2025 OCR A-LEVEL SOCIOLOGY H580/02 Researching and Understanding Social Inequalities Question
Paper & Mark Scheme (Merged) June 2025 [VERIFIED]
© OCR 2025 OCR is an exempt
[601/3997/3] DC Charity Turn over
(CE) 336003/3
, 2
Section A
Read the source material.
Source A
A small-scale study of the experience of upward social mobility
Upward social mobility involves a person changing the social class position they were born into by
achieving a higher social class position than their parents.
Samantha Evans and Madeleine Wyatt were interested in how people who had achieved upward
social mobility might experience difficulties because of cultural differences between the social
class they were born in and that of their workplace as adults.
As part of their study, a semi-structured interview was used on a sample of 20 people, allowing
qualitative data to be gathered.
The following are some quotes from interviewees in their study who had experienced upward
social mobility from working class backgrounds into middle class occupations.
• “The organisational culture is very middle class where it might be that you can quote
Latin, that you drink wine rather than beer, that you socialise in a certain way.” (Kate)
• “As a whole, the idea that we’re all actually colleagues, is something that is essentially given
lip service to [not taken seriously] and really you should shut up and know your place.”
(Nigel)
• “I look at those on a higher pay grade to me and I think I could do that, but I would
never dream of applying for that job – I know my place.” (Nora)
• “I used to be a lot more self-conscious about how I spoke as I used to have a stronger
working-class accent. If I was in a situation where someone was …. of a higher social class
…. then I’d probably be more careful with how I spoke and try not to have such an accent.”
(Danielle)
Adapted from Evans, S., & Wyatt, M. (2022). ‘A Bridge over Troubled Borders: Social Class and the
Interplay between Work and Life’.
© OCR 2025 H580/02 Jun25
, 3
Source B
A questionnaire to measure public attitudes concerning social class inequality in the UK
In 2021 the Social Mobility Commission, a body set up and funded by the UK government,
published its ‘Social Mobility Barometer 2021’. This showed that over half (56%) of all adults in the
UK think that social inequality has increased as a result of the Covid pandemic. Almost four fifths
(79%) of adults believe there is now a large gap between social classes in Britain with 34% stating
that it’s a very large gap.
There were also big regional differences in perceptions of opportunities. People in London are
much more likely to think the opportunities to progress in their area are ‘good’ (74%) compared
to people in the North East (31%).
The findings were taken from research based on an online questionnaire with a total sample size
of 4,693 adults, undertaken between 27 January and 1 February 2021.
The researchers aimed to ensure that their research was representative based on several criteria,
including:
• age
• gender
• political interest
• region
• social class
• education level.
The questionnaire used closed questions, offering a choice of possible responses. For example, in
one question respondents were asked which one of a choice of social classes they felt they
belonged to: ‘working class’, ‘middle class’, ‘upper class’, ‘none of these’ or ‘don’t know’.
On some questions people were asked to choose between two viewpoints, for example: ‘Everyone
has a fair chance to go as far as their talent and their hard work will take them,’ or ‘Where you end
up in society is mainly determined by your background and who your parents were’. Interestingly
younger people were more likely to agree with the first statement than older people and white
people were more likely to agree than Black and Minority Ethnic respondents.
Adapted from: Social Mobility Commission (2021) Social Mobility Barometer – public attitudes to
social mobility in the UK
© OCR 2025 H580/02 Jun25 Turn over
, 4
1 Using data from Source A, outline two conclusions that sociologists could reach about the
experience of upward social mobility. [4]
2 With reference to Source B, explain two problems with government-funded research. [6]
3 With reference to Source A, explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using
semi-structured interviews to understand the experience of upward social mobility. [10]
4* Using Source B and your wider sociological knowledge, explain and evaluate the use of
questionnaires to collect quantitative data as a means of studying attitudes towards social class
inequality in the UK. [25]
Section B
5* Outline ways in which gender inequalities still exist in work and employment in the UK today. [20]
6* Assess Weberian explanations of social inequality. [40]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H580/02 Jun25
Paper & Mark Scheme (Merged) June 2025 [VERIFIED]
© OCR 2025 OCR is an exempt
[601/3997/3] DC Charity Turn over
(CE) 336003/3
, 2
Section A
Read the source material.
Source A
A small-scale study of the experience of upward social mobility
Upward social mobility involves a person changing the social class position they were born into by
achieving a higher social class position than their parents.
Samantha Evans and Madeleine Wyatt were interested in how people who had achieved upward
social mobility might experience difficulties because of cultural differences between the social
class they were born in and that of their workplace as adults.
As part of their study, a semi-structured interview was used on a sample of 20 people, allowing
qualitative data to be gathered.
The following are some quotes from interviewees in their study who had experienced upward
social mobility from working class backgrounds into middle class occupations.
• “The organisational culture is very middle class where it might be that you can quote
Latin, that you drink wine rather than beer, that you socialise in a certain way.” (Kate)
• “As a whole, the idea that we’re all actually colleagues, is something that is essentially given
lip service to [not taken seriously] and really you should shut up and know your place.”
(Nigel)
• “I look at those on a higher pay grade to me and I think I could do that, but I would
never dream of applying for that job – I know my place.” (Nora)
• “I used to be a lot more self-conscious about how I spoke as I used to have a stronger
working-class accent. If I was in a situation where someone was …. of a higher social class
…. then I’d probably be more careful with how I spoke and try not to have such an accent.”
(Danielle)
Adapted from Evans, S., & Wyatt, M. (2022). ‘A Bridge over Troubled Borders: Social Class and the
Interplay between Work and Life’.
© OCR 2025 H580/02 Jun25
, 3
Source B
A questionnaire to measure public attitudes concerning social class inequality in the UK
In 2021 the Social Mobility Commission, a body set up and funded by the UK government,
published its ‘Social Mobility Barometer 2021’. This showed that over half (56%) of all adults in the
UK think that social inequality has increased as a result of the Covid pandemic. Almost four fifths
(79%) of adults believe there is now a large gap between social classes in Britain with 34% stating
that it’s a very large gap.
There were also big regional differences in perceptions of opportunities. People in London are
much more likely to think the opportunities to progress in their area are ‘good’ (74%) compared
to people in the North East (31%).
The findings were taken from research based on an online questionnaire with a total sample size
of 4,693 adults, undertaken between 27 January and 1 February 2021.
The researchers aimed to ensure that their research was representative based on several criteria,
including:
• age
• gender
• political interest
• region
• social class
• education level.
The questionnaire used closed questions, offering a choice of possible responses. For example, in
one question respondents were asked which one of a choice of social classes they felt they
belonged to: ‘working class’, ‘middle class’, ‘upper class’, ‘none of these’ or ‘don’t know’.
On some questions people were asked to choose between two viewpoints, for example: ‘Everyone
has a fair chance to go as far as their talent and their hard work will take them,’ or ‘Where you end
up in society is mainly determined by your background and who your parents were’. Interestingly
younger people were more likely to agree with the first statement than older people and white
people were more likely to agree than Black and Minority Ethnic respondents.
Adapted from: Social Mobility Commission (2021) Social Mobility Barometer – public attitudes to
social mobility in the UK
© OCR 2025 H580/02 Jun25 Turn over
, 4
1 Using data from Source A, outline two conclusions that sociologists could reach about the
experience of upward social mobility. [4]
2 With reference to Source B, explain two problems with government-funded research. [6]
3 With reference to Source A, explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using
semi-structured interviews to understand the experience of upward social mobility. [10]
4* Using Source B and your wider sociological knowledge, explain and evaluate the use of
questionnaires to collect quantitative data as a means of studying attitudes towards social class
inequality in the UK. [25]
Section B
5* Outline ways in which gender inequalities still exist in work and employment in the UK today. [20]
6* Assess Weberian explanations of social inequality. [40]
END OF QUESTION PAPER
© OCR 2025 H580/02 Jun25
