Jensine Chunnu St Hilda’s Dioceasn High

School Sociology Unit 2

Population Studies...........................................................................................................................
Population Theories........................................................................................................................
Population Trends and Control.....................................................................................................
Development....................................................................................................................................
Concepts of Crime & Deviance......................................................................................................
Perspectives on Crime and Deviance............................................................................................
Issues Related to Crime and Deviance.........................................................................................
Effects of Crime and Deviance......................................................................................................
Effectiveness of Institutions of social control...............................................................................
Poverty.............................................................................................................................................
 Population Studies

For at least the next 25 years, the older population is expected to continue growing more
rapidly than other groups. This will require far-reaching economic and social adjustments
in most countries.Discuss TWO economic and TWO social adjustments which may be
required in a named Caribbean society. In your response you must give reasons for the
position you have taken.

‘Cultural and economic factors impact the size, distribution and structure of a
population.’Assess the extent to which this statement is relevant to an understanding of
population trends in Caribbean society. Support your response with reference to the
impact of either cultural or economic factors on the size, distribution and structure of the
population of a named Caribbean society.

The population structure in the Caribbean and other developing economies provides an
insight into the focus of social development. Discuss this statement with reference to the
graph above. In your response, focus on TWO relevant social services that may be
required in a named Caribbean society.
“The population age 60 [and] over is growing more rapidly in the less developed region.
Therefore, the developing economies will have to adjust to the consequences of
population ageing.”
Source: UNCTAD, UN Development and Globalization: Facts and Figures 2008. p. 60.
Discuss ONE economic adjustment and ONE social adjustment that will be required in a
named Caribbean society to accommodate the ageing population.

Within recent times, individuals have continued to migrate from the Caribbean region in
pursuit of improved opportunities. In addition, persons have also migrated within the
Caribbean region. With reference to contemporary Caribbean society, discuss the social
and economic implications of the patterns of migration referred to above.

"The more rapidly the population is growing in a particular country the more difficult it
will be to combine economic growth and social development in that country." Critically
assess this statement in relation to the economic growth and social conditions in a named
Caribbean society.
 Population Theories

Assess the relevance of the Malthusian theory OR Neo-Malthusian theory to population

issues in a named Caribbean society. [25 marks]
● The Neo-Malthusian theory focused on many of the same ideologies that the
malthusian theory covered. They key difference is
i) the infusion of Marx’s view on dependency (poor states are poor because of
larger states) seen in the Caribbean
ii) The use of contraceptives over moral constraint as it was unreliable

With reference to at least ONE society, outline and assess ONE of the following
population theories:
Malthusian Theory
Marx's theory of population
Demographic Transition Theory

‘Poor people would be better off if they had fewer children to feed and clothe.’Assess the
extent to which this statement is relevant to the population and development issues
confronting Caribbean society. Support your response with reference to the Malthusian
Theory of Population.

“Unchecked population growth results in significant social and economic consequences

for a society.” Discuss this view in relation to poverty levels OR the absence of a food
security policy in any named Caribbean society.

- Thomas Malthus’ essay ‘Essay on the Principles of Production’ discusses the

splurge in the population size during the Industrial Revolution. Whenever there is
 an increase in production, there is an increase in population however because
humans produce geometrically and food and resources are produced
arithmetically, there is a strain and eventual drain of resources. There are
preventative checks (abstinence and delaying marriage for the poor) and positive
checks (disease, natural disasters, famines etc) which maintain the size of
population.
- If the population remains unchecked, it will grow to outstrip its resources during
times of economic boom.

Marxist theorists are of the view that population growth and capitalism are interrelated
and that for one to occur the other must be present. Critically evaluate the Marxist
perspective on population growth and capitalism in relation to the realities of the
Caribbean region.

- Marxism doesn't have specific issues surrounding population but believes that
overpopulation does not exist as it can easily be solved by an equal distribution of
both the population itself and resources in a country. He believes that an increase
in population does not equate to an increase in societal issues but it is rather the
rise of capitalism which deprives individuals.
- His view, similar to Neo-Malthusians, believes that the idea of moral constraint is
not feasible and that the idea that poor people are to be held responsible for their
own poverty is not right.
 Population Trends and Control

Assess the impact of internal AND external factors on population trends in a named
Caribbean society over the last forty years.
- Disease
- Natural Disaster
- War

Migrants do not only move from a developing country to a developed country. A third of
the world's migrants have moved from one low-income developing country to another
high-income developing country.
Assess the extent to which this statement is relevant to the Caribbean. Support your
response with reference to push and pull factors in any TWO named Caribbean societies.

Outline and assess the main factors responsible for the population trends over the last
fifty years in a named Caribbean society.
● Fertility
● Age
● Economic stability
● Disease

Within recent times, various countries have implemented population policies in an effort
to address population and development issues. For a named Caribbean society, evaluate
its population policy in relation to TWO of the following:
(i) Birth control
(ii) Food security
(iii) Housing
 Development

Explain how EACH of the following is used as an indicator of development:

(i) Education
(ii) Health
(b) With reference to EITHER education OR health, discuss TWO measures that can be
implemented to achieve development in a named Caribbean society.

Development cannot merely be defined by economic indicators alone. Social factors also
play an important role in correctly representing data

Population growth and lack of access to resources are two of the factors that influence the
social development of a country. Discuss how EACH of these factors has impacted the
social development of a named Caribbean society within the last twenty years.

Discuss the view that the Caribbean today is underdeveloped and dependent.
- Define underdevelopment and development as a whole.
- Economic indicators are insufficient in determining development
- The modernisation and convergence theory.
- The dependency theory and the world system theory.
- Eric William’s book how europe underdeveloped africa and the history of
colonialism in the Caribbean

Economic indicators were critical in defining development during the early half of the
twentieth century. More recent definitions of development include freedom,
empowerment, equality and social justice. Discuss changes in the definition of
development over time and identify any theory/perspective that has been most influential
in guiding development in the Caribbean. Use examples to justify your answer.
 - Rostow’s 5 stages of development (traditional society, pre-take off, take off, drive
to maturity & mass consumption)
- The modernisation theory and the dependency theory.
-

"Economic indicators are the most important for measuring the level of development in a
society." With reference to at least TWO development issues in a named Caribbean
society, present an argument either supporting or opposing this statement.

"The key to the development of the Caribbean lies in the investment in employment and
education." Discuss this view with reference to the experiences of a named Caribbean
society.

According to some sociological theorists, the historical relationship between Britain and
the Caribbean has resulted in the advanced socioeconomic conditions in Britain today.
Discuss this statement with reference to a relevant sociological theory.

Fair trade and investment, NOT aid, will contribute to reducing the dependency of the
under-developed countries on the developed countries. Evaluate this statement with
reference to a sociological explanation of the trade and investment as well as aid relations
between the Caribbean and any country of the developed world.

With reference to Caribbean society, assess the relevance of TWO of the following
indicators of development: health, education or social services.
 Concepts of Crime & Deviance

Crime and deviance function for the benefit of society and occur because of disruptions
in the social equilibrium of shared values. Critically assess this notion in respect to the
Caribbean.
- Social order, control and agents.
- The functionalist view - crime exists to encourage social order and maintain the
value consensus which is conjoint with the concept of a social equilibrium. Emilie
Durkheim is of the view that deviance is necessary in society and has to be in
place to uphold the collective consciousness and all the institutions work together
to reinforce this consciousness in different ways. It also facilitates the maintenance
of certain values whilst allowing for the evolution of society in certain ways.
- Compare it to the marxist view - socio-economic problems caused deviance as the
inequality caused by capitalism forces poverty and homelessness to take place
resulting in crime being the reasonable response. Capitalism encourages greed and
materialism which appeal to all classes however due to inequality the elite is less
likely to be persecuted for their deviances. This theory however fails to
acknowledge the fact that even in communist societies a lack of crime does not
exist and that the middle class faces the brunt of crime more than the elite does.
- Howard Becker believes that no act is inherently deviant but it is up to society to
deem it as such. His theory falls under the interactionist perspective who believe
deviance is chosen as a result of how we interact with society. The labelling theory
believes that once an individual is labelled deviant they have a higher propensity
towards deviance.

According to Emile Durkheim a certain amount of crime is normal or functional for

society. Do you agree or disagree with Durkheim's view? Support your response with
reference to a named Caribbean society and the likely impact of crime on the society.
 Perspectives on Crime and Deviance

"Because Caribbean societies are unique in many respects there is need for a Caribbean
Criminology". Discuss this statement by critically assessing the mainstream theories of
crime and their relevance to the Caribbean.
- Complex history of exploitation in the Caribbean resulting in underdeveloped
economies with poverty that leads to excessive crime (strain theory by Robert
Merton)
- Marxist view that poverty is a result of capitalism and this is seen in social and
economic inequalities. Capitalism causes societal ills such as poverty and
homelessness which forces deviance to be the rational response. As it encourages
greed, it promotes crime to all members of society (often overlooked by the other
theories such as the strain theory and social disorganisation theory). There is an
incorrect assumption that communist states would not experience crime and
deviance however this is not seen (eg Cuba and China)
- Interactionalists look at how as a society we interact with our world and form
opinions on what is considered deviancy. One example of this theory in action is
the labelling theory by Howard Becker. This theory states that by labelling an
individual a deviant it starts a cycle in which they eventually accept themself as a
deviant and falls deeper into the deviancy and may lead to the creation of a deviant
subculture. It fails however to identify the power one has over their own actions to
not engage in deviant behaviour. It also fails to discuss why there may be a
propensity to label one person as deviant over another.

Some may argue that a criminal is born while others may say that a lack of social control
could be the determining factor in one becoming a criminal. Discuss this notion by
assessing any TWO perspectives on crime and deviance.
- The strain theory by Robert Merton
 - The social disorganisation theory which falls under the functionalist perspective. A
person’s exposure to various

Some may argue that a criminal is born while others may say that a lack of social control
could be the determining factor in one becoming a criminal. Discuss this notion by
assessing any TWO perspectives on crime and deviance.

- Social disorganisation theory : those who are born in areas of high crime and

The inequitable distribution of resources, rather than an individual’s life experiences,

serves as the MAJOR reason for criminal behaviour. Discuss this sociological perspective
with reference to crime and deviance in a named Caribbean society.

Labelling an individual as deviant leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy.

To what extent do you agree with this statement? Support your response with reference to
a relevant theoretical perspective on deviance.

There are many in society who express the view that the agents of social control often
‘turn a blind eye’ to crimes carried out by members of economically dominant groups.
Do you agree or disagree with this view? Support your position by referring to any TWO
agents of social control in a named Caribbean society as well as to a relevant theoretical
perspective on deviance and crime.
- Marxism vs Functionalism (capitalism as the root cause of deviance vs deviance
being important to maintain and challenge social order)
- The legal system which despite supposed to be neutral is likely to be swayed by
the elite as it is usually run by the elite.
- The education system and its ‘hidden curriculum’ which conditions students to
have a particular set of beliefs that work towards a false consciousness or in the
 case of durkheim, emphasises the importance of social order and a value
consensus

Discuss the view that criminals in Caribbean societies are products of the policing and
court systems and not products of their social backgrounds. Support your position with
reference to ONE of the sociological perspectives on crime.

Assess the relevance of interactionist theories of delinquency to explain the behaviour of

young people in the Caribbean.

According to Emile Durkheim a certain amount of crime is normal or functional for

society. Do you agree or disagree with Durkheim's view? Support your response with
reference to a named Caribbean society and the likely impact of crime on the society.
 Issues Related to Crime and Deviance

To what extent are drug use and drug trafficking widespread among young males in the
Caribbean? In your view, describe whether these are related to social inequalities in
Caribbean society.

Lack of proper socialisation contributes to deviance within schools. Discuss this view
with reference to a deviant act frequently committed by youths in schools in a named
Caribbean society.
- Social Disorganisation Theory and differential association theory.

Analyse the claim that juvenile delinquency is a lower-class phenomenon.

- Emilie Durkheim’s view fails to acknowledge the phenomenon of juvenile
delinquency
- Strain Theory (Robert Merton) - Deviance and by extension crime whilst serving
its necessary function in maintaining social order and where appropriate
challenging and reforming them, it is disproportionately done by those who lack
adequate resources. However it fails to acknowledge the prevalence of juvenile
delinquency.

Examine the extent to which alternatives to imprisonment provide a better approach to

dealing with controlling crime and maintaining social order in Caribbean societies.

There is a high rate of delinquency among lower-class males in the Caribbean.

Discuss the validity of this statement with reference to the work of TWO of the following
sub-cultural theorists:
I. Albert Cohen
II. Walter Miller
III. Richard Cloward & Lloyd Ohlin

Analyse the claim that juvenile delinquency is a lower-class phenomenon.

Evaluate the claim that lower class males and young people are over-represented in
official crime statistics.

Discuss the MAIN factors that are likely to prevent an older person from committing
crime. In your response you can comment on sociological, economic and other societal
factors in a named Caribbean society.
 Effects of Crime and Deviance

"The prevalence of crime impacts the wellbeing and quality of life in Caribbean society
by diverting limited resources away from social development programmes to measures
for controlling crime." Discuss this view with reference to programmes and policies
aimed at reducing crime and deviance in a named Caribbean society.

With reference to contemporary Caribbean society, discuss the social and economic
effects of any TWO of the following issues related to crime and deviance:
I. Corporate crime
II. Juvenile delinquency
III. Drug trafficking

Official crime statistics are important to an understanding of the social distribution of

crime in any society. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Support your
response with reference to any TWO of the following factors: age, class, ethnicity, gender
or locality, in a named Caribbean society.
 Effectiveness of Institutions of social control

"The family plays the most influential role in the creation and maintenance of social order
in the Caribbean." Analyse this claim.

Examine the main reasons behind youth crime and the effectiveness of Caribbean
institutions in curbing this type of crime. Discuss TWO policies that you would propose
to tackle this issue in a named Caribbean territory.

"The central role that social institutions play in the socialisation process position them to
effectively contribute to the reduction of crime in society." Discuss this statement with
reference to the role of EITHER the family OR education as agents of social control in a
named Caribbean society.

The family is MAINLY responsible for the maintenance of social order within society.
Examine this statement with reference to the agents of social control responsible for the
maintenance of social order within Caribbean society. In your response, discuss the role
of the family and EITHER the media OR religion.

Religious institutions can play an important role in the reduction of crime.

Using a relevant sociological perspective, discuss this view with reference to a named
religious organisation in Caribbean society.

Examine the extent to which any TWO of the key social institutions have been effective
as agents of social control in a named Caribbean society. Support your response with
reference to any studies of deviance in the Caribbean.
Discuss the view that criminals in Caribbean societies are products of the policing and
court systems and not products of their social backgrounds. Support your position with
reference to ONE of the sociological perspectives on crime.
 Poverty

"Economic factors are the main contributors to the cause and persistence of poverty in the
Caribbean." Discuss.

Oscar Lewis explained that the poor are trapped in a cycle or a culture of poverty and
remain in that perpetuating cycle because of their value system. Discuss whether this
view can be applied to an understanding of poverty in a named Caribbean society.

The view that 'you are not defined by your circumstances' opposes the idea of a cycle of
poverty. Discuss this notion by assessing the main causes of poverty in the Caribbean and
the possible implications of having the mindset of not being defined by one's
circumstances.

Discuss the extent to which the Feminization of poverty argument is relevant to

understanding poverty among women in the Caribbean.

The impact of poverty is felt more by women and children than by any other group.
Discuss this statement with reference to poverty alleviation policies in a named
Caribbean society.

Poverty in Caribbean society is more subjective than real. Discuss TWO sociological
arguments EITHER for OR against this view with reference to the main forms of poverty
in a named Caribbean society.

"The 'culture of poverty' ensures that poverty reduction strategies will continue to fail."
Discuss this view with reference to the experiences of a named Caribbean society.
Governments concerned with improving social conditions have introduced poverty
alleviation policies. Examine the arguments for or against this strategy to improve the
quality of life in Caribbean society.
 Health
Discuss the impact of socioeconomic status on health in a developing country and outline
measures that can be implemented for equal access to health care.

One of the indicators of development in a country is its health status.

Examine the extent to which the health status of a country impacts its development.
Support your response with reference to a named Caribbean country.

Identify and assess the usefulness of a named policy or programme in addressing TWO
lifestyle diseases facing a named Caribbean territory. Discuss the social implications of
EACH lifestyle disease identified.

Non-communicable diseases could be easily controlled through increased public

awareness. Using examples from any Caribbean country, discuss this statement in
relation to the prevention and control of any two non-communicable diseases.
 Environment
The vulnerability of the Caribbean to natural disasters is a MAJOR factor affecting the
tourist industry. Discuss this statement with reference to the occurrence of natural
disasters and their impact on tourism and development in a named Caribbean society.

The term ‘climate refugees’ is used to refer to persons who flee their native land to seek
refuge because of natural disasters. Discuss the impacts of natural disasters on the lives of
Caribbean people and the implications for other Caribbean territories seeking to provide
assistance.