Summary - lecture 1-10 - Globalization midterm study guide PDF

Preview

Summary

Globalization Midterm Study Guide...

Description

Citizenship without Borders Midterm Study Guide Globalization What is Globalization? Movement -> moving /Process Movement of : -goods -ideas -trends -finances -disease -cultural artifacts -technology -ideologies Capital (most free flowing) Labour (moving but more shackled/restricted) --> opposite of capital according to Marx *ex. Guy who bought the patent for the AIDS drug and raised from $13 to $700 Time-space Compression: -David Harvey, since the 1960's, the pace of interconnections has changed -Time -space compression refers to a new social reality, the result of breakthroughs in technology that have either greatly accelerated or completely obliterated temporal and spatial distances. *i.e: time=fast, distance= insignificant Ex. Writing a letter and sending it takes long time vs. writing an email and sending it and it arrives almost instantly. Age of Discovery 1492 - Westerners - Europeans start to map the world -> Columbus 'discovers' the New World

*we are all drawn in, just like today with the latest buzz -Books about the new world are the hot topic On a political and Economic level: Colonialism Imperialism: resources, on the land and labour markets Land -resources, crops

Labour

Beginnings of Capitalism Empire: A group of geographically extensive states; controlled by a central power whose political-military dominion includes the exclusive rights to violence over populations within the empire -empire building is a global process itself, both as an action and as an idea (the concept of a world that is neatly cut into geographically exclusive units we call states). There is nothing intrinsic in this concept (i.e. we made it up) 1519-1521- Ferdinand Magellan ***** -his crew circumnavigated the globe -first real moment of globalization Magellan killed by Muslim war chief but his crew made it back to Portugal ->anti-globalization begins -- there will always going to be protests. Post WWII Massive government spending on infrastructure, redevelopment. -All economies, especially in devastated countries required labour power to rebuild Mass labour movements: Turks in Germany, North Africans in Paris, Caribbean islanders in London, England, many ethnic groups to Canada, Australia and the US. Debating Globalization **Conflict Theory: Global society is made up of groups with differing amounts of material and nonmaterial resources.

-Our system is created from the ongoing conflict among key groups -Relationship of exploitation Affected by this system: -Class relation - Marxist -Gender relation (men more likely to head a company) - Feminist -Race relations - race -Age difference - age -States (G7 vs. everyone else) *conflict is in all of these. Exploitation happens in these --> concerned with the abuse of power One big value judgement: EQUALITY Conflict theory: strives to give voice to the poor and marginalized Historical and social contexts: global structures operating on individuals and groups Are we able to see our own personal experiences and our perceptions of the world within the broader concepts -The little things we learn about the world have deep social contexts and historical connections. Core questions about global society ->What is the structure as a whole? ->Essential components and their relationships among one another? ->What are the mechanisms of change? ->what type of person now prevails in society? -> What values, beliefs, and worldviews are produced by this society and which institutions re-confirm them every day? ** -> Lack of awareness breeds apathy and indifference, not the other way around. We are programmed to 'give a damn' -> Are we encouraged to care?

Globalization: Anthony Giddens (Globalization as a buzzword) 1) Sceptics: exchange is mainly domestic, at most regional; global transactions are only a part; Governments still continue to regulate social life and control welfare state; just a buzzword to get us all to buy into the free-market economy. 2) Radicals: Global process, such as trade, are so powerful that national sovereignty is breaking down and politicians are losing their roles. *Giddens will side with the radicals: world trade, goods, services, finance, capital -- all this money that exists as digits in computers 1836 - Morse Code starts being used The World is Flat- Thomas Friedman -> wrote about business and production knowledge -> a recipe for exponential growth that may fix all our problems - a new era of global prosperity Globalization over the last 40 years: off shore production and global assembly line => Offshoring= cheaper labour, cheaper materials, less regulation (environment/safety), lower tax regimes, cheap oil( MAIN FACTOR) and cheap transport => World marker of goods, services and labour => Information, transportation, communication and technology explosion 8 Main points for Globalization over the last 40 years (KNOW) 1) Concentration of control, decentralization of production 2) RACE TO THE BOTTOM: People who win contracts have the lowest production cost) 3) Re-commodification of labour: fewer rights, nothing but your labour to sell -> Proletarianization (Marx) -> when you only have your labour left to see. 4) Neo-imperialism: dominating poorer countries, locking them into trade deals and putting them in debt. G7 countries benefit 5) Impoverishment - levels 6) Inequality- ownership vs. workers 7) Anti-democratic : * the elite know how to organize development 8) Environmental degradation

Neoliberalism: a political-economic theory proposing that human well-being can best be advanced by the maximization of entrepreneurial freedoms within an institutional framework characterized by private property rights, individual liberty, unencumbered markets and free trade. *Government regulation in markets must be kept to a bare minimum. (the state does not possess enough information) *In a depression, assets return to their rightful owners TWO ECONOMIC RATIONALES Main stream development and World -systems Theory Mainstream development: countries and population pass through fixes stages of progress, marching onward toward the pinnacle- the USA or Western Europe Economy is natural fact (taken for granted) -> Evolutionary model, created by the people on top. Suggests that the key to fixing underdevelopment is helping poor countries along the common path...particularly in terms of integration into the world economy. -> Modernization is an internal process -> Countries are responsible for their own development or lack thereof. *The key to ending extreme poverty is to allow the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development. They lack: Human capital, nutrition, skills, business capital, machinery, transport, infrastructure, natural capital, environmental context, public institutional capital, knowledge capital. World Systems Theory: (KNOW) Immanuel Wallterstein --Core, periphery, semi-periphery -> We are all already intrinsically tied into a world economic system. (NOT detached observers) --> World systems theory draw upon Dependency Theory. -->The way the periphery and semi-periphery have been incorporated into the global system has served to benefit the rich nations of the core. Dependency:

The spread of European 'civilisation' to the rest of the world was accompanied by the extraction of raw materials, the draining of social resources, and a loss of control over basic institutions of society. Active under-development of the Third World is an essential part of the West's development. -1st world is prosperous because we transferred their resources to ourselves -> keeping the 3rd world from developing. (we created the 3rd world) WORLD SYSTEMS THEORY (KNOW!) -> suggests that the very shape of the periphery is dependent upon the relation to the core, with their own unique structures and forms. And the very form of the core is related to the periphery. Ex. We are mass consumers. Our relation to the 3rd world supports our consumerism. They make the shirts/our commodities which opens up jobs for us. *3rd world is in the periphery. 1) The standard of living of rich countries is intrinsically ties to the poor ones offering resources, open markets, labour etc 2) The rich countries perpetuate the dependence of the poor on the rich to ensure their standard of living. 3) Wealthier countries use economic sanctions to combat resistance. (i.e IMF: structural adjustments in developing countries - cutting off gov't spending across the board, raise taxes and interest rates. SAP's - Structural Adjustment Programs Globalist Division of Labour: A capitalist world economy that has been developing over the last 500 years Interdependence among different states and regions. THE CORE - US, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia (China, India, Brazil are emerging) * Very strong state institutions, politically connected, some form of advanced/organized military - Control and profit most institutions from the world-system. - Historically controlled manufacturing and industrialism PERIPHERY -Most Africa, South America, Southeast Asia

-often a weak state, can be fragmented politically from other countries --don't want these countries to group together and find a voice - Exploited by the core and semi for agriculture, human and natural resources -Political systems interfered with by core countries, often in an effort to keep the periphery where it is -coerced labour SEMI-PERIPHERY -India, China, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Iran, Turkey, South America -Industrializing and mostly capitalist -Can be go-betweeners for the core and the full peripheral countries Historical Capitalism -Not shaped by market forces, but by strong state actors, as well as racial, ethnic, class, gender relations -Strong actors distort the market for monopolistic advantage Capitalism -> money makes everything faceless, no strings attached --> the wealth in the core is gained at the expense of 3rd world countries Neoliberalism Ideology: The Book (and limits with which we thing) => way of thinking, beliefs/values, world view, political, economic, social rational Ideology: The governing rationale of any given epoch ( agreed system of values, norms, goals, expectations, judgements) ==> represents the best interests of society. Origins of the Box Hegal: great men with great idea come together and set about making a better society (Great ideas conform policy) Marx: We first have a specific mode of production (economic base) based upon exploitation, and it requires explanation and justification. -->Basic elements:(rationalization of society relies on the economic base!)

--> Basic Needs: Food, shelter, clothing --> superstructure: Everything stems from economic base!! religion, race, ethinicity Neoliberalism: an ideology of extreme market freedom, unecumbered by gov't interference. This market, an entity unto itself (godlike), functions best when left alone **Free trade is the way to grow the economy 3 BROAD COMPONENTS 1) Individualism- grounded in a valorization of self-centeredness and personal consumption 2) Rolling back gov't services --Government primary function is to enforce/promote the freedom of capital -- hands off gov't, selling off state assets, privatising services (mail, liquor stores) 3) Supply side economics (what can you give the world economy) (ex. Walmart) *Maybe ==> 4) Extreme devaluation of labour - outsourcing, new ways to reengineer companies Institutions of Neoliberalism: -IMF --International Monetary Fund - WTO-- World Trade Organisation -Asian Development Bank -European Central Bank The Richest's interests are served Hegemony Antonio Gramsci - it means political dominance so a hegemon (greek) would be a dominator Gramsci said it was a type of class dominance. Neoliberalism: Rugged individualism is an 'ownership society' --> If you don't succeed then its something wrong with you not the model VIDEOS John Oliver - Prisons

- Aramark is responsible for providing food to prisons (caught for sub standard food - maggots) - Hands off government selling off state assets such as prisons. Privatising them are bad. Its all about money not rehabilitation. El Contrato - NFB -Leamington, ON -green house capital of Canada Consulate is there to protect the contract with the owner not the worker - workers here for 8 months -no laws regarding the safety/health regulations, use of chemicals etc -work overtime but not paid accordingly -Unions not allowed in Ontario -contract obligations - have a family, little to no education, don't understand their legal rights so can't fight for them effectively, its worse where they come from so they are forced to come here. Immigration and Labour Neoliberalism: Privatisation: jails, public utilities, retirement funds, liquor stores, health care, post office, etc IMF/World Bank/World Trade Organization 1) anti democratic: you lose basic democratic rights when you sign on to the IMF, etc. They control policy. 2)Votes - whoever controls the most money has the most votes. 3)Disputes - mandated to be settled in favour of trade 4) structural adjustments David Harvey: novel ways in which free market economic policy dismantling policies set in place during WWII. Keynes: Spend your way out of debt Ford: build a product, pay employees enough to buy the cars they build Stagnating economy: the way to stimulate it is to spend deficit money The transfer of assets and channelling of wealth and income, either from the mass of the population to the upper class or from vulnerable countries to the richer countries

Accumulation by Dispossession Marx's Concept of Primitive accumulation: *historically predates capitalism The continuing use, today, of extra-economic means to accumulate Other extra-economic means: 1) Commodification of land, turning it into private property. Includes the forceful expulsion of peasants, marginal groups 2) Converting all forms of property (state, communal, collective) to exclusively private) 3) Proletarianization and the defeat of indigenous production/consumption systems. Privatization: -Public asses privatized and corporatized -Opens up new fields for capital, fields previously off-limits to profit-seeking (utilities, healthcare, etc) The wholesale Commodification of nature -Genetic materials, genetic resources, land, water, etc **The state is an instrument of class power, forcing privatization often against the will of the masses. Financialization: Speculation, predation, fraud and thievery. Management/Manipulation of Crises -Springing the debt trap - during financial crisis, ownership and power are transferred to those able to keep their own assets intact (i.e. the super wealthy) Because they can use their assets to create credit. --raise interests on debt Migration Large scale, voluntary, away from Europe -Peasants, workers, convicts, dissidents, soldiers, orphans -The big destination of free-flowing - Gets bigger in the 18th-19th Century -1929 there are 29 million people in New York

-Post WWII there is a mass rebuilding Today: About 200 million people fall into the category of international migrant: (Someone who stays outside their homeland for more than one year) about 1/35 people. *40 million are undocumented, illegal Why are the pulling toward Canada? -Quality of life -Jobs (having one, a specific one) -Welcoming -Political-religious freedoms -General safety Where are they coming from? 1) Phillipines 2)India 3) China 4) UK 5) France 6)Iran 7) UA Emirates 8) Morocco 9) South Korea CORE DEFICIT Gender difference -more women than men $300 Billion in Remittances - money gets sent home (3x the amount of official development assistance) PROS Diminishes labour surplus Raises Family Livelihood

CONS Private money Payments are not constants, Brain drain,

Government onus

Ex. Mugabe Government (Zimbabwe) $5 billion - fund the state -> provide basic services, finance capital projects (prevent massive revolt) U.S Immigration 1)34 million; 12-14m undocumented; 18-20m from Latin America, Mexico 2) Upsurge of repression, racism, forced eviction, discrimination, Jim Crow (segregation, mistreatment); also, criminalization of illegals, militarization of state against immigrants. 3) Mass immigrant's rights movement --> Robinson wrote about the mass rights of those involved in immigration The Backdrop Global capitalism changed in the late 1970's- early 80's -transnational, dramatic, expansion (Tech, communications, transport) -"Borders are instruments of dominant groups, of powerful economic groups, of capital, not labour. They are functional to the system as mechanisms, of transnational control. *Capital is waging war on its workers -> It begins in the home country: Capturing resources, displacing people, capturing labour markets. -> Global capitalism as structural element * Guilty of structural violence, predominantly against poorer people and poorer countries. Creating immigrant workers Land: -Dispossession: mining, deforestation, control of fisheries -Ne control over production: export crops, bio-fuels and drugs Politics: Ideological changes that breakdown social safety nets, including worker rights and welfare. *Oppressive regimes: often supported by the rest Economics:

-Technology that diminishes number of workers (MACHINES REPLACE MAN/WORK) -New imports that destroy domestic markets -Replacements of people with machines (communist manifesto) Ex. Milk production in Jamaica -"Jamaica Hope" - a special breed of cow that withstands the tropical heat. 4000 small dairy farms producing 38 million lifestyles -Jamaica borrows in the early 1990s from the IMF and World Bank - must open up its markets to foreign trade. Because of this the dairy trade is decimated by cheap powder imports from the EU-- only 90 farms remain by 2002. Social: -New community/family relations based upon money -Customary obligations are left behind, including customary access to land. POP CULTURE: -Marketing of the affluent lifestyle -Living the 'American Dream' ****Structures that ultimately force 'Proletarianization" Nothing left but your labour to sell and sometimes the job is across the border. THAI MIGRANT ARTICLE: allows for small businesses to take advantage of a certain class of people - the federation of capital crossing borders. (CONNECT THIS WITH NEOLIBERALISM) 6 CHARACTERISTICS OF NEOLIBERALISM: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)...