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SingaporeGeneral PaperQuick questions
Environment and Sustainability
Quick questions on Individual versus systemic responsibility explained: H1 General Paper
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the case for systemic primacy?Show answer
The strongest argument is that scale and structure favour systemic actors:
What is the case for individual relevance?Show answer
Yet individuals are not irrelevant:
What is the responsibility-shifting critique?Show answer
A sophisticated point to deploy: framing environmental problems as primarily a matter of individual responsibility can deflect attention from the actors with the most power to change things. Some campaigns and industries have emphasised personal footprints in ways that shift the burden away from systemic change. Flagging this critique shows analytical depth, but balance it: dismissing individuals entirely breeds fatalism and ignores the role of public pressure.
What are vague examples?Show answer
"People should recycle" evidences little. Use specific structural levers such as carbon pricing or transport infrastructure.
What is q1?Show answer
Give one reason systemic actors carry more environmental responsibility than individuals. [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain the "responsibility-shifting" critique of focusing on individual action. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain why individual and systemic action are best seen as complementary. [3 marks]
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