Month: September 2022

Assess the view that unpaid voluntary work benefits the participants more than it benefits the people the participants are trying to help.

• assess the role of voluntary workers, their aims and contribution to society
• explore the benefits of voluntary work to the participants and wider society
• make a judgement, based on consideration of the evidence and argument
• voluntary work being for a charity, cause or pressure group
• young volunteers gaining experience and making contacts in sectors of interest to them, improving their future employment prospects
• retired people gaining a renewed sense of purpose from their voluntary activities and from contact with younger people
• participants acquiring a broad range of valuable personal and interpersonal skills
• the chosen group gaining a great deal from the services provided
• charities, in particular, relying on voluntary workers to reduce costs to maximise their potential efficiency and effectiveness
• volunteers not being properly vetted or supervised, possibly resulting in inappropriate behaviour
• volunteers being motivated by religious or other ideological interests, compromising the independence of those they are helping.

Strong religious belief can be both beneficial and damaging. Discuss.

• assess the benefits of religious beliefs to people and societies
• consider to what extent religious beliefs are damaging
• make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
• religious belief strengthen positive values; condemn those which are harmful
• the unifying qualities of religion creating a sense of community
• religious belief giving many people a sense of order, meaning and purpose to life
• belief and faith explaining mysteries and giving people an outlet to stress and anger
• the emergence of extreme cults and belief systems having a harmful impact on vulnerable people
• religious belief taking up time that would be better spent on other things
• religious belief resulting in war, death and harm to many groups of people
• the view that having a strong religious belief is ridiculous and unscientific.

An effective leader needs to be a good listener. Evaluate this statement.

• discuss what makes an effective leader
• the extent to which listening to others is an important quality in an effective leader
• make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
• leaders being successful if they understand the mood of the country
• the need for negotiation and discussion in leadership roles meaning careful listening is often required
• effective leaders often picking up on details that others miss
• poor leaders who refuse to heed or acknowledge important voices of dissent
• giving undue weight to the opinions of lackeys or cronies can be damaging
• an over-emphasis on listening leading to delay or inaction
• leaders sometimes having to make unpopular and immediate decisions and listening is often not helpful in such situations
• the dangers of relying on consultants and advisers and the negative impact this can have on management decisions.