A2 External Influences

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A2 External Influences

• TOPIC Pressure Group Activity

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Many different viewpoints are represented by
pressure groups.
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Pressure groups

• Definition An organisation formed by people with
  a common interest or shared goal, who join
  together to further their interests or achieve
  their goals by putting pressure on the general
  public, governments or businesses.
• Two main types
• 1. Single issue - e.g. a group against a road or
  building project
• 2. Ongoing concerns

Greenpeace demonstration against ESSO
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Employer groups e.g. Confederation of British
Industry
Human Rights groups e.g. Amnesty International
Animal rights e.g. PETA
Ongoing concern pressure groups
Employee groups e.g. Trade Unions
Environmental groups e.g Greenpeace, Friends of
the Earth
Consumer groups e.g. Consumers Association
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Activities of pressure groups - What do they do?

• Lobbying politicians and other influential people
  (lobbying involves putting a viewpoint across to
  influential people such as MPs)
• Boycotting products (persuading consumers to not
  buy)
• Publicity activities to attract media attention
  and alert general public (e.g. demonstrations,
  published articles in the press)
• Organising demonstrations
• Direct action - passive to actual damage (e.g.
  releasing animals from testing facilities) to
  threatening employees and owners

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How far should pressure groups go?
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Pressure group often recruit celebrities to make
the cause known to the public and create a
favourable image. Examples include Chris Martin
of Coldplay supporting Fair Trade and Thom Yorke
opposite.
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Example pressure groups

• Greenpeace environmental issues
• Trade unions e.g. Fire Brigade Union represent
  workers rights
• People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
  (PETA)
• Which? protect consumers by providing
  information to consumers about products and
  services e.g. magazine, web-site and campaign and
  lobby
• POINTS TO CONSIDER
• Which of the pressure groups discussed do you
  feel is the most influential? Why? What makes
  them successful?
• Which of the pressure groups would you support
  and why?
• Do you feel any of the pressure groups actions
  have been too extreme?

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Characteristics of successful pressure groups

• Financial resources for public relations (PR)
  activities
• A good reputation
• Public sympathy for its cause
• Access to politicians
• Access to the media

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Pressure group as a stakeholder

• The ideal for a pressure group is to become a
  valued stakeholder of a business
• The pressure group must convince a business it
  represents the views of the people affected by
  the actions of the business.

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Possible responses to pressure group activity

• Business can respond to pressure group activities
  in a range of ways including
• Companies agreeing to change
• Companies resisting pressure group demands
• The government imposing change by passing new
  laws
• The public changing its approach

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Different perspectives

• When discussing ethics we looked at BP building a
  pipeline through Eastern Europe. BP spoke about
  the pipeline and its efforts to be socially
  responsible in its construction (page 405)
• Look at The Friends of the Earth article which is
  a less favourable perspective (page 429)
• Task In pairs read both articles and compare the
  different perspectives (10 minutes)
• Should the construction go ahead?
• Is BP being ethical and socially responsible?

Picture taken from BP web-site, 2006
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Student Activity

• Read the case study on page 430 of the A2 AQA
  textbook
• Using the case study and the knowledge you have
  gained so far answer the following question Fully
  justify answers
• (25-30 minutes)
• 1. To what extent do pressure groups ensure that
  the right business decisions are made? (12
  marks)
• 2. What made the animal rights pressure group
  successful at influencing drug companies? (8
  marks)

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Practice Unit 6 Exam Question

• Consider the arguments for and against the use of
  direct action by pressure groups campaigning
  against experiments on animals
  (12 marks)
• This question requires fully application,
  analysis and evaluation

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Possible answers

• Direct action may alienate the general public,
  support may be lost for the cause
• May result in legal action against pressure group
• This may limit the success of the campaign
• Direct action frequently successful in attracting
  media attention, especially with emotive issues
  such cruelty to animals
• Pressure groups rely on publicity
• Companies may be frustrated in their trading
  activities by direct action
• This may cause the m to change their policies