Wealth and income inequality | AQA A-Level Sociology
Updated: 11 hours ago
For Specification 7192
AQA A-Level Sociology | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time:Â 85 minutes
Wealth and income inequality A-Level Sociology revision examines how economic resources are distributed between social groups and why these inequalities exist. AQA requires students to study both the evidence of and sociological explanations for the distribution of poverty, wealth and income between different social groups.  This makes economic inequality an important example of the core theme of social differentiation, power and stratification. The lesson develops ideas from poverty patterns [The distribution of poverty] and leads naturally into government intervention [State responses to poverty].
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Distinguish between wealth and income.
Examine how wealth and income may be distributed differently between social groups.
Explain structural and individual explanations of economic inequality.
Compare Marxist, functionalist, feminist and New Right interpretations of inequality.
Analyse how employment, taxation, welfare and social position may affect economic resources.
Evaluate evidence and sociological explanations concerning wealth and income inequality.
Revision Notes đź“š
Wealth and income inequality A-Level Sociology revision: what AQA requires
Within Work, Poverty and Welfare, AQA specifically requires knowledge of:
the nature, existence and persistence of poverty
the distribution of poverty, wealth and income between different social groups
responses and solutions to poverty
work, worklessness and life chances.
AQA also requires students to examine both evidence and sociological explanations, rather than simply memorising patterns.
This means an examination answer could require you to:
identify a pattern of inequality
explain why it exists
apply sociological concepts or perspectives
evaluate competing explanations.
What is income?
Income is a flow of economic resources received over a period of time.
Income can be connected to sources such as:
earnings from employment
welfare provision
pensions
other economic resources received over time.
AQA examination material repeatedly connects income with paid employment, welfare benefits, taxation and wages. For example, the 2020 mark scheme explicitly examined how government policies could alter the distribution of income through welfare, wage policies and taxation.
The important word is flow. Income is received over time.
What is wealth?
Wealth refers to accumulated economic resources or assets that an individual or household possesses.
Unlike income, wealth is a stock of resources rather than a flow received over a particular period.
A useful distinction is therefore:
Income | Wealth |
A flow of economic resources | An accumulated stock of economic resources |
Received over a period of time | Possessed at a particular point |
Closely connected to earnings, benefits and other income | Closely connected to accumulated economic assets and capital |
Can affect the ability to build wealth | Can itself create opportunities and economic advantage |
AQA assessment material supports the importance of economic capital, investment and inheritance when analysing class advantage. Higher-class resources may help people maintain their social position and avoid downward mobility.
⚠️ Exam tip: Do not use wealth and income as interchangeable terms. A question may specifically require one or may ask about both.
Economic inequality
Economic inequality refers to an unequal distribution of economic resources within society.
In this lesson, that primarily means inequalities in:
wealth
income.
Economic inequality is closely related to poverty, but the concepts are not identical.
Poverty concerns disadvantage at the lower end of the economic distribution.
Economic inequality concerns differences across the distribution of resources.
A society could therefore contain economic inequality even if a particular definition of poverty identified relatively few people as poor.
Understanding this distinction builds on different definitions of poverty [The nature and existence of poverty].
Economic inequality and social stratification
AQA identifies social differentiation, power and stratification as one of the core themes running throughout A-Level Sociology.
Economic inequality is a clear example of stratification because economic resources are distributed unequally between positions and groups.
AQA assessment material recognises relationships between economic resources and:
social class
gender
ethnicity
age
employment
social mobility
life chances.
The key sociological question is therefore not simply:
Why do individuals have different amounts of money?
It is:
Why are economic advantages and disadvantages patterned between social groups?
Social class and economic inequality
Social class is central to many explanations of wealth and income inequality.
AQA material recognises income and wealth as economic aspects of social class.
Higher social classes may possess greater economic resources, while lower social classes may have fewer.
AQA's assessment of social mobility has also recognised that higher social classes can possess economic capital that helps them preserve their position.
This means class inequality can reproduce itself over time.
A possible process is:
Existing economic advantage → greater opportunities → ability to maintain advantage → continuing class inequality
Wealth and the reproduction of class advantage
Economic resources can affect people's opportunities as well as their immediate living standards.
AQA examiner material has recognised:
investment
inheritance
economic resources
advantages available to higher social classes
as factors that may help individuals achieve or protect their social position.
This matters because wealth can be cumulative.
A person who already possesses greater economic resources may be better placed to maintain those resources or provide opportunities for family members.
This provides a useful link with the distinction between wealth and income:
High income can contribute to accumulating resources, while accumulated wealth can provide further economic opportunities.
Marxist explanations of class inequality
Marxists explain economic inequality primarily through the structure of capitalism.
AQA assessment material describes the Marxist distinction between:
the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production
the proletariat, who must sell their labour power.
The key Marxist argument is that ownership is unequal.
This creates different economic interests and different access to resources.
A simplified Marxist explanation is:
Unequal ownership → unequal economic power → unequal rewards and resources → continuing class inequality
Relevant concepts accepted in AQA material include:
capitalism
exploitation
private property
class conflict
structural constraints.
Exploitation
Exploitation is important within Marxist explanations because the owners and workers occupy unequal positions within production.
For Marxists, economic inequality is therefore not simply the result of different amounts of effort or talent. It is rooted in the structure of capitalist society.
This argument overlaps with structural explanations of continuing poverty [The persistence of poverty].
Evaluating the Marxist explanation
A strength of the Marxist approach is that it can explain why inequalities follow systematic class patterns rather than appearing randomly between individuals.
It also directs attention towards ownership and economic power rather than focusing only on earnings.
However, there are important limitations.
Economic inequality is also associated with:
gender
ethnicity
age
different employment situations.
A class-only explanation may therefore be incomplete.
Functionalist and New Right perspectives also challenge the Marxist assumption that inequality is primarily a consequence of class conflict and exploitation.
Functionalist explanations of economic inequality
Functionalists take a very different view of stratification and inequality.
AQA assessment material recognises the functionalist argument that stratification may be necessary and beneficial for society.
From this perspective, unequal rewards can provide incentives.
The basic argument is that:
society contains different social and occupational positions
some positions require particular abilities, skills or commitment
unequal rewards encourage people to compete for and perform these positions
economic inequality therefore contributes to the organisation of society.
The functionalist interpretation is therefore closer to a consensus explanation than the Marxist conflict explanation.
Meritocracy
The concept of meritocracy can be used when discussing functionalist explanations.
A meritocratic society allocates rewards on the basis of achievement rather than simply inherited social position.
From this perspective, differences in economic reward could be interpreted as reflecting differences in contribution, skills or achievement.
AQA's 2024 poverty material similarly presents a functionalist argument that differences in skills and work ethic can contribute to differences in higher-earning employment.
Evaluation
The major criticism is that people do not necessarily begin with equal resources or opportunities.
AQA material on social mobility shows that members of higher social classes may possess economic capital and other resources that help protect their advantage.
This challenges a simple meritocratic explanation.
If existing wealth gives some people greater opportunities, economic outcomes may reflect initial inequalities as well as individual achievement.
Gender and income inequality
Gender is another important dimension of economic inequality.
AQA examination material explicitly recognises differences between men and women in paid employment.
The 2021 mark scheme identifies factors including:
a gender pay gap
women's greater exposure to job insecurity
concentration in some forms of lower-paid work
family commitments affecting employment
employment gaps affecting promotion
reduced access to some employment benefits and pension funds
marginalisation from the labour market.
AQA's 2024 assessment also states that women are paid less on average than men and links women's time out of paid employment for childcare with reduced income and financial independence.
Feminist explanations
Feminist approaches explain gender differences partly through patriarchy.
Within this explanation, gender inequalities in economic resources arise because women's and men's positions in paid and unpaid work are unequal.
For example:
Unequal caring responsibilities → different patterns of paid employment → differences in earnings and career progression → income inequality
Or:
Patriarchal workplace inequalities → reduced access to higher-paid positions → gender differences in income
This connects directly with gender differences in poverty risk [The distribution of poverty].
Gender and wealth
Employment differences may affect not only current income but also longer-term economic resources.
For example, AQA's 2021 mark scheme identifies employment gaps and reduced access to employment benefits and pension funds as potentially relevant to women's economic disadvantage.
The distinction between income and wealth therefore matters.
A reduction in earnings today can potentially influence the economic resources accumulated over a longer period.
Evaluation
A major limitation of a simple gender explanation is that women are not a single economically identical group.
Class, ethnicity, age and employment position may also influence resources.
AQA's 2025 examiner report praised answers elsewhere in Work, Poverty and Welfare that recognised the interaction of racism and patriarchy when considering women's employment opportunities.
Strong evaluation should therefore avoid treating gender as completely separate from other social inequalities.
Ethnicity and economic inequality
Ethnicity can also be related to economic life chances.
AQA's 2025 Stratification and Differentiation material explicitly recognises that members of some ethnic groups may be more likely to experience low-paid work and that ethnicity can be associated with different life chances.
The word some is crucial.
Ethnic groups do not all experience identical economic positions.
Possible sociological mechanisms recognised in AQA materials include:
racism
discrimination
employment patterns
social class
marginalisation
educational opportunities.
A structural explanation might therefore argue:
Discrimination → restricted employment opportunities → reduced access to higher-paid work → economic inequality
Ethnicity and class
Ethnicity should not automatically be treated as an explanation independent of social class.
AQA encourages comparison of different dimensions of inequality, including:
ethnicity
social class
gender.
A difference apparently associated with ethnicity may therefore also involve:
occupation
class position
gender
education
discrimination.
⚠️ Avoid sweeping statements such as "ethnic minorities have lower incomes". The AQA materials support differences between ethnic groups, not the claim that all minority ethnic groups occupy one economic position.
Age and economic inequality
Age is another possible dimension of inequality.
AQA's 2021 assessment material recognises:
generation gaps in economic opportunities
ageism
differences between younger and older people
the importance of comparing age with class, gender and ethnicity.
Age may affect people's economic position partly because people's relationship with paid employment changes across the life course.
For examination purposes, focus on how age can influence economic opportunities and life chances, while evaluating the importance of class, gender and ethnicity alongside age.
Income and employment
Paid work is an important source of differences in income.
AQA requires students to understand the significance of work and worklessness for people's lives and life chances.
Employment inequalities can involve:
whether someone has paid work
job security
working patterns
occupational position
earnings
opportunities for advancement.
Consequently:
Unequal employment opportunities → unequal earnings → unequal income
This is why economic inequality connects closely with the importance of paid employment [The significance of work] and the consequences of being without paid employment [Worklessness].
Worklessness and economic resources
AQA's 2020 Paper 2 item describes people without work as more likely to experience disadvantage, while also noting that some individuals do not work because they possess sufficient wealth.
This produces an important sociological point:
Worklessness does not have the same economic meaning for everyone.
One individual may be without paid employment and have very limited economic resources.
Another may be without employment because existing wealth means they do not need to work.
Therefore, employment status alone does not provide a complete measure of economic position.
Globalisation and economic inequality
Globalisation can affect employment opportunities and therefore economic inequalities.
AQA later requires students to study the effects of globalisation on work and life chances, so this is developed fully in global changes in employment [Globalisation and work].
For this lesson, the important connection is that changes to:
employment opportunities
job security
occupational structure
can alter how income is distributed between groups.
AQA assessment material has also recognised that globalisation may reduce some job opportunities for working-class people, affecting their opportunities for upward mobility.
This supports the structural argument that economic outcomes cannot always be explained simply by individual effort.
Government policy and income distribution
Economic inequality is also influenced by the state.
AQA's 2020 examination directly asked students to explain ways in which government policies have affected the distribution of income in the UK.
The mark scheme recognises several possible mechanisms.
Welfare policies
Welfare provision can alter the income available to people who have limited market incomes.
AQA recognises both:
redistributive welfare-state policies
policies that reduce or restrict benefits.
This means income distribution is not produced solely through employment.
Taxation
AQA also recognises:
progressive taxation
regressive taxation
tax avoidance and evasion
as relevant to the distribution of income.
Progressive taxation
A progressive tax takes a greater proportion as income rises.
Its effect can be redistributive because those with higher incomes contribute proportionately more.
Regressive taxation
A regressive tax places a proportionately greater burden on those with lower incomes.
The sociological significance is that different tax structures can either reduce or reinforce inequalities in disposable resources.
Wage policies
AQA's mark scheme also recognises policies relating to wages, including a minimum wage, as potentially affecting income distribution.
Government decisions can therefore change the distribution produced through employment.
Trade unions
Policies affecting trade unions can also influence the ability of workers to campaign for higher incomes.
Again, the important point is not to memorise a list of policies. It is to understand the mechanism:
Government policy → change in wages, benefits or taxation → change in disposable income → change in income distribution
The detailed sociological debate about the state belongs in the next lesson, government responses and welfare [State responses to poverty].
Social democratic approaches
AQA's 2020 mark scheme recognises social democratic or welfare-state policies intended to be redistributive.
A social democratic interpretation gives the state an important role in reducing inequalities produced through the market.
The logic is:
Market inequality → taxation and welfare intervention → redistribution → reduced income inequality
This contrasts with perspectives giving greater importance to market rewards or individual responsibility.
New Right approaches
The New Right places greater emphasis on individual responsibility and the operation of incentives.
Within AQA material, New Right arguments are associated with:
dependency culture
restricting welfare
differences in attitudes and behaviour
individual responsibility.
Applied to economic inequality, this perspective is less likely than Marxism to assume that unequal outcomes automatically prove structural injustice.
Differences may instead be linked to:
employment
skills
behaviour
incentives.
Evaluation
Structural sociologists argue that this risks overlooking unequal starting points.
If groups have unequal access to:
education
secure employment
economic capital
social networks
occupational opportunities
then economic outcomes cannot be explained simply through individual decisions.
Structural versus individual explanations
This is one of the most useful ways to organise an essay.
Structural explanations | Individual explanations |
Focus on the organisation of society | Focus on choices, behaviour and characteristics of individuals |
Emphasise class, capitalism and patriarchy | Emphasise achievement, skills, effort or behaviour |
Highlight unequal opportunities and resources | Give greater importance to individual responsibility |
Marxist and feminist arguments are often structural | New Right explanations tend to give greater weight to individual factors |
Economic inequality may reproduce itself | Economic differences may partly reflect differences between individuals |
A strong answer can then ask:
Are unequal economic outcomes evidence of unequal opportunity, or can they be justified by differences in achievement?
This creates genuine evaluation rather than simply describing theories.
Wealth can reproduce economic advantage
One important difference between income and wealth is the potential for existing resources to help preserve advantage.
AQA material on social mobility recognises that higher social classes can use economic capital to maintain their position.
The 2025 examiner report similarly noted good answers explaining how:
investment
inheritance
education
could contribute to upward mobility or continuing advantage.
A possible process is:
Existing wealth → additional opportunities → preservation or accumulation of advantage → continuing economic inequality
This supports structural arguments that inequality can reproduce itself rather than being recreated entirely from individual achievement in each generation.
Inheritance and meritocracy
Inheritance creates a particularly useful evaluative issue.
A meritocratic interpretation emphasises achieved rewards.
However, inherited economic resources originate from existing family advantage rather than an individual's own achievement.
Therefore:
Inheritance may weaken the claim that all economic differences are purely meritocratic.
At the same time, evidence that individuals can experience upward or downward social mobility challenges an entirely deterministic claim that class position can never change.
Wealth, income and life chances
Economic resources matter sociologically because they can affect people's life chances.
AQA examination material links social class and economic resources with differences in opportunities. Higher social classes may possess resources giving them opportunities unavailable to those with fewer resources.
Economic inequality can therefore influence access to opportunities, not just consumption.
The relationship can work as:
Economic resources → opportunities and choices → different life chances
This is why wealth and income inequality connect with the wider Sociology themes of:
power
social stratification
social mobility
inequality.
Wealth and income are not the same evidence
When evaluating evidence, always ask what is actually being measured.
Someone may have:
a relatively high income but little accumulated wealth
substantial accumulated wealth without currently receiving a high employment income.
Therefore, evidence about earnings alone cannot provide a complete picture of wealth inequality.
Likewise, evidence about wealth does not automatically tell us someone's current income.
đź“Ś Exam rule:Â If the question asks about both wealth and income, make sure your answer addresses both concepts rather than treating income evidence as if it proves everything about wealth.
Distribution between social groups
The source material supports examining economic inequalities across several dimensions.
Social division | Evidence or pattern supported by AQA material | Potential sociological explanation |
Social class | Higher classes can possess greater economic resources and economic capital | Capitalism, ownership, inheritance, occupational inequalities |
Gender | Women may experience lower average earnings, job insecurity and reduced financial independence | Patriarchy, caring responsibilities, workplace inequality |
Ethnicity | Members of some ethnic groups may be more likely to experience low-paid work | Racism, discrimination, class and employment patterns |
Age | There may be generation gaps in economic opportunities | Ageism, different relationships with employment and resources |
Employment status | People without work may be economically disadvantaged, although some are workless because they possess sufficient wealth | Labour-market position, class, welfare and existing wealth |
These are patterns and mechanisms, not deterministic statements about every individual in a group.
Intersections between inequalities
Social divisions can interact.
For example, gender inequality may be influenced by:
class
ethnicity
employment
caring responsibilities.
Similarly, the economic position of an ethnic group cannot automatically be separated from social-class position or employment opportunities.
AQA's 2025 examiner report praised answers that considered how racism and patriarchy could operate together to affect women's employment opportunities.
This helps avoid explanations such as:
"Gender causes low income."
A stronger sociological explanation is:
Gender inequalities may affect economic outcomes through their interaction with employment patterns, caring responsibilities and other social inequalities.
Does inequality mean unfairness?
This question divides sociological perspectives.
Functionalist position
Inequality may be considered:
necessary
beneficial
related to incentives and role allocation.
Marxist position
Economic inequality reflects:
ownership
exploitation
unequal class power
conflict between groups.
Feminist position
Some economic inequalities reflect:
patriarchy
gender divisions
inequalities within paid and unpaid work.
New Right position
Greater emphasis is placed on:
individual responsibility
incentives
behaviour
differences in achievement.
The central evaluative question is therefore:
When does a difference in economic reward represent legitimate differentiation, and when does it represent structural inequality?
A top-level answer should compare the assumptions behind the perspectives rather than simply state that they disagree.
Evidence about contemporary wealth and income
AQA's specification requires a central focus on contemporary UK society and expects students to examine evidence as well as explanations.
This matters for revision. Statistics on wealth and income can change, so do not invent or guess figures in an examination.
Instead, where precise evidence is unavailable, make accurate qualitative arguments such as:
higher social classes possess greater economic resources
gender differences in earnings and labour-market position exist
some ethnic groups experience greater exposure to low-paid work
economic opportunities vary between groups.
Evaluating evidence concerning wealth and income
Evidence of economic inequality must be interpreted carefully.
Income and wealth measure different things
An income figure measures a flow of resources.
A wealth figure measures accumulated resources.
Comparing one as if it were the other can produce misleading conclusions.
Social groups contain internal differences
Broad categories such as:
women
working class
older people
minority ethnic groups
do not contain individuals with identical economic circumstances.
Patterns between groups therefore describe general inequalities, not every individual case.
Economic position can change
Employment changes, social mobility and government policy can alter people's economic circumstances.
Economic inequalities are therefore social patterns rather than completely fixed individual positions.
Policies affect the evidence
Taxes, welfare payments and wage policies can affect the final distribution of income.
AQA's 2020 mark scheme explicitly recognises these as mechanisms through which government policy changes income distribution.
An analysis therefore needs to distinguish between income arising through the labour market and income after state intervention.
Comparing sociological explanations of economic inequality
Perspective | Main explanation | What it explains well | Possible limitation |
Marxism | Capitalism creates inequalities through unequal ownership and class relationships | Persistent class inequalities and economic power | May give insufficient attention to differences based on gender, ethnicity or individual mobility |
Functionalism | Unequal rewards provide incentives and assist role allocation | Why unequal rewards may perform social functions | May underestimate unequal starting resources and inherited advantages |
Feminism | Patriarchy creates economic disadvantages for women | Gender differences in work, income and economic independence | Women's experiences also vary according to class, ethnicity and other factors |
New Right | Economic differences partly reflect behaviour, skills, incentives and individual responsibility | Highlights individual agency and differences between people | May understate structural barriers and unequal resources |
Social democratic approach | Market inequalities require redistributive state intervention | Explains the role of taxation and welfare in altering income distribution | Redistribution may reduce inequality without removing its underlying causes |
Building an evaluative argument
Suppose an essay asks whether economic inequality is mainly caused by capitalism.
A strong paragraph might proceed like this:
Marxist claim:Â capitalist ownership produces class inequality.
Development:Â owners and workers occupy different economic positions.
Application:Â those with existing economic capital can maintain advantages.
Analysis:Â this helps explain why economic inequalities can reproduce themselves.
Evaluation:Â however, gender inequalities in earnings suggest class does not provide a complete explanation.
Further evaluation:Â functionalists would question whether all unequal rewards should be interpreted as exploitation.
Judgement:Â capitalism may explain a major structural pattern, but other social divisions and mechanisms also shape the distribution.
This is much stronger than writing a paragraph on Marxism followed by an unrelated paragraph on feminism.
Key Words 🔑
Key word | Student-friendly definition | How it may be used in an exam |
Income | Economic resources received over a period of time | Distinguish it clearly from accumulated wealth |
Wealth | Accumulated economic resources or assets possessed at a particular point | Use when discussing economic capital, inheritance and class advantage |
Economic inequality | Unequal distribution of economic resources between individuals or social groups | Use as the overall concept linking wealth and income |
Economic capital | Economic resources that can provide opportunities or help maintain social position | Apply when explaining class advantages |
Capitalism | An economic and social system central to Marxist explanations of class inequality | Use to explain structural differences in economic resources |
Exploitation | A Marxist concept describing unequal class relationships within capitalist production | Link to Marxist explanations of income and wealth inequality |
Meritocracy | A system in which rewards and positions are allocated according to achievement | Use when evaluating functionalist and individual explanations |
Patriarchy | Social arrangements in which gender inequalities advantage men and disadvantage women | Apply to differences in work, earnings and economic resources |
Redistribution | Altering the distribution of resources through mechanisms such as taxation and welfare | Use when explaining state effects on income inequality |
Life chances | The opportunities and outcomes available to individuals and groups | Link economic inequality to its wider sociological importance |
Hints from the Examiner Reports đź’ˇ
Examiner hint:Â Answer the relationship in the question rather than writing everything you know about a keyword. AQA repeatedly reports that unfocused knowledge is unlikely to score highly.
Examiner hint: Develop the sociological mechanism. If a question asks how a policy affects income distribution, do not simply name taxation or welfare. Explain how it changes the resources available to different groups.
Examiner hint:Â Use sociological evidence rather than relying on anecdote. The 2025 report noted that weaker responses in Work, Poverty and Welfare sometimes lacked studies and depended on anecdotal evidence.
Examiner hint:Â In 10-mark questions, clearly separate your two answers and develop each one. Two well-developed points are more effective than several brief points.
Examiner hint: For a 10-mark question with an item, identify the two useful hooks and develop each explicitly. Simply copying phrases from an item will not produce strong application.
Examiner hint:Â Evaluation should directly test the explanation in the question. Do not introduce another perspective and assume that its existence counts as evaluation.
Examiner hint:Â AQA's level descriptors reward answers that apply material accurately, analyse explicitly and reach appropriate conclusions. Strong answers compare explanations rather than simply juxtaposing them.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Treating wealth and income as synonyms
Why this is incorrect: Income is a flow of economic resources, while wealth refers to accumulated resources.
How to improve: Define both at the beginning of an answer and check which one the question actually asks about.
Mistake: Writing only about poverty
Why this is incorrect: Poverty and economic inequality are related but different. A question about wealth and income asks about the distribution of economic resources, not just those at the bottom.
How to improve: Discuss differences across social groups and connect poverty only where it directly helps answer the question.
Mistake: Assuming income tells you everything about wealth
Why this is incorrect: Someone's current earnings do not necessarily reveal how much accumulated economic capital they possess.
How to improve: Use evidence appropriate to the exact concept being discussed.
Mistake: Saying inequality is automatically unfair
Why this is incorrect: Different sociological perspectives interpret inequality differently. Functionalists may see unequal rewards as necessary, while Marxists interpret class inequality as structural and conflict-based.
How to improve: Identify the perspective and explain why it interprets inequality in that way.
Mistake: Explaining gender inequality simply by saying "women earn less"
Why this is incorrect: That identifies a pattern but does not explain it.
How to improve: Develop mechanisms such as caring responsibilities, employment gaps, workplace position or patriarchy.
Mistake: Treating every member of a social group as economically identical
Why this is incorrect: Social patterns concern probabilities and averages, not every individual.
How to improve: Use careful language such as "members of some groups", "on average" or "greater economic disadvantage" where supported.
Mistake: Listing government policies without analysing their effects
Why this is incorrect: AQA questions require connections to be made.
How to improve: Use a chain such as:
policy → effect on wages/tax/welfare → change in disposable resources → effect on income distribution
Mistake: Writing separate theory paragraphs with no comparison
Why this is incorrect: Description of Marxism, functionalism and feminism does not automatically amount to evaluation.
How to improve: Use each perspective to directly test the others and finish paragraphs with a judgement about the explanation.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Outline and explain two reasons why income may be distributed unevenly between social groups. [10 marks]
Question 2
Outline and explain two ways in which existing wealth may help members of higher social classes maintain their economic advantage. [10 marks]
Question 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Some people have greater economic resources that provide them with opportunities to maintain their social position. There are also inequalities in employment, including differences in earnings and access to senior occupational positions.
Wealth and income are distributed unevenly between social groups.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why economic resources may be distributed unevenly between social groups. [10 marks]
Question 4
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
Governments can alter the distribution of income through taxation and welfare policies. They can also influence the earnings people receive from employment.
Applying material from Item B, analyse two ways in which government policies may affect the distribution of income. [10 marks]
Question 5
Read Item C below and answer the question that follows.
Item C
Marxists argue that economic inequality results from the capitalist class structure. The owners of economic resources have advantages that workers do not possess.
However, functionalists argue that unequal rewards can be necessary because they encourage individuals to develop skills and perform important social roles.
Applying material from Item C and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of wealth and income inequality. [20 marks]
Question 6
Read Item D below and answer the question that follows.
Item D
Women may experience inequalities in paid employment and may have greater responsibility for caring. However, social class and ethnicity can also affect individuals' economic opportunities.
Applying material from Item D and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of gender differences in income. [20 marks]
Question 7
Read Item E below and answer the question that follows.
Item E
Some sociologists argue that existing economic resources allow privileged groups to reproduce their advantages. Others argue that differences in economic rewards reflect achievement, skills and individual choices.
Applying material from Item E and your knowledge, evaluate the view that wealth and income inequality mainly result from structural factors. [20 marks]
Mark scheme
Question 1: Outline and explain two reasons why income may be distributed unevenly between social groups. [10 marks]
A strong response should identify two distinct reasons and develop how each causes differences in income.
Indicative content may include:
differences in occupation and earnings
unemployment or worklessness
gender inequalities in employment
caring responsibilities
discrimination
class position
differences between some ethnic groups in access to well-paid employment
government taxation
welfare provision
wage policies.
For each reason:
identify the factor
explain which groups may be affected
explain how it changes income
link directly to unequal distribution.
No evaluation is required.
Question 2: Outline and explain two ways in which existing wealth may help members of higher social classes maintain their economic advantage. [10 marks]
Indicative content may include:
economic capital providing greater opportunities
investment
inheritance
resources that help family members maintain their social position
using economic resources to reduce the risk of downward mobility.
A strong answer will focus specifically on existing wealth, rather than drifting into a general description of social class.
Question 3: Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why economic resources may be distributed unevenly. [10 marks]
Students should develop both item hooks.
Hook 1: "economic resources that provide them with opportunities"
Possible development:
economic capital
inherited advantage
investment
class position
reproduction of social advantage.
Hook 2: "differences in earnings and access to senior occupational positions"
Possible development:
gender
patriarchy
social class
discrimination
occupational inequalities.
The strongest answers will analyse how each mechanism produces or reproduces economic inequality.
Question 4: Applying material from Item B, analyse two ways government policies may affect the distribution of income. [10 marks]
Possible applications include:
Taxation
progressive or regressive taxation
changes in disposable resources
different effects on higher-income and lower-income groups.
Welfare
redistribution through benefits
restrictions on welfare provision.
Employment and wages
wage policies
policies affecting trade unions.
Students must explain the effect on income distribution, not merely describe a policy.
Question 5: Evaluate sociological explanations of wealth and income inequality. [20 marks]
Indicative content may include:
Marxism
capitalism
bourgeoisie and proletariat
ownership
exploitation
economic capital
class conflict
functionalism
meritocracy
unequal rewards and incentives
feminisms
patriarchy
gender inequalities in employment
New Right explanations
individual responsibility
social democratic approaches
redistribution
taxation
welfare.
Higher-level evaluation may consider:
whether inequality reflects structural power or individual achievement
whether functionalist explanations underestimate inherited advantages
whether Marxism gives too much importance to class
whether gender and ethnicity provide additional explanations
whether government intervention alters rather than removes underlying inequality.
A strong conclusion will identify which explanation, or combination of explanations, gives the most convincing account of economic inequality specifically.
Question 6: Evaluate sociological explanations of gender differences in income. [20 marks]
Indicative content may include:
patriarchy
feminisms
caring responsibilities
gender differences in full-time employment
job insecurity
occupational position
employment gaps
promotion
economic independence
pensions and employment benefits
social class
ethnicity
individual explanations.
Strong evaluation should recognise that women do not form a single economically identical category.
A reasoned judgement might conclude that gender inequalities are significant but operate through employment, family responsibilities and their interaction with class and ethnicity.
Question 7: Evaluate the view that wealth and income inequality mainly result from structural factors. [20 marks]
Arguments supporting the view may include:
capitalism
unequal ownership
exploitation
class structure
patriarchy
discrimination
unequal employment opportunities
inherited economic advantage
economic capital.
Alternative explanations may include:
meritocracy
functionalist role allocation
differences in skills
individual behaviour
New Right arguments about responsibility and incentives.
Strong evaluation should ask:
Do individuals really begin with equal opportunities?
Can inherited wealth be explained by individual achievement?
Does the existence of social mobility challenge structural determinism?
Can class alone explain gender and ethnic inequalities?
Are all unequal rewards necessarily evidence of injustice?
The strongest conclusions will distinguish between individual differences in outcomes and systematic inequalities between social groups, then judge which explanation best accounts for the evidence.
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