28th June 2012 Sociologists SY4 :  
The Archbishoip of Canturbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has described Cameron's Big Society as "aspirational waffle" and as being "designed to conceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities to the most vulnerable".  This has to be a key quote in the 2013 SY4 examination, which you can debate.  Is the Archbishop right?    
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jun/23/rowan-williams-big-society-cameron?newsfeed=true


Given the importance of current political debate concerning the role  the welfare state and that of philanthropy in meeting needs, it is worth looking at the research being undertaken by Professor Pharoah of the Centre for Charitable Giving and Philanthropy.  Pharoah has explored issues such as whether we have become more generous as a nation as we have become wealthier, and whether 'giving' is affected by adverse economic circumstances (a recession).  If donations were to dip in a recession, a reduced benefits system would leave those with less very exposed, so this is extremely important research.  Does the fact that we now have a 'Centre' studying this, supported by research in five different universities in the UK simply underscore the new importance of philanthropy in society?   On the seventieth anniversary of the Beveridge Report, into what kind of society are we metamorphosising?
http://www.esrc.ac.uk/publications/multimedia/seven-days/tuesday.aspx