Question 1
Candidate A
Behavioural Change
Our modern life often poses us a question – what is acceptable in terms of behaviour considering the fast
pace at which modern society changes. Besides, the shift towards the cult of individuality has been
obvious for the past years.
Nowadays, we are all aware of the fact that society is made up of different generations each of which has
their own preferences and habits deeply ingrained in their consciousness. In this connection the
generation gap is considered to be a perennial problem. It is a well-known fact younger generations are
more technologically advanced than the previous ones, moreover the young are quicker on the uptake
and more resilient to ever changing demands of our life. Despite that, I am inclined to believe that only by
being tolerant to each other and accepting the right of each generation to adhere to their own set of
beliefs and ideas we will be able to peacefully co-exist in society.
At last society has recognised the need for each member to be an individual. Throughout the history of
humanity members of society have had to fit the mould and conform to the set of principles and beliefs
accepted. For example, even 50 years ago woman’s only domain was household chores. Nowadays, we
are relieved to see that women are equal members of society fulfilling their potential and rising thru the
ranks. Some of them even manage to achieve dizzy heights.
In conclusion, our society is moving forward by leaps and bounds, patterns of behaviour and social norms
are changing as well. So, only by coming to terms with the above-mentioned we, all members of it, won’t
be deemed as misfits and relish our existence in the society.
Criterion Mark
Content
Communicative Achievement
Organisation
Language
Candidate B
The term ‘society’ describes a group of people having something in common – a
birdwatchers’ society shares a pastime, society in a more general rather more sociological
sense shares a set of values. So, by definition, a certain degree of conformity is needed: If
no-one adhered to such values (or nobody shared the pastime) there would be no society.
However, conforming to social norms, meant to uphold the values, requires these to be
meaningful and the meaning of norms will change just like the people making up a society
will change. After all, the norms are just a reflection of the people living according to them.
Consequently, adherence for adherence’s sake is wrong and this is where individuality
comes into play. Norms have to be critically reviewed, lest they become stifling. So indeed,
conformity does not bring about progress. Yet individuality has to take into account others’
individuality as well, that is to say, one’s own ends where that of others begins. While this
limits the degree of individuality of any single person within a society, it allows society to
exist as such in the face of individuality. Just as individuality – being, being treated as and
seeing oneself as an individual – is vital for a person’s health, so it is for society, which
should be made up of healthy individuals. Older individuals might disagree with younger
ones about which values bear which weight or indeed about which values they share at all.
This might be due to values having changed between the time when the older ones were
raised and ‘imprinted’ with values and the time when that was the case for younger ones.
But it might also be that the actual values (norms) haven’t changed that much but are rather
expressed differently. Most of the time, norms drift rather than leapfrog towards new
meaning. Still, the perception is a disagreement. The rise of electronic equipment in public
places illustrates this. Whereas older people might consider it unacceptable, it is normal for
younger ones. Yet at the heart of the matter is not the issue whether such devices are used
or not but how – sensitively and with respect for others, or not. And I think that most people
would agree that sometimes they do not want to be disturbed – and that is the value that is
still shared. In everyday life, such disagreement can only be resolved by communicating.
Communication is a two-way process and, as such, requires understanding, awareness and
respect for other people’s views.
Criterion Mark
Content
Communicative Achievement
Organisation
Language
Candidate C
The over-arching theme of these two texts is social behaviour. The first considers the fact that different
groups of society have different ideas about what is acceptable behaviour. What is normal for one set of
people may appear rude to another group. This text makes the point that it is important to appreciate that
others may have differing viewpoints, claiming that such awareness can help to avoid social conflicts. The
second text looks at the issue from a contrasting angle. It argues against the desirability of behaving in
socially acceptable ways. Its contention is that being too concerned about social conventions stifles
individuality and may even have a negative effect on our own psychological health.In my opinion, there is
little to disagree with in the first text. It is an undeniable fact that behavioural norms vary across
generations, classes and cultures and it is also true that understanding and tolerance provide the
soundest basis for our approach to social difference. The second text is possibly more contentious. While
it may be the case that some people are over-concerned about etiquette and unimportant social rules, I
feel that some conventions for social behaviour have a positive impact on everyone’s lives. It all depends
on the type of rule. I do not feel that it is important to know which way you ‘should’ tip your bowl when
eating soup or when you should or shouldn’t wear gloves but I do think it is desirable to say please and
thank you and to behave in a considerate way towards one’s fellows. In other words, I think that basic
social conventions serve a useful purpose but that they should be used to oil our interactions rather than
becoming too much of an end in themselves.
Criterion Mark
Content
Communicative Achievement
Organisation
Language
Candidate D
How should we behave in society? Should we follow social norms or should we use our own individual
judgement to decide what is the appropriate way to conduct ourselves?
Some people find it very important to obey the rules of etiquette, to do what others consider proper. There
are people – often the older generation – who get very upset when others do not follow social
conventions, when they, for example, speak loudly on mobile phones in public places or lick their fingers
or queue jump. However, it should be noted that the things that irritate people will vary from one society
to the next; the rules of queue behavour, for instance, are very different in London, Moscow and Istanbul,
and how it is acceptable to use a mobile phone differs considerably from one society to the next.
Similarly, it is important to remember that social conventions change over time. It was once considered
improper to eat on the street but now no-one pays the slightest attention to someone walking along
munching a sandwich or an apple. The key to avoiding conflict, it seems, is imaginative empathy.
In general, it is counter-productive to worry too much about what the socially acceptable way to behave
might be in any given situation. It can stop you thinking about what is the moral way to behave as you
may become more focused on what is ‘proper’ rather than on what is right. You can also start suppressing
your own important individuality and originality as you become unhealthily anxious about what others
might be thinking.
The rules that do not – and should not – change are those regarding behaviour that has an effect on
others. Dropping litter, for example, or pushing someone out of the way should always be condemned as
inappropriate behaviour
Criterion Mark
Content
Communicative Achievement
Organisation
Language
