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Edexcel Geography A2 Unit 4: The World of Cultural Diversity

I've seen a few other threads for the other topics covered in unit 4 so I thought I'd create this one for cultural diversity :smile:

here we can discuss possible questions, case studies, etc. I know the relative amount of students that choose this topic is small, so I'm not expecting many replies but I encourage anyone doing this topic to get involved :h:

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Explore the changing relationship between humans, nature and landscape, and the cultural values that affect our use of the environment.

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Research a range of cultures at different levels of development that have contrasting attitudes to, and relationships with, the environment.

Reply 1

Adam25

Hello,

I picked Cultural Diversity in the hopes that it would incorporate a lot of human geography topics that interlinks with my other subjects such as economics and history. However, the steer completely threw me off as it was the sole Eco/physical topic there and initially I have struggled to generate any good case studies as that was the subsection I hadn't explored prior. Have brainstormed a few so far, but not yet solid ideas as such. Can you give me any general criterion for the type of case studies to use on this topic so i can steer myself to the right ones associated with this steer.

Thanks

Reply 2

Amefish

Original post by Adam25

I'm still looking for ideas too. We aren't studying it as a class so I'm completely alone. So far I've got the USA (following the Kuznets curve but may soon begin more environmental degradation following the Trump presidency), and China who are leading in renewable investments. What case studies have you brainstormed? Maybe we can build up a bank of case studies together :smile:

Reply 3

Zino98

I have a cultural diversity WhatsApp group chat if you're interested - PM me your mobile number

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 4

Amefish

Original post by Zino98

I have a cultural diversity WhatsApp group chat if you're interested - PM me your mobile number

Posted from TSR Mobile

I hope this isn't just a ploy to get my number :laugh:

Reply 5

Adam25

Original post by Amefish

I am in a similar situation where everyone chose different topics and I am the only one doing the topic. Thank you for the heads up on the Kuznets curve, regarding China's initiatives the Three Gorges Dam is obviously a case study that can play a part. For Trump I was wondering if you could contrast it to Al Gore's stance in the 'Inconvenient Truth' seeing as they are both influential political figures. As it concerns 'changing' attitudes, a (perhaps far-fetched) theory you could you is Boserup and Malthus and food consumption can definitely be a component of environment and this shows historic different views.

Sorry for the late reply. Hope these contribute to the case study bank.

Reply 6

Amefish

Original post by Adam25

That's fine, I'll have to look up some of the things you mentioned - I've never heard of them before! I have some more ideas, I'll send you a private message. I don't want to sound selfish but not many people are inputting here and I'd rather them not just take our ideas and not give any input :tongue:

Reply 7

iz.b.123

pre industrial- enviro is sacred. (eco centric approach) EG: maasai people, rabari
industrial -enviro for profit. (eco centric approach) EG: tar sands
post industrial -enviro for pleasure. (techno centric approach)EG: millennium development goals, national parks

Reply 8

Be.a.trix

Original post by iz.b.123

thanks for this. Do you have any other case studies

Reply 9

iz.b.123

Original post by Be.a.trix

thanks for this. Do you have any other case studies

ill add some when i have all my notes to hand

Reply 10

Be.a.trix

Original post by iz.b.123

ill add some when i have all my notes to hand

Thanks a lot. I also recently got some useful info. the National Geographic Greendex survey that calculates how environmentally friendly consumers in a country are. The first survey in 2008 involved 14 countries, the US came last with a score of 42.4/100 and BRIC countries India and Brazil scored the highest. Over the years, The greendex scores of different countries have been analysed and it has been noticed that consumers in developing countries are on average more willing to act sustainably. The US has consistently occupied the last position, although there have been minimal efforts to consume more sustainably.
This goes to prove that consumers in developing countries are more environmentally friendly.

Reply 11

harris14

Hi Guys, Just wondering how many case studies are putting in for each argument if following the structure of Kuznet's curve. Would one for each industrial stage be enough ? Also how are people revising for Friday ?

Reply 12

ajhbfd

Original post by harris14

hi, i think i'm going to use 4 but structure my report along the lines of econ development leading to poor relationship w/ the environment (china & us) and then development not having lead to enviro. degradation (using two other case studies) and then using my second set of case studies to counter the EKC.

to be honest i don't really know what I'm doing, I got 66/70 in a practise report but it was like 8 pages long and I won't be able to reproduce that in the exam. my teachers are also being of little help so its not looking good for friday :smile:

what about you?

Reply 13

Chel_garoo

hi, i think im going to lay mine out either following development, kuznets curve, or bybreaking it down into human and environment/nature, human and landscapes etc.
im using case studies in contrasting pairs, so i have 3 contrastig pairs such as china and costa rica, then i have a few small mini case studies such as a national park and a country which focuses on exploitation. then was going to do a tribe aswell. not sure if i will have the time to fit it all in though

Reply 14

Be.a.trix

could anyone please give examples of the case studies youre using

Reply 15

Eiknarf233

Hello, How did everyone find the exam?

I'm a bit worried I've answered it slightly wrong I wrote about pre-industrial societies saying the enviro is sacred e.g Rabari so I'm confident I've done that right but for industrial societies i wrote about their cultural attitudes being towards wealth accumulation and consumerism and for post-industrial enviro is for pleasure e.g. national parks as well as technocentric approach have I done it wrong? I'm worried