Anthropology of Development & Decolonization

Question 1

Poverty

Answer 1

a human-made construct

Question 2

Professor David Mosse on Poverty

Answer 2

non-capitalist forms of exclusion based on gender, ethnicity, religion, education, political belief can lead to poverty

Question 3

Caste

Answer 3

• a social system and religious hierarchy, created a few thousand years ago
• there is no mention of caste in ancient Hindu texts (e.g. Rig Veda) and it first appears in the
  Purusha Sukta verse, a later interpolation by the Brahmin bureaucrats (Tharoor 2018, pg. 69)
• caste discriminations were regimented during the British Raj’s era in 18th century through land surveys and population census
• known for denying specific social groups access to basic human rights

ex. the untouchables

Question 4

White Muguls

Answer 4

British dressing in Indian cultural clothes

Question 5

Why does inequality and poverty persist?

Answer 5

people are greedy when they have money and power

Question 6

Every barrel of Guyana’s oil reserves…

Answer 6

America (Corp) will pay 1 cent, after signing contract

Question 7

Dependency Theory

Answer 7

• emerged in 1960s-1970s, Central America

Question 8

3 Arguments of Dependency Theorists

Answer 8

1. International division of labour
2. Class distinction
3. Global capitalism

see ss

Question 9

Reason why some countries are underdeveloped

Answer 9

“not using right economic policies/systems, or have authoritarian or corrupt govts” but actually: International system was exploiting those countries, which made certain countries dominant over the others

Question 10

When did Indigenous people have voting rights

Answer 10

1960

Question 11

When did Canadian white women have voting rights

Answer 11

1918-1920

Question 12

Inequalities Based on Gender

Answer 12

• construction of gender roles
• “double shifts” for women
• across industry, studies show, women are often paid less compared to men (PayScale 2021)
• violence against women (BBC 2016)

Question 13

Inequalities based on “Race” and Ethnicity

Answer 13

• no race and ethnicity is superior
• hate crime against racial/ethnic minorities

Question 14

Reasons for Poverty

Answer 14

• capitalism
• non-capitalism
• mismanagement and corruption
• BOTH poverty and inequality are human-made

Question 15

Capitalism

Answer 15

• seeking constantly to increase profit (greed!)
• weak governance / inability of negotiate
• overpowering financial institutions
• exploiting powerless people and their living environment

Question 16

Non-Capitalism

Answer 16

• social and political exclusion
• age, class, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc.
• hatred

Question 17

Bengal Famine in 1943

Answer 17

• Churchill was responsible
• he blamed Indian people instead
  *analyze moisture level of soil → directly linked to Churchill’s policies (caused food shortages)

Question 18

Gentoo Codes

Answer 18

British promised the Indian elites protection in return for power

Question 19

Social change begins in…

Answer 19

classroom then at home

Question 20

Euphemism

Answer 20

• softer way of saying things
• a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing

ex. credit card not called debt card, laid off not fired