Sociology Q2b – Australia's ethnic diversity | VCE Units 3 & 4 Practice – StudyPulse
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Sociology VCE Units 3 & 4 Practice Question 2b – Australia's ethnic diversity

Q2b Sociology Australia's ethnic diversity Unit 3 - AOS 2

A journalist claims in an opinion piece:

“Australia is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. The simplest proof is that Australia has a high overseas-born population, so it must be more diverse than countries like England and Wales, and far more diverse than countries with one dominant ethnic group.”

To support the claim, the journalist includes the following simplified data (from different international sources):

Table 1: Selected indicators

  • Australia: overseas-born $=30\%$; largest single ancestry response $=25\%$; languages spoken at home (excluding English) $=22\%$.
  • England and Wales: overseas-born $=17\%$; largest single ancestry response $=35\%$; languages spoken at home (excluding English) $=9\%$.
  • Country Z (described as “ethnically homogenous”): overseas-born $=2\%$; largest single ancestry response $=85\%$; languages spoken at home (excluding official language) $=1\%$.

The journalist does not explain how each indicator was defined or collected, and does not discuss how countries decide what counts as an ‘ethnic group’ or ‘ancestry’.

Question 2b

4 marks

b. Calculate a simple ‘concentration ratio’ for each country using $\text{CR} = \dfrac{\text{largest single ancestry \%}}{100}$. Then, interpret what these ratios suggest about how evenly ethnic/ancestry identities may be distributed in Australia compared with England and Wales and Country Z.

Your Answer

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About This Sociology Question

This is a free VCE Units 3 & 4 Sociology practice question worth 4 marks, testing your understanding of Australia's ethnic diversity. It falls under Ethnicity in Unit 3: Culture and ethnicity. Submit your answer above to receive instant AI-powered marking and personalised feedback.

Subject
Sociology – Victorian Certificate of Education Units 3 & 4
Unit 3
Culture and ethnicity
Area of Study 2
Ethnicity
Key Knowledge
Australia's ethnic diversity

Unit 3 Overview

In this unit, students explore expressions of culture and ethnicity within Australian society in two different contexts – Australian Indigenous cultures, and ethnicity in relation to migrant groups. Students critically examine the historical suppression and increasing public awareness of Australian Indigenous cultures, and investigate ethnicity as a key sociological category, considering how ethnic identities are formed, experienced, and shaped by various forces.

Ethnicity

Students examine the sociological concepts of race and ethnicity, the process of othering, and the theory of cultural hybridity. They investigate Australia’s ethnic diversity, multiculturalism, factors influencing belonging and inclusion, and the ethical implications of research into ethnic groups, including a case study of a specific ethnic group.

Key Knowledge Detail

Australia’s current ethnic diversity compared with other countries

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