Cambridge A-Level Sociology: Global Inequality, Migration and Crime — Practice Questions (9699)

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — Cambridge International holds copyright in its own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available through your school or Cambridge directly.

Related: Global inequality, migration and crime revision notes

These questions cover Cambridge International A Level Sociology (9699) Paper 4, heading 8 Contemporary issues (sections 8.1, 8.2 and 8.3). Paper 4 essays are worth 35 marks and must explore contrasting views or evidence; warm-up questions check the concepts first.

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Warm-up questions

W1. Define net migration. [2]

W2. Identify two push factors and two pull factors in migration. [4]

W3. Explain what is meant by corporate crime, with an example. [3]

W4. Name two transnational organisations involved in tackling global inequality. [2]

Warm-up answers

• W1. The difference between the number of people entering a country (immigration) and the number leaving it (emigration) over a period. 2 marks for a precise definition.
• W2. Push: poverty, unemployment, conflict, persecution, natural disaster. Pull: jobs, higher wages, safety, family reunion, education. 1 mark each.
• W3. Crime committed by a company or by employees on its behalf, for profit — for example breaches of safety law causing disasters such as the Bhopal gas leak (1984), or pollution offences. 2 marks for meaning, 1 for example.
• W4. Any two: World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, UNICEF, an international NGO.

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Essay 1 (8.1)

“Globalisation has improved life chances in developing countries.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

For:

• Modernisation and neo-liberal views (Rostow, 1960): investment and trade raise incomes.
• Spread of mobile technology, medicines and vaccines; global goals (MDGs 2000–2015, SDGs 2015–2030) increased primary school enrolment and reduced child mortality in many countries.
• Remittances from migrants support education and health spending.

Against:

• Dependency theory (Frank, 1966): integration on unequal terms keeps countries poor.
• Low-wage, unsafe export work (Rana Plaza, Bangladesh, 2013).
• Debt and loan conditions linked to cuts in public services.
• Brain drain of health workers; environmental damage from relocated industry.
• Feminist view: women’s life chances lag because of patriarchy (Mies, 1986).

Evaluation: outcomes differ by country, class and gender; distinguish averages from distribution; conclude on balance with reference to education, income and health separately.

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Essay 2 (8.1)

“Transnational organisations have failed to reduce global inequality.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

• Failure arguments: Moyo’s Dead Aid (2009) — aid fuels corruption and dependency; Marxist critique of IMF and World Bank conditions; Western dominance of decision-making; inequality between and within countries remains high.
• Success arguments: Sachs (2005) — targeted aid breaks poverty traps; disease eradication and vaccination campaigns; disaster relief; NGO projects in water, sanitation and girls’ education.
• Evaluation: distinguish between types of organisation; consider whether globalisation itself creates the inequality these organisations try to reduce; judge partial success.

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Essay 3 (8.2)

“Migration benefits receiving countries more than migrants themselves.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

For the view:

• Receiving economies gain workers for care, construction and technology, often trained at the sending country’s expense.
• Marxist view: migrants form a reserve army of labour, accepting low pay and poor conditions.
• Irregular migrants face exploitation and lack legal rights.
• Global care chains (Hochschild): migrant women care for richer families at emotional cost to their own.

Against the view:

• Migrants usually earn far more than at home and send remittances that support families and communities.
• Some receiving societies experience concern over scarce resources and social tension, reducing their gains.
• Sending countries can gain from returning migrants’ skills and investment.
• Castles and Miller (1993): outcomes depend on migration type (skilled, refugee, temporary).

Evaluation: judge by type of migrant, gender and legal status; avoid treating migrants as one group.

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Essay 4 (8.3)

“Globalisation has made crime harder to police.” Evaluate this view. [35]

Indicative content

For:

• Crime crosses jurisdictions with different laws; extradition is slow.
• Encryption, the dark web and cryptocurrencies hide criminal activity.
• Corporations can relocate to weakly regulated states; corporate and green crime are rarely prosecuted.
• Castells (1998): networked global criminal economy; Glenny’s McMafia (2008).

Against:

• International cooperation: Interpol, Europol, the International Criminal Court (2002), joint investigations.
• New technology helps police: data sharing, surveillance, financial tracking, digital forensics.
• International agreements such as the UN Palermo Protocol (2000) on trafficking create common definitions.

Theory: Marxists argue policing targets the powerless while powerful offenders escape; feminists highlight under-protection of trafficked women.

Evaluation: policing capacity has grown, but so has the scale of crime; judgement may differ by crime type.

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Frequently asked questions

Should every essay use Marxist and feminist views? For 8.3 the syllabus explicitly names them, so yes; for 8.1 and 8.2 they are strong critical perspectives to set against optimistic views.

How much description of a case study is enough? Two or three sentences, followed by analysis of what it shows about the question.

Can I combine 7.1 perspectives with 8.1 content? Yes — globalist, sceptic and transformationalist views give useful framing for life-chances essays.

Related pages: global inequality, migration and crime study guide | globalisation debates practice questions