Higher Modern Studies
Past Paper Questions
1
Contents
Knowledge/Essay Questions
Pages
Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom
3-4
Social Issues in the United Kingdom
5
World Power (USA)
6
Source-Based Questions*
Selectivity
7-18
Conclusions
19-30
* Source based questions may appear in any of the three units of the final exam.
They require very little/no prior knowledge of the actual topic and therefore must
always be attempted.
2
Democracy in Scotland and the United Kingdom
1. Electoral systems allow the views of the electorate to be represented.
Analyse the ways in which an electoral system you have studied allows the
views of the electorate to be represented.
You should refer to an electoral system used in Scotland or the United Kingdom or
both in your answer.
12
2. Individuals and groups in society can influence government decision making
in many ways.
Analyse the ways in which individuals and groups in society can influence
government decision making.
You should refer to individuals and groups in Scotland or the United Kingdom or
both in your answer.
12
3. One aim of an electoral system is to provide fair representation.
Evaluate the effectiveness of an electoral system you have studied in providing
fair representation.
You should refer to electoral systems used in Scotland or the United Kingdom or
both in your answer.
12
4. One role of parliamentary representatives is to hold the government to
account.
Evaluate the effectiveness of parliamentary representatives in holding the
government to account.
You should refer to parliamentary representatives in Scotland or the United
Kingdom or both in your answer.
12
5. Some factors are more important in influencing voting behaviour than
others.
Evaluate the importance of a range of factors that influence voting behaviour.
You should refer to voting behaviour in Scotland or the United Kingdom or both in
your answer.
12
3
6. Social class is an important factor in influencing voting behaviour.
Evaluate the importance of social class as a factor influencing voting behaviour.
You should refer to voting behaviour in Scotland or the United Kingdom or both in
your answer.
12
7. Electoral systems do not always provide for fair representation.
Discuss.
You should refer to electoral systems used in Scotland or the United Kingdom or
both in your answer.
20
8. Most citizens participate effectively in the political process.
Discuss.
You should refer to participation in Scotland or the United Kingdom or both in your
answer.
20
9. Some factors are more important than others in influencing voting
behaviour.
To what extent are some factors more important than others in influencing
voting behaviour?
You should refer to voting behaviour in Scotland or the United Kingdom or both in
your answer.
20
10. Pressure groups have influence on decision-making.
To what extent are pressure groups effective in influencing government
decision making?
You should refer pressure groups in Scotland or the United Kingdom or both in your
answer.
20
4
Social Issues in the United Kingdom
Answers may refer to Scotland or the United Kingdom or both.
1. Analyse the different lifestyle choices that may result in poor health.
12
2. Analyse the consequences of social inequality on a group you have studied.
12
3. Analyse government policies which aim to reduce social inequality
12
4. Analyse different views as to the main causes of social inequality in society.
12
5. Evaluate the view that social inequality affects some groups in society more
than others.
12
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of either the benefits system or health services
in tackling social inequality.
12
7. Government policies have failed to reduce social inequalities.
Discuss.
20
8. Health and welfare provision should be the responsibility of the government.
Discuss.
20
9. To what extent can ill-health be blamed on the lifestyle choices of the
population?
20
10. To what extent is poverty the most important factor influencing health? 20
5
World Power (USA)
With reference to a world power you have studied:
1. Analyse the ability of this world power to influence other countries.
12
2. Analyse the impact of a recent social issue on this world power.
12
3. Analyse policies implemented by government to solve a socio-economic
issue in a world power you have studied.
12
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the political system in representing the wishes
of the population.
12
5. Evaluate whether the political system of a world power you have studied is
democratic.
12
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of a world power you have studied in tackling
social and economic issues.
12
7. The political system provides an effective check on the government.
Discuss with reference to a world power you have studied.
20
8. The political system guarantees and protects the rights of all of its citizens.
Discuss with reference to a world power you have studied.
20
9. To what extent does a world power you have studied have influence in
international relations?
20
10. To what extent do individuals or groups in a world power you have studied
experience social and economic inequality?
20
6
Source-based Questions: Selectivity
1. Voting Behaviour Referendum
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Scotland independence referendum: BBC poll suggests economy, most important issue for voters
The economy is the issue that matters most to voters taking part in the independence referendum, a poll
carried out for the BBC has suggested. A sample of 1,008 adults, aged 16 and over, were asked which
issues, from a list of 10, mattered most to them. The economy came out top with pensions second and
welfare third. Then, in descending order, came Scotland's relationship with the rest of the UK, currency,
immigration, energy, defence, the relationship with the European Union and broadcasting.
Research agency TNS carried out the interviews throughout Scotland between 3 and 10 January 2014. All
interviews for the poll were conducted face-to-face, in homes, using Computer Assisted Personal
Interviewing and quota sampling. The recent economic slump is no doubt a concern to Scottish voters in
the referendum and the two campaigns have their work cut out in trying to convince voters that they offer
the best economic option. The Yes campaign point to Scotland’s oil potential and argue that by exploiting
it they can solve social problems including putting an end to child poverty in Scotland. Indeed, some in
the Yes campaign claim that if Scotland becomes independent, the country will be £5 billion better off by
2030. However, the Better Together campaign contend that maintaining the union is the only way to
ensure Scotland’s economic progress, and the only way to ensure that major companies stay in Scotland.
They also argue that taxes in an independent Scotland would have to rise dramatically if the country
wants to continue with policies such as free prescriptions and free university tuition.
However, the issue of nuclear weapons in Scotland is also likely to be a huge factor in determining
whether Scotland becomes independent or not. Opinion polls suggest that most Scots are against Trident
nuclear weapons being based on the Clyde and the Yes Campaign are campaigning on the principle of
having these weapons removed if Scotland becomes independent. The campaign against independence will
have to convince Scottish voters that nuclear weapons are necessary for Scottish security within a United
Kingdom.
(Adapted from various sources including BBC Website, 2014)
Source B
Nuclear Weapons Opinion Poll
(British Social Attitudes Survey, 2014)
7
Source C
Scottish independence: Pensions and the referendum debate
How to fund an increasingly ageing population is a 21st Century problem that weighs heavily on the
minds of governments across the world. And it certainly matters in Scotland - the issue of pensions
has consistently registered as one of the key issues in the independence debate. A recent BBC poll
found that pensions came second in a list of the 10 things that mattered most to voters - only the
economy was deemed more important. The Think Tank Reform Scotland raised the issue again in a
report criticising Westminster for failing to make clear how "uncertain, unfunded and unsustainable"
the current system is.
The Scottish government has said pensions would be "fully protected" in an independent Scotland,
but bodies including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and the National
Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) have warned that more clarity is needed.
Currently, some public sector pension schemes (such as those on offer to nurses, teachers, police,
civil servants and members of the armed forces) are administered by the UK government, while
others are managed by the Scottish government. A recent study of Scotland's demography by the
University of Ottawa suggested the number of working age people in Scotland will grow at a slower
rate than in the rest of the UK, partly due to lower rates of immigration. Researchers said this will
put an extra burden of taxation on workers, amounting to about 1.4% of national income by 2035.
However, the authors also pointed out that this burden is a smaller factor than the overall pressures
from demographic change affecting the whole of the UK and other countries.
Clearly the debate over pensions will be a key feature of the run-in towards the referendum in
September 2014, and the two sides have the job of convincing Scottish voters that they have the
answers.
Attempt the following question using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
To what extent is it accurate to state that the economy was the most important
issue in the independence debate?
In your answers you may wish to evaluate the reliability of the sources
8
8
2. New Tax Powers
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
(Adapted from various sources including the Scottish Government website)
Source B
9
Source C
(Ipsos MORI poll, 2011)
Attempt the following question using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
To what extent is it accurate to state that new tax raising powers for the
Scottish Parliament would be good for Scotland?
In your answers you may wish to evaluate the reliability of the sources
8
10
3. Racial Discrimination
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Racism on the rise in Britain
The proportion of Britons who admit to being racially prejudiced has risen since the start of the
millennium, raising concerns that growing hostility to immigrants and widespread Islamophobia are setting
community relations back 20 years.
New data from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, obtained by the Guardian, shows that after years
of increasing tolerance, the percentage of people who describe themselves as prejudiced against those of
other races has risen overall since 2001.
The findings come as political leaders struggle to deal with the rise of the UK Independence party, which
campaigned on an anti-immigrant, anti-EU platform and has sent shockwaves through the political
establishment and put pressure on mainstream parties to toughen their stances on immigration.
In an echo of the voting patterns of UKIP supporters in last week’s European elections, the figures paint a
pattern of a nation geographically divided – with London reporting the lowest levels of racial prejudice.
Older men in economically deprived areas are most likely to admit to racial prejudice.
The data was taken from a BSA survey and includes exclusive figures from the 2013 survey due to be
published next month. It shows a broad decline in the proportion of people who said they were either
“very or a little prejudiced” against people of other races – from a high of 38% in 1987 to an all-time low
of 25% in 2001.
However, in 2002, following the 9/11 attacks in New York and the invasion of Afghanistan, there was a
sharp rise in self-reported racial prejudice.
Over the next 12 years that upward trend continued to a high of 38% in 2011. The following year
it fell to 26% – which experts say could be due to the positive impact of the London Olympics.
(The Guardian, 2014)
Source B
11
Source C
(Office for National Statistics, 2011)
Attempt the following question using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
To what extent is it accurate to state that racist attitudes and racial discrimination
are significant issues in the UK?
In your answers you may wish to evaluate the reliability of the sources
8
12
4. Gender Equality
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
It is argued that the so-called ‘glass-ceiling’ in the UK is still a factor which prevents women
from gaining equality in relation to employment in the UK. In a modern democracy, it is
deemed unacceptable by many that women are being denied the chance to further their
careers. The percentage of women in senior management positions in the UK is well below the
figure for men. Indeed, the gender pay-gap in the UK is one of the highest in the EU. The fact
that in 2007, male staff at St. Andrew’s University earned, on average, 23% more than their
female colleagues is just one example of the inequalities which exist. Women are more likely
to work in low-paid jobs such as clerical or cleaning work and the rest of the so-called “Five
Cs”. There are also concerns that schools still stereotype girls when it comes to work
experience and career guidance. Many women feel that their chances of promotion are harmed
by having children which is certainly a major concern.
However, some point out that a person’s gender is irrelevant to a person’s ability to do the
job. Girls are outperforming boys in schools and many university courses have a majority of
female students. Perhaps in time this will be reflected in the workplace with women beginning
to be more fairly represented in top jobs. The government has introduced legislation in recent
years including the 2010 Equality Act which makes it illegal for employers to discriminate
against job applicants based on gender. It is also true that many women do not get the top
jobs because they choose family life over work. Complete gender equality will not happen
overnight and there is no quick-fix solution, however the situation is improving.
(Guardian newspaper article, 2010)
Source B
(Official UK Government Data, 2005)
13
Source C
Attempt the following question using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
To what extent is it accurate to state that gender equality exists in relation to
employment in the UK?
In your answers you may wish to evaluate the reliability of the sources
8
14
5. China Human Rights
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
China arrests human rights defender
Police in China have arrested one of the country's most celebrated human rights lawyers as leaders of the
ruling Communist party renew their push to punish government critics. Pu Zhiqiang, a prominent
campaigner who has represented the dissident artist Ai Weiwei, was arrested on suspicion of "creating
disturbances and illegally obtaining personal information", said the Beijing Public Security Bureau. A
further investigation into Pu's "other alleged crimes" was under way, the police said. Pu's lawyer, Si
Weijiang, said political reasons were behind the arrest. "He's innocent. He hasn't committed these crimes,"
Si told Agence France-Presse by phone on Friday night. He said authorities had likely been incensed by
critical statements Pu had made on his microblogging account, which has repeatedly been shut down.
Pu was among several people detained last month after attending a private seminar commemorating the
25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown. More than 40 journalists, lawyers, scholars and
activists were held under various forms of detention ahead of the 4 June anniversary, Amnesty
International said, in a larger clampdown than in previous years. Concerns about Pu's condition began to
mount days after the anniversary when he remained in detention even as other activists and lawyers were
released. Courts in China are controlled by the government and arrests typically lead to conviction. Zhang
Sizhi, a longtime rights lawyer, wrote in an online posting on Wednesday that he was able to meet with Pu
this week and the detained lawyer had been subjected to daily interrogations lasting as long as 10 hours.
Several associates of Pu were detained ahead of the Tiananmen anniversary including the journalist Wu
Wei and Xin Jian, a Chinese staff member of the Japanese financial newspaper Nikkei who recently
interviewed the lawyer.
(Adapted from The Guardian, June 2014)
Source B
China and human rights: the biggest issues
China executes more people each year than any other country and while official statistics remain secret,
Amnesty International’s figures show that China executed at least 1,718 people in 2008, nearly threequarters (72%) of the world’s executions. Earlier this year, the number of offences that carry a capital
punishment was cut from 68 to 55 – although the reality is that this will have little impact on the net
number of executions. People are detained in "Re-education Through Labour" camps for up to four years
without any trial, often with harsh conditions. It is frequently used against petty criminals, critics of the
government or followers of banned beliefs. People who speak out on politically-sensitive topics are
frequently put under house arrest or imprisoned. They include defence lawyers, journalists, workers’ rights
activists, villagers protesting against land seizures and relatives of people killed in Tiananmen Square.
Hundreds of websites are blocked or banned in China. Search results are filtered, and websites censored,
including those using words like "freedom", "human rights" and "Amnesty International". With around 30
journalists and 50 Internet users known to be behind bars, China has been described as "the world’s leading
jailer of journalists". Members of unofficial Catholic churches or underground Protestant "house churches"
are frequently detained in violation of their rights. Muslims in Xinjiang are persecuted as well: some books
are banned and mosques have been closed. Tens of thousands of members of the banned Falun Gong
movement have been detained in labour camps, prisons and psychiatric hospitals.
Torture and ill-treatment is widespread and methods include electric shocks, suspension by the arms,
kicking, beating and food- and sleep-deprivation. Those detained for their political views, human15
rights
activities or religious and spiritual beliefs are at high risk of torture in custody, particularly if they refuse to
recant or renounce their beliefs.
Source C
The year 2003 was an important and unusual year for China's development. It was also a year of great,
landmark significance for progress in human rights in the country. In 2003, the Chinese Government did a
good job in tackling the sudden outbreak of SARS and curbing its spread, as well as in tackling frequent
natural disasters. Persisting in taking economic construction as its central task, and striving for the
coordinated development of material, political and spiritual civilizations, it achieved new breakthroughs
in its reform, opening-up and modernization efforts. China maintained political stability, and achieved
rapid economic growth and overall social progress. Moreover, further improvements were witnessed in the
people's living standards and new progress was made in human rights cause.
Citizens enjoy the freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law and normal religious activities
are protected. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 100,000 venues for religious
activities in China, with a clergy of about 300,000, and over 3,000 national and local religious
organizations, and 74 religious colleges and schools. Each religion publishes its own scriptures or classics,
books and magazines, among which the print run of the Bible alone has reached 30 million. Chinese
religious organizations have established relations with religious organizations and personnel in more than
70 countries and regions.
There are 60 million disabled people in China, accounting for about 5 percent of the total population. The
Chinese Government puts great stress on the protection of the rights of the disabled, and is going all out
to implement the "Outline of the Tenth Five-Year Plan for the Disabled in China (2001-2005)." By way of
taking important measures such as improving the legal system, implementing state programs, mobilizing
social forces and providing equal opportunities, the Chinese Government endeavours to give special help
to the disabled, establish and gradually improve the system for the protection of human rights of the
disabled, encourage them to participate in social life on an equal footing, and share the material and
cultural achievements of society.
(Chinese Government pamphlet, 2003)
Attempt the following question using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
To what extent is it accurate to state that China’s human rights record is
improving?
In your answers you may wish to evaluate the reliability of the sources
8
16
6. China Democracy
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
(Adapted from various Telegraph articles)
Source B
17
Source B cont
(Amnesty International Investigation team, 2009)
Source C
Attempt the following question using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
To what extent is it accurate to state that democracy has improved in China in
recent years?
In your answers you may wish to evaluate the reliability of the sources
8
18
Source-based Questions: Conclusions
1. European Election 2014
Source A
SNP under fire after UKIP secures first Scottish seat in European parliament
Scottish politics experienced a small but sharp shock on Sunday. For the first time, Scotland's voters elected a politician from the
Europhobic UK Independence party (UKIP), and soon afterwards Alex Salmond was blamed. David Martin, the Labour MEP,
suggested that David Coburn, his new UKIP colleague in the European parliament, write a letter of thanks to the Scottish National
party leader for raising UKIP's profile in Scotland so deftly during the election campaign.
"There's no doubt in my mind that [Salmond's] decision to polarise the debate between two extremes is the reason why David
Coburn is today in the European parliament," Martin said in his election acceptance speech on Monday, as Coburn looked on. Until
this weekend, UKIP had never come close to winning a Scottish seat at any level of government. The party's leader, Nigel Farage,
has been a hate figure for nationalists and the left – last year he was famously driven out of Edinburgh by a baying crowd of leftwing students and activists. UKIP's opponents said Scotland, a social democratic country where anti-immigration Europhobes
cannot win, is different to England. But UKIP battled into Scotland's sixth seat in the European parliament, coming fourth with
10.4% of the vote – nearly double their European result in 2009 – as the Liberal Democrats were ousted.
Several opinion polls suggested the SNP would win its highest ever European vote, at 37%, putting half of Scotland's seats within its
reach. Winning three seats would have been a tremendous lift for Salmond's independence campaign just as the official referendum
campaign is about to start. The SNP used UKIP as the bogeyman, telling Asian and Muslim voters in particular, that only the SNP
could keep them out. On the day, however, the SNP's vote fell slightly to 28.9%, failing to give it the referendum boost it craved.
Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP deputy leader, pointed out that UKIP still came fourth in Scotland, while topping the polling in England
with 30%. In Scotland, the SNP had won the most votes even after seven years in power in Edinburgh. UKIP's profile had been
boosted in Scotland by the BBC and UK media focusing on English politics, she and Salmond insisted. "The SNP won this election,
and that's a fantastic result," she said. "We're proud of the campaign we fought." Yet even while only 3% of Scotland's total
electorate voted UKIP on Thursday (the overall turnout was 33.5%), they did so remarkably consistently across Scotland. They
polled at around the 10% mark in most towns, cities and rural districts. Even in the quiet, distant Western Isles they came third.
Source B
2014 European Election Results in Scotland
Party
Votes (%)
Change
MEPs Elected
Change
SNP
28.99
-0.07
2
No change
Labour
25.92
+5.11
2
No change
Conservative
17.22
+0.40
1
No change
UKIP
10.46
+5.33
1
+1
Green
8.06
+0.78
0
No change
Liberal Democrat
7.09
-4.41
0
-1
Other
2.26
-7.04
0
No change
19
Source C
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg insists he won't resign despite his party's Euro elections flop
DEPUTY Prime Minister Nick Clegg today called his party's disappointing performance in the European elections a "huge setback" but
insisted he would not resign, vowing to "finish the job". The Liberal Democrat leader described the situation as "gutting and
heartbreaking" after his party was pushed into fifth place nationally and sixth in Scotland. It secured just one MEP in a near wipe-out,
lagging behind a triumphant UKIP, which romped to victory with 24 seats in the UK. Speaking from Liberal Democrat headquarters in
central London, Mr Clegg said: "It didn't work but it was right that we stood up for the values we believe in. "I'm immensely proud to
lead the most united, resilient and toughest party in British politics. "We made a big commitment to the British people in 2010 to
step up to the plate, to form a government, to reform and repair the damaged British economy and to deliver policy after policy
after policy that the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on for generations. That is what we must continue to do. We must
finish the job. “Of course, it is right to have searching questions in the wake of such a bad set of election results, but if I'm honest the
easiest thing in politics, just as in life, sometimes when the going gets really tough is just to walk away, to wash your hands of it. I'm
not going to do that and my party is not going to do that. Mr Clegg said resignation had not even crossed his mind but accepted it
was a "difficult time" for the party.
Mr Clegg said Nigel Farage had "every right" to be pleased with his party's performance in the elections, but said he would now need
to show how what he stands for is an answer to the problems facing the country. He added: "If you look across Europe there is
clearly a Europe-wide phenomenon, not just confined UKIP in Great Britain, of a lurch towards the right - in some cases the far right a lurch towards populism and to the politics of very, very simple answers to very complex problems.
Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A, B and C opposite and
above. What conclusions can be drawn about the results of the 2014 European Election in Scotland?
You must draw conclusions about:


The most popular party in Scotland
The biggest changes from the last election
You must give an overall conclusion about the results of the 2014 European Election in Scotland. 8
20
2. Scottish Parliament Committees
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Source B
21
Source C
Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A, B and C opposite
and above.
What conclusions can be drawn about committees in the Scottish Parliament?
You must draw conclusions about:


The work done by committees
The membership of committees
You must give an overall conclusion about committees in the Scottish Parliament.
8
22
3. The Glasgow Effect
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Why is Glasgow the UK’s sickest city?
Babies born in Glasgow are expected to live the shortest lives of any in Britain. One in four Glaswegian men won't
reach their 65th birthday. What is behind the "Glasgow Effect" and can it be prevented? This dynamic city also has an
unenviable reputation for poor health. Obesity rates are among the highest in the world. Research conducted in 2007
found that nearly one in five potential workers was on incapacity benefit and that Glasgow has a much larger number
and a higher proportion of the population claiming sickness-related benefit than any other city in Britain. What is
worse, the city has an alarmingly high mortality rate. A 2011 study compared it with Liverpool and Manchester, which
have roughly equal levels of unemployment, deprivation and inequality. It found that residents of Glasgow are about
30% more likely to die young, and 60% of those excess deaths are triggered by just four things - drugs, alcohol, suicide
and violence. Moreover the Glasgow Effect is relatively new. "These causes of death have emerged really since the
1990s," says Harry Burns, professor of public health at Strathclyde University. "And they emerged more dramatically
in one particular sector of the population - men and women between the ages of 15 and 45. So it's a very specific
pattern affecting people in their most productive years."
Harry Burns, who until recently was the country's chief medical officer, has his own theory. He believes
deindustrialisation in a city where tens of thousands once worked in the factories and the shipyards has deeply
wounded local pride. As a result, people here have been demoralised. He scoffs at the clichés about people suffering
coronary attacks after eating those infamous deep fried Mars Bars. "No one is saying that Glaswegians are models of
healthy behaviour but the evidence that we are where we are because we eat vast amounts of fat or smoke vast
amounts of cigarettes just isn't there. That's not the explanation."
Instead he is convinced that the social and economic problems that Glasgow has experienced over the past few
decades have come together in what he calls "a perfect storm of adversity". Burns points to a succession of graphs
which show Scots do not smoke more than other Europeans nor do they suffer more heart disease. In fact, under his
stewardship, Scotland was the first part of Britain to ban smoking in public places. "Where traditional communities
lose their traditional cultural anchors," he says, "They all find the same things happening - increasing mortality from
alcohol, drugs, violence. The answer is not conventional health promotion. Where you lose a sense of control over
your life there's very little incentive to stop smoking or to stop drinking or whatever. The answer is to rediscover a
sense of purpose and self-esteem." Some blame the cold, rainy weather and say a lack of sunlight has caused chronic
vitamin D deficiency. There are theories ranging from Glaswegians' penchant for burning the candle at both ends to a
culture of pessimism. Some think sectarianism between Catholics and Protestants could be responsible. Scotland's
health minister Alex Neil accused Margaret Thatcher of driving the Scots to drink and drugs by destroying heavy
industry back in the 1980s. Local Conservatives described the claim as preposterous and said alcoholism was too
important to be treated as a political football.
(BBC News article adapted, 2014)
23
Source B
Source C
Excess mortality in Scotland and Glasgow
There has been a considerable amount of attention in the media recently on the notions of ‘The Scottish Effect’ and
‘The Glasgow Effect’. These terms were coined by researchers in relation to a specific epidemiological issue - the
higher levels of mortality in Scotland (and especially in and around Glasgow) compared to elsewhere in the UK that
cannot be explained in terms of differences in material deprivation and socioeconomic circumstances.
However, the precise meaning of these expressions has arguably become blurred recently. Comparisons of area
deprivation and mortality between Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester showed that despite all three cities
exhibiting very similar levels and patterns of deprivation, the mortality profile of Glasgow (in 2003-2007) was quite
different. After adjusting for any remaining differences in ‘income deprivation’, premature mortality in Glasgow was
30% higher than in Liverpool and Manchester, with mortality at all ages around 15% higher. This excess was seen in
all age groups except children, among both males and females, and in all types of neighbourhood (deprived and nondeprived). It does not appear to be explained by historical changes in levels of deprivation, nor by the population
composition (e.g. ethnic profile) of the cities. The excess appears to be widening over time.
Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A, B and C opposite
and above.
What conclusions can be drawn about health in Glasgow?
You must draw conclusions about:


Health in Glasgow compared to other parts of the UK
The reasons for Glasgow’s particularly poor health
You must give an overall conclusion about health in Glasgow.
8
24
3. Child Poverty
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Child poverty facts and figures










There are 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK today. That’s 27 per cent of
children, or more than one in four.
There are even more serious concentrations of child poverty at a local level: in 100 local
wards, for example, between 50 and 70 per cent of children are growing up in poverty.
Work does not provide a guaranteed route out of poverty in the UK. Two-thirds (66 per
cent) of children growing up in poverty live in a family where at least one member works.
People are poor for many reasons. But explanations which put poverty down to drug and
alcohol dependency, family breakdown, poor parenting, or a culture of worklessness are
not supported by the facts.
Child poverty blights childhoods. Growing up in poverty means being cold, going hungry,
not being able to join in activities with friends. For example, 61 per cent of families in the
bottom income quintile would like, but cannot afford, to take their children on holiday for
one week a year.
Child poverty has long-lasting effects. By 16, children receiving free school meals achieve
1.7 grades lower at GCSE than their wealthier peers. Leaving school with fewer
qualifications translates into lower earnings over the course of a working life.
Poverty is also related to more complicated health histories over the course of a lifetime,
again influencing earnings as well as the overall quality – and indeed length - of life.
Professionals live, on average, eight years longer than unskilled workers.
Child poverty imposes costs on broader society – estimated to be at least £29 billion a year.
Governments forgo prospective revenues as well as commit themselves to providing
services in the future if they fail to address child poverty in the here and now.
Child poverty reduced dramatically between 1998/9-2011/12 when 1.1 million children
were lifted out of poverty (BHC). This reduction is credited in large part to measures that
increased the levels of lone parents working, as well as real and often significant increases
in the level of benefits paid to families with children.
Under current government policies, child poverty is projected to rise from 2012/13 with an
expected 600,000 more children living in poverty by 2015/16. This upward trend is
expected to continue with 4.7 million children projected to be living in poverty by 2020.
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Source B
UK austerity measures will push 100,000 more Scottish children into poverty by 2020,
according to new report
UP to 100,000 more children in Scotland could be pushed into poverty by the end of the
decade, thanks to tax and benefit policies imposed by the Coalition Government in
London. The astonishing figure emerges just days before a state-of-the-nation analysis of
poverty in Scotland is published. It has been revealed by the Child Poverty Action Group
(CPAG) in Scotland, using research by the authoritative Institute for Fiscal Studies, which
says between 50,000 and 100,000 more Scots children could be mired in poverty by the
decade's end.
The study says children are at a greater risk of poverty than working-age adults and
pensioners. Fully 20% of Scottish children, or 200,000, grew up in poverty in 2011-12, after
housing costs are taken into account. In Denmark and Norway, the respective figures are
10.2% and 9.4%. Labour argues that Government welfare reforms, particularly cuts to
benefits, are forcing parents to choose between food for themselves and protecting their
children.
Source C
Projected impact of the Under Occupancy Charge (Bedroom Tax) 2013/14
Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
What conclusions can be drawn about child poverty in the UK?
You must draw conclusions about:


The extent of child poverty in the UK
The effect of recent Government responses to poverty in the UK
You must give an overall conclusion about child poverty in Scotland.
8
26
5. China Inequalities Urban/Rural
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Source B
27
Source C
Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
What conclusions can be drawn about inequalities in China?
You must draw conclusions about:


Inequalities between urban and rural areas
Inequalities between different regions
You must give an overall conclusion about inequalities in China.
8
28
6. China Inequalities Men/Women
Study Sources A, B and C then attempt the question which follows.
Source A
Source B
29
Source C
Attempt the following question, using only the information in Sources A, B and C
opposite and above.
What conclusions can be drawn about inequalities between men and women in
China?
You must draw conclusions about:


Inequalities in education
Inequalities in health
You must give an overall conclusion about inequalities between men and women in
China.
8
30