Cambridge International AS & A Level

SOCIOLOGY 9699/42
Paper 4 Globalisation, Media, Religion May/June 2024
MARK SCHEME
Maximum Mark: 70

Published

This mark scheme is published as an aid to teachers and candidates, to indicate the requirements of the
examination. It shows the basis on which Examiners were instructed to award marks. It does not indicate the
details of the discussions that took place at an Examiners’ meeting before marking began, which would have
considered the acceptability of alternative answers.

Mark schemes should be read in conjunction with the question paper and the Principal Examiner Report for
Teachers.

Cambridge International will not enter into discussions about these mark schemes.

Cambridge International is publishing the mark schemes for the May/June 2024 series for most
Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge International A and AS Level and Cambridge Pre-U components, and some
Cambridge O Level components.

This document consists of 19 printed pages.

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Generic Marking Principles

These general marking principles must be applied by all examiners when marking candidate answers.
They should be applied alongside the specific content of the mark scheme or generic level
descriptions for a question. Each question paper and mark scheme will also comply with these
marking principles.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 1:

Marks must be awarded in line with:

 the specific content of the mark scheme or the generic level descriptors for the question
 the specific skills defined in the mark scheme or in the generic level descriptors for the question
 the standard of response required by a candidate as exemplified by the standardisation scripts.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 2:

Marks awarded are always whole marks (not half marks, or other fractions).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 3:

Marks must be awarded positively:

 marks are awarded for correct/valid answers, as defined in the mark scheme. However, credit
is given for valid answers which go beyond the scope of the syllabus and mark scheme,
referring to your Team Leader as appropriate
 marks are awarded when candidates clearly demonstrate what they know and can do
 marks are not deducted for errors
 marks are not deducted for omissions
 answers should only be judged on the quality of spelling, punctuation and grammar when these
features are specifically assessed by the question as indicated by the mark scheme. The
meaning, however, should be unambiguous.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 4:

Rules must be applied consistently, e.g. in situations where candidates have not followed
instructions or in the application of generic level descriptors.

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 5:

Marks should be awarded using the full range of marks defined in the mark scheme for the question
(however; the use of the full mark range may be limited according to the quality of the candidate
responses seen).

GENERIC MARKING PRINCIPLE 6:

Marks awarded are based solely on the requirements as defined in the mark scheme. Marks should
not be awarded with grade thresholds or grade descriptors in mind.

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Social Science-Specific Marking Principles

(for point-based marking)

1 Components using point-based marking:

 Point marking is often used to reward knowledge, understanding and application of skills.
We give credit where the candidate’s answer shows relevant knowledge, understanding
and application of skills in answering the question. We do not give credit where the answer
shows confusion.

From this it follows that we:

a DO credit answers which are worded differently from the mark scheme if they clearly
convey the same meaning (unless the mark scheme requires a specific term)
b DO credit alternative answers/examples which are not written in the mark scheme if they
are correct
c DO credit answers where candidates give more than one correct answer in one
prompt/numbered/scaffolded space where extended writing is required rather than list-type
answers. For example, questions that require n reasons (e.g. State two reasons …).
d DO NOT credit answers simply for using a ‘key term’ unless that is all that is required.
(Check for evidence it is understood and not used wrongly.)
e DO NOT credit answers which are obviously self-contradicting or trying to cover all
possibilities
f DO NOT give further credit for what is effectively repetition of a correct point already
credited unless the language itself is being tested. This applies equally to ‘mirror
statements’ (i.e. polluted/not polluted).
g DO NOT require spellings to be correct, unless this is part of the test. However spellings of
syllabus terms must allow for clear and unambiguous separation from other syllabus terms
with which they may be confused (e.g. Corrasion/Corrosion)

2 Presentation of mark scheme:

 Slashes (/) or the word ‘or’ separate alternative ways of making the same point.
 Semi colons (;) bullet points (•) or figures in brackets (1) separate different points.
 Content in the answer column in brackets is for examiner information/context to clarify the
marking but is not required to earn the mark (except Accounting syllabuses where they
indicate negative numbers).

3 Calculation questions:
 The mark scheme will show the steps in the most likely correct method(s), the mark for
each step, the correct answer(s) and the mark for each answer
 If working/explanation is considered essential for full credit, this will be indicated in the
question paper and in the mark scheme. In all other instances, the correct answer to a
calculation should be given full credit, even if no supporting working is shown.
 Where the candidate uses a valid method which is not covered by the mark scheme,
award equivalent marks for reaching equivalent stages.
 Where an answer makes use of a candidate’s own incorrect figure from previous working,
the ‘own figure rule’ applies: full marks will be given if a correct and complete method is
used. Further guidance will be included in the mark scheme where necessary and any
exceptions to this general principle will be noted.

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4 Annotation:
 For point marking, ticks can be used to indicate correct answers and crosses can be used
to indicate wrong answers. There is no direct relationship between ticks and marks. Ticks
have no defined meaning for levels of response marking.
 For levels of response marking, the level awarded should be annotated on the script.
 Other annotations will be used by examiners as agreed during standardisation, and the
meaning will be understood by all examiners who marked that paper.

Using the mark scheme

The questions are marked using a generic analytic mark scheme, which separates the marks for the
different assessment objectives (AO). The work is marked for each AO using generic levels of
response mark schemes. The marks awarded are usually based on a judgement of the overall quality
of the response for that AO, rather than on awarding marks for specific points and accumulating a
total mark by adding points.

Indicative content is provided as a guide. Inevitably, the mark scheme cannot cover all responses that
candidates may make for all of the questions. In some cases candidates may make some responses
which the mark scheme has not predicted. These answers should nevertheless be credited according
to their quality.

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Annotations

Annotation Meaning

Benefit of the doubt given / the point is just about worthy of credit

Point in support of the view in the question

Evaluation/point against the view in the question

Some explanation but underdeveloped rather than developed

Juxtaposition of point

Knowledge
K

Not answered question

Repetition

This material receives no credit, additional points not required

Too vague

Identification of a point

Irrelevant material

Point that has been credited

Off page comment

On page comment

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Question Answer Marks

1 ‘Transnational organisations have contributed to an increase in global 35

inequality.’ Evaluate this view.

Key focus of the question

The question invites consideration of the role of transnational organisations in

addressing global inequality. Transnational organisations that work with less
economically developed countries to alleviate poverty and to improve
educational and health facilities include: alliances of nation-states such as the
United Nations, the EU, and the G7; transnational trade organisations such as
the WTO, the World Bank, and the IMF; charities such as Oxfam, Save the
Children, and World Vision. Transnational corporations could also be
considered under this umbrella, although their primary aims are commercial
rather than humanitarian. A discussion of whether transnational corporations
help to reduce global inequality could form part of a good answer to the
question, but it would need to be supplemented with consideration of other
types of transnational organisation to trigger the highest levels of the mark
scheme.

Indicative content

For:
 Critics claim that the IMF and World Bank work in favour of the richer
western countries by encouraging poorer countries to adopt policies that
are favourable to the development of global capitalism. These policies, it
is argued, leave the poorer countries vulnerable to exploitation by
transnational corporations.
 The UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aim to reduce
certain global inequalities by 2030, are unlikely to succeed because
insufficient provision is made for ensuring that governments in less
economically developed countries act responsibly and are accountable
for making the best use of the aid and support available.
 Many non-government transnational organisations are financed by
western governments and supra-national organisations such as the UN
and the EU. Their ability to act independently of these government
agencies may therefore be compromised, making them less likely to
challenge the imposition on poorer countries of policies that favour the
interests of western countries.
 Studies show that a high percentage of the funding received by
transnational organisations for helping poorer countries is spent on staff
costs and the administrative needs of the organisation. Only a fraction of
the money is spent directly on projects to help reduce global inequality.

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Question Answer Marks

1 Against:
 Organisations such as the IMF and World Bank have provided significant
funding for infrastructure projects and commercial initiatives in less
economically developed countries. It is not clear how this level of funding
could be generated through alternative means.
 In relation to the UN’s MDGs, the richer members of the UN agree to
support poorer UN members to achieve these MDGs through the
provision of aid, the reduction of debt, and the formation of fair-trade
relationships.
 Government transnational organisations have provided support and
encouragement for social and political reforms designed to help less
economically developed countries modernise and benefit from access to
international trade and investment.
 Some transnational organisations are active in providing training and
support to help the poor in less economically developed countries to
improve their life chances.
 Some international charities help to recruit and supply overseas workers
with the skills to help address the problems of poverty and inequality in
less economically developed countries.

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Question Answer Marks

2 ‘Global migration has only negative consequences for developing 35

countries.’ Evaluate this view.

Key focus of the question

The focus of this question is global migration and the opportunities or

otherwise that it offers for less economically developed countries. Neoliberals
argue that global migration contributes to economic growth and benefits both
the sending and the receiving countries. Assimilation theory sees cross-
border migration as potentially a positive and beneficial experience for
migrants who make a concerted effort to integrate in the culture and social
practices of the receiving country. Feminist sociologists are concerned that
global migration may have some adverse consequences that fall on women
particularly; female migrants are especially vulnerable to sex trafficking, for
example. Marxist sociologists are sceptical that migrants from poor countries
benefit in any way from working in rich countries; these workers are often
exploited and socially isolated, living in poverty and with little protection for
their human rights. Similarly, Marxist sociologists have identified several ways
in which less developed countries are disadvantaged by global migration,
including the ‘brain-drain’ effect of this migration on the sending countries.
These arguments and debates give a flavour of what material should be
covered in good answers to the question.

Indicative content

For:
 Marxist sociologists claim that global migration provides low-cost, readily
exploitable labour that enables the owners of capital to generate higher
profits. In this view, very few global migrants derive any economic benefit
from working in rich countries.
 Developing countries may be disadvantaged by various aspects of global
migration, including loss of skilled workers, loss of younger people from
the workforce, and support for the economy of the rich countries at the
expense of investment in developing countries.
 Other sociologists have highlighted negative social and cultural
consequences of global migration. For example, migrants may endure
long periods of separation from relatives and friends who remain in the
sending country. Cultural ties with the home country may be broken and
language barriers could make assimilation in the receiving country difficult
to achieve. Migrant workers may encounter discrimination, abuse of
human rights, and aggression from local people who feel threatened by
the arrival of immigrants.
 Global migrants are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, as the
examples of modern-day slavery and sex trafficking illustrate. Women
and children may be particularly vulnerable.
 Any chance of achieving a better standard of living as a migrant worker
may be undermined when taking into account the high costs of living and
relatively low wages that migrants encounter in rich countries. Case
studies of migrant workers often reveal a pitiful existence of poverty,
exploitation, sub-standard housing, ill-health, and social isolation.

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Question Answer Marks

2  Hopes of returning home with a financial cushion after a few years

working in a rich country often prove unrealistic for migrants who are
subject to exploitative control by people traffickers and through modern-
day slavery.

Against:
 Repatriation of income from global migrants may help boost the economy
of the sending countries.
 Migrants may return to the sending countries with new/higher
employment skills, which in turn helps support the local economy.
 Wages and living conditions in rich countries are potentially much better
than migrant workers from poor countries would find back home.
 Workers with skills that are in high demand in Western countries, such as
doctors and engineers, are particularly well placed to achieve a high
standard of living and improve their life chances.
 Migrants from areas where traditional values and religious beliefs
dominate the local culture may find that life in Western countries offers
greater freedom and more choice in lifestyle options, including the
opportunity to combine aspects of traditional and modern culture.
 Opportunities for upward social mobility may be higher in rich countries
where there is a meritocratic ethos; there may also be more scope to set
up successful businesses and become wealthy in time.
 Migrant workers from developing countries may be able to support
families and communities and therefore increase life chances in the
country of origin.

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Question Answer Marks

3 ‘Postmodernists have exaggerated the influence of the media in 35

people’s lives today.’ Evaluate this view.

Key focus of the question

This question requires candidates to demonstrate a sound knowledge of

postmodernist views of the media. Concepts such as hyperreality,
simulations, simulacra, representations, are likely to feature in good answers.
Examples of how the media may influence social identities could be used to
illustrate the postmodernist claim that the media plays a central role in
people’s lives today. Similarly, there is scope for discussion of the increasing
role of the new digital media in people’s lives. Evaluation will be demonstrated
by using arguments and evidence to question whether postmodernists have
exaggerated the influence of the media in people’s lives today. This might
include references to relevant studies and/or different models of media
effects.

Indicative content

For:
 Postmodernist claims about the influence of the media today are not
generally supported by extensive empirical research.
 Research that has been carried out on, for example, TV soap operas,
suggests that audiences are able to distinguish between reality and
representations of reality.
 Audiences are not passive consumers of the media; the uses and
gratifications model of media effects notes that people actively choose
how they use the media and select content that meets their personal
needs and interests. In this view, the media are used by people to serve
pre-existing personal needs; the media doesn’t shape those needs as
such.
 Some other models of media effects (reception analysis model and
cultural effects model) argue that people are active in the way media
messages are interpreted and responded to; for example, they may relate
favourably to media messages that reinforce ideas and values that are
viewed favourably among their friends and work colleagues and reject
other media representations they feel nothing in common with. From this
perspective, factors such as class, ethnicity, community, and age
continue to play an important to role in people’s lives and their importance
has not been displaced by the growth of the media.
 Arguments that other social agencies have more influence than the media
in people’s lives today, e.g. education, religion, family.

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Question Answer Marks

3 Against:
 Postmodernists argue that we live in a media-saturated society in which
we are surrounded by media images and spend an increasing amount of
time each day consuming media messages.
 Mobile technology has made access to the media more readily available,
extending the opportunity we have to engage with media content.
 For Baudrillard, entertainment, information and communication
technologies provide experiences that are so intense and ‘involving’ that
everyday life cannot compete. People’s needs and tastes are largely
shaped by the media, in this view.
 The way we understand the world is increasingly filtered through the
representations of reality provided by the media. In a media-saturated
society we struggle to separate representations of reality from reality.
Postmodernists refer to this phenomenon as hyperreality.
 Postmodernists claim that the media is a particularly powerful influence
on social identity, helping shape the images we project about ourselves,
the groups we identity with, and the judgements we make about others.
 Support from other theoretical perspectives, such as the Marxist mass
manipulation view of the media and the analysis of the media in the work
of the Frankfurt School.
 Support from some models of media effects, notably the hypodermic-
syringe model and, to some extent, the cultural effects model.

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Question Answer Marks

4 ‘Governments have no control over media content.’ Evaluate this view. 35

Key focus of the question

The focus of the question is who controls media content and whether
governments are less significant in this respect than other agents and
agencies, such as media owners, journalists, advertisers, and audiences.
Different means through which governments can seek to control the media
may be discussed (censorship, funding, publishing and broadcasting laws,
regulation, parliamentary scrutiny of media activities). Evaluating how
effective these means are in helping governments control the media would be
important in a good, analytical response to the question. Evaluation might be
supported by considering cases of where national governments have
attempted to control the media, such as examples of countries seeking to
censor media content or the efforts by various Western governments to limit
the powers of new media operators such as Facebook and Google. Attempts
by national governments to work together (through supra-national
organisations, for example) in regulating the media might also be discussed.
Candidates may distinguish between different types of governmental regime:
authoritarian versus democratic, for example. authoritarian regimes usually
exercise greater direct control over the media than is the case in democratic
countries.

Indicative content

For:
 Regulating the media is proving increasingly challenging for national
governments, partly because media conglomerates increasingly operate
on a global scale, taking control of the media beyond national frontiers.
 Media conglomerates tend to operate on a global scale today and that
makes it easier for them to avoid detailed control by particular nation-
states, if they so wish. This is particularly the case with the new media,
which is based on open-access systems and technology that operates
across national borders quite readily.
 Control over media content is highly fragmented in the case of the new
media, with individual citizens being able to influence that content in
myriad ways. This makes it harder for national governments to police and
restrict content than is the case with the traditional media.
 Democratic governments are accountable to the electorate and measures
such as censorship have not always proven popular with the wider
population in countries where there is a high degree of support for media
freedom. Opposition to censorship in some respects has become
stronger with the emergence of the new media, as many people see the
open access afforded by the new media as highly democratic and they
would resent government attempts to control or restrict that freedom.
 The speed at which new media technology evolves makes it hard for
governments to keep pace with developments. Some technologies are
being used by individuals and groups who specifically want to avoid
restrictions imposed on media use by national governments; these
technologies include virtual private networks (VPNs), blockchain,
cryptocurrency, and the dark web.

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Question Answer Marks

4  Governments (or some politicians) realise that it might not be in their best
interest to try to control the media directly; rather it is better to allow some
media freedom in return for being able to influence the content of the
media selectively when the government has most to gain.

Against:
 Examples suggest that authoritarian regimes have often been successful
in controlling access to the media.
 Democratic regimes usually show greater respect for media rights and
freedoms and, up to a point, are happy to accept a free market in media
content. Nevertheless, many direct and indirect means are available to
democratic governments to control the media, including censorship,
allocation of state funding, regulatory supervision, and fines for media
organisations that fail to conform to government regulations. Many of
these means have been applied successfully to the media.
 The threat of government censure or attempts at punitive action may be
sufficient to ensure that media organisations take care to avoid
displeasing the authorities. For example, government criticism of various
aspects of social media has resulted in increased efforts at self-regulation
by owners of social media platforms.
 Governments are an important source of information for the media
generally and that is another consideration encouraging media
organisations to align themselves with government ideas about how the
media should operate.
 Organisations that own the traditional media also control large parts of
the new media. National governments may be able to use their powers
over the traditional media where they want to restrict or limit the powers
of the new media.

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Question Answer Marks

5 ‘Religious organisations serve the interests of the ruling class.’ Evaluate 35

this view.

Key focus of the question

Marxist sociologists argue that religion contributes to ruling class ideology and
the maintenance of the capitalist economic system. Good answers will
demonstrate a sound understanding of this viewpoint and may include
reference to different strands in Marxist thinking about the role of religion.
Evaluation of the view on which the question is based is likely to draw on
contrasting theories of religion, such as the functionalist view that religion
contributes to value consensus and social harmony, or the postmodernist
questioning of what religion means for people today. Examples may be used
to question whether religious organisations always support the interests of the
ruling class (liberation theology, for example, is an example of religion being
used to challenge entrenched economic interests and support the
dispossessed in Latin America). Contrasts between different religions might
be explored to establish whether all religions are equally supportive of ruling
class interests.

Indicative content

For:
 Religious organisations are often reliant on donations from rich
benefactors.
 Established religions are often closely linked with the dominant
institutions of society, contributing to the maintenance of the status quo
and social order.
 The wealth and economic power of many religious organisations is
dependent on the successful functioning of the capitalist economic
system.
 Religious teachings often encourage acceptance of the existing social
order through a false consciousness, ideology, social control,
brainwashing, submission etc.
 Religion provides a form of spiritual solace for the poor, making them less
likely to resist the material deprivation they experience.
 Religious teaching often supports traditional gender roles, and this can be
seen as a support for capitalism through mechanisms such as the
reserve army of labour and the isolated male breadwinner who is thereby
made more vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace.

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Question Answer Marks

5 Against:
 Some religions have been quite radical in their opposition to poverty and
exploitation, speaking out against perceived deficiencies in the capitalist
economic system.
 Critique of economic reductionism/determinism implied in the Marxist
theory of religion.
 Feminist view that religion serves the interests of men per se rather than
just the interests of the ruling class.
 Labour movements in western Europe historically had a close connection
with non-conformist religions and were influenced by religious teachings
and values.
 Much depends on the type of religious organisation under consideration.
For example, established religious organisations are more likely to be
supportive of ruling class interests than other types of organisations such
as sects/NRMs.
 Liberation Theology in Latin America is an example of where religion has
been used directly to oppose capitalist interests and to side with those
who are socially deprived.
 Supporters of the secularisation thesis would argue that the declining
power of religion means that any role it has in supporting ruling class
interests has been equally diminished.

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Question Answer Marks

6 ‘Religion has less social significance today than in the past.’ Evaluate 35
this view.

Key focus of the question

This question can be answered by considering the secularisation thesis which

claims that support for religion has declined and religious organisations have
accordingly lost much of their social significance. Evidence that is used to
support the claim that people have become less religious includes: declining
membership of many established religions; decline in religiously blessed
marriages and rise in divorce; growing support for alternative belief systems,
including humanism and atheism; the challenges to spiritual belief posed by
science. It is Western societies primarily where the decline in the social
significance of religion is most often cited. The extent of the decline can be
debated and arguments against the secularisation thesis are likely to feature
in good evaluative responses to the question. Another line of analysis a
candidate might take would be to consider whether the view expressed in the
question is true of all religions today, as some may retain greater social
significance and more followers than others. Difficulties of defining and
measuring religiosity and/or social significance, would be another relevant
area of debate to explore for this question.

Indicative content

For:
 Evidence of declining role of religion in civil society and in public life
(government, education, health care, law).
 Falling membership of religious organisations and competition from other
belief systems would indicate a decline in religiosity.
 Fewer people are participating in religious ceremonies.
 People are more likely to challenge the authority of established religions
to decide key issues of morality in society.
 There is more profanity and possibly greater acceptance of heresy and
blasphemy today.
 Religion less likely to be a source of moral authority in some societies
today.
 Some studies suggest people of faith devote less time to religious
activities today than in the past and some have become more questioning
of their faith.
 Proliferation of competing belief systems such as science, New Age
ideas, humanism. Also, the emergence of more powerful means of
communication through the media.

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Question Answer Marks

6 Against:
 Evidence that some religious organisations retain a significant role in civil
society and public life.
 In some societies and communities, there are strong pressures on people
to participate in religious practice and maintain their faith, at least
outwardly.
 Some religious organisations appear to be attracting more followers (the
Evangelical movement in the US, for example), in some cases using new
technology, for example televangelism.
 Claims that people are less religious than in the past can be questioned,
not least because evidence about people’s religious beliefs in the past
may be unreliable.
 Rather than becoming less religious, people may have changed the ways
they practice religion, for example, an increase in privatised worship and
the use of social media for religious engagement.
 The concept of ‘social significance’ is difficult to operationalise for the
purposes of studying whether religion has lost its social importance.
Similarly, religiosity is difficult to measure so any empirical evidence
about the strength of people’s religious belief today must be treated
sceptically.

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Generic levels of response

Level AO1: Knowledge and Understanding Marks

3  Good knowledge and understanding of the view on which the question is 79
based.
 The response contains a range of detailed points with good use of
concepts and theory/research evidence.

2  Reasonable knowledge and understanding of the view on which the 46

question is based.
 The response contains either a narrow range of detailed points or a wider
range of underdeveloped points, with some use of concepts and
references to theory or research evidence

1  Basic knowledge and understanding of the view on which the question is 13
based.
 The response contains a narrow range of underdeveloped points with
some references to concepts or theory or research evidence.

0  No knowledge and understanding worthy of credit. 0

Level AO2: Interpretation and Application Marks

4  Very good interpretation and application of relevant sociological material. 1011

 The material selected will be accurately interpreted and consistently
applied to the question in a logical and well-informed way.

3  Good interpretation and application of sociological material. 79

 The material selected will be accurate and relevant but not always
 consistently applied to the question in a way that is logical and clear

2  Reasonable interpretation and application of sociological material. 46

 The material selected will be mainly accurate but its relevance to the
question may be confused or unclear at times.

1  Limited interpretation and application of sociological material. 13

 The material selected is relevant to the topic but lacks focus on or
relevance to the specific question.

0  No interpretation and application worthy of credit. 0

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Level AO3: Analysis and Evaluation Marks

4  Very good analysis and evaluation. 1215

 Clear and sustained analysis of the view on which the question is based,
with detailed and explicit evaluation.
 There is also likely to be a range of contrasting views and/or evidence
discussed, demonstrating good understanding of the complexity of the
issues raised by the question.

3  Good analysis and evaluation. 811

 The evaluation may be explicit and direct but not sustained, or it will rely
on a good outline of contrasting views and/or evidence, clearly focussed
on evaluating the view in the question.
 The response demonstrates some understanding of the complexity of the
issues raised by the question.

2  Reasonable analysis and evaluation. 47

 There is a description of some relevant contrasting views and/or evidence
but these are only implicitly focussed on evaluating the view in the
question.
 The response demonstrates some awareness of the complexity of the
issues raised by the question.

1  Limited analysis and evaluation. 13

 There are a few simple points of implicit or tangential evaluation.
 The response demonstrates little awareness of the complexity of the
issues raised by the question.

0  No analysis and evaluation worthy of credit. 0

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