Global Perspectives
Mindful global explorers: Navigating perspectives at RIC
Welcome to the Cambridge A Level in Global Perspectives at RIC. This course invites you to dive into the world’s most pressing issues—from climate change to poverty—helping you understand and engage with the challenges that shape our global society.
We aim to create an environment where you can appreciate diverse perspectives on global issues. Whether it's the intricacies of belief systems or the critical importance of biodiversity, our course encourages you to see the world through a variety of lenses.
Developing your ability to evaluate claims and evidence is key to this course. At RIC, you'll refine these skills, learning to sift through information and identify what holds water and what doesn’t.
The recent COP27 summit underscores the urgency of climate action. Jeffrey Sachs stresses the need for problem-solvers who grasp the interconnected nature of global challenges. Our course prepares you to be part of this new generation, making informed, independent judgments.
You'll become adept researchers, understanding the complexities of global conflicts, like those in Ukraine and Sudan. Johan Galtung notes, "Peace is not the absence of conflict but the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means." Our course will help you form nuanced, evidence-based viewpoints.
Reflecting on your learning journey is vital. In light of events like the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding global health crises' broader impact is essential. You'll enhance your ability to communicate effectively, whether crafting compelling essays or delivering persuasive speeches.
Empowering women and girls with more choices and more freedoms is crucial to achieving a better future for all.
Exam Specification
Assessment
A written Examination - 1 hour 30 minutes
An essay 1750–2000 words
A Team Project: Presentation and Reflective Paper. Maximum 8 minutes presentation videoed and submitted to the exam board with a verbatim script and 800 word reflective paper
A Cambridge Research Report that must not exceed 5000 words and students must also give a 10min viva on their report.
Breakdown of unit content and tasks
The Global Perspectives course aims to equip learners with the skills they need in the rapidly changing intellectual and technical environment of the twenty-first century. It prepares and encourages learners to engage confidently with contemporary world affairs by developing skills in researching, processing, using and evaluating information and arguments about issues that inevitably have a global impact.
These issues are studied through broad themes of:
• Economics • Ethics • Environment • Science • Technology • Culture • Politics.
These themes will be applied to the following modules:
Conflict and International Relations
Global Health Issues
Climate change and biodiversity, Poverty and Inequality
Population, food and energy security
Cambridge Global Perspectives aims to develop learners by providing opportunities to acquire disciplined and scholarly research skills while also promoting a critical, questioning approach to information using the language of reasoning.
Curious about Global Perspectives?
Online
The nature of A level Global perspectives allows students the opportunity to explore topics of their choice from a variety of 30 topics, and criticise perspectives towards these. Therefore, a broad understanding of global issues is important for students. Use of various news outlets with different targeted audiences helps achieve this.
In addition, reading and researching the viewpoint from opposition groups or sectors in society can help challenge perspectives that dominate the news. Here are a few thought provoking organisations:
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/category/oceans/ 'award winning' journalism from the NGO Greenpeace
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2018/03/online-violence-against-women-chapter-2/ - A topical and popular topic amongst students is the right to internet use and impact of social media, of which this research based article explores the the implications of this.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikitamalik/2018/09/07/the-internet-to-regulate-or-not-to-regulate/#76c3287f1d16 - Another perspective on whether to regulate the internet, or not.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-23/united-states-still-the-worlds-only-superpower/11195636- Another popular topic is the subject of USA as a superpower, of which this article explores why some experts no longer perceive the US as Number 1 in the modern world.
Listen
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsxs - Although this business page, it also includes a variety of topical discussions on a wide range of global issues.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjlq- This includes analysis from BBC Correspondents about various stories in the news.
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tedtalks-audio/id160904630?mt=2 - a wide range of podcasts from a variety of world leading thinkers.
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/ - looks at stories behind the news agenda
Watch
https://www.ted.com/talks- a variety of short talks by an array of experts covering a range of scientific, political and global issues.