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ScotlandModern Studies

Social Issues in the UK

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why do people commit crime?

The nature and evidence of crime in the UK, the groups most affected as victims and offenders, and the main theories explaining the causes of crime including social, economic and individual factors.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the causes of crime, covering evidence of crime in the UK, the groups most affected as victims and offenders, and the competing theories that explain crime through social, economic and individual factors.
10 min answer →

How effectively does society respond to crime?

The ways society and government respond to crime, including the police, the Scottish courts and sentencing, prison and alternatives to custody, and how effective these responses are at reducing reoffending.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on responses to crime, covering the role of the police, the Scottish court and justice system, sentencing, prison and community alternatives to custody, and an evaluation of how effective these responses are at reducing reoffending.
10 min answer →

How effectively do governments tackle social inequality?

The ways the UK and Scottish governments respond to social and economic inequality, including the welfare state, benefits, the NHS and targeted policies, and how effective these responses are.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on responses to social inequality, covering the welfare state and benefits, the NHS, employment and education policies, the role of the UK and Scottish governments, and an evaluation of how effective these responses are.
10 min answer →

Why does social and economic inequality exist in the UK?

The nature and evidence of social and economic inequality in the UK, the groups most affected, and the main explanations for inequality including individualist and collectivist views.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on social inequality, covering evidence of social and economic inequality in the UK, the groups most affected by poverty and ill health, and the competing individualist and collectivist explanations for why inequality exists.
10 min answer →

Who is affected by crime, and how?

The impact of crime on victims, offenders and their families, communities, the economy and public services, and wider society, including the link between crime and deprivation in Scotland.
An SQA Higher Modern Studies answer on the impact of crime, covering the physical, emotional and financial harm to victims, the effects on offenders and their families, the fear of crime in communities, the cost to the economy and public services, and the strong link between crime and deprivation in Scotland.
11 min answer →