15th June 2012 - Sociology A2 - Just in time for your SY4 examination, two news items to incorporate into your scripts: one, in an inequality question on gender, the other in a question on social class. In a toughening of responses to gender pay discrimination, Lynne Feathersone, the equalities minister, has announced that any company which loses a sex discrimination case will be forced to carry out a full equal pay audit (in other words they will have to formally check the pay of all employees) to ensure that there are no further instances of inequality.  This might cost some companies a great deal of money (average cost is estimated at £12,8000).   In the item on social class (which is a must for your exam scripts),  Sir Michael Wilshaw, the Head of Ofsted, has stated that 'poor children were growing up with little hope of a good education or career after being raised by families that failed to understand the difference between right and wrong.'  This is a remarkable statement given recent scandals concerning government ministers' expenses (leading to some being imprisoned) and you should link this with Lerner's Just World Hypothesis.  The association between poverty and immorality is a persistent smear and an excellent example of reductionism at its worst.  For a full account of both items see SY4 Latest News Archive (LNA) for A2 Sociology.