Wealth Distribution

video

- ICM Poll asked 2000 people 'How should wealth be distributed?'

- All this is caused by 30 years of pre-existing inequality
- The richest 1% have the equivalent wealth of 60% of the population


How people think it should be:
- Richest 20% have 25% of wealth
- Poorest 20% have 15% of wealth
(Even in Utopia it would not be equal - some people would have more money)

How people think it i:
- Richest 20% have 40% of wealth
- Poorest 20% have 9% of wealth

How it actually is:
- Richest 20% have 60% of wealth (2x as much as everyone else together)
- Poorest 20% have >1% of wealth 

£22,100 is enough

Independent article

It is often thought, that money does not buy happiness. This, is complicated by the research from the University of Warwick. Their research tells us that a country's life satisfaction levels 'peak' when the GDP is £22,100, and anything above that the satisfaction levels begin to 'drop'. In my opinion I think that Warwick make a valid and reasonable point, however I personally do not agree with the article. How can we put a specific price on happiness? The answer is we can't. I think that research into peoples emotions is interesting as we can see how people respond to differing stimuli but we cannot accurately give a judgement on an emotion and certainly we cannot put a price on it. This is because different things make people happy and this is why putting a price on happiness is impossible. 

English Language: Question 4 response

Examine the techniques used to raise issues about poverty in Source E and one other source.

Many techniques are used in Source E and Source C to raise the issues surrounding poverty. These techniques are used to not only inform but to persuade the reader into agreeing with the author/photographer. 

For example in Source E the writer creates the sense of collectiveness by saying 'I think everyone knows that poverty is wrong'. This makes the reader feel as though if they do not agree with this point then they are strange or immoral. This is a useful technique as it forces the reader to take an opinion with out thinking deeply about the topic, it can also empower the reader to take action on the topic or read around it, and in this example will help to raise awareness of poverty in the global community. 

Another valuable technique is the use of quotation. The author of source E very cleverly quotes famous people, such as Nelson Mandela. These people are seen as icons who have improved the lives of others around the world. Quoting influential people such as Mandela to support the opinion of the piece is effective as it shows the reader that there are powerful people with similar opinions. It can also cause the audience to question their own opinion about the topic. This technique is particularly useful as using quotes from prolific people in a speech will hold the audience and make them more likely to pay attention to what is being said and therefore raise awareness for the topic of poverty.

The use of statistics and figures is an effective technique as it provides the audience with evidence for the opinion of the piece and also proves to the audience why they should hold the same opinion. The use of shocking figures, such as in source E when it tells us that 'this year there are 691 billionaires with a total of $2.2 trillion in wealth'. The more shocking the data the more likely the audience are to pay attention to the speaker and therefore learn about the topic. This will cause the awareness of the topic to increase. 

Finally in source C the photographer uses contrast to catch the attention of the audience. He shows how the life of a boy who lives in poverty stricken Kenya differs from the life of a highly privileged child who lives in the USA. This contrast causes the audience to question what they think is fair, and realise that there is no such thing as equality. The contrast in what the children are wearing, where they are and the toys they have show that even, over what we as privileged people would see as trivial things, there is a divide for the two young boys. The expressions on the boys face also differ hugely, the Kenyan boy looks timid and afraid where as the American boy looks confident and excited. This would suggest that the lifestyle they have would affect their character as well as their physical possessions. These contrasting images shock the audience and help to visually demonstrate the issues caused by poverty. If the audience can see the dramatic difference instead of just being told about the difference they are far more likely to notice and pay attention because it is harder to ignore what one can see. 

AQA Source Evaluation - Source A

What does the source suggest about the lives of the people in 'Tent Cities'?

From the picture we can learn a lot about the lives of people living in 'Tent Cities' through what it suggests. The fact that some of the tents are lavish and more what we would call 'holiday items' suggests that some of the people there were not poor before they came to the city, but instead had money and could afford holidays and to buy tents. Another point is that the tents are closely pack together, this could be because the people want to create a sense of community and companionship, and believe this is how they would do it. The man with the dog in the picture also shows the desire for companionship. The yellow tape on the floor in the picture shows order and tidiness  this would imply that the people want to be ordered and not have an untidy living area, this would suggest they don't want to be seen as homeless, but more as a community. Finally the fact that there are no people (other than the one man) would suggest that the  people are away, possibly because they are seeking jobs or a solution, suggesting that the people who live in these camps are resilient and pragmatic.