Culture, identity and socialisation — IGCSE Sociology (0495) questions by topic

Ethnicity, femininity, primary socialisation and values are the terms under the microscope here, each needing two distinct elements for full marks, alongside questions on how peer groups encourage conformity or why multicultural societies benefit their members.

Explain, state, describe and to-what-extent are the leading command words, worth 35 marks across the paper. Built from 12 questions in 2023 and 2024 sessions, this page is suited to practising two-part definitions and example-backed explanations, then using instant marking to check whether a definition of femininity or an explanation of peer conformity actually contained both required elements.

What examiners look for

Examiners note that most candidates scored at least one mark for defining ethnicity, but two core elements were needed for full marks.
Reports state that full marks for describing customs required two separate examples, each unpacked with further detail on why the tradition persists.
Strong answers on peer group conformity identified three or more points, developing each simply, often through negative sanctions such as peer pressure, ostracism or sarcasm.
On the benefits of multicultural societies, examiners credited hybrid cultures emerging and exposure to extra languages, religions, norms or foods.
A recurring criticism is that essays on childhood as a social construction were often limited in length and range of arguments made for and against.