9699 · June 2024
Sociology
In Section A, Question 1, many candidates wrote too much for this answer. The answer to this question should be brief.
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High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range of sociological material.
High scoring responses effectively used sociological material such as concepts, theories and research evidence to back the points that they made to reach the highest mark bands.
In Section A many candidates would have benefitted from developing their sociological knowledge and understanding Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/11 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages
In Section B, more candidates opted for the research methods question and demonstrated a better understanding of methods throughout the paper in comparison to their knowledge of socialisation and identity.
Some candidates produced one sided/unbalanced essay responses in Section B.
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Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/11 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages • High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range of sociological material. • High scoring responses effectively used sociological material such as concepts, theories and research evidence to back the points that they made to reach the highest mark bands. • In Section A many candidates would have benefitted from developing their sociological knowledge and understanding of sociological concepts for some questions, most notably 2(a), 3(a) and 3(b). • In Section B, more candidates opted for the research methods question and demonstrated a better understanding of methods throughout the paper in comparison to their knowledge of socialisation and identity. • Some candidates produced one sided/unbalanced essay responses in Section B. • Centres could focus on improving candidate’s skills in supporting each of their points with sociological evidence for them to increase their marks. General comments In Section A, Question 1, many candidates wrote too much for this answer. The answer to this question should be brief. Question 2(a) was challenging for a high number of candidates who seemed unprepared for it. Few candidates could describe non-representative sampling techniques and score full marks, those that supported each point with relevant sociological material did achieve full marks. Question 2(b) was generally well. In Question 3(a) candidates that did not score a high mark had not effectively linked their answer to age identity and many candidates struggled to support their points with relevant sociological material. In Question 3(b) candidates were more successful than in 3(a) with the most common answers relating to the media. In Section B, Question 5 was the most popular question of the two options available. In Question 4 candidates were much stronger in the arguments detailing explanations of deviance but struggled to evaluate effectively explanations of deviance. In Question 5 many candidates competently discussed the effectiveness of triangulation/methodological pluralism and mostly developed better evaluations than candidates who chose to answer Question 4. Comments on specific questions Section A Most candidates were able to access the two marks for identifying two quantitative research methods in this question, with questionnaires and surveys being the most common choices. A small number of candidates were unable able to secure the additional marks for describing these methods, with some describing the idea of quantitative data instead with no link to the method identified. Some candidates chose qualitative methods such as participant observation, and others chose interviews, without specifying which type, making their answer too vague to gain credit.
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 Question 2 (a) This question was poorly understood, and many candidates did not gain any marks. The most commonly creditable responses that considered why a researcher might use a non-representative sampling technique focused on the need for a very specific group of people or focused on practical issues such as access or time. Few candidates were able to secure full marks by clearly explaining their point and linking it to sociological material, such as snowball or random sampling. (b) Most candidates were able to explain at least one strength of group interviews. Most good answers focused on engagement of the sample, group discussion encouraging more ideas as the interviewees discussed ideas together and less interviewer bias/effect. Some candidates identified generic points which could apply to any qualitative interview, such as gaining detailed data or increased validity, unless these points were specifically applied to the group setting, they were too vague to credit. A common error was to cite greater representativeness as there are more respondents. Centres should encourage candidates to adopt a clear and structured approach to answering 2(b): A strength / limitation is…. / X have this as a strength / limitation because they… / This is a strength / limitation because… Question 3 (a) Many candidates did not link their knowledge of the family specifically to age identity, giving generalised answers on the family instead. Where candidates did focus on the influence of the family on age identity, very few used sociological material to support their arguments. Some candidates were able to give examples of how different ages of children are treated differently in families, and some referred to rites of passage linked to becoming an adult which families may celebrate such as bar/bat mitzvah. Some weaker responses merely focused on primary socialisation and teaching children norms and values, not engaging with age identity at all. Some candidates only offered one point when two developed points are required to be able to access full marks. (b) In this question, candidates needed to engage with why the family is not the most important influence on age identity, yet most just listed one, or several other institutions which may be important (not more important), which prevented them from accessing the highest mark band. Most answers for this question included, school, media (mainly social media) or peer groups with examples of age- appropriate roles but few answers were developed with sociological material in support. Some good answers on television and the media referenced Postman and the blurring of age identity. Candidates who used such material well, often could not access the top mark band due to failing to contrast with the family. A minority of candidates offered more than one agent as an alternative to the family but only one point can be credited. Section B Question 4 Whilst many candidates were able to explain various sociological explanations of deviance, there was often a lack of understanding that the question required them to evaluate these, either directly or by contrasting with non-sociological explanations. Most candidates cited some sociological reasons for deviant behaviour offering concepts such as under-socialisation, marginalisation, labelling and subcultures but did not include relevant sociological material beyond that. The majority of candidates that did cite theorists often did not develop their points sufficiently. Those candidates that did provide evaluative points often used biological or psychological explanations in contrast to sociological explanations of deviance. Some candidates did not give any evaluation resulting in them receiving no marks for Assessment Objective 3.
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 Question 5 This was the most popular option question. Many candidates were able to gain good marks on this question, using a range of methodological terms and engaging well with the debate that using different research methods together is more effective than using one method. Many arguments focused on practical issues. When arguing in support of the view, candidates often mentioned triangulation and/or methodological pluralism, and were able to accurately explain the impact of more than one method in data and issues like validity and reliability. The main weakness in answers to this question was that few candidates successfully illustrated their answer with reference to actual research. Centres would benefit from teaching classic studies which have either focused well on a singular method or used multiple methods, or which raise issues. Some candidates omitted to provide any evaluation. The question produced answers across the entire mark range though most were poorly answered due to the lack of supporting material and/or evaluation.
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/12 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages • High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range of sociological material. • High scoring responses effectively used sociological material such as concepts, theories and research evidence to back the points that they made to reach the highest mark bands. • To achieve full marks in Question 3 (a), candidates should provide two clear and developed points. A number of candidates only provided one point. • In Question 3(b), the point made must be linked back to all aspects of the question, in this case the answer should be stated as ‘the main cause of deviant behaviour’ rather than a simple alternative to cultural deprivation without any wider context being offered. • Some candidates produced one sided/unbalanced essay responses in Section B. • Centres could focus on improving candidate’s skills in supporting each of their points with sociological evidence for them to increase their marks. General comments Candidates accessed all the mark bands in each question provided and overall the standard of responses was good. In Section A, most candidates answered Question 1 well. Questions 2(a) and (b) required specific knowledge of research methodology. Some candidates struggled with linking positivism to questionnaires in Question 2(b) and in 2(b) it was clear that some candidates had not prepared for a question on field experiments. It is worth noting that two developed points are required to access the highest mark bands for Question 3(a) but most candidates only gave two underdeveloped points. Candidates were more successful in detailing one developed point for Question 3(b). In Section B more candidates choose to answer Question 5. The standard of responses was variable with some candidates not providing a balanced essay in Section B which minimised their chance of accessing the higher mark bands. The most effective responses in both sections of the exam paper effectively applied their knowledge and understanding of sociological evidence to the response they gave to the question. Comments on specific questions. Section A Question 1 Candidates’ responses were varied. Many responses could describe two creditable social characteristics associated with the elderly. Popular answers included wisdom/being a grandparent and being a burden due to ill health/being unable to work. In some cases, there was an element of repetition of points limiting candidates to half the available marks. The answer to this question should be brief. Many candidates are writing too much for this answer.
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 Question 2 (a) Most candidates were able to identify two reasons why positivists favour the use of questionnaires. The best answers had good explanations of the points they made by clearly linking this to an aspect of positivism. These answers also contained relevant material, often concepts such as reliability were explained in relation to how they supported the point made. Candidates lost marks on this question by not following the correct format to be able to access all marks. Without supporting material, answers can only get two marks for each separate point offered. In some cases, candidates gave a strength of questionnaires but did not make the link to positivism. Other responses used general points such as time or cost which were not specific to questionnaires or linked to positivism. Some candidates focused their responses on questionnaires in general. Developing the point to show how the material supported their point was an area of difficulty for many candidates and some candidates did not attempt this aspect of the question. (b) Many candidates provided two strong limitations of field experiments and gained high marks in this question. Common creditable responses included lack of reliability, problems controlling variables and ethical considerations. In some cases, the explanation for points offered did not fully explain why that point was a limitation, for example, points discussing ethical issues were often developed by stating that there may be a lack of consent but without fully explaining why this is a limitation. Some candidates had issues differentiating between laboratory and field experiments while others discussed observations in place of field experiments. Centres should encourage candidates to adopt a clear and structured approach to answering 2(b): A strength / limitation is…. / X have this as a strength / limitation because they… / This is a strength / limitation because… Question 3 (a) Although some candidates were able to give two relevant and developed points for why cultural deprivation is the main cause of deviant behaviour, many responses used material that was more relevant to 3(b). Good answers were able to discuss inadequate socialisation and develop these points by linking to studies of perspectives such as New Right thinking. Those answers that used inappropriate material often discussed marginalisation or social resistance in some form showing a lack of understanding of cultural deprivation. (b) This question tended to be well answered in many cases. Candidates were able to discuss marginalisation, subcultures or biological factors and include relevant material to support the points made. For those candidates who had used the wrong material for 3(a), this often meant they did similarly in 3(b) for example, using under socialisation as a point in this response, rather than in 3(a). Alternatively, some candidates did not relate their points back to deviant behaviour which meant that they lost the opportunity to reach the higher marks. To achieve full marks, candidates need to provide two clear, developed points using supporting sociological evidence. Doing so enables candidates to achieve full marks. Section B Question 4 There were a wide range of responses covering all aspects of the mark bands in all assessment objectives. Good answers were able to discuss a range of points relating to the influence of peers on shaping an individual’s identity. These often included reference to studies and other evidence to support the points made. Willis and Sewell were key studies that were commonly discussed. Reference to gender and ethnicity were seen in many answers but these factors needed to be explicitly linked to peers to receive credit. Evaluation was mainly given in the form of other agencies of socialisation that could shape an individual’s identity. The family and the media featured regularly in answers. Some candidates also linked to perspectives such as postmodernism to support the points made. Weaker answers tended to lack sociological references and gave a more common-sense approach to the answer such as describing how peers impact on an individual but not always making a link to identity. Some
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/13 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages • High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range of sociological material. • High scoring responses effectively used sociological material such as concepts, theories and research evidence to back the points that they made to reach the highest mark bands. • In Section A some candidates would have benefitted from more careful consideration of the requirements of some questions notably 2(a) and 3(a). • To achieve full marks in Question 3(b), candidates can only be credited for one point. Many candidates included more than one point in their answer. • Some candidates produced one sided/unbalanced essay responses in Section B. • Centres could focus on improving candidate’s skills in supporting each of their points with sociological evidence for them to increase their marks. General comments Candidates accessed all the mark bands in each question provided and overall the standard of responses was good. In Section A candidates had some difficulty in answering Question 2(a) whereas all other questions were answered well by the majority of candidates. It is worth noting that two developed points are required to access the highest mark bands for Question 3(a) but most candidates only gave two underdeveloped points. Candidates were more successful in detailing one developed point for Question 3(b). In Section B candidate’ choice of essay was divided evenly between the two optional questions to answer. These candidates that answered Question 4 showed some difficultly in evaluating the argument of age identities changing over time. Some candidates provided only generalised responses relating to age as opposed to how age identities had changed. For Question 5 candidates seemed better prepared to discuss and evaluate the limited value of questionnaires due to them lacking validity. Centres would benefit from reinforcing the principle of supporting points for and against with empirical evidence/sociological theory and concepts in order to provide developed points to access the higher mark bands. Comments on specific questions. Section A Question 1 Most candidates were able to achieve full marks on this question with covert/overt or participant/non- participant observation being briefly described as a type of observation. Very few candidates failed to identify a type of observation. Most candidates did not waste time by giving unnecessarily detailed responses.
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Socialisation and the creation of social identity
Education and inequality
Contemporary issues
Ownership and control of media
Theories of the family and social change
Family roles and changing relationships
Methods of research
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- 1Message
High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range of sociological material.
- 2Message
High scoring responses effectively used sociological material such as concepts, theories and research evidence to back the points that they made to reach the highest mark bands.
- 3Message
In Section A many candidates would have benefitted from developing their sociological knowledge and understanding Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/11 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages
- 4Message
In Section B, more candidates opted for the research methods question and demonstrated a better understanding of methods throughout the paper in comparison to their knowledge of socialisation and identity.
- 5Message
Some candidates produced one sided/unbalanced essay responses in Section B.
- 6Strength
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…: Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Ex
- 7Strength
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…: Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Ex
- 8Strength
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Pr…: Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Ex
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June 2024 2024
Sociology
Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers © 2024 SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/11 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages • High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range o
High scoring answers showed effective use of a wide range of sociological material.
High scoring responses effectively used sociological material such as concepts, theories and research evidence to back the points that they made to reach the highest mark bands.
In Section A many candidates would have benefitted from developing their sociological knowledge and understanding Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level 9699 Sociology June 2024 Principal Examiner Report for Teachers SOCIOLOGY Paper 9699/11 Socialisation, Identity and Methods of Research Key messages
Examiner insights
General comments
- •In Section A, Question 1, many candidates wrote too much for this answer.
- •The answer to this question should be brief.
- •Question 2(a) was challenging for a high number of candidates who seemed unprepared for it.
- •Few candidates could describe non-representative sampling techniques and score full marks, those that supported each point with relevant sociological material did achieve full marks.
- •Question 2(b) was generally well.