This interactive simulation is designed for Cambridge OCR A Level Sociology, Paper 2: Researching and understanding social inequalities, focusing on social class inequalities and life chances. OCR’s specification and delivery guide ask students to examine patterns and trends in social inequality, especially in relation to work and employment, and to consider evidence from a range of areas of social life in order to explain how inequality affects life chances. OCR also expects students to apply key explanations such as functionalism, Marxism, Weberian theory and the New Right.
This activity turns that into a staged simulation. Students read short fictional profiles, predict likely outcomes in education, employment, health, promotion and property, then decide which sociological explanation best fits the pattern. OCR sample assessment materials show that strong responses on working-class life chances can draw on evidence about educational opportunity, health inequalities, low-paid and insecure work, unemployment, fringe benefits and occupational pensions, so this activity is designed to build exactly that kind of applied judgement.
Life Chances Scenario Sorter
Work through each profile, predict likely outcomes, then decide which sociological explanation best fits the pattern.
Final judgement
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Researching Social Inequalities
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