SECTION C: Elective

There are three electives and you must attempt one in the exam. Students should ensure that they know which elective they are doing and therefore they don’t waste time reading the other electives in the exam.

Each elective has three parts, you must attempt part

(a) and then you have a choice of part (b) or (c).

Elective: Home Design and Management and Elective 3: Social Studies are worth 80 marks each. These are the most popular electives. Elective 2: Textiles, Fashion and Design is worth 40 marks, as students have already completed a practical component for this elective.

The Social Studies elective is very popular with students. When looking at past papers you need to be aware of all the social changes in Ireland today, be familiar with current trends, unemployment levels, agencies etc. When practising previous exam papers, adapt the marking schemes for current affairs and events. The following is a sample answer from the 2006 paper, altered for life in 2019.

(a) Ireland has just come out of recession and people have seen increasing prosperity in recent times, however it still has one of the highest levels of income inequality in the EU. (i) Define each of the following: (a) Relative poverty (b)

Absolute poverty. 2 definitions @ 5 marks each (a) Relative poverty: This is when a person’s income and resources are less than the general accepted standard of living in the society in which they live. People may not be able to afford things that most others in the society take for granted. Relative poverty varies from country to country. (b) Absolute poverty: People haven’t got the money or resources to physically survive; they haven’t got enough food, shelter and clothing. (ii) Discuss the reasons why poverty continues to be a

feature of modern society. In your answer include reference to the cycle of poverty and the influence of social policy on poverty. 4 points @ 6 marks each (1 point must refer to the cycle of poverty and 1 point must refer to the influence of social policy)

Lack of educational qualifications: People with low standards of education often have to take low-paid employment or are unemployed. They get stuck in the poverty trap. The Government offers a Back to Education Allowance to help people to gain qualifications to seek employment (social policy). People aged over 21 who are not working can go to school and college to get a qualification. They get paid an allowance every week and they do not have to pay fees for the course.

High cost of housing: Rents have continued to increase and many families are now paying a larger percentage of their income on rent. To alleviate this, the Government has introduced a new policy known as Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). The HAP scheme is controlled by the local authority. Under the scheme, local authorities