SAMPLE 1 – ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
Unit Title – History – Social and Cultural Development
4. Understand the value of literature as a
means of understanding society
5. Understand the importance of the pre
dominant means of mass communication
6. Understand the political/philosophical
ideologies of periods of time
4.1 Analyse how a given literary text reflects
society at a given time
5.1 Evaluate the means of mass
communication in a given period
6.1 Analyse 2 of the political/philosophical
ideologies which prevailed in a given period
of time
SAMPLE 1 – GRADING DESCRIPTORS AND COMPONENTS
GD1 – Understanding of the subject
Merit
The student, student’s work or
performance:
a) demonstrates a very good grasp
of the relevant knowledge base
Distinction
The student, student’s work or
performance:
a) demonstrates an excellent grasp
of the relevant knowledge base
GD7 – Quality
Merit
The student, student’s work or
performance:
c) taken as a whole, demonstrates a
very good response to the
demands of the brief/assignment
Distinction
The student, student’s work or
performance:
c) taken as a whole, demonstrates an
excellent response to the
demands of the brief/assignment
SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
Essay Title:
Report on the Social and Cultural Development of Society in Britain between 1800 and
1860
Introduction
The following is a report to summarise society in Britain from 1800 to 1860. It includes a
brief overview of the Industrial Revolution, the poor law, mass communication and it looks at
the political stance on poverty at the time and how they all affected social and cultural
development of society in Britain. The report will also look at the novel Oliver Twist by
Charles Dickens and make comparisons to the social climate at that time.
Section 1
1.1.
Social and Cultural developments in British Society during the period
1800-1860
There were a lot of developments in the early 19th century. The effects of the Industrial
revolution were beginning to take shape with urbanisation and the new technology being
used. This led to new Acts, such as the new poor law (1834) and the education act being
put in place by the government, these were to help the working class. It was the new
technology that also changed the face of mass communication during this time.
1.1.1 The Industrial Revolution
“The population of the British Isles, excluding Ireland, had been five million in,
barley double its medieval level, but by 1800the population had risen to 9
million, and in the next quarter century to 20 million.” (Jenkins, 2012, p.190)
This brought on the economic and industrial changes in Britain which we recognise as the
Industrial Revolution.
 Mills and factories were built, which led to thousends of miles of
railway tracks and canals being built for easier transportation
(BBC, 2013. Online)
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
The invention of the steam engine enabled factories and mills to be
built anywhere. The steam engine created a higher demand for coal,
which then created an entire new deep shaft mining industry. This
stimulated demand for quality iron, which in turn stimulated the iron
industry (Lang, 2011)
The rapidly expanding commerce reacted on the Industrial Revolution in two ways. It
encouraged England’s industry to produce an increasing array of goods and it provided a
residue of wealth which could be used to promote industrial advance (Green, 1948).
The demography of Britain was being transferred with the industrial progress (Jenkins,
2012). As the use of machinery in manufacturing increased this left workers unemployed as
their jobs became obsolete. This provoked angry workers, the Luddites, to rebel and smash
industrial machinery (Sparknotes, 2013. Online.
As factories and mills were built in cities and towns this took the away jobs from rural areas.
People were then prompted to leave their homes and relocate. The sudden influx in people
resulted in cities becoming over populated. This urbanisation meant become overcrowded
and the poor sanitation enabled disease to be widespread (Sparknotes, 2012. Online)
Disease often resulted in death, which was reflected in the burial grounds, these became
overloaded. Graves were being recycled with bodies being put on top of each other. Bones
then often became visible from the ground which was again another health risk.
1.2 The value of literature during this period
Literature was of great importance in the 19th century. It was a way of communication and
entertainment. Novels were creative pieces of writing with very accurate details of society at
that time.
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
“Nineteenth century novels can give us imaginative insights about the
debilitating effect of hunger, the human suffering behind life in rack-rented
tenement buildings, and horrific workplace deaths beyond any scatter plot of
life expectancy.” (Howden et al, 2006. Online)
1.3 The Novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens (Google, 2013. Online)
Charles John Huffman Dickens was a teenager when he started work as The Reporter on
the Mirror of Parliament, which he did for 5 years. He later progressed on to creative writing
when he worked at the Morning Chronicle. Some parliamentary historians and Dickensian
scholars have said that this work was hugely important to his future novels (McDonald, 2012,
online). His work experience coupled with his poor upbringing gave him a good insight to
write Oliver Twist. In the novel, “He presents the everyday existence of the lowest member
of the English society” (Sparknote, 2013. online) in that time. He himself had lived through
the abuse for being poor and realised as a poor man he had no voice, be it political or
economic. It was 1837 when the first instalment of Oliver Twist appeared in the Bentley’s
Miscellany. As a champion for the poor, Dickens highlighted poverty and squalor and found
a way to link politics with literature. The novel, Oliver Twist, highlights some of the problems
that were current at the time.
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
Typical slum in 1968 (British library,
2013. online)

The squalid housing – Conditions in the workhouses were deliberately made harsh and
unappealing as a deterrent to the poor. The slum like conditions were portrayed by Dickens
in several scenarios. Firstly by the orphanage Oliver was in. Secondly when he went to
work for Mr and Mrs Sowerberry at the undertakers, here his bed was under one of the
benches in the workshop. Thirdly when he went to live with Fagin (Dickens, C. 1950)

1834 – Poor Law - Throughout the novel there is an underlying critical attack towards the
poor law, which Dickens completely opposed (Sparknotes, 2013. Online).

The hazardous working conditions - As mentioned at the beginning of the novel, Oliver who
was only 10 years old and living in the orphanage was told “ you will pick oakum tomorrow
morning at 6 o’clock” (Dickens, 1950, p.19) Dickens also highlighted the bad working
conditions for Oliver in the work he did for Sowerberry’s and also Fagin.

The poor pay – In the orphanage and working for the Sowerberry’s the only pay Oliver
received was a roof over his head and a bowl of gruel or the scraps from Mr Sowerberry’s
plate.

The crime – When Oliver finds himself working for Fagin, who is depicted as a capitalist, he
starts down a pathway of crime. It is very clear in the book that Oliver is not happy about his
new trade. But he was left with no option but to carry on as this was the only means to
provide a roof over his head and have a guaranteed meal. This is still very true of a majority
of the poor in society at this time. People would find themselves, in a very similar situation
due to no fault of their own, it could be ill health or old age. Sometimes the only way to avoid
the workhouses was to turn to crime.
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
Section 2.
2.1 The Political Landscape
The original poor law was called the Poor Relief Act and was put into place in 1601
(Higginbotham, 2013. Online). By 1815 it was called the poor law and stated that it was up
to each parish to look after their own. If you were unable to work then you were given some
money to look after yourself. The money was collected through taxes from the middle and
upper class. This caused resentment as they considered themselves to paying for the lazy
poor (BBC, 2013. Online). By 1830 the cost of this had grown to around £7 million and
many were starting to criticize the law. It was in 1834 the poor law amendment act, the new
poor law was passed by parliament (BBC, 2013. Online) Parishes were grouped into
unions, it was then the responsibility of each union to build a workhouse if they did not
already have one. This enabled the government to say that there was still help available for
the poor without it costing them as much. The only way to get any help was to leave their
homes and move into the workhouses. This often meant families were split up to live in
different parts of the houses (National archive, 2013. Online) For many this was a last reort
and only to be considered when desperation hit. There were strict rules and regulations to
adhere to, all members of the family were made to work in factories or mines (BBC, 2013
online). As well as the new poor law, the government passed other acts in an attempt to
improve working conditions for the poor, but as the table below reflects none were enforced
to full effectiveness.
“Ideology, a form of social or political philosophy in which practical elements are as
prominent as theoretical ones. It is a system of ideas that aspires both to explain
the world and to change it” (Cranston, 2013. Online)
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
Five government acts on working conditions
Year
Act
Main proposer
What it said…
Was it successful?
1802
Health and Morals
of Apprentices Act
Robert Peel (a
factory owner)
Factory apprentices only: a maximum 12-hour
day; good accommodation and medical
treatment.
Only apprentices, not
enforced.
1819
Factory Act
Robert Owen
A maximum 12-hour day. No child under the age
of nine to work.
Not enforced.
1833
Factory Act
Lord Ashley, Earl
of Shaftesbury
No child under the age of nine to work. Children
between the ages of nine and 13 years: 48-hour
week; must go to school part-time.
Four inspectors made
sure the law was
obeyed.
1842
Mines Act
Robert Peel
No child under the age of ten to work. No woman
or child under 15 to work underground.
Inspectors employed
to report conditions.
1847
Ten Hours Act
John Fielden
No worker to work more than ten hours a day.
Ineffective monitoring.
(BBC, 2013. Online)
The political landscape in the nineteenth century was dominated by Whigs and Tories.
A satirical picture of Whigs and Tories in the early nineteenth century (C.A.U. 2013. Online)
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
2.1.1 Whigs
The Whigs favoured the aristocratic families, wealthy merchants and opposed the royal
family (Woodley, 2013. Online). In the mid-19th century the Whigs evolved into the Liberal
Party. It was the Liberal Party that propelled the long campaign to abolish the British slave
trade in 1807 and in 1833 salvery itself in Britain (Girvetz, 2013. Online)
2.1.2 Tories
The Tories were associated with the Church of England, the royal family and landed gentry
(Woodley 2013. Online) It was Sir Robert Peel whose program set out Tamworth Manifesto
in 1834, this dealt with the reform of abuses, an orderly system of taxation and also the
necessity of law and order. In the late 19th century the Tory party became the Conservative
party.
2.1.3 The Political stance on poverty during this period
The government realised they were spending too much money on the poor. They passed
the new poor law in 1834, which saved them money. The Commissioners report which was
presented in March 1834 recommending the new poor law also revived the workhouse test.
“The belief that the deserving and the undeserving poor could be distinguished by a
simple test, the test being, anyone prepared to accept relief in the repellent
workhouse must be lacking the moral determination to survive outside it.”
(Higginbotham, 2013. Online)
During this time the class difference became very clear. Middle and upper class gentry
distanced themselves from the lower class, as they were regarded as the lazy scroungers
(Sparknotes, 2013).
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
Page 5 from Lliyds Illustrated London Newspaper, 27th November 1842.
(Engelska, 2013. Online)
Communication, during this time, by letter was neither a regular or welcome one by the
middle or working class. Even though there was the convinience of having it hand delivered
to your door, it was the recipients responsibility to pay the postage. This deterred the less
wealthy to use the service. It was in 1840 when the penny postage came into effect, the
postage was paid by the sender. At this point letters took on a far more important role in
communication (Evans, 2011. Online)
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SAMPLE 1 – STUDENT WORK
3.1.3 Periodicals/Magazines
With the mass producing printing press technology came the birth of periodicals, magazines
and journels (JISC, 2013. Online). “serials played a significant part in fostering many of the
learned, social and political disclosures of the century” (DNCJ, 2013. Online). Most novels
first appeared as instalments in periodicals and magazines such as Bentleys Mischellany.
This made the literature both affordable and accessible. As well as providing entertainment
they also investigated and reported on national and international news. Adverts were also
used and this played a vital role in the economy. (DNCJ,2013. Online)
3.1.4
Art/Culture/Theatre
As urbanisation took place, so grew a demand for art, culture and theatre. For these new
audiences it was a fad or a passion, but it also seemed a necessary form of entertainment.
It was a way for people to escape the drudgery of their lives. As the railway began to take
shape it enabled theatre companies to move their plays to new audiences (Martin, 2013.
Online)
It was after witnessing the success drama had in reaching and affecting mass audiences,
authors like Charles Dickens and Henry James were encouraged to write their novels
(Martin, 2013. Online)
4.1 Conclusion
Due to the Industrial revolution and the progression in communication technology, the
nineteenth century was arguably one of the most important centuries in Britain. As well as
having some of the most influental writers there were advancements in technology during
this century which possibly could never be matched.
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