age 1 of 77
AQA A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY - Paper 2, Beliefs in Society,
Religious Organisations ACTUAL EXAM 2025/2026 ||
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS <LATEST UPDATE>
Durkheim (functionalism) .......Answer.........• social solidarity
• miniature society
• education teaches skills for occupation - specialised division of
labour
Parsons (functionalist) .......Answer.........• bridge between
particularistic values of family and universalistic values of society
Davis and Moore (functionalism) .......Answer.........• role allocation
• MERITOCRACY
,age 2 of 77
Criticisms (Functionalism) .......Answer.........• D - many skills learnt
on job and passing down norms and values reproduces
capitalism
• P - universalistic values are capitalistic
• D&M - no equality or opp
Althusser (Marxist) .......Answer.........• Ideological state apparatus
• Repressive state apparatus - police/army
Bordieu (Marxist) .......Answer.........• Education reprod inequality
• Habitus of m/c given symbolic capital in education
• m/c advantaged due to cultural capital
,age 3 of 77
Bowles and Gintis (Marxist) .......Answer.........Correspondence
principle - education structures mirror work, hidden curriculum
and myth of meritocracy
criticsms (Marxist) .......Answer.........• A - assumes passive
acceptance
• B - not all w.c. do poorly in education
• b&g - assumes students passively accept attitudes and
behaviours taught in hidden curriculum
material factors - housing .......Answer.........• overcrowding -
difficult to study
• temp accom = disrupts education
• cold and damp = ill and absense
, age 4 of 77
diet and health .......Answer.........• Howard - 2001 = poorer
homes = lower intakes of nutrients - weak immune system =
absense
• Wilkinson 1966 - poorer homes = behavioural issues e.g. 10
year olds have increased anxiety and ADHD
• Blanden and Machin 2007 = low income families engage in
externalising behaviours e.g. fighting
finances of education .......Answer.........tanner et Al 2003 = cost
of equipment burden --> results in cheap, passed down
equipment = bullying - isolation in school
fear of debt .......Answer.........• Callender and Jackson - w.c. see
uni debt as bad = 5x Less likely
AQA A LEVEL SOCIOLOGY - Paper 2, Beliefs in Society,
Religious Organisations ACTUAL EXAM 2025/2026 ||
QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS ||
100% GUARANTEED PASS <LATEST UPDATE>
Durkheim (functionalism) .......Answer.........• social solidarity
• miniature society
• education teaches skills for occupation - specialised division of
labour
Parsons (functionalist) .......Answer.........• bridge between
particularistic values of family and universalistic values of society
Davis and Moore (functionalism) .......Answer.........• role allocation
• MERITOCRACY
,age 2 of 77
Criticisms (Functionalism) .......Answer.........• D - many skills learnt
on job and passing down norms and values reproduces
capitalism
• P - universalistic values are capitalistic
• D&M - no equality or opp
Althusser (Marxist) .......Answer.........• Ideological state apparatus
• Repressive state apparatus - police/army
Bordieu (Marxist) .......Answer.........• Education reprod inequality
• Habitus of m/c given symbolic capital in education
• m/c advantaged due to cultural capital
,age 3 of 77
Bowles and Gintis (Marxist) .......Answer.........Correspondence
principle - education structures mirror work, hidden curriculum
and myth of meritocracy
criticsms (Marxist) .......Answer.........• A - assumes passive
acceptance
• B - not all w.c. do poorly in education
• b&g - assumes students passively accept attitudes and
behaviours taught in hidden curriculum
material factors - housing .......Answer.........• overcrowding -
difficult to study
• temp accom = disrupts education
• cold and damp = ill and absense
, age 4 of 77
diet and health .......Answer.........• Howard - 2001 = poorer
homes = lower intakes of nutrients - weak immune system =
absense
• Wilkinson 1966 - poorer homes = behavioural issues e.g. 10
year olds have increased anxiety and ADHD
• Blanden and Machin 2007 = low income families engage in
externalising behaviours e.g. fighting
finances of education .......Answer.........tanner et Al 2003 = cost
of equipment burden --> results in cheap, passed down
equipment = bullying - isolation in school
fear of debt .......Answer.........• Callender and Jackson - w.c. see
uni debt as bad = 5x Less likely
