Contemporary Social Issues and Change: Arguing with Evidence
What this domain tests
This domain demands analysis of current issues: 저출산, 고령화, 다문화 사회, 청년 주거, 젠더, 디지털 문화, and 환경 문제. You must explain causes, consequences, and responses, and express a reasoned opinion in appropriate register. Expect prompts asking you to agree or disagree and justify.
Concepts to master
- Issue vocabulary: 저출산, 고령화 사회, 다문화, 1인 가구, 주거비, 양극화, and policy terms (지원금, 육아휴직, 이민 정책).
- Cause–effect language: -기 때문에, -으로 인해, -는 반면에, -에 따라.
- Opinion structures: -다고 생각한다, -아/어야 한다, -ㄹ 필요가 있다, and concession (물론 …지만).
- Statistics language: 약, 이상, 증가하다, 감소하다, and how to cite figures without inventing them.
Traps
- Giving an opinion with no reason or example, which caps the mark.
- Overstating certainty with figures you cannot verify; use hedged language instead.
- Ignoring counterarguments; top responses concede then rebut.
- Confusing 저출산 (low birth rate) with 고령화 (ageing population), which are related but distinct.
Worked rule of thumb
Use the C-R-E-C pattern: Claim, Reason, Example, Concession. For instance, argue that 육아휴직 확대 is needed (claim), because childcare costs deter young families (reason), as seen in rising 1인 가구 and delayed marriage (example), though workplace culture must also change (concession). This structure demonstrates range and balance in a single paragraph.