Analyse recent growth trends in the use of ICT for one or more countries or regions you have studied.

Examine the changing global pattern of sociocultural interactions, referring to core regions and peripheral areas.

There are many possible approaches to answering this question.

The focus could be on:

• actual ICT network growth/adoption trends (in terms of numbers of subscribers/device owners/intensity of use/places where there is uptake)
• growth of a single/narrower aspect of ICT adoption (eg mobile phone use, social networking, broadband provision)
• the growing uses of ICT in civil society (more people exchanging ideas, information, finance) and/or changing rates of social adoption.

Weaker answers are likely to provide isolated fragments of information about different places, or may offer a technology timeline with little geographical content.

Good answers may provide a clear geographical focus (perhaps named countries eg M-Pesa in Kenya or ICT outsourcing in India) and give some depth of analysis of how and why ICT uptake has changed, and who the users are.

At band D, there should be either detailed description of ICT growth/adoption trends or explanation of ways in which ICT is being used by people/groups/TNCs.

For band E, expect both.

Credit all content in line with the markbands. Credit unexpected approaches wherever relevant.

Global sociocultural interactions can encompass migration and diaspora, social networking, cultural shifts (in spoken language, music, fashion, cuisine, etc), the spread of global media and the diffusion of branded commodities (all [Guide 7]). The response should examine a range of such interactions and may address reasons for their growth over time (technology, TNCs) [Guide 2, Guide 5].

A sound examination of global sociocultural interactions may illustrate the ongoing role that “core” regions/countries have in bringing cultural change to other places.

• concepts such as “cultural imperialism” or “soft power” may be employed and should be credited if used [Guide 5]
• it may be argued that these interactions have intensified due to technology and TNCs [Guide 5]
• done well, and with sufficient synthesis of themes, this approach, though simple, could reach the higher bands
• perhaps a global core/hub and periphery/semi-periphery framework will be used [Guide 3].

Good answers may explicitly address the changing pattern/new locations of global cultural influence, notably emerging economies such as the BRIC nations (India’s Bollywood film, Brazil’s Bossa Nova music, etc). Some may even consider the extent to which a long-established US–EU (core) hegemony is under threat.

Credit other valid interpretations, but material on financial interactions (eg remittance flows) should be marked as irrelevant or not answering the question. Some answers may lack conceptual grounding, but usefully employ a good range of anecdotal/documentary evidence that draws on a candidate’s own lifestyle, eg familiarity with South Korea’s K-pop phenomenon and Psy (a major music trend of 2012 that will be very familiar to the age group who will have sat the paper).

At band D, expect either explanation of a wide, detailed range of sociocultural interactions, or a more critical examination of a changing pattern over time.

For band E, expect both.

Those that attempted this question generally knew something about call centres in India, or the uptake of mobile phones in Kenya. The best answers addressed the stem phrase “growth trends” and understood that supporting data would, logically, gain more marks. Weaker answers tended to assert that “high” and “low” use of ICT could be seen in different countries around the world, due to disparities in economic development.

Some excellent answers were seen, when judged against their knowledge of different processes of sociocultural interactions, such as assimilation, glocalization or hybridization. Lively and informative supporting examples were provided, and centres are encouraged to suggest to candidates that they research local examples, rather than rely purely on textbook case studies of McDonald’s. Fewer candidates engaged quite as well with the word “pattern” which often resulted in a band D, rather than band E, mark being awarded. Interrelationships were sometimes hinted at but not fully explored (such as the tendency of Hollywood to increasingly adopt Indian, South Korean or Japanese tropes, for instance).