laud Humphrey’s tea room trade and the ethical issues involved in this research.

Fulcher and Scott (2011), Chapter 3, section on ethnographic research.

Macionis and Plummer (2011) have a good section on ethical issues, pp.88 and 89.

Approaching the question

Simple answers would address the ethical problems associated with carrying out covert participation, which are demonstrated in the Humphreys study. Thus sociologists using covert participant observation (PO) could be accused of deceiving those they are observing. In some studies, although the sociologist has been allowed entry to a group with the permission of those in charge of the group, see: Festinger, L. When prophecy fails. (Harper and Row, 1964) and James Patrick, A Glasgow Gang Observed (London: Methuen, 1973) (both described in the subject guide), where not all those in the group know that they are being observed. In some cases, the research questions are different from the stated aims of the research and so it may be said that in some instances the researchers are deceiving groups about the real aims of the research:

•PO is often conducted on those who are powerless – the young, the poor, the sick, etc. Here there are issues of exploitation of those who

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are powerless to say ‘no’. In some cases the subjects of such research are exploited in that sociologists and publishers benefit from the findings of such research.

•What is the research being used for? There are issues of privacy to consider. In some cases, when research findings have been published, the group is seen in a negative way and individuals have been harmed by the research findings.

•What are the dangers of doing research (see Patrick, 1973)? In some cases, PO is dangerous to the researchers, particularly research into criminal activity and gangs. Those in charge, or funding a research project, therefore need to be aware of any dangers involved.

•The behaviour of those being researched may change in reaction to the presence of a researcher. The researcher faces ethical issues in respect of undertaking rigorous research and so care needs to be taken to report where this effect has occurred (see Eileen Barker on the VLE).

e.Schutz’s suggests ‘that the observation field of the social scientist has a different meaning for social actors.’ This shaped his ‘phenomenological’ approach to sociological analysis. What are the main features of such an approach? Illustrate your answer with reference to at least one sociological

Reading for this question

Subject guide, Chapter 4, section on the social construction of reality.

The material on phenomenology can be found in Chapter 3 of the subject guide.

Giddens (2009), Chapter 3, pp.85–87.

Fulcher and Scott (2011), pp.50–51.

Cuff, E., W.W. Sharrock and D.W. Francis Perspectives in sociology. (London: Routledge, 2006) fifth edition [ISBN 9780415301114], pp.119–20.

Approaching the question

The statement suggests that the social world is different from the natural world as the social world is meaningful. A good answer would describe the phenomenological approach and then take any study which attempts to use the insights provided by this approach to investigate a sociological problem. There are two such problems indicated in Fry and Bogdan’s 1974 Autobiography of Jane Fry and Maxwell Atkinson’s 1978 Discovering Suicide (both discussed in the subject guide).

Atkinson demonstrated that data is socially constructed and cannot be taken for granted; as with all phenomenological research, researchers must find out how a suicide comes to be considered and recorded

as a suicide. Candidates could have used the material in the subject guide on ethnomethodological approaches to illustrate the key idea of phenomenology, stressing the problem of perception and how individuals come to perceive reality. So much research in this area concentrates on researching how individuals come to perceive a social situation as it is.

Reading for this question

Material for an answer to this question can be found in Chapter 4 of the subject guide; however, material on social change is also to be found in the compulsory section on globalisation.

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