MODERN STUDIES
Answer in relation to the UK (including Scotland) and the USA. 2. Context B: Electoral Systems “The differences in voting behaviour between the USA and the UK (including Scotland) outweigh the similarities.” Discuss. Answer in relation to the UK (including Scotland) and the USA. 3. Context C: Decision-making in Central and Devolved/State Government “The power of MPs, MSPs and members of Congress is limited.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? Answer in relation to the UK (including Scotland) and the USA. 4. Context D: The Politics of Influence To what extent are interest groups a threat to democracy? Answer in relation to the UK (including Scotland) and the USA. Section B ALL parts of Section B should be answered. This section is worth 30 marks. 5. (a) Discuss, in detail, the benefits of using quantitative research methods to carry out social science research. You should give relevant examples to support your answer. (b) To what extent is the medium of the Internet, including social networking sites, effective in social science research? You should give relevant examples to support your answer. 8 (15) 7 (30) (30) (30) (30)
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About
1.
ESRC
Notes for editors:
This release is based on the findings from the “Study of the Scottish National Party” funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and carried out by Professor James Mitchell and Dr Robert Johns at the University of Strathclyde and Dr Lynn Bennie of the University of Aberdeen. Methodology: The study conducted an in-depth postal survey of all members of the SNP between November 2007 and June 2008. The researchers received 7,112 completed questionnaires, a response rate of 53·9 per cent. The project also conducted semi-structured interviews with 80 senior members of the SNP. Interviews lasted from 45 minutes to 270 minutes. The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. The ESRC’s total budget for 2011/12 is £203 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. 21 July 2011
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3.
What does Scottish independence really mean
Results of a survey of members of the Scottish National Party
Following the victory of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the recent Scottish elections on May 5, a unique in-depth survey of the entire SNP membership conducted throughout 2008, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), reveals a range of views on Scotland’s constitutional status. The survey by a team of researchers led by Professor James Mitchell of the University of Strathclyde found 87 per cent wanted Scottish independence, with 65 per cent of the SNP preferring independence as part of the European Union and 22 per cent outside the EU, and 12 per cent wanted more powers for the Scottish Parliament. The party is predominantly middle class (46 per cent having professional occupations compared to 12 per cent in semi-routine or routine manual/service work), but members are more reluctant than those of other parties to assign themselves to a social class (only 43 per cent willing to do so). The findings were based on a postal survey of the SNP membership which resulted in over 7,000 members, more than half the membership, responding and in-depth interviews with over 80 senior members of the SNP. (Extracted from ESRC website) (a) To what extent can a social science researcher trust the information gathered in this survey? (b) What problems might a social science researcher face when planning for and carrying out a structured interview with an MSP? You should give relevant examples to support your answer. [X236/13/01] Page three [Turn over 8 (15)
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Marks Answer questions from ONE Study Theme only. Study Theme 2: LAW AND ORDER and Research Methods SECTION A Answer TWO questions from Section A. Each question is worth 30 marks. 1. Context A: Rights and Responsibilities in Relation to Law and Order in the UK “In relation to law and order, equality for all has greatly improved.” Discuss. 2. Context B: The Causes and Effects of Crime in the UK To what extent has bad parenting now become the root cause of crime in the UK? 3. Context C: Responses to Crime in the UK How valid is the claim that police forces have become “remote and invisible and unable to meet the needs of communities”? (30) 4. Context D: Penal Systems in the UK Examine the view that the British “love affair with custody” is coming to an end. Section B ALL parts of Section B should be answered. This section is worth 30 marks. 5. (a) Discuss, in detail, the benefits of using quantitative research methods to carry out social science research. You should give relevant examples to support your answer. (b) To what extent is the medium of the Internet, including social networking sites, effective in social science research? You should give relevant examples to support your answer. 8 (15) 7 (30) (30) (30)
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Marks
2009/10 Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS): Main Findings
• Sample: a systematic random selection of private residential addresses across Scotland was produced and allocated in batches to interviewers. Interviewers called at addresses and obtained information on all household members and then selected at random one adult (aged 16 or over) for interview at each address. The sample was designed to be representative of all private residential households across Scotland over the 12 month fieldwork period; • Interviews: 16,036 interviews were conducted in respondents’ homes by professional interviewers using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) machines; • Questionnaire: the questionnaire consists of a modular design, including a victimisation module, demographic section, four quarter-sample modules on varying topics and a Computer Assisted Self Interviewing (CASI) self-completion section covering sensitive crimes. Interviews lasted an average of 40 minutes, though there was considerable variation in interview length, in particular where respondents reported experiencing one or more incident of victimisation; • Fieldwork: all interviews were conducted between 1st April 2009 and 31st March 2010, with roughly an equal number of interviews conducted in each month; • Weighting: the results obtained were weighted to correct for the unequal probability of selection for interview caused by the sample design and for differences in the level of response among groups of individuals. The survey response rate was 70%. 2.1 Summary Estimates of crime There were 945,000 crimes as measured by the SCJS in 2009/10, including: • Approximately 679,000 property crimes (72% of all SCJS crime) involving theft or damage to personal or household property. • Approximately 266,000 violent crimes of assault or robbery (28% of all SCJS crime). • 32% of crime measured by the SCJS in 2009/10 was vandalism; 16% was other household theft; 14% per cent was personal theft; 7% were all motor vehicle theft related incidents and 3% was housebreaking. • 26% of crime was assault and 2% was robbery. (Extracted from: Scottish Crime and Justice Survey) (a) To what extent can a social science researcher trust the information gathered in this survey? (b) What problems might a social science researcher face when planning for and carrying out a structured interview with a criminal lawyer? You should give relevant examples to support your answer. 8 (15)
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Marks Answer questions from ONE Study Theme only. Study Theme 3: THE EUROPEAN UNION and Research Methods SECTION A Answer TWO questions from Section A. Each question is worth 30 marks. 1. Context A: Political Relations “Issues surrounding the Eurozone have added to tensions between the UK and the European Union.” Discuss. 2. Context B: Representation and Participation in the European Parliament How valid is the claim that “European Parliamentary elections mean little to the electorate throughout the European Union”? (30) (30)
3. Context C: The European Union and its International Involvement To what extent does the European Union deal effectively with international security issues? (30) 4. Context D: Social Developments in the European Union with reference to the UK and the EU Examine the success of European Union policies in dealing with discrimination. Section B ALL parts of Section B should be answered. This section is worth 30 marks. 5. (a) Discuss, in detail, the benefits of using quantitative research methods to carry out social science research. You should give relevant examples to support your answer. (b) To what extent is the medium of the Internet, including social networking sites, effective in social science research? You should give relevant examples to support your answer. 8 (15) 7 (30)
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Marks
The EPOC Survey
The Foundation carried out a postal survey of European management in ten EU countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom) in order to examine the extent of direct participation, its economic and social effects, and also to measure the degree of influence by employees on work organisation and work environment.
Methodology
• • • • • respondents were workplace general managers or the manager he/she felt was the most appropriate; the focus was the workplace’s largest occupational group; the size threshold was 25 employees in the case of the smaller countries and 50 in the case of the larger; the total number of respondents was almost 5,800; the overall response rate for the ten countries was almost 18 per cent—with a range between 9 per cent (Spain) and 39 per cent (Ireland).
Key results
• • • • • • • • • Services accounted for the greater proportion of workplaces (57%), followed by industry (36%) and construction (7%). Around a third of respondents reported a reduction in absenteeism and sickness. The introduction of direct participation was accompanied by a reduction in the number of employees and managers in around a third of workplaces. There were more likely to be reductions in employment in workplaces without direct participation than workplaces with direct participation. There was a high level of employee representative involvement in the introduction of direct participation: 30% of the workplaces reported extensive negotiations/joint decision making; only 13% did not involve their representatives. One fifth of managers regarded the involvement of representatives as “very useful” and more than two thirds found it “useful”. The more employees were informed and consulted, the greater the economic effects. Workplaces which had no participative culture were significantly out performed by workplaces which had participation. High qualification enhanced the economic benefits of direct participation – especially the ability to achieve cost reductions.
Page last updated: 25 June, 2010
Related report
• New forms of work organisation: can Europe realise its potential? (1998) (Extracted from Eurofound website)
(a) To what extent can a social science researcher trust the information gathered in this survey? (b) What problems might a social science researcher face when planning for and carrying out a structured interview with an MEP? You should give relevant examples to support your answer.
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