Netherlands HAVO 5 (eindexamenjaar) Social Sciences
Chapters: 3
1. Relations
Social inequality · Power and authority · Conflict and cooperation · Social ladder in the Netherlands · Developments and policy on inequality
- Patterns of Social Inequality and Exclusion – Social inequality means some groups get more money, respect and links than others, not because of talent but because of the group they are born into. Social exclusion means people are kept out of the full life of society. This lesson walks through caste and untouchability, tribes and Adivasi struggles, Other Backward Classes, women's fight for equality and the rights of people with disabilities, and what the state and people's movements did about each.
- Authority: Where Does Rightful Power Come From? – Power is the ability to make others act; authority is power that people accept as rightful (legitimate). Ancient Indian texts like Kautilya's Arthashastra and the Shukraniti said a ruler keeps authority through danda (fair punishment), nyaya (justice) and bala (strength to protect). Today in India authority comes from the Constitution, which promises justice and security and limits every office. Citizens give authority to institutions through elections, and institutions must answer back. Authority can be traditional, charismatic or legal-rational.
- International Relations: How States Deal with Each Other – International relations (IR) studies how states and other actors (international organisations, companies, NGOs) interact. States are sovereign and there is no world government, so each state follows its national interest through foreign policy: diplomacy, trade, aid, alliances and, at worst, force. Conflicts arise from clashing interests over territory, resources, power and identity, and from the security dilemma. Cooperation grows through mutual gain, treaties, international law and organisations. Realism stresses power and security; liberalism stresses cooperation, trade and institutions. Peace is built by negotiation, mediation, peacekeeping and justice.
2. Binding
Social cohesion and control · Political institutions and representation · (In)security and crime · Crime policy and party views
- Social Bonds: How People Are Tied Together – A social bond is a tie that links a person to others and gives support and belonging. We have bonds of family, of friendship, of work and of shared citizenship. Durkheim described two kinds of solidarity: mechanical (people are alike, as in a small village) and organic (people differ and depend on each other, as in a big town). Modern life brings individualisation (more freedom to choose ties) and digital ties (wide but often light). Ties break through job loss, poverty, discrimination, moving away or conflict. Shared values such as liberty, equality and fraternity, social protection and the fight against discrimination keep a society together.
- Political Institutions: Parliamentary, Presidential and Semi-Presidential Systems – Every democracy splits power between a legislature (makes laws), an executive (runs the government) and courts (judge disputes). Countries differ in how the head of government is chosen and removed. In a parliamentary system, voters elect parliament and the Prime Minister needs parliament's confidence, so parliament can remove the PM. In a presidential system, voters elect the president and the legislature separately; the president has a fixed term and can be removed only by impeachment. A semi-presidential system mixes both: an elected president plus a Prime Minister who answers to parliament. Term limits stop one person holding power too long. An independent legislature checks the executive through laws, budgets, questions and committees.
- Crime and Punishment: Why Crime Happens and How Society Responds – A crime is an action against the law. Intentions can be good or evil, and they affect how we judge. Causes of crime include poverty, upbringing, addiction, mental illness, greed, hate and opposition to an unjust law; hate crimes target people for their identity and murder is the gravest crime. Punishment aims at retribution, deterrence, reformation, protection and reparation. Punishments include prison, community service and corporal punishment, and most faiths want offenders treated with dignity. Forgiveness lets go of revenge but does not remove justice. The death penalty is debated: supporters cite retribution and deterrence; opponents cite the sanctity of life, the chance of error and the hope of reform.
3. Change
Rationalisation, individualisation, institutionalisation · State formation, democratisation, globalisation · Effects of change and political views
- Paths to Modernisation: Japan, China and Korea – Japan, China and Korea all became modern, but by different paths. Japan, opened by US ships in 1853, began the Meiji reforms in 1868: railways, factories, schools and a strong army under the emperor. It then grew into an empire, fought the Second World War and was defeated in 1945. Under US occupation it got a peaceful constitution and rebuilt into a rich country (1964 Olympics). China ended the rule of emperors in 1911 under Sun Yat-sen; after years of civil war and Japanese invasion Mao's Communist Party won in 1949. Mao's Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution hurt the economy. From 1978 Deng Xiaoping opened markets under the Four Modernisations, and China grew fast. Korea was a Japanese colony (1910–45), was split in two and suffered a war (1950–53); South Korea then grew through export factories and became a democracy in 1987.