Analyse the reasons why people’s freedom to participate in global interactions varies from place to place.

“The negative environmental impacts of globalization are beginning to lessen.” Discuss this statement.

Marks should be allocated according to the paper 3 part A markbands. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

Personal freedoms vary according to people’s identities (of gender, ethnicity, religion, age) and locations (democratic or non-democratic states, the presence / enforcement or absence of the rule of law in different rural or urban places). Participation in global interactions has many possible interpretations, including the freedom to use the internet and social media, and freedom to travel globally and internationally, freedom to trade or be involved in other internet / economic exchanges. Ideally, the focus should be on:

• people’s freedom to participate in global interactions (“global freedoms”) rather than freedoms and rights in general.
• the freedoms of individuals within societies (weaker answers may be less explicit about the personal dimension, eg by analysing state protectionism as a 'barrier' to global interactions but failing to show how people’s freedoms are affected).

Possible reasons and place contexts:

• Government and militia controls on personal freedoms in varying contexts.
• National trade restrictions that can affect the different freedoms of people to establish businesses.
• The lack of internet freedom in some places (which civil society groups may have highlighted).
• The implications of surveillance on personal freedoms.
• The impact of anti-globalization movements on the freedoms of supporters of globalization.
• Poverty, gender and age as possible barriers to freedom.
• Religion as a possible barrier, eg the USA’s travel ban on Muslims.
• Not everyone has economic freedom to participate due to poverty.

Good answers may apply (AO2) a wider range of knowledge and understanding (AO1) in a well-structured way (AO4). One approach might be to provide a structured systematic analysis of different kinds of freedom and possible barriers to these freedoms (political, economic, cultural, etc). Another approach might be to analyse different kinds of global interaction (internet use, tourism, trade) and barriers to these interactions in specific located countries and contexts.

For 4–6 marks, expect some weakly evidenced outlining of one or two instances of restricted “global freedoms”.

For 7–9 marks, expect a structured, evidenced analysis of:

• either different ways in which people may potentially participate in global interactions
• or the varied reasons why freedoms are, or are not, available in different places.

For 10–12 marks, expect both of these traits.

Credit all content in line with the markbands. Marks should be allocated according to the paper 3 part B markbands. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials. Credit unexpected approaches wherever relevant.

The environmental impacts or risks include transboundary or more localized pollution, carbon emissions and climate change, and broader environmental issues such as biodiversity and ecosystem services losses. These impacts are generally accelerated for societies undergoing industrialization and demographic transition; an argument may be made that post-industrial societies have reduced environmental footprints, although this is debatable (due to the offshoring of pollution and carbon emissions). As “environmental impact” is a broad category, some impacts may lessen over time while others may not. The net environmental footprint of the global economy remains very high despite steps taken by some countries.

Possible applied themes (AO2) include knowledge and understanding (AO1) of:

• transboundary pollution affecting more than one country
• localized pollution, including impact along shipping lanes
• the carbon footprints of industrializing societies, linked with global flows of goods and resources
• the offshoring of polluting manufacturing industries and the growth over time of environmentally destructive global agribusiness food production systems
• reshoring for economic activity and local food sourcing, and the implications for carbon emissions
• attempts by civil society organizations to raise environmental awareness, with positive results
• TNC corporate responsibility frameworks with environmental protection
• UN Sustainable Development Goals criteria
• global trade slowdown since 2008 and the implications for the environment.

Good answers may synthesize (AO3a) three or more of the above (or other) themes in a well-structured (AO4) way.

Good answers may additionally offer a critical evaluation (AO3b) of the statement that discusses different kinds of environmental impacts at varying scales (global, national or more local patterns). Another approach might be to critically discuss the varying timescale of any positive actions and impacts (some actions have achieved greater success than others in recent years). Another approach may be to critically discuss the extent to which developed countries have successfully brought about environmental improvements or have instead offshored their own carbon emissions by interacting with other places (thanks to global shift and global agribusiness). A good discussion may conclude with a substantiated final judgment on the overall level of lessening (or not) at a global scale.

For 5–8 marks, expect weakly evidenced outlining of two or three relevant themes.

For 9–12 marks, expect:

• either a structured synthesis which links together several well-evidenced themes from the Guide
• or a critical conclusion (or on-going evaluation) informed by geographical concepts and/or perspectives.

For 13–16 marks, expect both of these traits.