Modern Studies
Encyclopedia
Modern Studies is a subject unique to the Scottish
secondary school
curriculum
, that is concerned with the study of local, national and international issues from a social, political and economic perspective. Most pupils will study Modern Studies for all, or at least most, of 1st and 2nd Year of secondary school and thereafter may elect to study the subject during the following years towards Standard Grades or National Qualifications
. Some schools do not teach Modern Studies as a discrete subject, choosing instead to integrate History
, Geography
and Modern Studies into a Social Subjects course, at least in S1.
Act, speak, or make decisions on behalf of other people, e.g. an MP
speaking for his/her constituents in the Parliament
.
Freedoms we are entitled to and duties or obligations we have as a result, e.g. the right to vote and the responsibility to use the vote wisely.
Joining in, taking part, becoming involved, e.g. standing as a candidate in an election.
Ideas and beliefs of a political or economic system, e.g. the USA is a capitalist democracy
.
Having the same level of wealth, status or well-being; usually looked at in terms of inequality, e.g. some elderly people have a lower living standard than others.
What individuals, groups or countries must have to survive and develop; usually looked at in terms of whether needs are being met, e.g. some developing countries find it difficult to meet their basic needs.
Ability individuals, groups or countries have to act or influence how others act.
follow the 5-14 guidelines, which sets out different areas to be covered. Environmental Studies covers social subjects among other things and therefore work on Modern Studies concepts and knowledge begins prior to secondary school.
40% of the final exam consists of Knowledge and Understanding (KU) questions. The rest of the exam covers Enquiry Skills (ES) which are source based skills that are developed during the teaching of the course.
, Intermediate 2
, Higher
and Advanced Higher levels. Students who have achieved Credit passes (grades 1 and 2) at Standard Grade will be able to go on to study at Higher level; those with General passes (grades 3 and 4) will normally go on to study at Intermediate 2 level; those with passes at Foundation level will normally go onto study at Intermediate 1 or even Access 3 level.
Advanced Higher level is studied by students who have passed the Higher
course during their 5th Year, or an equivalent Higher Level pass in either History or Geography.
level though it is a sound basis for further study of a range of subjects from which Modern Studies is composed, such as Politics
, International Relations
, Sociology
, Economics
and Public Policy
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
, that is concerned with the study of local, national and international issues from a social, political and economic perspective. Most pupils will study Modern Studies for all, or at least most, of 1st and 2nd Year of secondary school and thereafter may elect to study the subject during the following years towards Standard Grades or National Qualifications
National Qualifications
National Qualifications are qualifications studied in Secondary schools and Colleges of Further Education in Scotland. There are three types of National Qualification - Standard Grades, National Courses and National Units.-Standard Grades:...
. Some schools do not teach Modern Studies as a discrete subject, choosing instead to integrate History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and Modern Studies into a Social Subjects course, at least in S1.
The Modern Studies Concepts
Modern Studies is concerned with the study of seven key concepts;- RepresentationRepresentation (politics)In politics, representation describes how some individuals stand in for others or a group of others, for a certain time period. Representation usually refers to representative democracies, where elected officials nominally speak for their constituents in the legislature...
Act, speak, or make decisions on behalf of other people, e.g. an MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
speaking for his/her constituents in the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
.
- RightsRightsRights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
and Responsibilities
Freedoms we are entitled to and duties or obligations we have as a result, e.g. the right to vote and the responsibility to use the vote wisely.
- ParticipationParticipation (decision making)Participation in social science refers to different mechanisms for the public to express opinions - and ideally exert influence - regarding political, economic, management or other social decisions. Participatory decision making can take place along any realm of human social activity, including...
Joining in, taking part, becoming involved, e.g. standing as a candidate in an election.
- IdeologyIdeologyAn ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
Ideas and beliefs of a political or economic system, e.g. the USA is a capitalist democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.
- EqualitySocial equalitySocial equality is a social state of affairs in which all people within a specific society or isolated group have the same status in a certain respect. At the very least, social equality includes equal rights under the law, such as security, voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and the...
Having the same level of wealth, status or well-being; usually looked at in terms of inequality, e.g. some elderly people have a lower living standard than others.
- NeedNeedA need is something that is necessary for organisms to live a healthy life. Needs are distinguished from wants because a deficiency would cause a clear negative outcome, such as dysfunction or death. Needs can be objective and physical, such as food, or they can be subjective and psychological,...
What individuals, groups or countries must have to survive and develop; usually looked at in terms of whether needs are being met, e.g. some developing countries find it difficult to meet their basic needs.
- PowerPower (sociology)Power is a measurement of an entity's ability to control its environment, including the behavior of other entities. The term authority is often used for power perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power can be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as endemic to...
Ability individuals, groups or countries have to act or influence how others act.
Modern Studies and the Primary Curriculum
Primary schools in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
follow the 5-14 guidelines, which sets out different areas to be covered. Environmental Studies covers social subjects among other things and therefore work on Modern Studies concepts and knowledge begins prior to secondary school.
Modern Studies in S1 and S2
Each school has the freedom to develop a course to suit the needs and interests of both pupils and teachers, but most will develop courses for study that are in line with the 5-14 guidelines. Topics normally taught include fairtrade, China and Human Rights.Standard Grade
Most schools offer Standard Grade Modern Studies over S3 and S4 though some now offer National Qualifications instead. The Standard Grade course covers four different syllabus areas over two years: you are giving three subjects based on social subjects they are history, geography and modern studies.- Syllabus Area 1 - Living in a Democracy (covering Politics and Trade Unions)
- Syllabus Area 2 - Changing Society (covering Elderly, Unemployed and Families)
- Syllabus Area 3 - Ideologies (covering either the USA, Russia or China)
- Syllabus Area 4 - International Relations (covering Politics of Aid and Alliances)
40% of the final exam consists of Knowledge and Understanding (KU) questions. The rest of the exam covers Enquiry Skills (ES) which are source based skills that are developed during the teaching of the course.
National Qualifications
Modern Studies is available at Access 3, Intermediate 1Intermediate 1
Intermediate 1 is an educational qualification in Scotland on the Scottish Qualifications Authority Scottish Qualifications Certificate achievement ladder similar to General Level at Standard Grades; it is the next step after Access 3...
, Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2
Intermediate 2 level is Level 5 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Though equivalent to the Credit Level Standard Grade, there is an element of debate to this as it is perceived to be more difficult in some subjects, but less in others....
, Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
and Advanced Higher levels. Students who have achieved Credit passes (grades 1 and 2) at Standard Grade will be able to go on to study at Higher level; those with General passes (grades 3 and 4) will normally go on to study at Intermediate 2 level; those with passes at Foundation level will normally go onto study at Intermediate 1 or even Access 3 level.
Advanced Higher level is studied by students who have passed the Higher
Higher (Scottish)
In Scotland the Higher is one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications of the Scottish Qualifications Certificate offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It superseded the old Higher Grade on the Scottish Certificate of Education...
course during their 5th Year, or an equivalent Higher Level pass in either History or Geography.
Modern Studies and University
Modern Studies does not exist as a separate subject at UniversityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
level though it is a sound basis for further study of a range of subjects from which Modern Studies is composed, such as Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and Public Policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
.