Human geo September exam

Question 1

What is the global shift and how did it begin?

Answer 1

The global shift represents the movement of economic dominance to the east. Whilst services and admin joins have been outsourced mainly to areas such as India, manufacturing jobs have transitioned from the west to China.

The shift began in the 1950s with cheap mass-produced goods, e.g. toys and textiles, relocating to Japan and soon in the 1960s the Asian Tiger Economies (South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore) quickly followed. In the 1980s and 90s most other Asian countries opened up to globalisation.

Question 2

what is the time lag between the removal of trade barriers and large FDI flows

Answer 2

10-15 years

Question 3

what are the 2 general causes of the global shift?

Answer 3

• Improvements in transport and communications- countries are becoming increasingly connected, allowed for an increased ease in the flow of people and commodities as it is more time-efficient and cost-effective, able to offshore to other locations
• The lowering of trade barriers and economic liberalisation- this has allowed for an increase in FDI as countries become more open to trade flows, trade blocs have allowed for greater connections with the east and free market liberalisation means that offshoring is an easy process

Question 4

what are the causes of the global shift in India and China?

Answer 4

India

• India has close links to the UK and they speak English very well
• due to time zones, they can offer a 24hr service
• India had a comparative advantage as it is english speaking, a legacy of the British Empire

China

• cheap labour, quicker transport links, many government incentives (SEZs)
• no human rights in China, exploit people

Question 5

what are the 3 benefits of the global shift in China?

Answer 5

Chinese infrastructure investments

reductions in poverty

better education and training

Question 6

what are the 3 drawbacks of the global shift in China?

Answer 6

The loss of productive farmland

An increase in unplanned settlements

Pollution and health problems

Question 7

explain the benefit to China of the global shift: Chinese infrastructure investments

Answer 7

• it has the world’s longest highway network
• Shanghai’s Maglev is the fastest commercial train (268mph) taking 8 minutes from the CBD to the airport
• China spends more on economic infrastructure annually than North America and Western Europe combined, with an infrastructure spending of $28tn predicted for 2040
• China built 11,000km of new motorways in 2015 alone
• China is expected to spend another $19bn on the Hong Kong Zhihai Macau brindle which is already 19 miles long, it follows and crosses the Pearl River estuary, with two artificial islands and submarine tunnels to allow travel underneath the busy shipping route

Question 8

explain the benefit to china of the global shift: Reductions in poverty

Answer 8

• Between 1981 and 2010 the number of people living in poverty reduced by 680 million
• Extreme poverty has reduced from 84% in 1980 to 10% in 2016
• 300 million Chinese people are now considered to middle class
• Over the past 40 years, the number of people in China living below the international poverty line has dropped by more than 850 million
• China created employment opportunities for 2.59 million people in China and established more than 30,000 poverty alleviation workshops, helping 770,000 registered impoverished people get employed in areas close to their home
• China plans to eliminate absolute poverty by 2020

Question 9

explain the benefit to china of the global shift: better education and training

Answer 9

• 94% of Chinese over 15 are literate compared to 20% in 1950
• In 2014 7.2 million Chinese graduated from university – 15 times higher than in 2000
• China has the largest education system in the world. Over the past few years, the number of international students who study abroad in China has significantly increased
• Investment in education accounts for about 4% of total GDP in China, in 2009 the gov made nine years of education mandatory
• TNCs invest in training and skills development to improve workforce productivity and some skills are transferable
• Economic growth generated from the global shift in manufacturing used to finance investment in education and training

Question 10

explain the cost to china of the global shift: the loss of productive farmland

Answer 10

• Most farmland is lost due to pollution. 3 million hectares (the size of Belgium) has been polluted by heavy metal.
• the environmental protection ministry has estimated that 12 million tonnes of grains are polluted by heavy metals every year
• the loss of productive farmland is causing concern due to their predicted 300 to 400 million people coming to move into the city within the next 30 years. The predicted share of urban residences in China’s population from 47% to 75% would require the clearance of land for residences, roads and other infrastructure.
• only 7% of farmland is arable land. This is emphasized through the overuse of fertiliser, intensive grazing and the reliance on biomass for rural energy.
• the Chinese are consuming more and more meat, farmland used for cattle is a less productive way of using farmland. 70% of China’s corn is used to feed livestock rather than the population

Question 11

explain the cost to china of the global shift: an increase in unplanned settlements

Answer 11

• Rapid industrialisation and then urbanisation has created a need for more housing resulting in an increase in informal homes
• Illegal homing comes from adding an extra storey to their house and renting it to migrant workers or if farmland is privately developed for housing without permission
• with the scheduled 300 to 400 million people due to move into the city in the next 30 years, it puts an intense strain on the availability of housing for the migrants. They may be unable to adapt to the higher-valued accommodation, leading to the increase in informal/illegal settlements

Question 12

explain the cost to china of the global shift: pollution and health problems

Answer 12

• they consume 1.9 bullion tons of coal each year with 70% of Chinese households burning coal or biomass for cooking or heating
• 70% of China’s rivers and lakes are now polluted, 207 tributaries from the Yangtze are so polluted they cannot be used for irrigation let alone to drink.
• 100 cities suffer from extreme water shortages and 360 million people don’t have access to clean water. Tap water in some areas has 80 out of the 101 forbidden toxins under Chinese law
• The outdoor air pollution that China is exposed to has led to just under 300,000 deaths, 20 million cases of respiratory illness and therefore a health cost of around 3% of GDP annually
• the pollution occurring in china has had detrimental effects on child development, including reduced foetal and child growth and developmental impairment. A study found that unhealthy levels of pollution led to roughly 852,000 premature deaths in China in 2017
• A 2018 study from the Chinese university of Hong Kong estimates that the equivalent of $38 billion of revenue is lost yearly due to early deaths and lost food production as a result of air pollution.

Question 13

explain the global shift to Bangalore, India

Answer 13

• 4 of the top tech companies have located in Bangalore, very high wages
• Bangalore has seen a rise in middle-class, higher consummation leading to environmental issues, they are demanding more services
• India opened up to globalisation in 1991 with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s economic liberalisation
• early investment in Indian Institutes of Technology produced a large pool of IT literate workers
• Broadband access exceptionally high in Bangalore and other tech-city hubs

Question 14

what are some of the benefits of the global shift to India

Answer 14

• India’s call centre workers earn good middle-class wages by Indian standards
• nightclubs and 24 shopping malls in Bangalore testify to the relatively high purchasing power of a new Indian ‘techno-elite’ typically earning 3500 rupees (£40) a week
• Indian outsourcing companies have become extremely profitable. Founded in 1981, Infosys had revenues od US$9 billion in 2015. It is one of the top 20 global companies for innovation, according to Steve Forbes
• it has become a hub for entrepreneurs, low costs of labour, you can afford to invest in lots of new products, can afford to take more risks however this comes with the opportunity for big rewards, hope for Bangalore’s digital future.
• by 2040, India is expected to be the second-largest economy in the world, the economic growth they have encountered has been powered by the call centre services that Indian workers provide

Question 15

what are some of the costs to the global shift to India

Answer 15

• some call centre workers complain they are exploited
• their work can be highly repetitive. Business is often conducted at night due to time zone differences between India and customer locations in the USA or UK- sometimes in 10 hour shifts, 6 days a week
• Despite overall growth, the gap between the rich and the poor has widened sharply. India has more billionaires than in the UK, yet it also has more people living in absolute poverty than all of Africa. In 2015, half a billion Indians lived in homes that lacked a toilet

Question 16

what are the 3 contributors of globalisation

Answer 16

developments in transport

developments in ICT and mobile communication

national governments through supporting economic liberalisation

Question 17

explain the contributor of globalisation: developments in transport

Answer 17

• over time transporting goods and people around the world has become cheaper, transport systems have evolved in order to contribute towards a ‘shrinking world’
• developments in transport and trade in the 19th century include railways, telegraph and steam ships.
• developments in transport and trade in the 20th century include jet aircraft and containerisation.
• containerisation is known as the ‘backbone’ of the global economy since the 1950s with around 200 million individual container movements taking place each year, lower costs of transport is beneficial for both businesses and consumers
• the arrival of the intercontinental jet in the 1960s has allowed people to be able to travel abroad more easily, lowered the cost of international air travel, encouraged tourism within the purchasing capabilities of the middle class
• these transport developments have reduced transport costs per unit output so products are affordable for customers in a distant market, setting up a new flow of goods/information

Question 18

explain the contributor of globalisation: developments in ICT and mobile communication

Answer 18

• ICT development shave reduced communication costs and increased global communication flows, since the late 20th century
• Technology is used by different players in a vast array of ways that contribute to globalisation
• the developments in technology has led to a lowering in communication costs and contributed to time-space compression
• ICT supports the growth of complex spatial divisions of labour for firms and a more international economy

Question 19

explain the developments in ICT of mobile phones, internet and social networks

Answer 19

Mobile phones

• reduced mobile phone costs expanded usage from an expensive business tool to an ubiquitous consumer product
• they extended information flows to locations beyond landline networks
• the ability to contact people around the world

Internet

• 40% of the world’s population have access to it
• broadband internet in the 1980s and 90s meant that large amounts of data could be moved quickly through cyberspace
• the internet is one of the main players in globalisation, through the internet the world has been able to be connected

Social networks

• Social media has led to the rapid spread of news, knowledge and opinions, contributed to the homogenisation of culture through the adoption of American culture
• they have allowed people to communicate instantly and without charge
• Skype has allowed cheap, direct, face-to face communication, allowing migrants to maintain stronger bonds with their distant family, it can also be used in TNCs that operate in many countries due to globalisation, able to hold meetings online easily with employees all over the world, very easy

Question 20

explain the developments in ICT of electronic banking

Answer 20

Electronic banking

• this creates financial links with people around the world, the digital economy is worth $1.5 trillion
• in Kenya the equivalent of 1/3 of the country’s GDP is sent through the M-Pesa system annually. This is a mobile phone service that allows credit to be directly transferred between phone users.
• in-store barcode recording automatically orders a replacement from a distant supplier, reducing warehouse and waste transport costs
• E-banking allows migrants to transmit remittances of money back to their home countries, remittances are essential to many countries
• E-banking enables businesses to transfer money and investments instantly along with being able to analyse data on sales, employees and order from anywhere within their business

Question 21

what are the 4 different ways of the contributor of globalisation of national governments through supporting economic liberalisation

Answer 21

free market liberalisation
trade blocs
privatisation
encouraging business start ups

Question 22

explain free market liberalisation as a contributor to globalisation

Answer 22

• this involves promoting free markets and reduces government intervention in the economy, the competition that is created allows for innovation and lowest cost production
• lifting restrictions on the way banks and companies operate has led to increased competition in a once restricted market, thus benefitting the economy through the increase in FDI
• it involves removing price controls, breaking up monopolies and encouraging competition- including foreign competition which promotes globalisation

Question 23

explain trade blocs as a contributor to globalisation

Answer 23

• leads to a market over a greater global scale, an increased amount of flows over a larger geographical area
• a trade bloc is a group of countries that agree to reduce trade barriers between them. They promote free trade between members, increasing economic globalisation.
• firms producing a country’s specialisation become TNCs as they sell outputs through the bloc, this contributes to globalisation as straight away their products are being sold on a global scale
• the formation of the European union has led to them forming their own parliament and integrates economies into one group, GLOBALISATION, interconnectedness and interdependence
• the biggest trade bloc is the EU

Question 24

explain privatisation as a contributor to globalisation

Answer 24

• since the 1980s many governments have sold off industries they once owned
• the British government have liberalised their economy leading to a large increase in FDI, we have now become dependant on China for a lot of funding that occurs, they take part-shares into UK companies, these connections they have formed are due to globalisation, the more liberal a country the more likely they are to form connections with foreign countries, this will result in larger amounts of leakages abroad
• permitting foreign ownership allows an injection of foreign capital through FDI, introduces new technologies and promotes globalisation
• in the UK the steel, car, electricity, gas and water industries were all state-owned but are now privately owned
• through privatisation it allows for deep connections with people across the world, the flow of foreign ideas and opinions into our economy

Question 25

explain the encouragement of business start ups as a contributor to globalisation

Answer 25

• encourages people to set up business by offering financial incentives
• if a country offers low business taxes, minimum regulation and well-enforced contract laws then it will encourage business start ups, formation of TNCs, foreign new companies will set up business there allowing for the flow of people and culture
• it creates innovation and competitions in new production techniques, erodes excess profit of monopolies, lowers prices and increases household PP

Question 26

why was there a need for regeneration in liverpool?

Answer 26

• in 1980s they were badly affected by industrial decline with high levels of crime and vandalism and led to high levels of deprivation
• lack of retail and commercial industry, increasing competition from other areas
• when the docklands went out of their function and land became derelict as tech continued to improve and so Liverpool declined rapidly
• In the 1960’s Liverpool was the third most visiting shopping centre in the UK and by 2002 it had dropped to 17th

Question 27

what were the stakeholders involved in the Liverpool regeneration

Answer 27

• working population (availability of jobs for all workers (skilled and unskilled)
• Local community (rehousing, too expensive for elderly)
• Stakeholders and developers such as urban splash and Liverpool vision have worked within the ropewalks partnership to refurbish historical buildings as luxury settlements and establishing an active residential community
• Government were involved as they provided a £5 billion fund for the scheme and gave framework and ideas for local gov to act on
• UN were involved in declaring the Liverpool docklands a UNESCO world heritage site
• Paradise project cost £1 billion and all the money was raised from the private sector, reducing reliance on government funds

Question 28

what were the conflicts of the Liverpool regeneration?

Answer 28

• conflict through the local communities through the increased amount of congestion and pollution due to the UNESCO site
• Poorer communities at risk due to rising house prices through regeneration
• Elderly pushed out due to gentrification meaning age structure changed
• Opposition to the impacts of the new project, such as the removal of public rights of way and the effect it would have on other parts of the city centre
• Chambers of commerce which are often headed by smaller organisations may be against large scale regeneration as it attracts larger and more affluent businesses and unicorn companies that can outcompete them

Question 29

wha was done socially in Liverpool?

Answer 29

• Waterfront was declared a UNESCO world heritage site as it reflects the area’s historic importance as a trading port, it now has 4 million visitors a year due to city of culture and world heritage site
• Liverpool uni has created ample opportunity for younger generations and has created an educated and innovative population to perhaps facilitate growing job opportunities
• Culture has boomed through housing two premier league football teams and many visual arts attractions such as the Beatles. This draws people into the area and leads to more spending and sustaining regeneration as it guarantees the movement of people into the area throughout the year.

Question 30

what has been done economically in Liverpool?

Answer 30

• There was a £5 billion scheme allowing for many opportunities (housing, offices, waterfront quarter)
• Regenerated a 60-hectare historic dockland to create a world class, high quality, waterfront feature
• Improved retail services and shopping centres allowing competition with other UK cities (London). It has created 160 new stores (tertiary jobs, better pay and therefore greater tax revenue) as well as a range of leisure activities and 600 residential units and offices

Question 31

what has been done environmentally in Liverpool?

Answer 31

• Increased noise and air pollution due to denser urban environment and increased tourism

Question 32

was the regeneration in Liverpool a success socially?

Answer 32

• YES: in recent years, 8-10 million tourists have visited Liverpool each year from around the world, especially USA and Japan, aided through the budget airline that use Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Tourists have made Liverpool one of the ten most visited destinations in the UK. capital of culture
• NO: a lack of affordable housing due to gentrification and so it may cause residents to be pushed out, widening the gap of income, lack of sustainability
• NO: rising land prices has forced many out of the city as they aren’t affluent enough to sustain this lifestyle. E.g. the elderly through gentrification. Services of the local area are more benefited towards the younger pop (night life and education)

Question 33

was the regeneration in Liverpool a success economically

Answer 33

• YES: greater tax revenue for government due to the increased amount of money coming into the economy through more job opportunities
• YES: yearly increase in GVA, leading to an increased amount of money for further investment
• YES: the city’s economy is said to have been boosted by £800 million of additional income in 2008 alone
• NO: a vast proportion of wards still in the 10% most deprived, creating large social inequalities and exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor. This is further increased by the housing affordability crisis meaning many residents can no longer sustain a city lifestyle

Question 34

was the regeneration in Liverpool a success environmentally

Answer 34

• NO: Increased noise and air pollution due to denser urban environment and increased tourism
• YES: the preservation of the dockland area has helped to sustain aquatic ecosystems in the area and nearby water
• YES: the regeneration has catalysed the revival of the built environment. The previously derelict land has not been preserved through its status as a world heritage site, preventing widespread urban decay

Question 35

why was there a need for regeneration in Stratford?

Answer 35

• In the late 20th century it was a period of severe economic decline
• Carpenter’s road lock needed desperate regeneration as it was extremely polluted and dirty, it was supposed to be one of the areas most creative and striking features
• Stratford had no real function, despite sustaining elements of trade and industry
• There was a lack of infrastructure and environmental quality was poor, e.g. greenway was littered with rubbish
• After the closure of many of London’s docks in the 1960s, thousands of people lost their jobs. People left the area to look for jobs elsewhere.
• in the 2001 census, east London contained some of the UK’s poorest areas. The mayor of London at the time believed that the Olympics could help to build a process of convergence, reducing the gap between the wealthiest and poorest

Question 36

who were the stakeholders involved in the regeneration in Stratford

Answer 36

• Local business tailor their goods and services to facilitate the games, benefit from increased tourism
• Stakeholders in the local economy- the venues were sited on a former industrial estate, where 207 companies employed 5000 people- all of whom were compensated to move.
• Regional government- the mayor of London and the elected London assembly were responsible for ensuring that transportation was effective during the games, as well a supporting the expansion of housing and the east London economy after 2012
• Environmental stakeholders were concerned about the amount of dereliction due to the closure of the docklands, the queen Elizabeth Olympic park has cleaned up and re-landscaped the whole area.
• National government provides the funding for the scheme, they identified Stratford as a region that should host it in order to reap the benefits of such an event

Question 37

what were the conflicts for stratfords regeneration

Answer 37

• Local community troubled by the growing amount of tourists visiting Stratford after/during the Olympics, led to increased congestion and air pollution, stopping cultural diffusion due to increased tourism
• Gentrification has led to communities having to move out, 4% increase in professional roles and flagship stores that do not suit the threshold population.
• Local businesses may shut down due to the increased amount of large scale businesses placing themselves here due to the growing economic opportunities
• Industries being compensated to move led to many objections, most companies relocated within the local area, but many workers still faced a longer commute

Question 38

what was done socially in stratford?

Answer 38

• New university designed to specialise in sport technology increases qualification and job opportunities and greater skilled workers to attract business. (6.2% more of the educated population are qualified), leading to decline in outmigration and so services are sustained
• By 2030, more than 10,000 new homes will have been built in the park, around a third of which will be affordable
• Residential areas e.g. Chobham manor and sweetwater, which will provide 9000 new homes by 2025

Question 39

what was done in Stratford economically?

Answer 39

• The development of westfield shopping centre and other businesses has led to the estimation of 20,000 new jobs to be created by 2030, bringing more than £300 million annually, this increases tax revenue for local gov and therefore has benefitted local community as it has increased social spenfing and therefore the quality of services
• East London tech hub has attracted unicorn companies such as google, amazon and facebook. Agglomeration and clustering have happened in the area furthering the economic prosperity
• From the Olympics, there were a large amount of new leisure centres including the Olympic stadium (now home to west ham football club) which generates a lot of money, the velodrome and lee valley hockey centre

Question 40

what was done in Stratford environmentally?

Answer 40

• Development of 6000 boris bikes and the increased transport links allow for a direct train line from Stratford and so it has decreased the amount of air pollution by 8.6% as people avert from cars
• The scheme has cleaned areas such as the greenway, improving the informal perception of the area and preventing excessive damage to the environment.

Question 41

was regeneration a success socially in stratford

Answer 41

NO: Olympic village has left a legacy of non-affordable housing that has worked to bring about gentrification in the area (4% increase in professional roles)

• NO: 14% of crimes are gang-related, symbolising cultural clash and lack of integration
• NO: under half the jobs involved are local people, not utilising the area, perhaps jobs are too skilled for the less educated community, not very accommodating
• YES: increase in cultural diversity as there has been a 34-17% loss in white British.
• YES: increased accessibility and transport have led to a vast proportion of workers commuting and therefore a transient population

Question 42

has regeneration in stratford been a success economically?

Answer 42

• YES: the opening of the westfield shopping centre is an example of retail-led regeneration, which as created over 10,000 new jobs, in its first year it had a turnover of £1 billion, which added hugely to the local economy
• YES: east London tech hub has led to clustering increasing innovation but also developed improved broadband
• YES: East London tech hub has attracted TNCs such as google, amazon and facebook. Agglomeration and clustering have happened in the area furthering the economic prosperity
• NO: due to the less affordable housing, it has increased homelessness. (in newham between 2009 and 2014, it increased from 1.1 to 7.9 per 1000 households)

Question 43

has regeneration in stratford been a success environmentally?

Answer 43

• YES: the development of 6000 Boris bikes and improved transport links has decreased air pollution by 8.6% as people avert from cars
• NO: precious greenbelt land was transformed into a built environment, thus altering naturalised habitats which had seamlessly integrated themselves into the surrounding urban area and acted as a buffer zone for CO2
• NO: Stratford was a previous industrial site and therefore the ground was shown to be contaminated by a vast amount of toxic radioactivity. Studies show that there wasn’t enough time to build on the site and do a full decontamination process so this stage was skipped and therefore this could have unforeseen environmental issues

Question 44

give 4 different examples of FDI from china in the UK

Answer 44

• Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (Hong Kong) owns Northumbrian Water
• Hinkley Points C nuclear power station in Somerset will be 40% owned by Chinese SWFs
• A Chinese SWF owns 9% of Thames Water
• China has made an £800 million investment in the Airport City Manchester project

Question 45

What are the two ways of measuring globalisation?

Answer 45

• AF Kearney index. This is an indicator which uses 12 indicators across the 4 categories:economic integration, technological connectivity, political engagement, and personal engagement. An index value is calculated for each indicator based on its relative position on the scale, with the highest actual value scoring 1 and the lowest 0
• the KOF index. This is a composite index combining 24 indicators spread across three categories: economic, social and political globalisation. You can analyse the data by converting all 24 variables in an index value with a scale of 1 up to 100 substituting missing data with the most recent data available.

Question 46

what is localism

Answer 46

it is the opposite of globalisation, making things a lot more local

Localism describes a range of political philosophies which prioritise the local. generally, localism supports local production and consumption of goods, local control of government and promotion of local history, culture and identity

Question 47

explain the link between covid-19 and the need for localism

Answer 47

• some argue that it became a pandemic due to globalisation, free movement of people, the immediate economic impact is due to globalisation
• with COVID, once supply chains were disrupted, firms and people starting looking for alternative supplies at home, even if they were more expensive. if they find domestic suppliers they will stick with them.
• some believe that companies will begin to reshore, bring work back home. it brings certainty and allows you to diversify your supplier base. they have seen the negatives of offshoring.
• the drawbacks are that the service sector has crashed, tourism and universities won’t have the international students that day not, used to the free movement but not now, slowing globalisation would hit the sector hard
• will we see the rise of nationalism, protectionism, economic depression or instead more co-operation and internationalism?

Question 48

explain the problem of climate change and resource scarcity as a result of globalisation, reinforcing the need for localism

explain what happened in Rana plaza, Bangladesh

Answer 48

• 35% increase in global food demand by 2030
• 50 years of supply left in proven oil reserves assuming that current levels of demand continue
• 20% of worldwide energy consumption could be saved through energy efficiency measures
• the global population is predicted to demand 50% more energy by 2030
• a former textile factory that produced large amounts of clothing for western businesses
• after being poorly constructed with overcrowding in the warehouse, it collapsed leading to 1134 deaths

Question 49

explain the need for sustainable development

Answer 49

sustainable development involves integrated decision making whereby they consider social, economic and environmental sustainability

• in order to achieve this there needs to be a significant reduction in world economic output or new technological fixes such as widespread carbon capture or storage
• governments need to take bold moves in ensuring sustainability, local culture and local identity

Question 50

explain what a transition town is and explain the one in tonnes, Devon to help embrace sustainability and locality

Answer 50

a transition town is a settlement where individuals and businesses have adopted ‘bottom up’ initiatives with the aim of making their community more sustainable and less reliant on global trade

• totnes was one of the first transition towns, their residents wanted of embrace localism, they did like our consumer society
• located in Devon in the SW of the UK near a coastline

Question 51

what are the three strands to the work of totnes the transition town?

Answer 51

resilience- the ability of a system (an individual, an economy, a town or a city) to withstand shock from the outside

relocalisation- actively promotes the idea of going beyond the concept of ‘localism’- the devolving of political power to the local level- towards ‘localisation’; meeting of our core needs locally (food, building materials, energy)

regenerative development- development of Totnes and District for the public benefit of its citizens by reducing reliance on scarce resources

Question 52

what are the social benefits and costs of transition towns?

Answer 52

benefits:

• a sense of community (social cohesion), all working together brought community resilience, stronger bonds are formed
• the co-operation in the community will minimise conflicts, working together
• residents have a shared sense of belonging and a shared sense of purpose
• booklets are accessible, low cost and so available to everyone
• different groups for different groups of interest, e.g. food, climate change, suits all

costs:

• can be difficult in starting, feel small
• can be insular, outsiders are excluded from small community-based projects

Question 53

what are the economic benefits and costs of transition towns?

Answer 53

benefits:

• local businesses benefit, localism has a positive multiplier effect
• their local economic blueprint has allowed for the town to discover their opportunities and weaknesses, strengthen economy
• they help businesses through over 50 different workshops and consultations, skilled people
• 80% of money spent in supermarket leaves the area immediately

costs:
- consumers can miss out on the price benefits of competition and a wider range of choice. chains such as lidl would charge lower prices

Question 54

what are the environmental benefits and costs of transition towns?

Answer 54

benefits:

• co-operate in helping the planet, work on waste as a whole community, more successful
• transport costs are reduced which means there are fewer co2 emissions, helping the environment
• 80% of people involved in T-Tog, have made improvements to save energy, learned to save resources in a fun way
• a way of transitioning into a sustainable world

costs:
- small scale production especially agriculture can be more damaging to the environment, using greenhouses can create additional energy inputs

Question 55

what are the positive and negative impacts of localism?

Answer 55

Positives

• local businesses benefit through the increased amount of customers
• a greater sense of community, perhaps higher levels of engagement
• less transport and therefore lower pollution levels

Negatives

• less choice in terms of sourcing products, may be more expensive, miss out on the price benefits of competition
• insular environment, not interacting with other cultures
• small-scale agricultural production can be more damaging to the environment

Question 56

what is attachement to place?

Answer 56

how positive someone feels about a place. this will be determined by their lived experience of it.

Question 57

what are levels of engagement?

Answer 57

how much people participate in their community (at different scales, local to national). this will be affected by their lived experience.

Question 58

how can participation within a community be measured?

Answer 58

• Volunteer rates
• Voter turnout
• Participation in protests/voicing their opinions on local matters (petitions)

Question 59

how is turnout from general elections and local elections different?

Answer 59

The turnout from general elections is normally higher than local elections. Turnout also varies geographically where it tends to be higher in rural than urban areas. Political engagement reduces as people become more removed from the centre of power- producing voter apathy.

Question 60

what are the factors affecting lived experiences and therefore levels of engagement?

Answer 60

1) age
2) gender
3) ethnicity and length of residence
4) deprivation

Question 61

how does age affect lived experiences and therefore levels of engagement?

Answer 61

Because an older population will have more time to consider and get involved in activities or devote to decisions on elections
- 18.7% of Cornwall’s population is aged 65-84, compared to 14.2% nationally so there are more people with time to devote to community activities. Those aged over 60 are also more likely to vote in elections.
- Engagement often peaks at middle aged groups of 35-44 (volunteering)
This is often because they have children and therefore there is a desire to make it safe and secure. They also have a desire to appear as a well-rounded citizen to act as a role model to their children.
- It finds its lowest scale in 20-24 (volunteering).
This may be because of a lack of dependence making them more self-centred and selfish. Many are also in Uni during this period making them a transient population. This reduces attachment as they aren’t settled. At this age, naivety often turns to cynicality.

Question 62

how does gender affect lived experience and therefore levels of engagement?

Answer 62

• more women get involved in community projects than men

- more women work part time or not at all

Question 63

how does ethnicity and length of residence affect lived experience and therefore levels of engagement?

Answer 63

Because people may not feel as much belonging so this will affect engagement, although some ethnic communities have higher engagement in voting if faced by prejudice or exploitation
- in the 2011 census, Cornwall had 400 ‘short-term residents’ which meant that engagement with communities is unlikely to develop in such a short time period.

Question 64

how does deprivation affect lived experience and therefore levels of engagement?

Answer 64

Because poorer areas are politically excluded possible due to the lack of education or feelings of helplessness or apathy.

• poorer people are more likely to vote as where they have faced prejudice, or exploitation at work
• the higher the level, the greater the feelings of marginalisation and the greater the likelihood of disengagement.

Question 65

what are reinventors

Answer 65

they are areas that have managed to move away from low-skills employment and gain a larger share of knowledge-intensive jobs after de-industrialisation. e.g. London

Question 66

what is meant by social progress?

Answer 66

This relates to how individuals or groups of people improve and sustain the quality of their lives. It might also involve a rising of relative status within a given society.