DEVS340 final exam Flashcards
What is environmentalism?
response to climate change caused by humans and capitalism
Market-oriented environmentalism
- about solving environmental problems by using money + market competition, rather than only relying on strict rules/bans
- understands that the market can provide incentives for conservation
how is market-oriented environmentalism achieved?
- private property rights
- internalizing costs
- emphasis on innovation
- promoting efficient resources allocation
- encouraging individual responsibility
- idea that free market provides a path towards sustainability
Coase Theorum
- potential solution to the “tragedy of the commons” under a free-market system
- If people can talk and make deals easily, they’ll find a solution that works for both sides without needing outside help, like the government.
Environmental Kuznet’s Curve
- as economic development increases, environmental degradation decreases
- believed poverty drives environmental degradation
How can environmental degradation caused by poverty be reduced?
through economic growth via free-market capitalism DUMB AF
How would a market-oriented environmentalist address climate change/what are market-oriented environmentalist thoughts on the environment?
- free-markets driven by private enterprises and economically free individuals
How would a Marxist address climate change/what are Marxist thoughts on the environment?
- dissolution of the capitalist system to reduce exploitation of nature and labor
- capitalism can never be sustainable bc it requires constant growth through extraction + exploitation of nature + labor
How would a post-colonial address climate change/what are post-colonial thoughts on the environment?
- recognize productions and consumption in a sustainable way
- promote environmental justice
- support indigenous rights
Ecological imperialism
- idea that colonization impacts political + economic systems as well as the land itself
Post-colonial environmentalism
- focuses on challenging Wester/Eurocentric approaches to the environment
- rejects Anthropocentrism + promotes biocentrism (idea that all living beings have inherent worth + deserve moral consideration)
Metabolic rift
- disruption of the natural processes between humans + environment
- disrupts + alienates workers from products of their labor
- believes capitalism can never be sustainable because it requires constant growth through extraction + exploitation of nature + labor
Liberal feminism
- patriarchy as a legacy of “un-modernized” cultures
- believes women are treated as equals under the capitalist system bc the market doesn’t have bias/judgement
Marxist feminism
- critiquing liberal feminism + the free market for reproducing + legitimizing the exploitative + oppressive nature of capitalist systems
- compounding oppression faced by women under capitalism (social reproduction of labor + devaluing domestic labor)
- gender equity can’t resolve capitalism
- gender inequality can’t be solved through market-based solutions
Post-colonial feminism
- pushes listening to women in the GS instead of western ideas
- wants to break free from Western ideas
- stop seeing the GS only through the lens of western politics, history + stereotypes
- challenges the idea that Western + male perspectives are correct/universal
- women’s lives in the GS are shaped by their experiences w. their identities
How does liberal feminism solve gender inequality?
- legal equity
- continued individualism
- meritocracy
- political reform
How does Marxist feminism solve gender inequality?
- emancipation through revolution that dismantles patriarchy + capitalism
How does post-colonial feminism solve gender inequality in the GS?
- inclusion of voices from GS
- resistance against oppressive structures
Social reproduction
- domestic labor is essential to reproducing the capitalist system even though it’s unpaid + invisible
What is post-structuralism?
- “non-theory” theory
- deconstructing academic theories + ideas about universal truths
- against Western knowledge being considered “superior”
How does post-structuralism critique liberalism and Marxism?
- thinks they focus too much on the economy + uneven power relations
What is the post-structuralist view on DEVS?
- sees it as hierarchical + Eurocentric
Regimes of Truth
- when power operates to reinforce the “truthfulness” of discourse
- serves to legitimize Western knowledge as superior
Intersectionality
- way to understand how multiple forms of oppression + inequality can overlap + create distinct experiences for individuals
- Kimberlé Crenshaw
Critiques of post-structuralism
- discounts success of some development initiatives
- romanticizes tradition
- does not given good alternative solutions
Orientalism
- Edward Said
- Considered a “regime of truth”
- idea that the west is superior and “orient” is inferior
What is the “Regime of Truth”?
- Michel Foucault
- set of beliefs, ideas + practices that a society accepts as “truth”
- shaped by powerful institutions like governments, schools, media
- influence how people think + act
- they can change over time
Explain Orientalism in terms of development
- idea that the Orient is seen as a place in need of Western-led development
Give examples of binaries and what do they reinforce?
- us vs them, west vs rest, modernity vs tradition
- dividing people into two opposite groups
- helps powerful groups keep control by promoting ideas that support their dominance
- create stereotypes + rules about how people in the “less powerful” group should behave,which keeps them in a lower position in society
What does “subaltern group” mean?
- people/communities that are marginalized, excluded, or have little power in society
- term used to highlight how these groups’ voices are often ignored/overlooked, even in projects meant to help them
Michel Foucault
- created discourse analysis as a method of unpacking the power relations inherent in language
- “regime of truth”
What is discourse analysis?
- socio-political meanings in texts
- reveals what is unsaid
Why is neo-liberal feminism the best way to address gender inequality in the global south? And what are some critiques?
- bc it focuses on empowering individual women through education, jobs + economic opportunities
- can be seen as a good way to address gender inequality in the Global South bc it helps women become financially independent + gain more control over their lives
- CRITIQUE: some argue it doesn’t address deeper systemic issues like cultural norms/unequal power structures
Why is marxist feminism the best way to address gender inequality in the global south?
- bc it focuses on how class + economic systems create oppression
- argues that equality can only happen by changing the whole system
- this way women + men can share resources + power more equally, instead of just helping a few individuals succeed
Why is post-structuralist feminism the best way to address gender inequality in the global south?
- focuses on how ideas, culture + language shape power + oppression
- challenges fixed ideas about gender + emphasizes listening to local women’s diverse experiences
- seeks to change the way societies think about gender + power rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions
Why is market-oriented environmentalism the best approach for solving ecological crises in the global South?
- uses economic incentives (like carbon trading or green businesses)
- encourages sustainable practices by making it profitable for people + companies, which can drive economic growth and conservation at the same time in the Global South.
why is Marxist environmentalism the best approach for solving ecological crises in the global South?
- focuses on how capitalism causes ecological crises by prioritizing profit over the environment
- argues that solving these crises requires changing the economic system to prioritize community needs + shared resources
why is post-colonial environmentalism the best approach for solving ecological crises in the global South?
- highlights how colonial histories + global inequalities have caused environmental damage in the Global South
- focuses on empowering local communities, respecting traditional knowledge
- addresses how rich countries + corporations exploit resources
Explain the theoretical argument behind the argument that development is dead from a Marxist perspective
- argues that development is dead bc it perpetuates capitalist systems that prioritize profit over people
- Development only benefits the wealthy + powerful
- maintains inequality + exploitation in the GS
- true devs would require a radical shift in the economic system, which current development models fail to address
Explain the theoretical argument behind the argument that development is dead from a post-structuralist perspective
- they believe development is dead bc it imposes fixed ideas about progress + ignores the diverse experiences of people in the GS
- devs narratives are often shaped by Western perspectives, marginalizing local knowledge + voice which assumes one-size-fits-all solutions, failing to address the complexities + power dynamics of each context
Explain the theoretical argument behind the argument that development is dead from an environmentalist perspective
- current models focus on growth + exploitation of resources, leading to environmental destruction
- devs that prioritizes profit over sustainability harms the planet + marginalized communities
- true devs should respect ecological limits + seek to balance human needs with environmental protection
The World Bank argues that “the business case for gender equity is strong”. Identify and explain this from a Marxist perspective
- the World Bank’s argument that gender equity is good for business is seen as an attempt to integrate women into capitalist systems without challenging the root causes of inequality
- argues that this doesn’t address the exploitation and class-based inequalities within capitalism
- they would see this as a way to extract more labor from women without changing the system
The World Bank argues that “the business case for gender equity is strong”. Identify and explain this from a post-structuralist perspective
- argues the WB’s claim oversimplifies gender equity by framing it as an economic strategy rather than a social/cultural issue
- treats gender equality as a tool for boosting economic growth
- ignores the power dynamics + diverse lived experiences of women
The World Bank argues that “the business case for gender equity is strong”. Identify and explain this from an environmentalist perspective
- argues the focus on business profits still prioritizes economic growth over environmental sustainability
- argues that true gender equity should be pursued alongside environmental justice, rather than using gender equity merely as a tool to boost profits in business-driven development models
