life in modern britain

what is an active citizen?

A person who actively takes responsibility, becomes involved in areas of public concern and tries to make a difference

what is active citizenship?

Participating in society to bring about change

what is advocacy?

Representing or supporting a person or an organisation by writing, speaking or taking action on behalf of that person or organisation

what are British values?

A set of standards which reflect the ideals of the British society

what is censorship?

government control of information and the media or ideas within a society

what is citizenship?

Being a citizen of a country and being granted with the rights and responsibilities of that state

what is a citizen journalist?

individual citizens acting as journalists to gather news and distribute their video footage and commentary via social media and news organisations to a worldwide audience

what is the Commonwealth?

53-member countries that were previously colonised by the British Empire

what is the Council of the EU?

meetings of ministers from member states of the EU

what is discrimination?

treating someone less favourably because of their colour, ethnic origins, gender or disability

what is e-media?

all forms of media related to the internet

what is the European Commission?

appointed officials from member countries of the EU who draft policy initiatives and direct the workings of the EU

what is the European Council?

meetings of the heads of government of EU member states

what are equal opportunities?

the idea that everyone should have the same chance to succeed regardless of their protected characteristics

what is freedom of the press?

a concept that states that for a free, open and democratic society to exist the press should be free from political and judicial interference and be able to print the stories they wish

what is immigration?

the process of people moving from one country to another to live and work

what is IMPRESS?

the approved government regulator of the press, however, very few newspapers have joined the body

what is an interest group?

An organisation which tries to influence the government to adopt certain policies on a particular issue

what is IPSO?

an industry-based body which self regulates most newspapers in the UK

what is the media?

a means of communication

what is mass media?

television, radio and printed media which can reach a large number of people

what does it mean to have multiple identities?

when an individual is able to assume a range of different identities - these identities may clash

what is multiculturalism?

the co-existence of different ethnic races, cultures or religions

what is new media?

the internet and social media

what is migration?

the movement of people between different countries

what is NATO?

an intergovernmental military defence alliance established in 1949

what is NGO?

A non-profit, voluntary group of citizens who work on a local, national or international level to achieve an aim. They are not controlled by the government but will often work closely with them

what is Ofcom?

the office of communications - a government regulator for elements of the media industry

what is the Security Council?

the major decision-making body of the United Nations. Made up of 5 permanent members and ten elected member countries. The UK is one of permanent members.

what is society?

people living together in an ordered community

what is traditional media?

newsprint, radio, TV, cinema, etc

what is the UN?

An international organisation comprising of most countries in the world which aims to promote peace, security and international cooperation

what is the UN Charter?

A document that lays down the lays down the aims of the United Nations

what is a veto?

the ability to vote down any decision

what is the WTO?

came into being in 1955, it is the only global organisation dealing with trading rules between nations

what are values?

standards of behaviour that are accepted by a society

what is a liberty?

a right or freedom that someone has

what is a national identity?

an identity associated with living in a particular country

what are the fundamental British values?

• democracy

• rule of law

• individual liberty

• mutual respect/tolerance

what is an identity?

characteristics/qualities that make a person who they are

what is net migration?

the difference between the total number of people in and out of an area over a given period of time

what is community cohesion?

working towards a society where everyone shares a sense of belonging and common values

what is multiculturalism?

a society where there are a variety of ethnic groups

what is a refugee?

a person that has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster

what are some examples of push factors?

• lack of safety

• high crime rates

• drought

• flooding

• war

what are some examples of pull factors?

• more job opportunities

• better public services

• good climate

• political stability

what are arguments for and against immigrants coming to the UK?

for:

• immigrants have contributed over £5 billion more to the UK’s economy than they have taken out in the form of benefits and public services

• 635,127 homes in the UK are currently empty

• they fill job vacancies/skill gaps

• they bring cultural diversity

• immigrants help sustain economic growth

against:

• they drain resources

• their benefit money could be used to help British citizens

• not enough space in UK

• stealing jobs

what is the Press Complaints Commission?

an independent body which deals with complaints about the content of newspapers, magazines and their websites

what is the purpose of NATO?

• bringing members together

• democratically cooperating to prevent conflict

• defends members/restores peace if diplomacy fails

how many members are in NATO?

30

what are arguments for and against NATO?

for:

• cooperation between nations is always a good thing

• protected countries from genocides

• acts as a police to uphold peace

• needed to step in when UN-peacekeeping missions fail

against:

• created more fear/hostility during Cold War

• perception of threats could be based because of their western values

• accused of using military action prematurely

• pointless if we have UN

does NATO fufil it’s role?

yes:

• work with International bodies to reduce global conflict and increase cooperation e.g Resolute Support Mission

• constantly evolving to prepare for future threats/problems

• Covid-19 highlighted their strength in terms of humanitarian aid

no:

• members don’t contribute to budget equally

• membership limited to northern countries

what is the purpose of the Commonwealth?

work together to promote/meet the shared goals of democracy, human rights, peace and environmental protection

how many members does the Commonwealth have?

54

what is the role of the UK in NATO?

ensure national defence budget meets NATO’s budget of 2%

what is the role of the UK in the Commonwealth?

• lead it

• contribute to the budget

• uphold the Commonwealth Charter

does the Commonwealth fulfil it’s role?

yes:

• promotes it’s shared goals

no:

• some countries do not fulfil human rights

• not all countries are democratic

what is the purpose of the WTO?

helps establish trade links, negotiate trade terms, regulate training practices, settle trading disputes, etc

how many members does the WTO have?

164 - accounts for 98% of the world’s trade

what is the role of the UK in the WTO?

• must contribute towards budget

• must abide by WTO’s budget

does the WTO fufil it’s role?

yes:

• successfully carries out it’s functions

no:

• there has been much criticism of how the WTO works with developing nations

• disputes take too long to settle

what is the purpose of the UN?

to maintain peace and security after WW2/protect human rights

how many members are in the UN?

193

what are the 6 principle organs of there UN?

• general assembly - allows all members to come together and share their opinion on an issue

• security council:

  • maintains peace and security

  • 5 permanent members

  • 10 non-permanent members

• economic and social council - coordinates the UN’s social and economic work

• international court of justice:

  • principle judicial organ

  • gives advice on legal questions submitted by UN

  • very little enforcement

• secretariat - responsible for administration/implementation of UN’s policies

• trusteeship council - suspended in November 1994

what is the role of the UK in the UN?

• founding member

• permanent seat on security council

• spends a significant amount if it’s budget on international aid

• has relationships with other superpowers

does the UN fulfil it’s role?

yes:

• UN mission in Libya has been credited with ending the 14-year civil war

• created the UDHR

no:

• historic incidents where they failed to keep peace e.g Rwanda in 1993

• criticised for it’s need for reform

what is the role of the Court of Justice?

ensures that all EU countries stick to the laws that they have agreed on

what is the role of the UN Commission?

to propose new EU laws

what are arguments for staying in the EU?

• has laws that make member countries act environmentally responsible

• big marketplace for European businesses

• keeps prices low for consumers due to competition

• free movement between EU countries without a visa

what are arguments against staying in the EU?

• many countries are dependent on one currency

• cannot stop EU immigration into your country

• reduction in wages die to higher demand for jobs

what is a pressure group?

a group of people working together to achieve an aim

what are the rights of NGOs?

• right to criticise

• right to hold demonstrations, rallies, etc

• right to protest

• right to campaign/raise funds

what are the responsibilities of NGOs?

• must base criticism on fact

• all meetings and rallies must be peaceful

• must inform local authority/police when they are protesting

• must not intimidate

what are methods of NGOs?

• internet

• emails

• letters

• leaflets

• lobbying

• petitions

what is mediation?

a process of involving outsiders in a dialogue to try and resolve a dispute between two parties

what are sanctions?

measures taken by a state against others ti achieve a change in policy/action

what is a petition?

a formal written request which asks the authorities bring about change in regards to a particular issue

what is indirect action?

campaigning that can include support for a group, signing petitions, lobbying, etc

what is direct action?

campaigning which includes non-violent or violent activities which target people, groups or property which are seen as offensive by the protester