World studies extended

essay guidance
Getting started
A.

Global theme
Each WSEE must be registered under one of the six global themes.
Students should first decide which of these they are interested in.

B.

Topic
Identify a Topic, in terms of a General Research area.

C.

Disciplinary Lenses
Identify the two Areas of disciplines through which to explore the topic

D.

Research Questions
Draft possible Research Questions

Questions to consider
Some of the following questions might be considered:

What has already been written about this topic?

Is it easy to find sources of information?

Is there a range of different sources available?

If I want to collect my own data, is this feasible?

Is there a range of views and perspectives on the topic?

What interesting questions have started to emerge from my reading so far?

GLOBAL THEMES:
CONFLICT, PEACE & SECURITY
Global issues

Possible local
manifestations

Possible subjects

The medias role in conflict

Israel and Palestine

Global politics, geography,

history, language and literature

Politics and the arts

Post-apartheid
South Africa

Theatre, global politics

International justice

Charles Taylor and

Sierra Leone

Philosophy, history, global

politics

Revolution and social media

Arab Spring in
Egypt

Global politics, ITGS

Geopolitics and aid in regional conflicts

The Georgia
conflict post-2008

Geography, global politics,

economics

The ethics of intervention in national or

regional conflicts by the international
community

Syria, Iraq,
Afghanistan

Global politics, philosophy,

social and cultural anthropology

CULTURE, LANGUAGE & IDENTITY

Global issues

Possible local manifestations

Possible subjects

Preservation of heritage
languages or indigenous
languages

Specific examples of groups

striving to protect their language

Language, psychology,
social and cultural
anthropology

Minority group rights

issues

Specific examples of groups

campaigning for equal rights or
recognition of their status

Psychology, social and

cultural anthropology, visual
arts, global politics,
literature

Issues around reclaiming

cultural heritage

Particular indigenous groups or

countries wishing the return of
cultural artifacts from other
countries

Visual arts, social and

cultural anthropology, global
politics, psychology

The onslaught of
globalization and the
maintenance of national
identities

Specific examples of the effects

of globalization on identities

Economics, global politics,

social and cultural
anthropology, psychology,
language

The impact of street art

in protests against

Specific examples of where art

has been used in relation to civil

Visual arts, global politics,

social and cultural

discrimination and
persecution

protest

anthropology

Racism: inherent
psychological traits or
sociopolitical forces

Examination of the reasons for

racism within a particular
cultural/societal context

Global politics, psychology

ENVIRONMENT & ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

Global issues

Possible local manifestations

Possible subjects

Sustainable wind power as an

offshore or onshore project

Comparison of the viability of

two case studies

Business management,
physics, economics,
ESS, geography

Global warming and the fish

industry

Local case study of the

effects of climate change on
the fishing industry

ESS, business
management,
geography

Transit systems and

economic/environmental
sustainability

Case study of the Bandra

Worli sea link in Mumbai

ESS, economics,
geography

Commercialization of heritage
sites

Comparison of local case

studies for and against
government intervention in
the commercialization of
heritage sites

Social and cultural

anthropology, global
politics, business
management, ESS,
geography

For-profit social ventures

Local case studies of the

Business management,

Governmental and aid agency

support for technology in dealing
with agricultural issues on
particular areas

business viability and social

responsibility of these
ventures within a particular
locality

economics, global
politics, social and
cultural anthropology,
philosophy

Kenya: the use of technology

in coping with draught

Geography, ESS,
economics, global
politics

EQUALITY & INEQUALITY

Global issues

Possible local manifestations

Possible subjects

Womens rights and

microfinancing

Women in Bangladesh

Economics, global
politics, social and cultural
anthropology

Child labour and

industry

Business in West Africa

Global politics,
economics, business
management

Religion and womens

rights

Comparison of women in Yemen and

Denmark

World religions, social

and cultural anthropology,
economics

Minority rights

Caste in Madras, India

History, psychology,
global politics

Social entrepreneurship Specific example of where social

and social change
entrepreneurship has been used as a

Global politics, business

management, history

vehicle for social change

The rights of domestic
workers

Filipino domestic workers in Hong

Kong

Global politics, history,

economics, philosophy

HEALTH & DEVELOPMENT

Global issues

Possible local manifestations

Possible subjects

HIV/AIDS and equitable access

to education

Specific examples for particular

countries

Economics, geography,
biology, global politics

Climate change, global health

and malaria

Specific examples for particular

countries

Environmental systems and

society, biology, geography

Population density and levels of

cell-tower radiation

Specific examples for particular

countries

Physics, geography

Impact of socio-economic
factors on the prevalence of
particular infections

Specific example of an infection in a Biology, geography,

particular country or comparison
economics
between two countries

Rise of obesity in affluent

countries

Specific focus on a group in a

particular country or comparison
between two countries or regions
within a country

Biology, psychology, global

politics, economics

Link between educating females

and increased basic health
improvements within the family

Specific country focus or

comparison between two countries
or regions within a country

Social and cultural

anthropology, biology,
global politics, psychology

SCIENCE ,TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

Global issues

Possible local manifestations

Possible subjects

Nuclear power and

public perception

Nuclear power station in Munro,

Michigan

Physics, psychology,
politics

Language
development and new
technology

Schools in Lyon using Google

translate translation service

Information technology in a
global society (ITGS),
language acquisition,
geography

Internet consumption
and education

Youth education issues in New Delhi,

India

ITGS, economics,
psychology

Role of social media

in civil protests

Specific example of where social

media has been used in protests and
demonstrations within a specific

ITGS, global politics

country
The use of technology
in predicting natural
disasters

The use of new technologies in

predicting earthquakes, floods, etc
within a specific region

ITGS, physics, economics,

geography, ESS, design
technology

The use of new

technologies in the
learning of languages

The effectiveness of new technologies

in the mastery of second languages
among school children within a
specific country

ITGS, language,
economics