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9699 · 1.3

Social identity and change — practice questions

Practice and worked examples for 9699 Social identity and change. Short previews only — attempt the full question in MarkScheme against the official scheme.

Worked example 1

Assess the extent to which social identities have become more fluid in contemporary society. [15 marks]

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Fluidity argument (postmodern/Beck): Choice in consumption, lifestyle, gender performance; decline of fixed class communities; social media — multiple personas; migration → hybrid identities (Hall).

Continuity argument: Class still shapes life chances (Savage); gender inequality persists in work/family; ethnic discrimination limits choice; ascribed markers still matter structurally.

Interactionist middle ground: Identity negotiated in interaction (Goffman) — neither fully fixed nor infinitely free.

Evaluation: Partial fluidity — more choice in presentation for some groups, but structural constraints remain. Avoid claiming everyone equally free to reinvent identity.

Conclusion: Identities more reflexive but not classless/genderless.

Worked example 2

A sociologist analyses data from a sample of 200 people whose fathers were in the 'working class'. The sociologist finds that 70 of these individuals are now in the 'intermediate class' and 40 are in the 'service class'. Calculate the rate of upward social mobility for this sample and briefly explain its significance for understanding class identity.

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This question requires a calculation and a brief sociological interpretation.

Step 1: Identify the total sample size from the specified background. The total number of individuals in the sample with a working-class background is 200.

Step 2: Identify the number of individuals who were upwardly mobile. Upward mobility means moving from the working class to a higher class (intermediate or service).

  • Number moving to intermediate class = 70
  • Number moving to service class = 40 Total upwardly mobile individuals = 70 + 40 = 110.

Step 3: Calculate the upward mobility rate. The formula is: (Number of upwardly mobile individuals / Total individuals from that background) * 100. Calculation: (110 / 200) * 100 = 0.55 * 100 = 55%.

Final Answer: The rate of upward social mobility for this sample is 55%.

Sociological Significance: This 55% rate suggests a considerable degree of social fluidity, supporting the postmodernist argument that class identity is less fixed and more achieved in contemporary society. It indicates that over half of the individuals from a working-class background in this sample were able to achieve a higher social class than their father.

However, it's also important to note that 45% (100% - 55%) remained in the working class. This supports the structuralist view (e.g., Bourdieu, Savage) that class background remains a powerful predictor of life chances and that 'cultural capital' or structural barriers can limit mobility. The data thus provides evidence for a nuanced conclusion: while class identity has become more fluid, it has not disappeared as a significant structural influence.

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