S3 Modern Studies Summary Notes

Syllabus Area 1- Living in a Democracy

Content and concepts

In this part of the syllabus you should know:

• How candidates are chosen for

election- British (FPTP), Scottish
Parliament(AMS), Local elections in
Scotland (2007 => STV)
• Ways in which people can take part in
politics in the UK
• How elections work in Scotland and the UK
• How representatives work for their constituents at Westminster, the Scottish
Parliament, and on Local Councils
• Pressure Groups in the UK
• Trade Unions in the UK

Knowledge and Understanding questions for this Syllabus Area will be based on
three different concepts:

• Participation
• Representation
• Rights and Responsibilities

Questions about Politics in Scotland could be based on the Scottish Parliament in

Edinburgh, the Westminster Parliament in London, or local councils in Scotland.

Some Typical Exam Questions:

1. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of the FPTP or AMS?

2. Why is it important that people use their vote?
3. Describe in detail the ways in which MSPs/MPs can represent their
constituents- inside Parliament and outside Parliament.
4. Describe the reasons why women are underrepresented in politics.
5. Describe ways in which trade unions represents their members.
6. Describe the ways in which members can get involved in Trade Unions.
7. Give reasons why some workers may not wish to use their right to strike.
8. Explain the ways that a pressure group might participate in a public debate,
lobbying parliament and a media campaign.
The UK and Scottish Parliaments

Democracy- Government of the people, by the people and for the people. The
people also have certain rights and responsibilities in a democracy. Other features of
a democracy include- regular elections, a choice of parties and freedom of speech
and the press.

Representative Democracy- voters choose representatives to act in their interests

Participation in a Democracy- voting, pressure groups, standing for election,

lobbying MPs, campaigning, protesting, joining a political party

Who can stand for election-

British citizens, over the age of 21, nominated by 10 electors in his/her constituency
and able to pay £500 deposit (returned only if they gain 5%+ of the votes)

Who cannot stand for election-

Royal Family, Members of House of Lords, Prisoners, The certified insane,
undischarged bankrupts.

Who can vote-

British citizens (including those who have lived overseas for less than 20 years), over
the age of 18, who are registered to vote.
Who cannot vote-
Royal Family, Members of the House of Lords, Prisoners, The certified insane,
homeless people.

UK Elections-
1. Take place at least once every 5 years- last: 2005
2. First Past the Post
3. 646 Constituencies (Seats)
4. Voters put a cross beside chosen candidate. The
candidate who receives the most votes in a
constituency wins the seat. The Government is then
formed by the party winning the most seats
5. Safe Seats- those with a large majority (3,000+)
6. Marginal Seats- those with a small majority that could easily swing to another
party at the next election

Scottish Parliament Elections-

1. Take place on a fixed term of every 4 years- last: 2007
2. Additional Members System
3. 129 seats- 73 Constituencies and 56 Regional or List
seats
4. Voters get two votes- one for a candidate for their
constituency (FPTP) and one for a party (List).
5. In the 73 constituency seats the candidate with the
most votes wins. In the other vote, the parties are given additional seats to
 bring the percentage of seats they have won into line with the percentage of
votes they gained.
FPTP
Advantages-
1. Easy to understand and operate
2. Direct link between Mp and constituents
3. Strong single party government based on a majority
4. Tried and tested system

Disadvantages-
1. Disadvantages small parties and works in favour of the 2 party system
2. Many votes are wasted
3. Gives government that most people didn’t vote for
4. Nothing for the runner up- “winner takes all”

AMS
Advantages-
1. Fewer votes are wasted
2. Representation for small parties
3. Strong link between MSP and constituents remains
4. Proportional- results in line with what the people want

Disadvantages-
1. Coalitions- no one single party government
2. More difficult to understand- many think second vote is a second preference
3. Too much power to small/ extreme parties- Lib Dems in government with 12%
of the vote
4. Weakened link between MSPs and constituents
5. Still not 100% proportional
6. Creates two types of MSP and causes conflict among/between them

Role of the MSP/MP

MSPs represent their constituents in a number of ways, in and out of Parliament:

• Speaking in the Parliament during debates

• Asking questions during Question Time
• Introducing Private Members Bills on topics of
concern to their constituents
• Lobbying other organisations and individuals
on behalf of their constituents
• Holding surgeries
• Visiting schools
• Emails, Letters, meetings, interviews
• Acts as ‘Go between’- Central gvt, local gvt
and constituents
Under-Representation

Women-
• traditional role of women in the home
• lack of free time for politics
• male dominated system- intimidation
• stereotypes- women not confident or strong enough
• Late hours of Commons
• Childminding issues
• Often put fwd in seats they have little chance of
winning

Ethnic minorities-
• Few role models
• Racist views within electorate and/or political parties in terms
of choosing candidates
• Often put fwd in seats they have little chance of winning

Disabled-
• Insufficient facilities for some- e.g. access to buildings
• Some within electorate cannot see beyond the disability and
assume this will affect that person as an MP
• Parties see this and don’t chose disabled candidates in case
this occurs and they lose seats
• Few role models- Anne Begg, David Blunkett

Pressure Groups

A pressure group is an organisation with attempts to influence people in power,

governments, councils. Examples include: Oxfam, Greenpeace, Save the Children,
Fathers for Justice. Pressure groups are unelected and unaccountable. Some break
the law and use violent means to promote the cause.

Methods:
• Writing letters or • Demonstrations • Leaflets
emails • Petitions • Adverts
• Lobbying • Blockades • Meetings
elected • Strikes/Boycotts • Publicity stunts
representatives

Pressure groups have rights to participate in these ways. They have the right to
organised and meet peacefully without harassment and have the protection of the
law. They are entitled to freedom of speech and are allowed to raise funds. Pressure
groups also have responsibilities to obey the law and only use peaceful methods.
 They must keep accounts of the money to raise and user and represent views of all
their members.
TUs- Participation

• Workers can join a union and pay their membership subscription. They can
then attend union meetings in the workplace and discuss issues like health
and safety in the workplace and pay and conditions.
• Members can also take part in elections. Sometimes these ballots will be to
decide whether or not the union should take industrial action, for example the
nursery nurses and fire fighters voted before going on strike. At other times
the ballot may be to elect a new representative within the union such as a
shop steward.
• Alternatively a trade union member may decide to stand as a candidate in an
election for shop steward. The candidate will campaign to try to be elected
and if they are successful they will have to represent the views of their
members during negotiations and at district meetings. A shop steward may
also attend the annual conference as a delegate.
• Finally, a member may take part in a form of industrial action such as a work-
to-rule or a strike.
• The shop steward is one of the most important jobs in the trade union. They
are responsible for trying to recruit new members into the union. A shop
steward keeps members informed of any new initiatives such as changes to
the pay scale. The shop steward is also the first person a member will go to in
order to seek help or advice about a problem at work. Finally, the shop
steward is the link between the ordinary trade union members and the union
head-quarters. They are responsible for distributing newsletters and keep
members informed of activities through the union notice-board.

Right
• To take industrial action in
order to in order to protect
the rights of the workers.
Responsibility
• To hold a secret ballot in order to see if the majority
of members are in favour of taking the action. To
ensure that all forms of industrial action are
peaceful and within the law.

• To try to attract new trade
union members.
• Trade unions can ask
members about changes in
the workplace.
• Not to pressure anyone into joining a trade union.
• Trade unions have a responsibility to make
reasonable demands.

Ensure that you understand and can explain the different types of action that can be
taken:

Restrictive Practices- Overtime ban, Go-Slow, Work-to- Rule

Strike Action- Token strikes, lightning strikes, Unofficial strikes, Official strikes,
Syllabus Area 2- Changing Society

Content and concepts

In this part of the syllabus you should know:

• Health needs of the elderly

• Housing needs of the elderly
• The needs of the unemployed: jobs, money
• Inequality between different elderly people because of
wealth, health and housing
• Inequality between families
• New technology and its impact on jobs
• The role of individuals, families, government and voluntary organisations in
meeting the needs of people such as the elderly, unemployed and those on
low incomes

Knowledge and Understanding questions for this Syllabus

Area will be based on three different concepts:

• Equality
• Ideology
• Need

Questions could be based on the elderly, employment and

unemployment or families in the UK.

Some Typical Exam Questions:

1. Explain why some elderly people are wealthier than

others.
2. Describe the ways in which certain types of purpose
built elderly housing meets their needs.
3. Describe the ways in which some elderly people
suffer more in terms of health than others.
4. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a
Minimum wage
5. Explain in detail the effects on new technology on
work.
6. Explain in detail why women/ethnic minorities/
disabled/ older people may have limited job opportunities.
7. Explain the ways in which the government tries to meet the various needs of
unemployed/elderly/families.
The Elderly

Emotional needs

Emotional needs often include requiring companionship. Many elderly people are
very lonely, especially after the death of their partner. They enjoy company and
appreciate it when people take time to have an interest in them.

Financial needs

The financial needs of elderly people are met in a number of ways. All elderly people
receive the state old age pension, but many have other sources of income. Some
have an occupational pension and others have taken out insurance policies or
private pensions, which guarantee them a good income when they retire. Others
have savings. Some elderly people rely on their children to give them help.

Health needs

Elderly people make big demands on the NHS. They see their doctor more
frequently than other groups and are given many more prescriptions. They also take
up a large number of hospital beds, for both acute and chronic conditions. Acute
conditions can be treated. Chronic conditions will never be cured, but efforts can be
made to make an older person more ‘comfortable‘. Elderly people do not pay for their
prescriptions and, like everyone else, they‘re entitled to free health care through the
NHS. There‘s a growing number of older people in the population, so they are
becoming a bigger burden on health care services. Some have greater needs than
others, however. Dementia, Alzheimer’s, mobility, eyesight, hearing all affect people
in different ways. Ageing population- these people are most likely to suffer from a
combination of health issues.

Housing needs

Elderly people have specific housing needs. Depending on the

health and the mobility of an older person, these can be met in a
number of ways:

• Adaptations to existing housing (e.g. installation of alarm systems, stair lifts…)

• Purpose built retirement flats (with fittings designed specially for older people)
• Sheltered housing
• Very sheltered housing (like sheltered housing, but residents have all their
meals cooked for them)
• Residential Home (a mixture of hotel and hospital, 24 hr care and attention)

Care in the Community is a system where elderly people live at home for as long as
possible, and receive special help and attention. This can include home helps, meals
on wheels, regular visits from doctors and nurses and help from the social work
department. Supporters of Care in the Community say it‘s better for the old person
because it gives them more independence. Opponents of Care in the Community
say that sometimes old people are virtually abandoned with no help at all when they
can do little for themselves.

The Unemployed

Unemployment - the role of the government

Employment needs: Unemployed people need to find a job. The

government tries to help unemployed people find work. Job centres
hold details of local job vacancies. Unemployed people can visit job
centres to look for work and to meet an advisor who will help them
to find a suitable job. There are people on hand to help with CVs,
letter writing and interview technique.

Financial needs: Unemployed people do not work and so they do not earn an
income. In order to be able to buy necessities they receive financial help to meet
their basic needs. The government helps to meet the financial needs of the
unemployed by providing them with money whilst they are actively looking for work.
The money they receive is a benefit known as Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). This
money is enough to support the basic needs of themselves and their families.

Training needs: Some unemployed people do not have the skills required to get the
types of jobs available today. Training is therefore needed to give unemployed
people the necessary skills and qualifications to get a job. Examples of a training
programmes which the government has set up are the New Deal, Modern
Apprenticeships, Training for Work, Skillseekers.

New technology - jobs

New technology has brought many advantages and disadvantages to the workplace:

Advantages
• Goods can be produced faster and
therefore more cheaply using
machinery.
• Production is footloose and can be
located almost anywhere.
Disadvantages
• Fewer staff are required which
leads to unemployment.
• Sometimes footloose industries
move abroad creating
unemployment in the UK.

In some industries such as software design and mobile phone production new
technology has created job opportunities. However, in other areas such as
newspaper production and car manufacturing, computer systems and robots have
replaced the need for workers.

New technology has also created opportunities for certain groups of people. People
with physical disabilities are now able to do a wider range of jobs and more people
than ever before can work from home. However, some older workers have been
replaced by new technology and cannot get new jobs because they lack the relevant
skills.
Families- Inequality

Not all families experience the same standard of living. Some can
meet all of their material needs and are also able to enjoy many
luxuries. Others struggle to provide even their necessities.

Families with a high standard of living can afford to buy their own
home. They may own more than one car and go on several holidays
a year. Others with a low standard of living may have to rely on a low
income and/or benefits, may rent accommodation and can only afford
to buy necessities, no luxuries.

There are a variety of factors which can create inequality.

• Where there are two parents present and both working there will usually be a
higher income than in families headed by a single parent.
• Many single parent families find it difficult to get a job and arrange suitable
childcare. They may not work at all or else they may be forced to pay a lot of
money in childcare costs.
• The standard of living can also differ due to the type of job the parents do, the
number of children in the family and the housing costs of the area in which the
family lives.

A minimum wage

The Labour Government introduced the

minimum wage. This is the minimum
amount of money which workers ought to
receive. From October 2006 the minimum
wage will be £5.35 per hour for workers
aged 22 and over.

Those in favour of the minimum wage

argue it is good because:

• It guarantees workers a minimum

amount of money per hour.
• It has increased the standard of
living for those on a low income.
• The greater disposable income
which those on a low income now
have has lead to increased
demand as people have more
money to spend. This increased
demand has caused more jobs to be created.
The Advantages:

Minimum wage

Increased income

Greater demand for goods and services

More money spent in shops and on services

Increased employment as more people are needed to produce the goods and provide the services

Society gets wealthier

However, critics of the minimum wage argue that it is bad because:

• It is still at too low a level to allow a reasonable standard of living.

• It prevents business people from running their business the way they want to.
• The full minimum wage does not apply to workers under 22- this is unfair.
• If the wage bill in a business rises then the employer may have to make some
people unemployed in order to maintain the profit. Alternatively the price of
goods/ services may rise meaning that fewer people can afford to buy them.

The Disadvantages:

Minimum wage

Increased wage bill for employers

Price of the product goes up

Fewer people want to buy the more expensive product.

Demand for the product falls.

Unemployment follows as workers who are no longer required are made redundant.
WHAT IS AN HYPOTHESIS?

A hypothesis a statement about what you expect to find and, during the research
process, you will prove whether it is true or false. DO NOT ever be tempted to
write a hypothesis in the form of a question.

If you were carrying out an investigation into the problems faced by single parents in
finding a suitable job:

“Lack of child care facilities is a major problem for single parents, looking for a
job” is a relevant hypothesis

”Do single parents face problems finding a suitable job?” is not an

acceptable hypothesis

WHAT IS AN AIM OR HEADING?

Aims or headings will help you to prove or disprove your hypothesis. Be careful to
note whether the questions asks you for either of these, or whether it asks you for a
specific type.

If you were carrying out an investigation into the problems faced by single parents in
finding a suitable job:

AIMS

1. “To find out what child care facilities are available in my local area.”

“To find out the cost of child care facilities.” are two relevant aims.

HEADINGS

“Child Care Facilities available in my local area”

“The Cost of Child Care Facilities” are two relevant headings