Work, Poverty and Welfare | AQA A-Level Sociology (7192)
Work, Poverty and Welfare
- 58 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 2: Topics in Sociology, two of eight
- Paper 2
Work, Poverty and Welfare is one of the optional topics on Paper 2.
It covers how poverty is defined and explained, who bears it, the welfare arrangements that respond to it, and how work itself is organised, controlled and increasingly globalised.
Sample questions from Work, Poverty and Welfare
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
-
Poverty: definitions, explanations and distribution
What is the culture of poverty thesis and who is it associated with?
Show the answer
Associated with Oscar Lewis, it suggests poverty persists because the poor develop a distinct subculture with values that perpetuate their disadvantage across generations. -
Poverty: definitions, explanations and distribution
Why are women more likely to experience poverty than men?
Show the answer
Due to factors including lower pay, part-time work, caring responsibilities and pension inequalities. -
The welfare state and welfare provision
What do social democratic perspectives argue about welfare?
Show the answer
They argue that the state should actively redistribute resources and provide comprehensive services to reduce inequality and poverty. -
The welfare state and welfare provision
What is voluntary sector welfare provision?
Show the answer
Support provided by charities, non-governmental organisations and community groups. -
The division of labour and the control of work
According to Marx, what is alienation from species-being?
Show the answer
Workers are alienated from their human potential and creativity because capitalism reduces work to repetitive, unfulfilling tasks. -
The division of labour and the control of work
What do upskilling theories argue about technological change?
Show the answer
They argue that technological change and the knowledge economy have increased skill requirements and worker autonomy in many occupations. -
Work, worklessness and life chances
Besides income, what does work provide in terms of sense of purpose?
Show the answer
Work provides goals, meaning and a feeling of contributing to something beyond oneself. -
Work, worklessness and life chances
How does the experience of unemployment vary across different social groups?
Show the answer
It varies by social class, gender, ethnicity and age, with some groups facing longer periods of worklessness and greater stigma.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty: definitions, explanations and distribution | Absolute and relative poverty, the culture of poverty and underclass theses, social exclusion, and how poverty, wealth and income are distributed. | 15 |
| The welfare state and welfare provision | Universal and means-tested provision, the New Right, social democratic, Marxist and feminist views, and welfare pluralism. | 10 |
| The division of labour and the control of work | Durkheim on solidarity, Marx on alienation, Taylorism, Fordism and post-Fordism, and the deskilling debate. | 14 |
| Work, worklessness and life chances | What work provides beyond income, Jahoda's latent functions, the effects of unemployment, and precarious work. | 10 |
| Globalisation and the global division of labour | Deindustrialisation, transnational corporations, the global division of labour, and the effect on wages and migration. | 9 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
-
Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
-
Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
-
Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Sociology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 1,116 questions with their answers.