PREVIOUS QUESTION (SAMPLE) PAPER

OCT/NOV 2018

This examination paper consists of 7 pages.

INSTRUCTIONS

This examination paper is divided into three sections:

Section A: Short Answer Questions

Section B: Multiple Choice Questions
Section C: An Essay

ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS IN SECTIONS A AND B. CHOOSE ONE OF THE

TOPICS IN SECTION C AND WRITE AN ESSAY.

Open Rubric
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SECTION A

NB: Please note that both Sections A and B are based on the passage below. Read the
following passage and then answer the questions that follow.

Matthew Fraser, a professor at the American University of Paris, is also an author of several books and
a blogger. In this next essay, he uses the comparison and contrast writing pattern. Read the essay, and
answer the questions that follow.

Viral Vigilantes
Matthew Fraser (year, 2017)

1 In August 2010, Mary Bale, a dowdy middle-aged English woman, committed a baffling and
senseless act. While walking down a residential street in Coventry, she saw a cat. After caressing it and
picking it up, she flung the animal inside a large plastic garbage can, closing the lid on the tabby. Fifteen
hours later, Darryl Mann—the cat’s owner—heard his pet’s distressed meows and rescued it. Mann had
two closed-circuit cameras in front of his house that captured Bale’s gesture on video. Soon, the video
was viral, and Bale had been named and shamed. In the past, “Big Brother” surveillance was done by
states and institutions, but today, digitally mediated “Little Brother” surveillance puts everyone on a
level playing field.
2 In past centuries, only states, corporations, and large 1Kafkaesque bureaucracies were able to marshal
the resources needed to monitor the actions of individuals. The function of surveillance was to
encourage people to behave according to established expectations because they always imagined that
they were being watched. Historically, rulers relied on paid snitches to spy on the population. Later,
espionage networks were highly developed in the former Soviet Union and Eastern European nations.
Under constant scrutiny, citizens learned to passively accept that government controlled surveillance
was in place. It was never a two-way process: individuals had no capacity to monitor states and
corporations.

3 In the twentieth century, states adopted high-tech surveillance, which was a more subtle method of
enforcement aimed at controlling people’s minds and habits. In 1960, authorities installed one of the
first public security cameras in London’s Trafalgar Square. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, nations
expanded the usage of closed-circuit television cameras to spy on lawbreakers and possible terrorists.
Great Britain is the country with the most surveillance cameras in the world. Thus, even in free and
democratic societies, it is impossible to escape some form of video detection—in parking lots, office
corridors, at bank machines—during the banal course of a normal day. Most of us have watched
television news footage from a CCTV video taken of a traffic accident or a bank robbery. Until the
1990s, even such high-tech surveillance was largely unidirectional, with the powerful spying on the
powerless.

4 Today states and institutions no longer possess a monopoly on surveillance as a form of coercion.
Social media like Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter offer radically new, and efficient,
techniques of surveillance. Ordinary citizens are able to look into spheres that once were opaque or
impenetrable; thus, surveillance now occurs in both directions: from the top down and from the bottom
up. Employers, teachers, and politicians have been publically humiliated because misconduct was
caught on a cell phone camera. Furthermore, social media played a pivotal role during the Arab
uprisings of early 2011, when citizens captured police or army misconduct on cell phones. Thanks to
the Web, citizens can now monitor and hold to account the states that govern their lives.

1
Kafkaesque: nightmarish and surreal (from the writing of Franz Kafka)
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5 Today, citizens can also spy on each other. Online social networks make everything and everyone
visible—from our “likes” on Facebook to photos posted on Flickr. What’s more, the viral distribution
dynamics of the Web—notably on YouTube—can make everything visible instantly and globally.
Online social networks function to enforce social norms—not by top-down institutional surveillance
but through horizontally networked monitoring.

6 Digitally mediated surveillance can lead to a troubling form of viral vigilantism. Anyone with a
mobile device can report—and even film—deviant actions in real time. In the Mary Bale case, the
feedback was explosive. The video of her act instantly went viral on YouTube, and almost immediately,
Bale was recognized and shamed. Questioned by a TV reporter on the pavement as she was fleeing the
media, Bale made the mistake of retorting, “It’s just a cat.” Within days, Darryl Mann’s video was being
played on TV newscasts around the world. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
became involved. Bale was dubbed the “the most evil woman in Britain,” and an anti-Bale page on
Facebook rapidly attracted twenty thousand fans. While the tabby cat’s ordeal lasted only fifteen hours,
Mary Bale isn’t likely to recover from the explosive reaction to the YouTube video that turned her into
one of the most hated people in Britain.

7. The strange story of the Cat-Bin Lady provides an alarming illustration of how the dynamics of
surveillance have been radically transformed by social media. We will never know why Mary Bale
flung Lola into the 2rubbish bin, but the Cat-Bin Lady saga has demonstrated the coercive power of
“Little Brother” and its role in the enforcement of social norms. Today we must accept that everything
we do, including our smallest gestures, risks being exposed by some form of intrusive surveillance. As
Mary Bale discovered, nobody can hide; someone is watching.

Global Recognition
8. U.S. use of public video surveillance lags far behind Europe, especially in Britain, where public
video surveillance is the single-most heavily funded non-criminal justice crime prevention measure.
Many British residents live like contestants in a reality TV show each day – a network of public cameras
tracks their moves on residential and commercial streets; on buses, trains, and subways; in offices, pubs,
and malls; and even in churches and schools. Experts calculate the average commuter in London is
filmed 300 times each day, according to “Britain’s Big Brother.”
9. Most Americans first heard about face recognition biometrics after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, even
though football fans had been scanned en mass at Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Fla., months earlier,
according to a 2001 article on Wired News online. The concept has since gained support as a potential
tool for averting terrorist crimes, but still, the application of face-recognition technology is far from
widespread, with the scales tipped toward federal use for national security issues. This technology has
only recently been applied to local law enforcement investigations on a limited basis and remains a
virtually untapped resource for the future.
10. The public has welcomed the technology, especially for post 9/11 immigration and airport security,
although the technology has not been proven as accurate and effective to identify terrorists or wanted
suspects. Before the 9/11 attacks, the public was skeptical about the notion that public cameras could
be used for advanced technologies such as face recognition. Though scepticism has given way to rising
fears about terrorism, many people are still wary of its widespread public use. People are most
concerned about the risks of identity theft and privacy infringement.
(adapted from Darryl Mc Allister, Law Enforcement Turns to Face-recognition Technology)

2
rubbish bin: British term for garbage can
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SECTION A: SHORT ANSWER PARAGRAPHS [ABOUT 100 WORDS]

1. Paragraph 2 and 3 are both describing the history of surveillance. Using your own words,
write a short paragraph of about 100 words in which you explain the history of surveillance.
(10 marks)

2. With close reference to paragraph 4 and 5, identify and describe the benefits of digital social
media surveillance in ‘todays’ context. (10 marks)

3. ‘Online social networks function to enforce social norms—not by top-down institutional

surveillance but through horizontally networked monitoring.’ Do online social networks
enforce social norms? In one paragraph of about 100 words, state your views and support
by giving your own examples. (10 marks)
[10 x 3 = 30 marks]

SECTION B: MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Answer all questions in this multiple choice. Write only the question number and the letter
you consider as the correct option.
1. Which of the following sentences best paraphrases the thesis statement in paragraph one?
a. In August 2010, Mary Bale, an overweight elderly English woman, committed a
surprising and stupid deed.
b. Mann had two closed-circuit cameras in front of his house that captured Bale’s
gesture on video.
c. The recording was quickly transmitted through social media and poor Bale had
nowhere to hide.
d. Previously, states and institutions carried out surveillance, conversely, digital media
has made surveillance possible for all in today’s society.

2. The following cohesive devices/ connecting words refer to time. One of them is the odd
one. Which one is it?
a. In past centuries
b. Historically
c. Thus
d. Later
3. According to the passage, in ancient history, what was the function of surveillance?
a. Citizens were taught to welcome observation by the state.
b. It promoted people to act in accordance with established norms.
c. It is for spying on lawbreakers and possible terrorists.
d. It was meant to control people’s minds and habits.
4. In paragraph 4, line 1, it is indicated that…
‘Today states and institutions no longer possess a monopoly on surveillance as a form of
coercion.’ What is being compared and contrasted in this passage?
a. Surveillance and digital social media
b. Past state surveillance with modern people-centred surveillance
c. Online social networks and CCTV video
d. Mary Bale and CCTV footage
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5. Which of the following statement is unlikely to be the purpose of the text?

a. The author longs for the time when states were controlling all forms of surveillance.
b. The author intended to trace the evolution and current forms of surveillance.
c. The author shows how modern forms of surveillance enforcement of social norms.
d. The author explains that social media empowers ordinary citizens with self-
surveillance.

6. Paragraph 4, ‘thus, surveillance now occurs in both directions: from the top down and
from the bottom up.’ What inference can be made from this statement?
a. The state is no longer powerful.
b. Social media has levelled the playing field.
c. There was an Arab uprising in 2011.
d. Citizens yield more power than before.

7. The title of the passage is ‘Viral Vigilantes’, who are these?

a. Surveillance cameras
b. Darryl Mann, the cat owner
c. Online social network users
d. The Cat-Bin Lady

8. Which of the following is the most recent innovation in technological surveillance?

a. Face recognition biometrics
b. Espionage networks
c. Digital mediated surveillance
d. Surveillance cameras

9. Before the emergence of modern surveillance and social network surveillance systems,
how did the government monitor their citizens?
a. They hired security officers to walk-around the neighbourhood
b. They had police officers patrolling the neighbourhoods
c. They asked ordinary citizens to do their own surveillance
d. They paid snitches to spy on their citizens

10. Which country is considered to be ahead in the use of surveillance system?

a. France
b. Italy
c. Britain
d. United States of America

[2 x 10 = 20 marks]
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SECTION C: ESSAY QUESTION

Choose one essay topic to answer.

a) ‘DA MP Kohler Barnard back on police committee after hate speech storm’
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2017-09-01-da-mp-kohler-barnard-back-
on-police-committee-after-fine-for-hate-speech/ 0 1 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 - 1 2 : 4 4
BY KHULEKANI MAGUBAN E
The DA disciplined Kohler Barnard for sharing a post on social media networking site
Facebook by a journalist, which painted apartheid government leader PW Botha in a
glowing light. She was fined R20 000 by the party — which was donated to charity — but
she successfully appealed a bid for her membership to be terminated. The ANC had also
petitioned the Equality Court, saying that her actions on the social networking website
constituted hate speech.

Based on the passage you read in Section A on ‘Viral Vigilantes’ as well as the extract above
about DA MP Kohler Barnard, it is obvious that these issues are relevant to any society.
How has surveillance cameras and digital social media surveillance infiltrated your
country? Discuss the positive and negative effects of surveillance cameras and/or digital
social media surveillance.
N.B. You can use the passages in this examination paper. If you do, make sure must cite
them correctly. You are allowed to also use your own examples.
OR
b) The abstract below has been taken from a published academic article in which Smith (2006)
reports on the state of research on the effects of physical punishment (corporal punishment).
(N. B. A few modifications have been made to the abstract)
Instructions: Read the abstract carefully in order to answer the question that follows. Use the
references as provided.
THE STATE OF RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT
Anne B. Smith
Children’s Issues Centre
University of Otago
Dunedin
Abstract
Long considered an effective, and even necessary, means of socialising children, physical
punishment has been revealed to be a predictor of a wide range of negative developmental
outcomes (Holden 2002, Straus and Stewart 1999). The extent of agreement in the research
literature on this issue is unusual in the social sciences. Physical punishment is associated with
increased child aggression, antisocial behaviour, lower intellectual achievement, poorer quality
of parent–child relationships, mental health problems (such as depression), and diminished
moral values. The evidence about whether physical punishment results in short-term
compliance is mixed, with some studies showing effectiveness in achieving this and others
not (Gershoff 2002). Short-term compliance can, however, be achieved effectively without
using physical punishment. Physical punishment has negative effects on child outcomes,
especially if it is harsh, regardless of culture.
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When punishment use is normative in a culture, the effects are slightly less negative. Research
findings support ongoing efforts to help parents use more positive methods of parenting, and
the removal of a defence in law for the use of physical punishment against children.
1
Acknowledgements
This paper is based on a keynote address delivered to the 10th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse
and Neglect (ACCAN), Blossoming Our Children, Wellington, 14–16 February, 2006.

References

Gershoff, E.T. (2002a) “Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviours and
experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review” Psychological Bulletin, 128(4):539–579.
Holden, G.W. (2002) “Perspectives on the effects of corporal punishment: Comment on
Gershoff (2002)” Psychological Bulletin, 128(4):590–595.
Straus, M.A. (1999) “Is it time to ban corporal punishment of children?” Canadian Medical
Association Journal, 161(7):821–822.

“The evidence about whether physical punishment results in short-term compliance is mixed,
with some studies showing effectiveness in achieving this and others not (Gershoff 2002)”
Based on this statement, write an essay of no less than 1 ½ to 2 pages in which you argue
for or against the effects of physical punishment on children. Your argument must
discuss the effects of physical punishment.
(50 marks)
TOTAL MARKS FOR THIS EXAMINATION = [100 marks]

©
UNISA 2018