How to Deal with Decontextualised Source-based Questions

Yoz,

part 3 now. It's all about decontextualised source-based questions, what are they? Read on to find out... =)



1. Decontextualised source-based questions deal with case studies which you have not studied.

2. The issues and controversies surrounding decontextualised case studies would have been covered in the themes you studied.

3. Decontextualised source-based questions are always accompanied by background infomation. The background information might look like the one below:

Theme: conflict and cooperation
Issue: The Tibetan issue
Background information:
Tibet was a Buddhist state controlled by the lamas (priests) of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1720, the Qing dynasty established control over Tibet which lasted until the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Tibet declared its independence but in 1950, Tibet again fell to the Chinese. An uprising in 1959 was suppressed and the Dalai Lama, the leader of the Tibetans, fled to India. Tibet was subsequently subjected to Chinese influence and demands for its independence still continue.



BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND THEME IN DECONTEXTUALISED SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS

1. Compare what you know about the theme with the background information.

2. Ask yourself two questions:
- What case study did I do for the theme concerned?
- What do I know about the case study?

3. The theme was on conflict and cooperation. You studied about why countries go to war. You studied that economic reasons, water, ideological disputes and border disputes were responsible for conflicts.

4. You might jot down the key words which come to your mind if you think this will help you focus on the issue better.

5. Your key words could include words like 'water supply', 'economic', 'ideology' and 'border dispute'. These words will give you an idea on the issues regarding Tibet-China relations.