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2025 OCR A Level Sociology
H580/02 Researching and understanding social inequalities
Verified Question paper with Marking Scheme Attached
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Wednesday 4 June 2025 – Morning
A Level Sociology
H580/02 Researching and understanding social inequalities
Time allowed: 2 hours 15 minutes
You must have:
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must be
clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 105.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
© OCR 2025 [601/3997/3] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (CE) 336003/3 Turn over
20252025
OCR
Download
OCR
A Level
A the
Level
Sociology
2025
Sociology
OCR
H580-02
A/AS
H580-02
Level
Researching
Researching
questionand
paper,
understanding
andincluding
understanding
the
social
complete
social
inequalities
inequalities
Question
Verified
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the 2025the
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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
20252025
OCR
Download
OCR
A Level
A the
Level
Sociology
2025
Sociology
OCR
H580-02
A/AS
H580-02
Level
Researching
Researching
questionand
paper,
understanding
andincluding
understanding
the
social
complete
social
inequalities
inequalities
Question
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, Page 3Download
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the 2025the
OCR
2025
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OCRLevel
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Level question
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the complete
Question
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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
20252025
OCR
Download
OCR
A Level
A the
Level
Sociology
2025
Sociology
OCR
H580-02
A/AS
H580-02
Level
Researching
Researching
questionand
paper,
understanding
andincluding
understanding
the
social
complete
social
inequalities
inequalities
Question
Verified
Paper
Verified
Question
with
Question
Exam-Ready
paperpaper
with Examiner
Marking
with Marking
Scheme
MarkScheme
Scheme
Attached.pdf
Attached
Download
the 2025the
OCR
2025
A/AS
OCRLevel
A/ASquestion
Level question
paper, including
paper, including
the complete
the complete
Question
Question
Paper with
Paper
Exam-Ready
with Exam-Ready
Examiner
Examiner
Mark Scheme
Mark Scheme
2025 OCR A Level Sociology
H580/02 Researching and understanding social inequalities
Verified Question paper with Marking Scheme Attached
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
Wednesday 4 June 2025 – Morning
A Level Sociology
H580/02 Researching and understanding social inequalities
Time allowed: 2 hours 15 minutes
You must have:
• the OCR 12-page Answer Booklet
INSTRUCTIONS
• Use black ink.
• Write your answer to each question in the Answer Booklet. The question numbers must be
clearly shown.
• Fill in the boxes on the front of the Answer Booklet.
• Answer all the questions.
INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 105.
• The marks for each question are shown in brackets [ ].
• Quality of extended response will be assessed in questions marked with an asterisk (*).
• This document has 4 pages.
ADVICE
• Read each question carefully before you start your answer.
© OCR 2025 [601/3997/3] OCR is an exempt Charity
DC (CE) 336003/3 Turn over
20252025
OCR
Download
OCR
A Level
A the
Level
Sociology
2025
Sociology
OCR
H580-02
A/AS
H580-02
Level
Researching
Researching
questionand
paper,
understanding
andincluding
understanding
the
social
complete
social
inequalities
inequalities
Question
Verified
Paper
Verified
Question
with
Question
Exam-Ready
paperpaper
with Examiner
Marking
with Marking
Scheme
MarkScheme
Scheme
Attached.pdf
Attached
,Page 2Download
Download
the 2025the
OCR
2025
A/AS
OCRLevel
A/ASquestion
Level question
paper, including
paper, including
the complete
the complete
Question
Question
Paper with
Paper
Exam-Ready
with Exam-Ready
Examiner
Examiner
Mark Scheme
Mark Scheme
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
20252025
OCR
Download
OCR
A Level
A the
Level
Sociology
2025
Sociology
OCR
H580-02
A/AS
H580-02
Level
Researching
Researching
questionand
paper,
understanding
andincluding
understanding
the
social
complete
social
inequalities
inequalities
Question
Verified
Paper
Verified
Question
with
Question
Exam-Ready
paperpaper
with Examiner
Marking
with Marking
Scheme
MarkScheme
Scheme
Attached.pdf
Attached
, Page 3Download
Download
the 2025the
OCR
2025
A/AS
OCRLevel
A/ASquestion
Level question
paper, including
paper, including
the complete
the complete
Question
Question
Paper with
Paper
Exam-Ready
with Exam-Ready
Examiner
Examiner
Mark Scheme
Mark Scheme
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
20252025
OCR
Download
OCR
A Level
A the
Level
Sociology
2025
Sociology
OCR
H580-02
A/AS
H580-02
Level
Researching
Researching
questionand
paper,
understanding
andincluding
understanding
the
social
complete
social
inequalities
inequalities
Question
Verified
Paper
Verified
Question
with
Question
Exam-Ready
paperpaper
with Examiner
Marking
with Marking
Scheme
MarkScheme
Scheme
Attached.pdf
Attached
