AQA A-Level Sociology | Paper 1 | 2026 Predicted Paper | Mark Scheme Methods in Context
Question 05: Methods in Context
Item C
Investigating parental attitudes towards education
Some sociologists argue that cultural factors may contribute to social class differences in educational achievement. Researchers may therefore be interested in parents' attitudes towards education, their expectations of their children and the ways in which they support learning.
One way of investigating parental attitudes is through unstructured interviews. These allow researchers to explore people's meanings and experiences in detail and to ask further questions when interesting issues arise. However, parents may be reluctant to discuss their family life or may present their attitudes and behaviour in a favourable way.
Applying material from Item C and your knowledge of research methods, evaluate the strengths and limitations of using unstructured interviews to investigate parental attitudes towards education as a possible source of cultural deprivation.
[20 marks]
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