AQA A-Level Sociology | Paper 2 | 2026 Predicted Paper
Paper 2: Topics in Sociology
Time allowed: 2 hours
Instructions
Answer all questions from one topic in Section A.
Answer all questions from one topic in Section B.
Answer questions in continuous prose.
The marks available for each question are shown in brackets.
The maximum mark for this paper is 80.
Use appropriate sociological concepts, evidence and specialist terminology where relevant.
Section A
Choose one topic from this section and answer all questions on that topic.
Topic A1 Culture and Identity
Question 01
Outline and explain two ways in which socialisation may influence identities based on age.
[10 marks]
Question 02
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Globalisation has increased contact between people from different societies. Migration can bring together individuals with different cultural traditions, while digital communication allows people with similar interests to form relationships across national boundaries.
These developments may influence the characteristics of subcultures.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which globalisation may influence the characteristics of subcultures.
[10 marks]
Question 03
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
National identities may be strengthened through shared traditions, symbols and experiences. Governments, schools and the media may encourage individuals to identify themselves as members of a nation.
However, globalisation may weaken national identities. Individuals may increasingly construct identities from global cultures, consumption and membership of social groups that cross national boundaries. Other identities, such as those based on class, gender or ethnicity, may also be more significant.
Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that nationality has become less important in shaping identity in contemporary society.
[20 marks]
Topic A2 Families and Households
Question 04
Outline and explain two ways in which increased participation by women in paid employment may affect gender roles and relationships within families.
[10 marks]
Question 05
Read Item C below and answer the question that follows.
Item C
Some social policies provide financial support to families with children. Other policies increase the provision of childcare and allow parents to combine employment with caring responsibilities.
Social policies may influence the functions performed by families.
Applying material from Item C, analyse two ways in which social policies may influence the functions performed by families.
[10 marks]
Question 06
Read Item D below and answer the question that follows.
Item D
Some sociologists argue that children today are more protected than children were in the past. Children have legal rights and adults are expected to give greater consideration to children's welfare and views.
However, greater protection may also involve greater supervision and control. Children may spend more of their lives under adult supervision and may have less freedom to use public spaces independently.
Applying material from Item D and your knowledge, evaluate the view that children have less freedom and independence than they did in the past.
[20 marks]
Topic A3 Health
Question 07
Outline and explain two ways in which disability may be socially constructed.
[10 marks]
Question 08
Read Item E below and answer the question that follows.
Item E
Some people have greater financial resources and are better able to travel to obtain health care. Other people may live in areas where particular health services are difficult to access.
There are inequalities in access to health care.
Applying material from Item E, analyse two ways in which an individual's social position may affect their access to health care.
[10 marks]
Question 09
Read Item F below and answer the question that follows.
Item F
Health care increasingly operates within a global context. Pharmaceutical companies develop and sell medicines internationally, while patients may travel between countries to obtain treatment. These developments may increase the range of health care available.
However, critics argue that access to the benefits of the globalised health industry is unequal. Commercial organisations may also be more concerned with profit than with meeting health needs.
Applying material from Item F and your knowledge, evaluate the view that the globalised health industry has improved health chances.
[20 marks]
Topic A4 Work, Poverty and Welfare
Question 10
Outline and explain two ways in which worklessness may affect people's life chances.
[10 marks]
Question 11
Read Item G below and answer the question that follows.
Item G
Some jobs can now be carried out from different locations through the use of digital technology. At the same time, businesses can move some forms of production and employment between countries.
Globalisation may affect people's experience of work.
Applying material from Item G, analyse two ways in which globalisation may affect people's experience of work.
[10 marks]
Question 12
Read Item H below and answer the question that follows.
Item H
Some sociologists argue that state welfare is necessary because poverty is caused by inequalities that individuals cannot control. State provision may redistribute resources and protect people from some consequences of poverty.
Others argue that welfare provided by the state can create dependency. They suggest that private, voluntary and informal providers may respond more effectively to people's needs.
Applying material from Item H and your knowledge, evaluate the view that state welfare is the most effective response to poverty.
[20 marks]
Section B
Choose one topic from this section and answer all questions on that topic.
Topic B1 Beliefs in Society
Question 13
Outline and explain two ways in which religious practices may contribute to social solidarity.
[10 marks]
Question 14
Read Item I below and answer the question that follows.
Item I
Scientific knowledge may be presented as objective and based only on evidence. However, decisions about which areas of science receive funding may be influenced by governments and powerful organisations.
Scientific knowledge may therefore sometimes support the interests of particular social groups.
Applying material from Item I, analyse two ways in which science may operate as an ideology.
[10 marks]
Question 15
Read Item J below and answer the question that follows.
Item J
New Age movements often allow individuals to choose from a range of beliefs and practices. Individuals may participate without accepting a fixed set of beliefs or becoming permanent members of a formal organisation.
Some sociologists argue that this flexibility suits the needs of individuals in contemporary society. Others argue that traditional religious organisations continue to provide forms of belonging and support that individualised spirituality cannot provide.
Applying material from Item J and your knowledge, evaluate the view that the growth of New Age movements is mainly the result of increasing individual choice.
[20 marks]
Topic B2 Global Development
Question 16
Outline and explain two ways in which environmental problems may increase global inequality.
[10 marks]
Question 17
Read Item K below and answer the question that follows.
Item K
Non-governmental organisations may provide educational opportunities for women and girls. Some NGOs also provide access to health care and support projects that enable women to earn an income.
NGOs may affect gender inequalities in developing countries.
Applying material from Item K, analyse two ways in which NGOs may improve the life chances of women in developing countries.
[10 marks]
Question 18
Read Item L below and answer the question that follows.
Item L
Improvements in health may accompany development. For example, better nutrition, sanitation and health care may increase life expectancy and reduce mortality.
However, development involves more than health. Sociologists may also consider changes in employment, education, gender equality and economic inequality when assessing the extent of development.
Applying material from Item L and your knowledge, evaluate the view that improvements in health are the best indication that development has taken place.
[20 marks]
Topic B3 The Media
Question 19
Outline and explain two ways in which the growth of the new media may have changed media representations of gender.
[10 marks]
Question 20
Read Item M below and answer the question that follows.
Item M
Young audiences may receive personalised media content selected by digital platforms. They may also encounter media produced and shared by other young people rather than only content created by professional media organisations.
Media content may influence the identities of young audiences.
Applying material from Item M, analyse two ways in which media content may influence the identities of young audiences.
[10 marks]
Question 21
Read Item N below and answer the question that follows.
Item N
News organisations make choices about which events to report and how stories should be presented. Owners and senior managers may influence these choices, and some sociologists argue that this allows dominant ideas to be reproduced.
However, news organisations also compete for audiences and advertising revenue. Journalists work under professional routines and deadlines, and these factors may influence news content without direct ideological control.
Applying material from Item N and your knowledge, evaluate the view that economic pressures are more important than ideology in explaining the selection and presentation of news.
[20 marks]
Topic B4 Stratification and Differentiation
Question 22
Outline and explain two ways in which disability may affect an individual's life chances.
[10 marks]
Question 23
Read Item O below and answer the question that follows.
Item O
Individuals may have similar incomes but different levels of social status. Some occupations may provide prestige and influence even where earnings are not especially high.
Class, status and power are different dimensions of inequality.
Applying material from Item O, analyse two reasons why social class alone may not provide a complete measure of an individual's position in society.
[10 marks]
Question 24
Read Item P below and answer the question that follows.
Item P
Globalisation may create new opportunities for employment, education and mobility. Some people can use global labour markets, international businesses and new technologies to improve their life chances.
However, these opportunities are not distributed equally. Globalisation may increase the economic power of wealthy groups and transnational corporations while some workers experience insecure employment or declining opportunities.
Applying material from Item P and your knowledge, evaluate the view that globalisation has reduced inequalities in life chances.
[20 marks]
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