| Date | May 2019 | Marks available | 4 | Reference code | 19M.1.BP.TZ0.14 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 1 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Analyse | Question number | 14 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
The sources and questions relate to case study 2: Apartheid South Africa (1948–1964) — Protests and action: non-violent protests: Freedom Charter.
Source O
Anthony Sampson, a British journalist who had met and worked with leaders of the anti-apartheid movement, writing in the obituary of Lionel Bernstein in the British newspaper The Guardian (26 June 2002).
Lionel “Rusty” Bernstein was one of the most influential and dedicated members of the small group of white revolutionaries who supported the black liberation movement.
He played a crucial role in drafting [writing] the 1955 African National Congress (ANC) Freedom Charter … [and] coined [wrote] the document’s opening slogan “Let us speak of freedom”, including rousing phrases like “the people shall govern” and “all shall be equal before [under] the law”.
In 1956, Bernstein was among the 156 people charged—and acquitted—in the so-called treason trial …
He was, quite simply, driven to protest by his sense of outrage at the segregation and oppression of black people …
As the only multi-racial party, the SACP [the South African Communist Party, which Bernstein and his wife had joined in 1938] acquired a heroic reputation among blacks leading the fight against racism, and the Bernsteins were always welcoming to the black ANC leaders …
Restricted by bans and harassment [by the authorities], in 1955 Rusty resigned from his high-earning architectural partnership. He and his wife were now totally committed to the struggle.
[Source: adapted from Lionel Bernstein: White fighter in South Africa’s black freedom struggle, by Anthony Sampson,
from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/jun/26/guardianobituaries1, reprinted by permission of
Peters Fraser & Dunlop (www.petersfraserdunlop.com) on behalf of the Estate of Anthony Sampson.]
With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyse the value and limitations of Source O for an historian studying the anti-apartheid movement.
Markscheme
Value:
- The source was written by someone who had lived in South Africa and who had direct experience of working with the anti-apartheid movement.
- The source explains Bernstein’s role in the struggle against apartheid and fosters an understanding of how the anti-apartheid movement operated.
- This source outlines the nature and/or challenges of the anti-apartheid struggle.
- Written in 2002, the source can examine Bernstein’s role in a broader context.
Limitations:
- Sampson’s support for the anti-apartheid movement may affect his views.
- As an obituary, the source may provide a sympathetic portrait of Bernstein and/or may overemphasize Bernstein’s contribution.
The focus of the question is on the value and limitations of the source. If only value or limitations are discussed, award a maximum of [2]. Origins, purpose and content should be used as supporting evidence to make relevant comments on the values and limitations. For [4] there must be at least one reference to each of them in either the values or the limitations.
Examiners report
Many candidates approached this question effectively, and most responses offered at least one clear point of value and/or limitation. Nevertheless, as suggested above, some responses tended to describe or explain the origin, purpose and content. Although these candidates often went on to comment on the value and limitations of the source, valuable time was wasted on description. There were a few responses that merely stated that the source was a primary or secondary source without further clarification or explanation of its value or limitation.
