Chapter 6

Question 1

What is facism?

Answer 1

Extreme form of nationalism, accompanied by a set of racial, social, and moral ideas

Question 2

What are the origins of fascism?

Answer 2

I. 20th century phenomenon
a. Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) Adolf Hitler (1889-
1945)
II. Origins of fascism comes from Italian “fasces”
a. Bundles of stick or rods bound together as a
symbol of authority for Rome magisters and were
used for corporal punishment
b. Symbolism - an individual piece can easily be
broken, but several tied together created a strong &
intimidating unit

Question 3

What are some characteristics of fascism that opposes liberalism?

Answer 3

I. Fascism is anti-enlightenment and opposes ideas of liberalism, democracy, reason, individualism
II. Anti-communist, but at the same time can be seen as a nation form of socialism (especially the Nazi party)
III. Fascism sees the community as creating individuals, and that they therefore owe allegiance to it
IV. Adopts elitist stance and demand a strong central ruler

Question 4

What is the fascist system like?

Answer 4

I. Nation organized within, by the state, with a national leader as its head
a. Unquestioned authority who determined the
interests of the nation and directs not only state
policy but also individual morality
b. Represents /embodies the will of the people as is
seen as the only person capable of interpreting that
will
II. Structure of the state is hierarchical, with a clear chain of command rom the leader down
III. Practical terms - systems means extreme authoritarianism and the will to use force, indeed violence, to ensure order and compliance

Question 5

What are the origins of anarchism?

Answer 5

I. Emerges in the 19th century alongside socialism
a. Pierre-Joseph Proudhoun (1809-65)
b. Mikhail Bakunin (1814-76)
c. Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)
II. Elements found in counter-culture movement of the 1960s and in today’s anti-globalization movement; pushing back against representatives of authority

Question 6

What would anarchy be like in practice/its definition?

Answer 6

I. Opposite of hierarchy, hence, absence of government
a. Myanmar, Libya, Haiti(?)
II. Concerned with the primacy of the individual, in which outside interference into the people’s lives (especially that of government, and the state) is minimized
III. Remains a peripheral ideology, tainted with the charge that it is a recipe for confusion and chaos

Question 7

What is the anarchism thought?

Answer 7

I. The state is regarded as illegitimate, possibly criminal
II. Human nature is either inherently good, or socially determined and would be more peaceful without the presence of the state
III. Anarchic society will conduct itself in a morally correct and responsible way

Question 8

What is post-modernism?

Answer 8

I. Not an ideology, but a critique of ideologies, or at least particular types of them
II. Some use the term to define a period of time, rather than an ideology (non-normative)
a. See the decline of class voting behavior
b. Electoral choices are now determined by a wider
array of factors
c. Nowadays, there’s more to think about in the way we vote; more factors

III. Label given to a wide variety of theorists in a wide variety of disciplines, not just in social sciences (at, architecture & cultural studies)
IV. Michel Foucault (1926-1984) and Jaques Derrida (1930-2004)

Question 9

What does postmodernism recognize?

Answer 9

I. Limitations are inherent in any supposed “master narrative” - direct challenge to the modernist approach
II. The world is too complex to be fully understood, so the search for ultimate answers is futile
III. Conversely, diversity & difference should be celebrated
IV. The world can’t be objectively observed but is socially constructed in a variety of ways
V. Associated with relativism as no political or moral commitment is absolute, all views count

Question 10

What does postmodernism challenge?

Answer 10

I. Modern assumptions about reason
a. Ability to penetrate to the “essential truth” of
things
b. Ability of reason to achieve progress
c. The belief that a real world exists
apart/independently from our knowledge of it

Question 11

What are the positive aspects of postmodernism?

Answer 11

I. Celebration of difference
II. Corrective for some of the excesses of modernity
III. Possibility of seeing the world differently allow for the possibility to live in the world differently

Question 12

What are negative aspects of postmodernism?

Answer 12

I. Deconstruction = destruction
a. it can refuse to suggest anything to replace that which tears down
II. Too oppositional
III. Offers no alternative

Question 13

What is the starting point of feminism?

Answer 13

I. Status of women in society is unequal to that of men
and this is politically important
II. The subordination is morally wrong and must be clearly identified if it is to be eradicated
a. Statistics from every country of the world
demonstrate that
1. Women earn less money than men
2. Are less represented in business and politics
3. Are more likely to be victims of violent crime
b. Until recently, political theory has failed to
recognize the fact of this oppression
III. A belief in the full equality of men and women, and the insistence that all barriers to such equality be removed

Question 14

Who is Bertha Wilson?

Answer 14

1st woman to serve the SCC (1982)

Question 15

Who is Jeanne Suave?

Answer 15

1st female GG (1984)

Question 16

Who is Audrey McLaughlin?

Answer 16

1st woman to lead a federal political party (1989)

Question 17

Who is Kim Campbell?

Answer 17

1st female PM (1993)

Question 18

Who is Beverly McLachlin?

Answer 18

1st female chief of justice of the SCC (1989)

Question 19

What are some of the challenges for women to get elected in political office?

Answer 19

I. Current plurality voting system - no proportional representation; rank ballot
II. Political parties are institutional barriers
II. Culture
IV. Political arena is just plain nasty, see Belinda Stronach - father was millionaire, was conservative and switched to liberal while dating Peter McCay (also conservative); they broke up, he left Ottawa, picture of him back home ends up in journal or something, he referred to Stronach as his dog when talking to reporters

Question 20

What are the types of feminism?

Answer 20

1st wave - Liberal feminism (late 19th and early 20th century): business world and politics; focus on right to vote, legislation against discrimination in the work force
2nd wave (1960s): patriarchy; problem isn’t women’s role in society but the system
Socialist feminism - capitalism is an exploitive system, specially for women
Intersectional feminism - different forms of subordination accompany each other (sexism, racism, homophobia)

Question 21

How was environmentalism born?

Answer 21

I. As more and more scientific evidence has emerged concerning climate change, ozone deletion, and ground air, and weather pollution - along with their harmful impacts on human health - more and more people have become aware of the need for better approaches to economic development that take full account of local, regional, and global environmental impacts
II. Emerged as a distinct political issue in the 70s

Question 22

How has environmentalism impacted governments?

Answer 22

I. “Green movement” in Europe & North America forced/compelled governments to take a new approach oriented towards the protection of the earth’s natural resources & promotion of simpler lifestyles
II. ‘Greenpeace’ and ‘friends of the earth’ and other NGOs contributed to the political momentum

Question 23

What is environmentalism and what does it promote?

Answer 23

Environmentalism is truly both a political & economy ideology because it identifies modern economic systems as the death knell of the nature
Within environmentalism is a belief that the destruction of the biosphere - the finely balanced system that sustains life on earth - is imminent unless radical changes are made

Question 24

How does the line of thinking of environmentalism challenge western lifestyle and western economy?

Answer 24

Lifestyle - directly

Economy - indirectly

Question 25

What are some of the successes of environmentalism in the national and international level?

Answer 25

Nationally - national policies on recycling and pollution control
Internationally - sustainable development has become a maxim for international aid agencies & development organizations

Question 26

What are some examples of environmental problems?

Answer 26

Acid rain
Air pollution
Ecosystems
Energy production and consumption
Nature and wildfire
Ozone
Pollution
Waste management
Water quality
Climate change/global warming/sea level rise
Diseases

Question 27

What are the two categories of environmentalism?

Answer 27

I. Reformist environmentalist
a. viewed as a single-issue concern not necessarily
inconsistent with a range of ideology
b. focus on sustainable development and ecological
modernization
c. Use of renewable energy (wind, hydro, solar)
d. Production of environmental goods
e. Focus on the economic costs of environmental
degradation (impact of weather related events)

II. Radical greens
a. see economic growth as incompatible with
environmental protection
b. Calls for limits to growth, consumption levels, and
population size

Question 28

What is the definition of multiculturalism?

Answer 28

I. “Management of diversity through formal initiatives is the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal domains”
II. “A system of beliefs and behaviors that recognizes and respects the presence of diverse groups in an organization or society, acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences, and encourages and enables their continued contribution within an inclusive, cultural context which empowers all within the organization or society
III. Peaceful coexistence

Question 29

How has multiculturalism grown in Canada?

Answer 29

First used in Canada in the 1960s as a result of growing demands from the francophone minority in QC who rejected the Anglophone domination of the CDN state
By the 1970s, it had become government policy

Question 30

What are the limits to multiculturalism?

Answer 30

I. Critics have questioned multiculturalism’s ability to preserve anything but the most shallow and stereotypical of cultural attributes
II. “Boutique” multiculturalism - the multiculturalism of ethnic restaurants, weekend festivals, and high-profile flirtations with the other
(Cultures are tolerated and even celebrated until they conflict with the ingrained values systems of the boutique multiculturalist)

Question 31

What is a negative and positive view on multiculturalism?

Answer 31

I. Challenged because of a concern for social unity

II. It’s a force for social inclusion; Encourages toleration of difference; Allows individuals to generate a sense of belonging