Modern Studies

Welcome to Modern Studies

Staff:

  • Mr S Illingworth (Head of Department)
  • Miss K Anderson
  • Miss K Bulloch
  • Miss S McPhee

Facilities:

  • The department has 3 classrooms.
  • Each classroom is equipped with a data projector, interactive whiteboard, TV/Video/DVD player and a PC for pupil use.

Modern Studies Courses:

  • S1 - Rights and Responsibilities, People Power, Mock Election
  • S2 - Power - Brazil, China, USA and India
  • Standard Grade
    • Living in a Democracy
    • Changing Society
    • Ideologies: The USA
    • International Relations
  • Higher/Intermediate
    • Electoral Systems, Voting and Political Attitudes
    • Wealth and Health Inequalities in the UK 
    • The People's Republic of China
    • Global Security
  • Advanced Higher
    • Law and Order and Research Methods
    • Dissertation

About Modern Studies:

Modern Studies is a subject unique to the Scottish secondary school curriculum, that is concerned with the study of local, national and international issues from a social, political and economic perspective.

Modern Studies is concerned with the study of seven key concepts;
  • Representation
Act, speak, or make decisions on behalf of other people, e.g. an MP speaking for his/her constituents in the Parliament.
  • Rights and Responsibilities
Freedoms we are entitled to and duties or obligations we have as a result, e.g. the right to vote and the responsibility to use the vote wisely.
  • Participation
Joining in, taking part, becoming involved, e.g. standing as a candidate in an election.
  • Ideology
Ideas and beliefs of a political or economic system, e.g. the USA is a capitalist democracy.
  • Equality
Having the same level of wealth, status or well-being; usually looked at in terms of inequality, e.g. some elderly people have a lower living standard than others.
  • Need
What individuals, groups or countries must have to survive and develop; usually looked at in terms of whether needs are being met, e.g. some developing countries find it difficult to meet their basic needs.
  • Power
Ability individuals, groups or countries have to act or influence how others act.