Social Studies exam revision notes

Please note – the topics identified by CXC are labelled topic 1, topic 2, etc in
colour. The other items in colour are the areas under those topics which were
specified by the syllabus.

1. Broad Topic - Family (roles of family)

Role – a set of behaviors which go with a particular social position e.g. father.

The responsibilities of family members long Ago and Now.

Role Expectations/Responsibilities Expectations/Responsibilities Consequences of not
long ago Today fulfilling responsibilities
 To provide financially  All the responsibilities  Children and the
Father / for family from long ago, family may not have
necessities – food, etc.
father  To protect the family  To help with child care  Family members may
figure feel neglected
 To discipline children  To help with cooking,
cleaning, other chores  Family members may
 …………………… resent him
 ………………………  Children may become
‘indiscipline’
 Conflict can arise
between him and
mother-figure
 Additional pressure is
put on mother-figure
and children to
provide, etc
 To care for children  All of the  Children not cared for
Mother / responsibilities from and can suffer from
 To cook, clean, wash malnourishment and
mother long ago
 To teach children/help  To provide financially neglect
figure  Children not
with school work for family
 To discipline children supervised and can be
 ……………………… put in danger
 ……………………  Members feel unloved
and can turn to
friends for attention
 Children ‘fall back’ at
school
 Children become
indiscipline
 Conflict can occur
between her and
father-figure
Role Expectations/Responsibilities Expectations/Responsibilities Consequences of
long ago Today not fulfilling
responsibilities
Mother/  Additional stress is
Mother placed father and
children to help in
figure
caregiving, household
continued chores, etc.

 ………………………………….
 To help discipline
Grand  To pass on traditions  All of the
Father
 Help settle disputes responsibilities from
long ago BUT
 To help babysit  They sometimes help
 To socialize children more financially and
with babysitting today.
 To support
son/daughter  ………………………
……..
 Sometimes they used to
provide financial help
if necessary.
 ………………………
……..
 To help with
Grand babysitting  All of the
Mother responsibilities from
 To help discipline long ago BUT
 To pass on traditions  They sometimes help
more financially and
 Help settle disputes with babysitting today.
 To socialize children
 ………………………
 To support
son/daughter
 Sometimes provide
financial help if
necessary
Role Expectations/Responsibilities Consequences of not
Expectations/Responsibilities Today fulfilling responsibilities
long ago.
 To love and respect  All of the  Conflict can occur due
Son parents/guardians And responsibilities from to unperformed
grandparents long ago and… responsibilities
 To help with babysitting  Additional stress is
 To help father figure placed on other family
with chores outside  To help with cooking, members who have to
house cleaning. take up more
 ………………………  To sometimes help responsibilities
financially (by working
on weekends or during  ………………………………..
school vacation)
 ………………………

Daughter  To love and respect  Conflict can occur due

parents/guardians And  All of the to unperformed
grandparents responsibilities from responsibilities
long ago and…  Additional stress is
 To help mother/mother  To help with chores placed on other family
figure with chores in outside members who have to
the house take up more
 To sometimes help responsibilities/chores
 To help babysitting financially (by working
where necessary on weekends or during  …………………….
 ……………………… school vacation)
 ………………………

Husband  Same as long ago

 To love wife  To sometimes help with
child care and chores
 To protect her
 To provide for her  ……………………
 To treat her kindly
 To be faithful..etc.
 ………………………
Role Expectations/Responsibilities Expectations/Responsibilities Consequences of not
long ago. Today fulfilling responsibilities

Wife  To love husband  Same as long ago

 To treat him kindly  To help him financially
where necessary
 To be faithful..etc
 ……………………
 ……………………

Topic: Roles, relationships and responsibilities of adult and sibling members of the Caribbean family

Role of the parents Role of children

Helping children to develop healthy lifestyles e.g Respect parents
exercising, eating healthy, staying away from illegal
drugs
Spending quality time with children e.g playing Assist with household chores
games with children
Providing children with basic economic needs e.g Pursue studies diligently
food, shelter, clothing
Developing discipline in children when they fail to Be responsible
follow the laws of home, school and the land
Cultivating a sense of responsibility- e.g by giving Practice thrift- take care of possessions
them age appropriate tasks
Syllabus requirements for Factors which contribute to the changing roles and responsibilities of
men and women in the Caribbean family: a. status of women in society; b. choice of employment;
c. available technology; d. leisure activities; e. educational opportunities. See table below for notes.
Results of the changing roles and responsibilities of men and women in the
Caribbean family:
a. identity crisis can result – The changing roles and responsibilities of men and women in the
Caribbean family can lead family members to question their role and ask themselves ‘who am I
here?’ For example the female’s role as mother may be ‘questioned’ when she has to spend most of
her waking hours at work and she may have significantly less time with her children. The father who
is helping with chores may start to question if he is the husband or the household assistant.

b. marginalisation of the male – some males may feel as if they are now placed in a position of little
or no importance, influence, or power in their home. Some men cannot cope with that and resort to
domestic violence, alcoholism, etc.

c. role conflict - this occurs when inconsistent types of behaviour are required in carrying out a
particular role. E.g. parents are expected to spend a lot of time with their children but because of
work they may not be able to. They experience conflict in their role as a parent. Also, a father may
have to help with child care and may be faced with questions from his daughter about
menstruation/puberty.

d. development of self-esteem and confidence of women/independence of women – more women

are developing increased self-confidence when they acquire higher levels of education and
occupational positions. They are also becoming more financially independent, they no longer have
to

Questions:

1. Why has the role of the father figure/males in the household changed significantly? What
factors account for him doing household chores and childcare?

2. How has taking on more household chores and childcare affected males? E. g. do most
males like doing this? How does it make them feel?

3. What factors account for more women working and getting better jobs?

4. What are some specific issues in the family that can cause conflict?

For example …………not respecting each other’s space and things

……………………………………………………………………………..
Answers
1. Why has the role of the father figure/males in the household changed significantly?
What factors account for him doing household chores and childcare?

Answer: - The women are now working, becoming educated, etc. This means she has less
time at home for doing chores, child care, spending time with family.

2. How has taking on more household chores and childcare affected males? E. g. do most
males like doing this? How does it make them feel?

Some males do not mind but others might feel as though they are doing a ‘woman’s job’ and
may feel emasculated/less of a man. They may even be heckled by their male friends or
relatives.

3. What factors account for more women working and getting better jobs?
Women are now becoming educated and trained; they now have more rights than they did
before. This means that they can take legal action if they feel discriminated against or that
their rights are being denied. Also they have more opportunities for education and
employment, as a result more women are now working and getting better jobs.
 2. Topic - Social Issues
Syllabus requirements - Contemporary social issues which influence Caribbean family life – teenage
pregnancy, street children, alternative life styles, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, sexually
transmitted diseases, child abuse, poverty, desertion, suicide, incest, domestic violence, trafficking in
persons, care and concern of the aged and those with special needs. See notes given in form 4.

Look at causes of these issues, effects, ways to deal with, resolve or prevent.

Strategies for dealing with Contemporary Issues

1. Educating citizens on the causes of the issue, the effects of the issue in order to bring about
a change in attitude.
2. Enacting legislation with heavy penalties to discourage people from engaging in some of
them.
3. Providing assistance to those affected, e.g. welfare grants for the poor, Unemployment
relief programmes (we have URP here), places for battered persons, etc.
4. Consulting with and providing resources/assistance to non-governmental Organisations
and other organizations which are dealing with social issues.
5. Seeking international technical and financial assistance to deal with issues, e.g. Teenage
pregnancy.
6. Creating more employment opportunities to prevent people from becoming more involved
in crime and also to alleviate poverty.
7. Providing home help and institutionalized care for the aged and those with special needs –
e.g. the G.A.P. programme here – the Geriatric – Adolescence Partnership prgoramme.
 3. Topic - Cultural Diversity
Syllabus requirement - Promotion of ancestral customs, art, craft, language, music, dance and
folklore by national organisations and groups.

Cultural Diversity of the Caribbean

Culture – the way of life of a people – including the ideas, beliefs, customs, traditions, language, etc,
which have been passed down from generation to generation.

Diversity – referring to a variety or range of different things. Due to the history of our region, the
Caribbean is a very diverse area, boasting of a large variety of cultures, races, religions, etc.

Therefore cultural diversity refers to the existence of a variety of different cultures in one society.

Promotion of customs, arts, etc. -

- In our country, at the national level there is the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the
Arts which supports and promotes the culture of the various groups within our country.
They do this by funding cultural programmes, educating the public about the different
cultures in our country and working with community groups which try to stage shows,
host cultural and educational programmes, etc.
- There are also national groups associated with different cultural groups which promotes
and support culture in our country – e.g. the Santa Rosa First People’s Community, the
Emanciaption Support Committee which supports the promotion of African culture, the
National Council for Indian Culture (NCIC) and the National Ramleela Council which
supports and promotes East Indian culture.
- At the regional level there is CARIFESTA which supports and promotes culture of the
countries in the region. Caribbean Festival of Arts, commonly known as CARIFESTA, is
an international multicultural event organized on a periodic basis by the countries of the
Caribbean. The main purpose is to gather artists, musicians, authors, and to exhibit the
folkloric and artistic manifestations of the Caribbean and Latin American region.
The following explains more about why the region is so diverse as well as specific examples of this
diversity.
The table below shows the contributions of the Amerindians
Activity 1. State TWO groups which came to the region describe ONE way in which EACH contributed
to the culture of the Caribbean. (4 marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. (a) Recommend THREE strategies that regional governments may use to promote the acceptance
of cultural diversity among people within the Caribbean. (6 marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
(b) Explain why EACH recommendation suggested above is likely to be successful. (6 marks)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Topic - Groups/institution – cohesion.
Syllabus - Requirements for group cohesion – leadership, control, cooperation, authority,
commitment and loyalty.

In order for groups to function well and remain together, the following needs to be in order:

1. Leadership – there must be someone who has the responsibility for setting the goal for the
group and for coordinating the activities of the members in order to ensure the goal is
achieved and that the members’ needs are met. If some members feel that the group is not
satisfying their needs, they may not be motivated to participate in the group’s activities and
may, therefore leave the group.
2. Control – groups must have rules/norms which regulate the behaviour of members and
promote order and stability within the group when members follow them. They must also
have sanctions for those who violate rules in order to ensure compliance and survival of the
group.
3. Cooperation – members must pool their ideas, skills and resources and work together to
achieve the group’s goals. The development of sub-groups would only lead to the break-up
of the group eventually.
4. Authority – the leader must have power/authority and he/she must be prepared to use it to:
- Direct the activities of the members of the group.
- Allocate resources for accomplishing tasks.
- Apply sanctions when members do anything that may conflict with the group’s reules or
prevent it from achieving its goals.
- Members must also be prepared to respect the leader’s authority.
5. Commitment /loyalty - members must take a personal interest in the success of the group.
If any of the factors above is not there, it will affect the group’s ability to stay together and
to achieve its goal.

What is the Role of leaders in ensuring group cohesion? See question 7

Q - 1.
below.

Consider these questions:

Now look at the answers
Institutions
The main institutions (using definition of social organizations) in society that will be
examined here are:

Economic – these include banks, trade unions, credit unions, insurance companies, etc.
Functions - Economic (banks, credit unions, cooperatives, insurance companies, farms, factories,
primary, secondary and tertiary sectors) . Most are categorised as financial institutions.

 To finance production
 To cater to financial needs of customers (accept deposits, generate interest on $
deposited, to offer loans, etc).
 To insure goods
 To produce raw materials
 To produce manufactured goods, to distribute/transport these goods.
These institutions/organisations helps the country to feed its citizens and provide for
their other basic needs.

Financial - comprise mostly of banks and can be categorized as:

National banks – such as a central bank, works in conjunction with the Ministry of
Finance, is responsible for the monetary policy of the country.
Regional banks – e.g. the Caribbean Development Bank – attempts to promote
harmonious economic growth & development to member countries in the region
and finance specific development projects.
Commercial banks – provide banking services to individuals and businesses.

Educational – schools, universities.

Educational – have been established to socialize, educate and prepare people for the
job market. Specifically, educational instutions/organisations:
 Teach basic reading, writing and numeracy skills.
 Teach knowledge and skills for specific jobs.
 Transmit the norms, beliefs and values/culture of society.
 Seek to inculcate critical thinking skills.
 Prepare the individual for life in society.
 Seeks total development of the individual (spiritual, moral, educational and
physical).

Recreational - sporting clubs (including gyms, swimming pools, entertainment

venues).
Recreational – includes sports clubs, gyms, cinemas and other entertainment centers, spas,
resorts, etc).

 These help members to be physically and mentally healthier.

 Encourage rest , stress relief and relaxation which is necessary to health and for a
productive workforce.

Religious – churches, temples, mosques.

Religious – these include churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship.

 Gives us purpose - provides members with a reason for their existence.

 Helps to comfort those in distress.

 Membership provides a sense of belonging

 Provides guidelines for behaviour (and so ensures social control as well).

 Provides social assistance to those in need and their membership and so

compliments the functions of the family, political and other institutions.

Note – in our country, a lot of religious institutions also have schools – thus complementing
the function of educational institutions.

Political – political parties, the government.

Political – includes political parties, the government & trade unions in some instances.

 Makes laws for the country.

 Administers sanctions to those who break the law

 Settles disputes among groups through the court system.

 Makes policies for the country.

 Protects citizens, defends the country internally (e.g. during the 1990 coup) and
internationally.

 Maintains international relations with other countries.

 Ensures general order, social control and stability in society.

 Manages the resources of the country (e.g to ensure food security).

 Represents the rights and interests of workers (trade unions).

 

The following tables reminds us of the functions of governments. Remember the

government is an example of a political instution.

Consider the following - question 12:

Now look at the answer:

Remember to also read text and notes posted/given in form 4 on groups.

5. Topic - Voter participation – factors influencing voter
participation.
The following are reasons why some people may not vote AND ways to get
young persons interested in elections -

Also see text and notes posted in form 4 on groups and

institutions.
 6. Topic - Location of natural resources in the Caribbean

The following table shows agricultural products of some

Caribbean countries:

Please note that Sugar cane is no longer produced in Trinidad and Tobago.

For USE of natural resources in the Caribbean, see summary

table given in class.
Some measures the GOVERNENT can take to ensure the
conservation of the physical environment are -

Remember to read notes posted/given and text on human resources also.

7. Topic – YOU MUST KNOW the following - Stages in
Regional Integration, Objectives of OECS, CARICOM,
CSME; Benefits of Regional Integration – see detailed
notes/copies given last term.

8. Topic - Tourism

 Terms to remember - Tourism, (international, regional, domestic), excursionist, (cruise

passenger, other); tourism sector (direct, indirect); economic linkage; economic leakage;
tourism product; nature tourism, sports tourism, health tourism, heritage tourism, all
inclusive, timeshare and marketing tourism, home porting, host country, supply country.

 Focus on Land and Cruise Tourism – a cruise passenger is one who is travelling on
a cruise ship. According to the United Nations, they are considered as excursionists
and not a tourist, because they do not stay in hotels or other land-based
accommodations but instead sleep on board the ship. The needs of cruise
passengers are different than tourists, e.g. they do not need hotels, they need
shopping areas that are close to the sea-port, as well as fast food outlets/dining
areas that are close by, shorter tours, foregin exchange facilities, souvenir shops,
etc., since they are more limited by time than normal/land tourists.
 Tourism industry and the Physical environment
Syllabus requirements –
a. resort development and its effects on the aesthetic value of the local environment – the
building of resorts/hotels have resulted in obstruction of the ‘view’ of the beaches and
ocean which are part of the Caribbean scenery. This scenery has been very ‘relaxing ‘ and
soothing for local and visitors alike, but in most instances is now obscured by
buildings/hotels. In some instances beaches, mangroves and reefs are destroyed along with
coconut trees, which are characteristic of the Caribbean, as well as forests, evergreen trees
and natural vegetation. It has resulted in the destruction of the habitats of wildlife also.
b. changes in ecology, reefs and tidal patterns caused by land reclamation, sewage disposal
and pollution of water bodies – ocean, sea, rivers – Building on the coast has also affected
the tidal patterns and led to the destruction of reefs which act as important ‘buffers’ against
strong waves during the hurricane season. This in turn has led to greater costal erosion and
damage to reefs from dredging and sand-mining.
 The building of resorts/hotels have resulted in pollution of the waters by sewage that has
been inadequately treated (including yachts whish also sometimes dump human waste in
the sea, some have been known to have oil leaks also), damage to corals and the reefs by
snorkelers, divers, boats dropping anchors, etc. This results in pollution of water and poses
health risks to local and visitors alike.

c. tourism and conservation of flora, fauna, historical sites, role of the Caribbean
Conservation Association, local National Trusts, and national parks

– The Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA)liaises with governments, Non-

Governmental Organisations and other interest groups to:
Promote eco-tourism in the region, protect wildlife habitats and nature reserves; protect
and conserve marine habitats, including coral reefs; educate stakeholders and the general
public on the dangers of overfishing and the benefits of protecting whales, turtles and other
marine creature. However, a major challenge it faces is a lack of funds.

- Environmental Management Agencies – these have been established in several

Caribbean countries and seek to :

Draft policies to manage and conserve the environment. This includes things like issuing
a ‘Certificate of environmental clearance’ before construction of hotels and buildings.

Educate the public on ways to protect and preserve the environment.

Draft laws and penalties for littering and pollution.

Making recommendations to control pollution

Making recommendations to declare areas under threat of destruction as ‘nature

reserves’.

NOTE - Some environmental groups have been making their contributions be having beach clean up
days, plant a tree days where they sponsor and give out trees, sponsor turtles, etc.

Activity - examine a different tourism product and describe how the activities associated with the
product affect the environment. Then suggest measures to reduce/increase the environmental
impact of each activity.

For example – tourism products include – sun, sand, sea. There are – eco-tourism/nature tourism,
heritage tourism, sports tourism, etc. How do these impact upon the environment and how can these
effects be minimised? E.g how does Carnival impact on the environment? How does the great race in
Tobago affect the ocean? What can be done to minimise these impacts?
  Government policies that influence the development of tourism.
Syllabus requirements:

a. meeting infrastructure requirements – If most Caribbean economies are highly dependent upon
tourism for income, then the governments of those countries must invest in proper infrastructure to
develop the tourism industry. Infrastructure refers to the basic systems and services, such as
transport and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively.
Therefore the governments of those countries must provide proper water supply, electricity supply,
roads, bridges, sea and air port facilities, etc. If tourists do not get these basic utilities and
infrastructure, they would not want to return and they would also tell other potential tourists not to
come.

b. providing a well-trained workforce – from reaching the airport to the hotel and other areas that
the tourist would visit, they require kind, courteous service from persons who are all well-informed,
patient, etc. This is the only way visitors would like to return, if they get good service. These workers
therefore have to be trained in customer service, be well-informed about the country, tourist
attractions, services available to tourists, etc. The government tried to ensure this by establishing
hospitality institutes to train nationals (we have the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality Institute)in jobs
in the tourism sector. There is also the Caribbean Hospitality Training Institute (CHTI).

c. addressing environmental concerns – issues that affect the environment were mentioned above –
such as pollution, damage to coral reefs and nesting sites of turtles and birds, destruction of natural
habitats to build hotels, etc. The government must have agencies in place (in Trinidad and Tobago
we have the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts and we also have the Tourism and Industrial
Development Company – TIDCO) to assess and develop policies to ensure the development of
tourism and that these things are either prevented or minimised (in the case of building hotels, they
may not be able to stop destruction of natural habitats but they can minimise it by regulating
WHERE hotels are built, by having and enforcing laws concerning land use, etc).

d. addressing social problems, such as crime - if tourists know that a country has a high crime rate,
they would not want to visit that country. If tourists are victims of crime, they would also discourage
other tourists from coming. In addition, several countries put out travel advisories, advising their
citizens not to visit certain countries because of the high crime level. Caribbean countries like
Jamaica, T and T and others have high crime rates and travel advisories were issued by countries like
the USA and UK, advising their citizens not to visit here. Therefore Caribbean countries must address
issues like crime, poverty, unemployment, low literacy levels, etc. since these affects tourism.

e. creating a favourable investment climate - governments in the Caribbean can provide motivation
(incentives) for investors from abroad to invest in the construction and maintenance of hotels and
other expensive tourism products – by giving them tax-holidays and other incentives.

f. Providing an overseas marketing and promotional presence in key markets (Tourist Boards,
Departments, Bureaus and Ministries of Tourism). – Caribbean countries should start/establish
tourism bureaus in potential foreign markets (e.g. USA, Canada and other countries), where they
market, advertise local/Caribbean tourism products in those countries with the aim to increase
tourist arrivals to the Caribbean.

This information above is summarized in the table below also

Do not forget to read your notes given in class at school and your text also.
Exam answer tips

Remember that at the end of EACH question, you will always be asked for 3
strategies/suggestions. Some of these can always include:

1. Education strategies – educate/sensitize the public/those who it is applicable to.

Remember to say

Who would do the educating – e.g. the government (where possible specify the
Ministry/agency);
How – e.g. via social media – whatsapp advertisements, the t.v. newspaper, radio, internet
pop-ups, billboards OR via schools (through the Social Worker, Guidance Officer) or
community centers. Hire famous local personalities to sensitize about the issue
You can include the where and when if possible/applicable.
2. Government OR Community groups can work with NGOs (Non-
governmental Organizations)– they can partner with them, ask them to sponsor a
programme, build a school, adopt a school or forest reserve or animal, sponsor treews for
replanting, etc.
3. Community groups/schools can start anti-something campaigns. E.g. anti-
litter or anti-pollution or anti-bullying campaigns or other such campaigns. They can have
lectures by persons who have experienced the issue/been affected.