Topic title: Global Systems and Global Governance
Year group: 13
When taught: September to February
What are we learning?
- Dimensions and factors of globalisation
- Global Systems
- Form and nature of economic, political, social and environmental interdependence in the
contemporary world.
- Issues associated with interdependence.
- International trade and access to markets
- Trading relationships and patterns
- Differential access to markets associated with levels of economic development and trading
- agreements and its impacts on economic and societal well-being.
- The nature and role of transnational corporations (TNCs) – Apple is used as a detailed specific example of a TNC and its impacts on those countries in which it operates are explored.
- World trade of a manufactured good (iphone) and a food commodity (bananas) is studied.
- How international trade and variable access to markets impacts on students’ and other people’s lives across the globe.
- Global Governance
- The emergence and developing role of norms, laws and institutions in regulating and reproducing global systems.
- Issues associated with attempts at global governance
- The ‘global commons’
- Antarctica as a global common
- Its role as a global common and its vulnerability to global economic pressures and environmental change
- Threats to Antarctica
- Critical appraisal of the developing governance of Antarctica
- The impacts of globalisation to consider the benefits of growth, development, integration, stability against the costs in terms of inequalities, injustice, conflict and environmental impact.
Why is this important to know?
- Globalisation – the economic, political and social changes associated with technological and other driving forces have been a key feature of global economy and society in recent decades.
- Important dimensions of global governance and the complex dimensions of contemporary world affairs are explored with students considering their own place in and perspective on them.
Where does this link into our past and future learning?
- This topic links and deepens learning within the other A level modules, encourages the development of synoptic linking – Changing Places (relationships and connections), Population and the environment (relationships between the physical environments and people on a global scale today and in the future). There are also strong synoptic links to the Coastal systems, Hazards and Carbon and Water cycle units, all considering global mitigative actions and adaptation strategies.
- The learning from this unit closely links and develops on learning from the KS4 Changing Economic World unit.
- In terms of future learning, the unit plays a vital role in creating global citizens, who are aware of the complexity of global systems and global governance and the potential impacts on their own lives as well as other people’s lives across the globe.
How will we be assessed on this topic?
- Assessment and feedback through the use of exam style questions within lessons/homework tasks. Mid and end of unit assessments (based on AQA past exam papers) and a full mock exam (based on AQA past exam papers).
What makes a strong piece of work in this topic? What are teachers hoping to see?
- Strong AO1 – Knowledge and understanding of places, environments, concepts, processes, interactions and change, at a variety of scales
- Strong AO2 – Application of knowledge and understanding in different contexts to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues.
- Strong AO3 – analysis and evaluation of the theory, case studies and resources presented (seen in lesson and unseen (exam paper based))
- Synoptic linking and thinking – being able to see the connective tissue between (and within) the units we cover.
- Being able to bring in and demonstrate a relevant wider understanding, developed through wider reading and research, within written and verbal responses.
- Use detailed case study knowledge in support of points in 9 and 20 mark responses.
- A knowledge of the different question styles and the ability to tailor your responses to this.
What key words are there in this topic?
What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?
- Regularly re-read and review your work. Use the specification to help make revision notes for each section.
- Complete past exam questions on this unit. These can be found at: https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/past-papers/a-level-geography/aqa-paper-2 (this platform makes accessing papers and mark schemes more straight forward than the AQA site)
- Read through the answers and commentary offered by AQA on responses completed on paper 2 – https://cdn.sanity.io/files/p28bar15/green/6a0909d49e3667beab7b6ff6a137db8ac478a5bf.pdf
read the comments and use this to improve your own exam technique.
- Watch or read the news – Global governance, trade deals, major TNCs, decisions by global institutions regularly feature. News stories can be used within your exam responses.
What wider reading can be done on this topic?
A-Level Geography Update magazine by Tutor2U – shared on Satchel.
Globalisation:
Auletta, K. (2010) Googled: The End of the World As We Know It – Virgin
Beattie, A. (2009) False Economy. A Surprising Economic History of the World -Penguin
Harvey, D. 1989. The Condition of Postmodernity – Oxford: Blackwell
Klein, N. (2010) No Logo, Fourth Estate
Rouke, PJO. (2008) On the Wealth of Nations. Adam Smith’s Book that Changed the World -Atlantic Books
Stross, R. (2010) Planet Google: How One Company Is Changing Our Lives-Atlantic Book
Bernstein, W. (2009) A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World – Atlantic Books
Geopolitics and Governance:
Boyes, B. (2009) Meltdown Iceland. How the Global Financial Crisis Bankrupted an Entire Country -Bloomsbury
Dharshini D. (2018) The Almighty Dollar: Follow the Incredible Journey of Single Dollar to See How the Global Economy Really Works, Elliott and Thompson
Dimbleby, J. (2009) Russia: a journey to the heart of a land and its people, BBC Books
Flint, C. (2017) An Introduction to Geopolitics, 3rd Edition, Routledge
Ford, R. and Goodwin, M. (2014) Revolt on the right: explaining support for the Radical Right in Britain – Routledge
Marshall, T. (2018) Divided: Why We’re Living in an Age of Walls, Elliot and Thompson Ltd
Marshall, T. (2016) Worth Dying For the power and the politics of flags, Elliot and Thompson Ltd
Marshall, T. (2015) Prisoners of Geography, Elliot and Thompson Ltd
Supporting document/links:
Found on Satchel – My Drive –A level – Geography
- Key lesson resources
