Society and Culture 2016 HSC exam pack

Candidates demonstrated strengths in these areas:

• demonstrating a rich analysis of the chosen topic with in-depth, sophisticated synthesis of methodological findings
• applying course concepts and thoroughly integrating them throughout
• reflecting on the validity of research methods in the log, demonstrating a concise overview of the candidate’s research development
• detailing a reflective analysis of research methods that also identified potential bias, where appropriate, and critical judgment of the research methods
• providing detailed and analytical annotations that reflected on the validity and reliability of the sources, with strong links to the purpose of the research
• consistently referencing correctly and utilising this to demonstrate the integration of secondary and primary sources
• integrating concepts consistently throughout
• structuring the research with a flow of chapter ideas that reflected a cohesive research project, demonstrating a clear alignment with syllabus requirements
• clearly aligning all components with syllabus requirements, including font and spacing requirements
• using clear and appropriate annotations
• choosing a sociological topic with explicit links to concepts and contemporary sociological issues
• correlating primary and secondary findings to generate new ideas and linking these to concepts
• demonstrating the achievement of social and cultural literacy through the awareness of limitations of the research process
• providing analysis of primary and secondary data, photographs and tables where appropriate.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• developing a specific hypothesis that provides clear direction for the path of the research
• providing analytical statements that lead to a synthesis of the research findings and avoiding descriptions where possible
• reflecting on the research process in the log, to provide an evaluative presentation of the research process
• summarising the sequential development of the PIP process in the log
• integrating a variety of sources to create a coherent flow of ideas
• demonstrating an understanding of the limitations of particular research methods
• discussing the ideas or perspectives of others and incorporating these ideas into their own discussions
• ethically conducting research and avoiding plagiarism, achieved through accurate referencing
• choosing topics that that allow for evidence of personal experience and public knowledge
• choosing a variety of research methods to enable multiple perspectives
• avoiding broad generalisations
• demonstrating the effectiveness of written communication through correct spelling, grammar and formatting
• applying the cross-cultural component through the integration of multiple view-points
• developing a continuity and/or change theme consistently throughout
• creating a conclusion that is reflective of the process and addresses the hypothesis.

Question 9

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• providing an example of continuity in authority at the meso level of society, such as, the mayor of a local town, the coach of a cricket team, the principal of a school

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• ensuring that examples provided were relevant to a meso level in society
• providing an example that represented a continuity and not a change.

Question 10

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• identifying a qualitative research method
• demonstrating understanding of a research method
• demonstrating elements of social literacy in a response
• presenting an organised and well-structured response that applied course specific language with relevant examples.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• clearly aligning qualitative research to social and cultural literacy.

Question 11

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• making informed judgements about the extent to which a change has benefited the lives of people in a selected country
• supporting a response with a wide variety of contemporary examples and accurate information that related to change in a selected country
• presenting a well-organised response that included a variety of course specific language.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• explicitly identifying the country that is being referred to in the response
• supporting a response with relevant, contemporary and specific examples that relate to a benefit within the country studied.

Question 12

Candidates showed strengths in these areas:

• clearly linking paraphernalia and how it contributes to a sense of identity
• providing a range of appropriate examples
• making informed judgements on the role of official and unofficial censorship in the development and evolution of a chosen popular culture
• providing an in-depth analysis of a popular culture
• providing a sustained argument which clearly addressed the question.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• avoiding generalisations
• understanding specific terminology, for example paraphernalia and official and unofficial censorship
• selecting an appropriate case study that can address all aspects of the question
• providing a sustained, logical and cohesive response rather than providing a narrative or a pre-learnt response which does not adequately address the question
• integrating a range of appropriate and specific examples to support judgements
• applying appropriate course concepts to effectively address all aspects of the question.

Question 13

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• applying concepts, such as westernisation, modernisation and values, throughout the response and linking these to the effects of globalisation on a belief system or ideology
• integrating appropriate examples throughout the response to demonstrate the link between globalisation, important people and power structures in one belief system or ideology
• making a clear and appropriate assessment of the effects of globalisation on important people and power structures within a belief system or ideology, such as the use of technology to spread values and teachings to a wide audience around the globe
• organising an argument that integrated the impact of globalisation throughout the response
• recognising how the cultural context of traditions developed and eventually influenced gender roles within the belief system or ideology.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• differentiating between a country and a belief system, for example, Hinduism and India
• integrating and applying concepts related to the question throughout a response
• addressing the instructional verb and focusing on the intent of the question
• demonstrating the link between the effects of globalisation on important people and power structures within the belief system or ideology.

Question 14

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• providing examples of government and community organisations
• showing a clear relationship between government and community organisations and how they contribute to social inclusion of one group in one country
• demonstrating an understanding of concepts such as prejudice, discrimination and social exclusion
• demonstrating an understanding of the roles prejudice and discrimination play in the maintenance of social exclusion
• providing examples of prejudice and discrimination in one group in one country
• integrating course concepts appropriate to social exclusion
• using course concepts with appropriate examples to support a judgement.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• demonstrating understanding of social and cultural literacy
• understanding the difference between government and community organisations
• understanding the link between prejudice and discrimination and social exclusion
• supporting responses with accurate data and appropriate, specific examples
• addressing the full extent of the question.

Question 15

Candidates showed strength in these areas:

• demonstrating understanding of the strong link between nonconformity and social change
• applying and integrating a range of appropriate examples, such as feminism and women's rights to equality in the workplace, to demonstrate understanding of the relationship between nonconformity and social change
• applying course concepts to demonstrate the links between perception and group behaviour
• applying conflict and or functionalist theories to demonstrate a knowledge of broad social change
• demonstrating understanding of the concept of perceptions and how they are created and recreated
• sustaining an argument throughout the response to demonstrate the relationship between the perception of the group, course concepts and group dynamics.

Candidates need to improve in these areas:

• demonstrating understanding of social and cultural literacy
• placing stereotypes in the context of how and why they are created
• engaging with the key words in the question
• applying examples to demonstrate an understanding of the question
• selecting a group that can be used to answer all aspects of a question
• addressing the relationship between concepts of non-conformity and social change
• structuring responses to integrate course concepts and demonstrate critical and ongoing analysis.