O Level Sociology: Tackling Inequality and Globalisation's Effects — Revision Notes (Cambridge 2251)

These notes condense key questions 3.2 and 3.3 of Cambridge O Level Sociology (2251). Laws, welfare states and NGOs try to reduce inequality; New Right, Marxist and feminist sociologists, and critics of NGOs, question how well they succeed. Between societies, globalisation affects inequality through migration, transnational companies, climate change, pollution and urbanisation, explained by capitalist exploitation, colonialism and patriarchy.

Fuller explanations: O Level tackling inequality and globalisation guide.

Syllabus coverage

2251 syllabus 2025–2027: 3.2 (3.2.1 legislation; 3.2.2 welfare states; 3.2.3 NGOs; 3.2.4 views of success) and 3.3 (3.3.1 migration; 3.3.2 ecological issues; 3.3.3 explanations).

Key terms

Term	Definition
Legislation	Laws passed by government
Progressive tax	Tax rate rises as income rises
Benefits	State payments to those in need
Welfare state	System of state-provided services and benefits
Life chances	Opportunities for health, education, income and long life
NGO	Independent non-profit organisation
Interest-free microfinance	Small loans without interest to help the poor start businesses
Underclass	Group said to be dependent on welfare and outside mainstream society
Safety valve	Marxist idea that welfare releases discontent without changing capitalism
Remittances	Money migrants send home
Brain drain	Emigration of educated workers
Urbanisation	Growth of the urban share of population
Colonialism	Control and exploitation of one country by another

3.2 Attempts and examples

Attempt	Example
Progressive taxation and benefits	Pakistan’s Benazir Income Support Programme (2008) cash transfers
Minimum wage	Legal minimum pay set by government
Equal opportunities laws	Equal Pay Act, Britain (1970)
Free education	Sri Lanka’s free education from the 1940s
Free healthcare	Britain’s NHS (1948)
NGO — poverty	Edhi Foundation (1951)
NGO — business	Akhuwat interest-free loans (2001)

Views of success

View	Claim	Counter-point
New Right	Welfare creates dependency and an underclass (Murray)	Most claimants want work; poverty has structural causes
Culture of poverty	Poor pass on fatalistic values (Lewis)	Values may be a response to poverty, not its cause
Marxist	Welfare is a safety valve for capitalism	Welfare has improved health and education for millions
NGO critics	Dependency, donor priorities, small scale	NGOs reach groups governments neglect
Feminist	Equality laws do not end the pay gap or unpaid labour	Laws have opened education and jobs to women

3.3 Globalisation and inequality between societies

• Migration: push and pull; South Asia–Gulf labour migration; remittances versus brain drain; cultural diversity; negative perceptions and poor conditions for migrants.
• TNCs: jobs and investment, but low wages and unsafe conditions (Rana Plaza, 2013).
• Climate change: poorer countries most affected (Pakistan floods, 2022).
• Pollution: concentrated in poor communities and industrial zones.
• Urbanisation: informal settlements in fast-growing cities.
• Explanations: Marxist exploitation; colonialism; feminist patriarchy.

Worked example: an 8-mark “discuss” answer plan

Discuss the effects of migration on sending countries. (practice)

1. Positive: remittances raise family incomes and pay for education and health care.
2. Positive: less unemployment at home; returning migrants bring skills and savings.
3. Negative: loss of skilled doctors, nurses and engineers (brain drain).
4. Negative: family separation; children raised by grandparents; dependence on remittances.
5. Judgement: effects depend on who migrates and whether remittances are invested.

Worked example: a 14-mark evaluation plan

Evaluate the view that globalisation benefits poorer societies. (practice)

1. For: factory jobs and foreign investment; remittances from migrants in the Gulf and elsewhere; spread of mobile phones and online banking; access to global markets for exports.
2. Against: low wages and unsafe workplaces (Rana Plaza, 2013); brain drain; climate change and pollution fall hardest on poorer countries; Marxists see profits flowing to rich countries; colonial patterns of trade continue; women’s cheap labour is exploited (feminist view).
3. Conclusion: benefits exist but are unevenly shared within and between societies, so the view is only partly supported.

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Listing examples of welfare without linking them to life chances.
• Forgetting that the syllabus asks for criticisms, not just descriptions, in 3.2.4.
• Confusing immigration (coming in) with emigration (going out).
• Writing about climate change without explaining how it affects inequality between societies.
• Using examples you cannot explain accurately — choose ones you know well.

Quick self-test

1. Give two examples of legislation to reduce inequality.
2. What is a dependency culture?
3. Give one criticism of NGOs.
4. Explain one way TNCs may increase inequality.
5. Outline the feminist explanation of global inequality.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between 3.2 and 3.3? 3.2 is about attempts to reduce inequality, mostly within societies; 3.3 is about how globalisation affects inequality between societies.

Should I always mention colonialism in 3.3? It is one of three named explanations; use it when asked to explain global inequality, alongside Marxist and feminist views.

Is universal basic income widely used? It has mainly been trialled rather than fully adopted, so evaluate it as a proposal.

Related pages: O Level tackling inequality practice questions | O Level methods revision notes