Perspectives: why different groups see the same event differently
Some years Part (b) asks for perspectives instead of causes — this is its own concept, worth preparing separately rather than assuming Part (b) is always "one natural + one cultural cause".
How to answer a perspectives question
Name at least TWO distinct groups affected by the event or process in the resources.
For each group, state their PERSPECTIVE — their position, in one sentence.
For each, state WHY they hold it — their livelihood, culture, exposure to risk, or economic interest.
The strongest answers show the perspectives in TENSION: one group's gain is what drives another group's concern about the same event.
Exam-style Two perspectives on the same wildfire season Explain two different perspectives on a severe wildfire season, and why each group holds theirs. A forestry/logging company may see the fires primarily as an economic loss — destroyed timber stock and lost future harvest revenue — because their livelihood depends directly on the standing forest. An Indigenous or rural community with cultural ties to the land may see the fires as a loss of identity and traditional practice, not just an economic one, because their connection to the land predates and outlasts any single harvest cycle. Both perspectives are valid responses to the SAME fires — the difference comes from what each group values about the land, not from one group being more informed than the other. ✓ Two named groups, each with a stated position AND a stated reason rooted in their values or livelihood — that is the full shape of a perspectives answer.
Component
What it must include
Group 1
Named + one-sentence position + the reason (livelihood, culture, risk)
Group 2
Named + one-sentence position + the reason (livelihood, culture, risk)
Tension (strongest answers)
How one group's gain drives the other's concern about the SAME event
A fast check before submitting a perspectives answer
Are the two groups genuinely distinct, not two versions of the same interest?
Does each stated reason come from the resources, not a generic assumption?