A2 Essay Topics
Contemporary Conflicts and Challenges
Topic / Example essay questions (40 marks)Causes of conflict /
- Referring to examples, explain the factors that cause internal difference to escalate into more serious conflicts.
Conflict over a local resource /
- For a conflict over the use of a local resource, analyse the causes of the conflict and assess the extent to which it has been/can be resolved to the satisfaction of all those concerned.
- With reference to a conflict over the use of a local resource you have studied, discuss the extent to which all interest groups involved can be satisfied with its outcome. (Jan 12)
International conflicts /
- With reference to one recent major international conflict, analyse and assess the geographical impacts of the conflict on the area(s) involved.
Multicultural societies /
- ‘Immigration is making the UK an increasingly multicultural society; and the only way that immigration can be controlled in the long term is by making increased efforts to address poverty on a global scale.’ Discuss this statement.
Separatism /
- Discuss the nature, causes and consequences of separatist pressures.
- With reference to examples, discuss the nature of, and reasons for, separatist pressures around the world.
- Analyse the reasons for separatism within and / or across national boundaries, and discuss its consequences (Jun 10)
Global Poverty /
- Analyse the causes of poverty in the world and evaluate attempts to address it on a global scale. (Jan 11)
Development-Security /
- To what extent do economic development and national security mutually support each other?
- ‘No security without development and no development without security’. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
- Discuss the issue 'No development without security and no security without development' (Jun 11)
Development and Globalisation
Topic / Example essay questions (40 marks)Development and Globalisation /
- ‘Globalisation has allowed the economies of some poor countries to develop, but such development has often led to increasing gaps between the rich and the poor in those countries.’ Discuss this statement with reference to contrasting countries that you have studied.
- Explain how far globalisation has brought benefits or problems to places you have studied.
NICs /
- Discuss the roles and relative importance of transnational corporations (TNCs) and newly industrialising countries (NICs) in the changing global economy.
- Referring to examples, assess the impacts of rapid industrialization on the Newly Industrialising Countries.
- ‘Newly industrialised countries have been, and continue to be, the driving force of globalisation.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? (Jun 11)
LDCs /
- “Countries at very low levels of economic development face such huge challenges that they cannot hope to address them without assistance from the rest of the world.” To what extent do you agree with this view? (June 10)
- Analyse the causes of poverty in the world and evaluate attempts to address it on a global scale.
Groupings of Nations /
- Assess the role of social and economic groupings of nations in the world today. (Jan 11)
- ‘Global social and economic groupings have significant beneficial effects for their members’. Discuss the extent to which you agree with this statement.
- Discuss the reasons for, and consequences of, social and economic groupings of nations.
- During the last 30 years, there has been a tendency for countries to group together. At the same time separatist pressures exist within countries’. Discuss this statement. You should include a description of the growth of one or more groups of nations, the reasons for the development of such groups and the reasons for separatist pressures.
TNCs /
- Discuss the roles and relative importance of transnational corporations (TNCs) and newly industrialising countries (NICs) in the changing global economy.
Trade vs Aid /
- Discuss the varying roles of (a) the promotion of trade and (b) the provision of aid, as approaches in the efforts to raise living standards in the poorest countries of the world.
Economic vs Environmental Sustainability
Sustainable Tourism /
- Can sustainable development ever be achieved?
- To what extent can development be sustainable? (Jan 12)