History
What was the Balfour Declaration (1917)?
A British statement supporting the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, while promising to protect non-Jewish communities.
What is chiasmus, and give one example of the following?
A rhetorical reversal of word order for emphasis (Some rise by sin, some by virtue fall) used to heighten contrast or irony.
Explain how social norms differ across cultures and how this reflects cultural relativism.
Social norms vary by culture, reflecting different values and beliefs; cultural relativism suggests no set of norms is universally superior, as each fits its own social context.
How did Enlightenment ideas challenge the authority of the French monarchy?
Thinkers like Rousseau and Voltaire promoted liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty which undermined the concept of divine right monarchy and inspired revolutionary thought.
In The Son’s Veto, how does Hardy’s use of free indirect discourse shape our emotional response to Sophy and Randolph?
It merges narrative and thought, evoking sympathy for Sophy while exposing Randolph’s cold moral rigidity.
Analyze Ann Oakley’s theory of gender socialization and evaluate its relevance in contemporary families by 4 ways.
Oakley identified manipulation, canalisation, verbal appellation, and differential activity exposure as ways gender roles are taught. While still observable, changing gender norms and dual-earner families have reduced their influence.
Why did the February 1917 Revolution succeed in overthrowing the Tsar?
Military defeats in WWI, food shortages, and the Tsar’s refusal to reform led to mutinies and protests that made his rule untenable.
How does Long Day’s Journey into Night portray the past as an active presence rather than a distant memory?
The characters constantly relive past guilt and disappointment, showing that memory functions like a living force shaping their present despair.
Distinguish between primary and secondary socialisation, and explain how one agents of each contribute to identity formation.
Primary socialization (family) instils basic norms and values; secondary socialization (school, peers, media) reinforces or challenges them, shaping wider social identities like class, gender, or ethnicity.
Why did the first Arab–Israeli War (1948–49) result in Israeli victory?
Better organisation, unified command, and access to weapons contrasted with the disunity and lack of coordination among Arab states.
How do illusion and performance operate as tools of power in The Tempest and Measure for Measure?
In The Tempest, Prospero’s magic stages illusion to reconcile and forgive; in Measure for Measure, disguise reveals hypocrisy, turning performance into moral exposure rather than restoration.
According to Marx, how does the economic base influence the superstructure, and why is this relationship important?
The economic base (means and relations of production) shapes the superstructure (institutions, culture, ideology), reinforcing capitalist dominance and class inequality — central to understanding social change.
What were the main causes and outcomes of the Suez Crisis (1956)?
Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal angered Britain, France, and Israel; although militarily successful, international pressure, especially from the USA and USSR, forced their withdrawal and boosted Nasser’s prestige.
How do The Buck in the Snow and Report on a Threatened City each critique humanity’s reaction to mortality and crisis through form and tone?
Millay’s abrupt rhythm and stark imagery capture personal shock and fragility of life; Lessing’s detached, bureaucratic narration satirizes collective apathy and moral paralysis in the face of disaster.
Compare how structural and interactionist theories explain social order, giving one limitation of each.
Structuralists argue social order is maintained through shared norms imposed by institutions; interactionists view it as emerging from micro-level interactions. Structuralism neglects agency; interactionism may overlook structural power.