← Modern Studies syllabus

ScotlandModern Studies

International Issues and Research Methods

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you analyse a contemporary international issue using theory, evidence and an awareness of the research behind it?

Analysing a contemporary international issue: defining the issue, applying international relations theory, evaluating evidence and sources critically, and assessing responses such as cooperation, intervention or sanctions.
How to analyse a contemporary international issue in SQA Advanced Higher Modern Studies. Covers defining the issue, applying international relations theory, evaluating evidence and sources critically, and assessing international responses such as cooperation, intervention, aid or sanctions and how their effectiveness is judged.
12 min answer →

How is power distributed and exercised between states, and how do sovereignty, globalisation and international institutions shape it?

Power and the international system: state sovereignty, hard and soft power, the balance of power and polarity, globalisation, and the role of international organisations and non-state actors.
How power works in the international system in SQA Advanced Higher Modern Studies. Covers state sovereignty, hard and soft power, the balance of power and polarity, globalisation, and the role of international organisations and non-state actors in shaping how power is distributed and exercised.
13 min answer →

How do theories of international relations explain how states behave, and how do realism and liberalism differ?

Theories of international relations: realism, liberalism and idealism, and other perspectives, and how each explains state behaviour, conflict, cooperation and the role of international institutions.
How theories of international relations work in SQA Advanced Higher Modern Studies. Covers realism, liberalism and idealism and other perspectives, and how each explains state behaviour, conflict and cooperation, the balance of power, and the role of international institutions.
13 min answer →