Equity and Social Justice Unit 2 Test Flashcards

1
Q

*Our current dominant narrative is that

A

somehow people live in poverty because they did something wrong → they are to blame for their mistakes → this narrative is flawed and not helpful

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2
Q

BIG IDEA:

A

poverty cannot be blamed on the poor

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3
Q

Poor Us - Overview
Takeaway:

A
  • To understand poverty, we need to understand the history of poverty - where it emerged from
  • People without studying history, economics and society are telling people experiencing poverty what they are doing wrong
  • Industrialism creates a wider gap between the rich and the poor (increase in income inequality) → this is because of the division of labour and capital
  • The example of India showed us that wheat and grain were being exported to Britain when millions of people were experiencing a famine
    – In order to make more money, the whole country was left to starve
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4
Q

Why is it important to understand where poverty came from?

A

Can we really understand something if we do not understand the history behind that thing?

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5
Q

Describe the conditions as they exist in “hunter-gatherer” societies. Was there poverty?

A

There was not really poverty in a “hunter-gatherer” society because money wasn’t really a thing.
You may be hungry, but not “poor”
If you survived, “hunter-gatherer” societies were actually functioning pretty well
If you had time beyond finding food, you had time to do things we considered hobbies now

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6
Q

What was the Ancient Greek impression of poverty and trying to alleviate it?

A

Poverty is the most evil thing in society and also most definitely necessary in society
We need the constant threat of poverty to scare people into getting jobs that they might not actually want

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7
Q

What did religions believe about poverty and the poor?

A

In early Christianity, you were supposed to adopt a “poverty-ish” lifestyle to prove your faith
These people (ie. Monks and Saints), would pretend to be poor and take resources from people who were actually poor
In Buddhism, people were encouraged to essentially rob the poor by taking food from them.
These people were just playing a role and putting on a show that gave actual poor people less money

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8
Q

How did colonialism lead to the impoverishment of the Incans and other peoples?

A

Colonial powers exploited indigenous resources, such as gold, silver, and land, leading to economic and environmental devastation.
In Canada, when the Indigenous peoples’ land was colonized for pelts (beavers) and then they faced genocide Canada was not really seen as valuable once all the pelts were gone

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9
Q

What does the example of India show us?

A

Their crops were given to other countries to make more money while the people of India starved
The money the other countries make doing this is seen as more valuable than the people starving in India

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10
Q

How did the rise of cities lead to increasing inequality?

A

The Enclosure Act made it so that people could purchase land and do what they wanted with it (ie. when they die they could give it to children)
The people who can’t own land (ie, poor farmers) can’t own anything can be forced off their land because it’s been sold to someone else. They then travel to cities that cannot handle the number of people there.
An influx of people from the country who can’t farm and have no real skills in the city
Society changed too fast
Nobody had anywhere to live - cities were filled with trash, no sanitation, human filth, disease, etc

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11
Q

What effect does industrialism have on poverty?

A

Poverty was made worse by it
No minimum wage, like sweatshops

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12
Q

How do people get out of poverty?

A

By finding meaningful work that they can actually do
Teach people skills, “Don’t give water, build a well”
If to actually teach people skills instead of just doing something for them or giving them money, they benefit by having a profitable skill that they can actually make money off of

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13
Q

What is “trickle-down” economics and has it been successful?

A

No not effective
When we give tax breaks to rich people
The idea is that rich people invest in the economy and rich companies can then invest in more people
“Everyone benefits because rich people do”
Does not work because wealthy people will always keep the extra money and not invest in the economy or companies which would theoretically give them money to hire new people and benefit society at large

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14
Q

Marxism

A

Founder of the ideology of communism, Karl Marx - a German philosopher
The rich people in society are always trying to milk the poor out of as much money as possible - Social Hierarchy
Rich people will do anything to help the poor except pay them fairly - poverty is necessary
Takeaway: Poverty is created from the social hierarchy and social clas

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15
Q

Proletaire

A

working class people; those who sell their labour for wages

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16
Q

Bourgeoisie

A

not selling your time or labour - selling your assets for money

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17
Q

Why study Marxism today?

A

Incredibly influential work on poverty and equity
Adopted by nearly half of the world at one time
Had some good ideas and interesting perspectives
The idea is not to convert you but to help you understand and evaluate
Can illustrate the nature of relations that usually remain hidden

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18
Q

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

A

Born to a wealthy Jewish family
Studied at the Universities of Bonn and Berlin
Wrote many works including: Capital, The German Ideology, The Communist Manifesto, etc.

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19
Q

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)

A

Relatively Wealthy
Studied conditions of English working class
Wrote well
Combined his empirical view with Marx’s philosophical view

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20
Q

What do the terms Proletariat and Bourgeoisie mean?

A

Proletariat: workers.
Bourgeoisie: owners of means of production & most of the wealth

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21
Q

Define Economic Determinism.

A

Economics drives History
The means of production control how we for society
Those people that control the means of production, control society
SUPERSTRUCTURE - politics, religion, social customs, intellectual work - is built on the economic structure
Tribal - Feudal - Capitalism - Communism
History is one of class struggles - Bourgeoisie vs the proletariat, rich vs poor

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22
Q

What is the DIALECTIC?

A

Theory of How History Evolves
Any exploitative system creates contradictions = they will lead to inevitable change
Only a non-exploitive system can ultimately survive
Where’s the contradiction in capitalism?

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23
Q

How is alienation created and what are its effects?

A

How are workers alienated in capitalism?
Work is dehumanizing and repetitive - even work they enjoy is eventually alienating
Producing value for someone else alienates them from means of production
Religion/schooling and entertainment teach them to be obedient
Cannot develop their own humanity
Will develop Class Consciousness

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24
Q

What are the 10 “steps” of Communism?

A
  1. All land will be owned by the country - it cannot be sold to the wealthy or to foreign peoples or governments.
  2. A progressive income tax.
  3. No inheriting money you didn’t earn.
  4. If you leave the country, your wealth stays.
  5. The government runs the banks in trust for the people - no profit.
  6. The government runs the media in trust for the people - no profit.
  7. Make the country as independent as possible - develop the country’s industry and farms.
  8. Everyone who can, must work.
  9. Try to make the population distribution more equitable where possible.
  10. Free education for all children in public schools. No child labour - a child’s job is their education.
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25
Q

What is Labour Value and Surplus Value?

A

Theory of Labour Value:
The concept is that value should be determined by the labour that goes into the item being produced. ie - a burger’s value should be determined by the value of the labour of the farmer that grew wheat, the farmer that raised the cows, the driver that shipped the products and the labour of those that sell it.

Surplus Value
Any money that is left at the end of the paying all the labour goes to the bourgeoisie in the form of “profit”. “Profit” is the difference between what it costs to produce, and what it sells for.

The hourly wage someone makes is LOWER than the value that person creates. They create more value than they are paid for. Therefore, “profit” is just the business term, for theft from the working class, who could have been paid more, but aren’t because the bourgeoisie takes money, without creating value.

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26
Q

Capital -

A

the money used to make more money → taking that made money to turn it into something else

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27
Q

Surplus value

A

any money that is left at the end of the paying all the labour goes to the owner

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28
Q

Labour value

A

the only value worth anything is the labour put into making something

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29
Q

Bourgeois nationalism

A

be patriotic to your country and do things that you would not normally do (ex. Propaganda posters - giving people a reason to do something)

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30
Q

Hegemony -

A

dominance by one group or country (creators of the “right” way of doing things) → the group defines how things function → we know our economy doesn’t work well but hegemony means we can’t think of other ways to do things → if you can not think of another better way to do something, you are in a hegemony (i.e. our economic system)
Ex. US has hegemony because Canada’s economic system needs to follow it

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31
Q

Commodity

A

anything that people find a worth in paying for and buying, which can be tangible or intangible (ex. Clothes, concert tickets, university, etc)

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32
Q

Commodity fetishism

A

connecting values to our commodities - ex. attaching a monetary value to a diamond ring
Purchasing something and being convinced that it will do what it is advertised to do

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33
Q

Historical materialism -

A

economics of a society comes first and then everything else is built on top of that (ex. Elections can not function without capitalism, religious can not function without money coming in)
The economy determines what is built and made in society
Ex. people marry for money instead of love in countries

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34
Q

Modes of production -

A

The five modes of production refers to the theory in which human history is divided into the five progressive stages of primitive society, slave society, feudal society, capitalist society, and socialist society.

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35
Q

Division of labour

A
  • dividing up labour amongst workers to make tasks more efficient
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36
Q

Alienation -

A
  • seeing people as an economic relationship, not a person → isolated individuals from the society as a whole
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37
Q

Proletariat -

A

workers of a company → people who need to sell their stuff (time) to earn money for a living

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38
Q

Bourgeiosie -

A

rich people that own the means of production (owner of Amazon)

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39
Q

Dictatorship of the proletariat -

A

forming a dictatorship over rich people → people do not want to spend their lives doing something just to have it taken away from them

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40
Q

Marxian Key takeaways

A
  1. Our economic system is built on exploitation. It isn’t the only system
  2. “Profit”= underpaying workers for what they do and taking the rest
    a. $15= your pay | $100 what we sell it for = if workers were paid fully “profit” wouldn’t exist
  3. Divide and conquer = racism, sexism, homophobia, etc… are used to divide working people and have them hating each other, but not hating the group, that’s manipulating and hurting them (the wealthy)
  4. Commodity fetishism keeps us buying things
  5. We are alienated from each other and the value of our labour
    a. We like to rank (ranking people at school based on marks)
    b. Because people who are ranked are in competition with each other and work harder
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41
Q

Guns, Germs and Steel

A

Takeaway: Poverty is not explained by race, culture or ethnicity
Close connecting continents Europe, Asia and Africa caused the Middle East to have so much conflict tons of people intersecting and sharing technology
Isolated continents like North and South America are isolated and lack in technological advancement they are behind geographically
An abundance of livestock (horses, ox, pigs, etc) provides a source of protein and is a source of labour

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42
Q

How was European society able to militarily dominate other areas of the planet?

A

The European Society had access to guns that no other areas had yet so they quickly won battles due to this advantage.

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43
Q

How did domesticated animals factor into this scenario?

A

The Europeans had trouble domesticating the animals while the Indigenous people of the land did it with ease.

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44
Q

How did the “Germs” element affect the peoples of North and South America?

A

The introduction of diseases by Europeans, such as smallpox and measles, had devastating effects on the indigenous populations of North and South America.

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45
Q

How did the early Europeans interact with the African peoples that they encountered?

A

European interactions with Africans involved aspects of trade, colonization, and exploitation, including the transatlantic slave trade.

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46
Q

What was the Zulu response to the new people in their territory?

A

The Zulu response to new people in their territory involved resistance and conflicts against European colonization, led by figures like Shaka.

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47
Q

The European interaction with the continent of Africa was to have profound effects on the people. What would some of these effects be?

A

European interaction with Africa had far-reaching effects, including cultural, economic, and political transformations, as well as the long-term consequences of the slave trade and resource exploitation.

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48
Q

Diamond’s theory, if true, would thoroughly decimate any idea of cultural superiority based on race. Society does have dominant groups and marginalized groups, however. What would explain that dominance, in Diamond’s theory?

A

Diamond’s theory attributes societal dominance to environmental factors, geography, and access to resources rather than inherent racial superiority, challenging notions of cultural superiority based on race. The dominance is explained through environmental advantages rather than intrinsic qualities.

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49
Q

“Late Stage” Capitalism

A

Term used to describe the absurdities and injustices that surround our current capitalist system - and try to show that they cannot continue forever.

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50
Q

The 2008 Crisis

A

The term has seen a HUGE increase since the 2008 Financial Crisis in the USA.
In the simplest terms, the financial crisis was caused by wealthy banks and corporations lobbying the government to remove rules and regulations. Then the banks gave away mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them, charging very low interest rates. Many banks then SOLD the debt to other banks, who didn’t know how bad the mortgages were.
When people couldn’t pay their mortgages (because they never should have been approved in the first place), they started defaulting on their loans, causing panic in the stock market. Panic = mass selling of stocks.

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51
Q

The Bailout

A

When the banks complained that they were at risk of going bankrupt and destroying the whole economy, the US government decided the banks were “too big to fail” and gave them bailout money, totalling around $500,000,000,000. (500 BILLION).
Most of the bailout money was unsecured and not tied to any larger goals = it was free money - and many companies did nothing productive with it.

52
Q

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

A

Economic activity (the stock market, the GDP) has less and less relevance to the regular person’s life. GDP measures the value that a country produces, but not how wealth is distributed.
The stock market can be doing great, but more and more people can be living in poverty. The GDP measurements do not tell you anything about equity or the state of the environment.
In fact, GDP’s have been increasing around the world. We are more productive today, then at any other point in history.

53
Q

The Gini Coefficient

A

This is complicated…but the Gini Coefficient IS an index that measures the distribution of wealth within a society. It doesn’t measure what is produced, like a GDP, it measures how well distributed that wealth is. It is almost never discussed in politics, or on the news.
The lower the number, the more equal the income distribution. 0 is perfect equality. 100 is perfect inequality - (one person owns everything)
Canada is at 33, which is roughly the same as the UK, Switzerland, Ireland and Portugal.
The US is at 41 - about the same as Haiti, Turkey and the Congo. Russia is at 37.
Scandinavian countries are all below 30.

54
Q

What does this all mean?

A

Human beings have been producing more value every year. But how that value is given out in a society, isn’t even close to being equitable in most countries.
As we are producing more and more, the Gini Coefficient in the US is at its highest point EVER. So we are creating more value, and more and more is going to the wealthiest members of society.
The spending power of wages, compared to inflation, has also BARELY grown since the 1970s.
This isn’t the “rich get rich” cliche. It’s measurable data. It’s real. Not just a feeling.

55
Q

Karl Marx and the Contradictions in Capitalism

A

Marx initially predicted that Capitalism would destroy itself due to its internal contradictions. By that he means that capitalism is a logically flawed system.
THE FLAW: As capitalism gets more efficient at making things, it’s profits will fall (too much stuff on the market decreases the value). So factories will have to pay workers less, or take more and more from the environment in order to make money. We saw this happen in the 1990s, as North American factories moved overseas - to a cheaper labour market, in places with no environmental laws.
But this will hurt the finances of the workers (fewer jobs), and further reduce the market for the products = lowering the profits even more.

56
Q

Capitalism Overproduces - then underpays

A

Capitalism’s strength is that is can produce goods efficiently and quickly. But that causes OVERPRODUCTION. Goods sit in warehouses, NOT being sold, but lowering the prices. Lower prices are good, right? Not if all the jobs exist elsewhere, and people here are buying on credit.

57
Q

The Way People Keep Buying is to go more into Debt

A

But literally EVERYONE knows that this isn’t a sustainable economic model. So news agencies and public officials tend to blame the public for going into debt, to buy things that were much easier to buy decades ago.

58
Q

Owners produce their enemies

A

Marx also discusses how the Bourgeoisie will create the working Proletariat, the class of people taken advantage of, that will be determined to destroy the Bourgeoisie when they realize that they are being oppressed.

59
Q

“Well, people should just get a better job if they want more $!”

A

This is a profoundly illogical and immoral response to the problem.
1. To get a better job usually requires more education. More education costs time and money. To get more money, you require free time without work and more money to get an education that will get you more money. How do the working poor have the time and money, to get the job that gives them more money?
2. It’s like saying “I know your job is relevant and necessary to our economy because literally every job is, but even though it’s necessary, we’re going to pay you poverty wages, and shame you for doing something that we need done.”
3. This isn’t an individual problem. It is systemic (a problem within the system itself).

60
Q

Back to the contradictions - Without restraints, capitalism destroys capitalism:

A

Capitalism requires a free market, with competition. A monopoly is when ONE business interest controls a sector of the economy, or the entire production/sale of an item.
Use shoes as an example. Let’s say we have a company that makes shoes. If people like them more than others, they will buy them. It is a direct competition, that in theory, brings out the best products and most efficient manufacturing.
Monopolies destroy the market, because they work to set prices and take over the entire industry, which makes fair competition impossible. If only one company controls the shoe market, competition doesn’t exist, and capitalism reason for existing doesn’t exist either.

61
Q

Externalities

A

An ‘externality’ is something that a business/corporation can make someone else pay for.
Example - the roads to and from a factory are necessary to the factory, but aren’t paid for by the business.
Example - a factory causes pollution, but the larger society must pay for the costs
Businesses and politicians no longer feel that problems are real, or that they are their responsibility. Their job is to make money or get re-elected.

62
Q

The Contradictions Destroy the System

A

The more efficient we get, the less the system can provide $ for workers.
The more that is produced, the more the environment is destroyed.
The more capitalism creates, the more it destroys.
We can have more stuff and look wealthy, but we go into debt to do it.
The more vapid and vacuous ‘entertainment’ exists, the more likely it is that we will not be intelligent enough to discern fact from fiction - leading to political leaders that appeal to our emotions (not to facts) leading to some sort of destruction.
The more absurd it all gets, the ‘leadership’ has to become more strict - and the more people push back against it = and the system falls apart.

63
Q

Sweatshops

A

Sweatshops are cheap ways to make money and therefore pay people unfairly
Deliberately not treating workers fairly
No minimum wage laws, or health and safety laws in some countries
Takeaway: only exist because the rich are exploiting the working class

64
Q

What conditions typically exist in sweatshops?

A

a factory that violates 2 or more labour laws.
Sweatshops often have poor working conditions, unfair wages, unreasonable hours, child labour, and a lack of benefits for workers.
children ages 5 to 14 are forced to work
Workers are subjected to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse in factories by their managers and supervisors.
They are sometimes trapped in the factory and forced to work overnight or across multiple shifts.
violate the minimum wage and overtime laws,
and have broken health and safety laws.
people who are forced to work must spend the majority of their paycheck on food for their families to survive
Women sewing NBA jerseys make 24 cents per garment that will eventually sell for $140
Workers are paid wages insufficient to meet their basic needs, are not allowed to organize independent unions, and often face health and safety hazards.
Workplace injuries and exposure to toxic chemicals also pose a daily risk to clothing workers.
To prevent workers from stealing the items they are producing, factories sometimes lock the plant’s doors and windows, creating a fire hazard.

65
Q

What products are most commonly manufactured in sweatshops?

A

Products that commonly come from sweatshops are shoes, clothing, rugs, toys, electronics, and household textiles.
It is virtually impossible to NOT purchase items made in sweatshops.

66
Q

If companies doubled the salary of workers, what would be the cost increase to the consumer?

A

One study showed that doubling the salary of sweatshop workers would only increase the consumer cost of an item by 1.8%, while consumers would be willing to pay 15% more to know a product did not come from a sweatshop.

67
Q

Why do you think women would make up the majority of sweatshop workers?

A

Traditional Gender Roles: Women are assigned certain types of work.
Limited Education Access: Women with fewer opportunities for formal education.
Global Supply Chains: Industries prioritize cost-effective female labour.
Weak Labor Rights: Limited enforcement contributes to gender inequality.
women make up 85 to 90% of sweatshop workers, employers force them to take birth control and routine pregnancy tests to avoid supporting maternity leave or providing appropriate health benefits.
In the maquiladoras along the US-Mexico border, factory managers have in the past forced women workers to prove they are menstruating.

68
Q

What happened at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory?

A

One of the deadliest factory fires in US history.
Just under 150 workers, mostly young women, died as a result of the exits being locked to prevent unauthorized breaks by employees.
Some sources have stated that fire exits were actually fake - some were fake doors, and others were painted on.
Many died of asphyxiation or of burn wounds. However some died by jumping from the 10th floor factory windows because of the locked exit doors.

69
Q

What happened at the Rana Building in Bangladesh?

A

Considered the dangerous garment factory accident in history.
The building contained numerous workhouses, and a few banks and offices.
Cracks were discovered in the upper floors, and everyone was sent home – except for all the factory workers.
The factories were warned about thee condition, and refused to close.
The building collapsed during rush hour – killing 1,100, and injuring 2,500.
Manufacturers included Benetton, Walmart, Joe Fresh, The Children’s Place and many others.

70
Q

Give 5 reasons things don’t change (I gave it to you as a list)

A

1) Laws are much more difficult to pass in many of these countries
2) Private security firms do much of the policing & legal police forces are much corrupt and/or violent
3) The offending corporations will simply leave if the laws are changed.
4) Many international trade agreements will not permit unionizing or environmental laws.
5) The consumers of most of these goods, simply don’t care enough, or don’t want to know about.

71
Q

Why does the pro-sweatshop argument not work?

A

Some will argue that sweatshops are a stepping stone in development, and many of these countries will be better off in the future.
This has worked in a few locations, but not often.
It ignores the dignity of human life and human labour.
It ignores that the workers have little legal ability to change their circumstances.
It ignores that the companies using sweatshops can benefit hundreds of thousands of people by raising wages slightly, while not affecting the bottom line - and they don’t.

72
Q

Land Grabbing

A

People on the land are pushed off and not allowed to live on it - lives are disrupted
The wealthy people land grab to extract resources and then leave
The rich trying to get richer
Negatively affects developing countries
Does not have access to resources - do not have land to grow crops

73
Q

The term ‘land grabbing’ is used to describe

A

he purchase or lease of large tracts of fertile land by public or private entities.

74
Q

Transferring large parcels of agricultural land away from local communities threatens

A

food sovereignty and their very existence.

75
Q

It also jeopardizes the environment and biodiversity by

A

favouring intensive monoculture farming reliant on fertilizers and pesticides.

76
Q

The rapid spread of land grabbing has been assisted by the ambiguous role of the

A

World Bank

77
Q

Hedge Funds:

A

A hedge fund is an investment fund aimed at generating very high returns through aggressive management and high-risk investments

78
Q

Pension Funds:

A

Generally, a pension fund is an asset pool run by an employer or a government to provide retirement income for employees.

79
Q

Sovereign Wealth Funds:

A

This is a “state-owned investment fund(s) composed of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or other financial instruments”.

80
Q

People may be invested in companies that regularly ‘land-grab’ - but

A

they have no idea.

81
Q

Social/Economic Consequences of Land Grabbing

A
  • Foreign investors will often promise development, but leave before it happens, with no penalty.
  • Deals are sometimes negotiated with individuals, not groups. This leads to corruption, and displacement of people.
  • Farmers will be removed from the area, often violently – without compensation.
  • Some of these lands were pristine environment areas.
  • The resources are no longer the property of the country – they are owned by the investing agency.
  • Large-scale industrial farms often move in, and use large amounts of fertilizers, and machinery – with the resulting pollution.
  • Governments lose potential money from their natural resources, and lose the ability to better the lives of their citizens.
  • Foreign-owned real estate can be purchased by the rich from ANYWHERE, and made off-limits to the local real estate market.
82
Q

Diseases of Poverty

A

Hurts the economy and loss of money
Developed countries do not have to worry about these diseases, but developing countries do
Devastating adults in developing countries and their children need to live alone
No education, no access to nutrients/healthy food, lack of water
diseases

83
Q

Diseases of Poverty
Listed

A

HIV/AIDS, MALARIA, TUBERCULOSIS, SCHISTOSOMIASIS, CHAGAS

84
Q

HIV/AIDS

A

is most commonly spread through sexual contact with an infected partner and infected blood contamination
HIV impacts the patient’s mental health and increases the risk of developing mood, cognitive and anxiety disorders (ex. depression) (“NIMH » HIV and AIDS and Mental Health”).
Untreated HIV leads to job loss, decreased family income due to medical treatment, strained relationships, and increased spending for care (“Socioeconomic consequences of HIV/AIDS in the family system”).

85
Q

Malaria

A

Malaria is spread when one gets bitten by an infected Anopheles mosquito.
It may also be spread through contamination of blood from a person who has been infected, or through contaminated needles or syringes.
Getting infected by malaria reduces school attendance for children and adults’ productivity at work (“Malaria | WHO | Regional Office for Africa”).
The impacts of Malaria on a country’s economy reaches around 1.1% of their GDP, which makes the country increase their public health spending by 39% (Andrade et al.).

86
Q

Tuberculosis

A

This disease is spread through close contact with someone who has untreated tuberculosis through coughing, sneezing and laughing.
Tuberculosis often affects the poor, who live in poverty and unequal societies, those who are homeless, people who were imprisoned and people with weakened bodies due to prior illnesses (“TB and poverty”).
People lose their productivity as they are not able to attend work or school for months, have piling costs when seeking treatment for their disease, and the stigma associated with the fears of tuberculosis (“TB and poverty”).

87
Q

Schistosomiasis

A

Transmission of schistosomiasis occurs when those who are infected contaminate freshwater with their feces or urine. The parasite eggs that are contained in the excretion results in the eggs hatching into the water
This disease affects people’s ability to work, as those who are infected become disabled and in some cases can lead to death (“Schistosomiasis”).
Schistosomiasis also leads to loss of agricultural production, which averages 6.6% for most countries with infected citizens (“The economic impact of schistosomiasis…”).

88
Q

Chagas

A

Chagas is transmitted through the triatomine bug either orally, food-borne, through blood/blood products, congenital transmission, organ transplantation or laboratory mishaps
This disease affects the cycle of poverty as it reduces people’s learning ability, productivity rate, and earning capacity (“PAHO/WHO…”).
If the disease is untreated, 30% of those who are infected can have chronic and irreversible effects on the inner body systems (“PAHO/WHO…”).

89
Q

Diseases of poverty hurt

A

Hurts the economy and loss of money
Developed countries do not have to worry about these diseases, but developing countries do
Devastating adults in developing countries and their children need to live alone
No education, no access to nutrients/healthy food, lack of water

90
Q

Odious Debt

A

Banks, other countries and governments give dictators money, which is spent with corruption
Incurs debt and the country has to repay that debt back
Dictators flee or die

91
Q

Noxious aka ODIOUS Debt -

A

debt accrued (created) by a dictator, usually spent on vain or illogical projects, that the country’s citizens still owe to the creditors, even upon the removal of the dictator. So the dictator treats the country like his own plaything, spends HUGE sums of money that they don’t have and even when they have fled or are dead (bars!!) the country still owes that money back.

92
Q

It’s like paying for your oppression, initially and then over decades. Then it has a

A

‘multiplier effect’ because that money can’t go towards economic development, education, and health care because it has to go towards paying interest on the debt.

93
Q

Plus when you consider that these dictatorships really only emerge in post-colonial societies and that the banks they owe money to are in

A

developed countries (often previously colonizing countries themselves) it seems pretty clear that this problem is actually a systemic issue.

94
Q

WTO

A

World Trade Organization
Stated goal: reduce trade barriers to increase free trade, and help poverty-experiencing countries
The rich countries have more influence in the WTO (US, Britain, France)
Developing countries can not dispute and sue rich countries because they do not have the money to hire lawyers or the power to influence

95
Q

WTO Purpose

A

the primary international body to help promote free trade, by drawing up the rules of international trade.
hijacked by rich country interests, thus worsening the lot of the poor, and inviting protest and intense criticism.

96
Q

WTO Main Principles

A

Non discrimination - National treatment implies both foreign and national companies are treated the same, and it is unfair to favor domestic companies over foreign ones.
Reciprocity - Nations try to provide similar concessions for each other.
Transparency - Negotiations and process must be fair and open with rules equal for all.
Special and differential treatment - A recognition that developing countries may require “positive discrimination” because of historic unequal trade.

97
Q

Disputes

A

Disputes can be settled in a legal framework that all members sign on to.
The legal nature conflicts with the informal nature of rule making, so smaller countries may be subject to laws they did not make.
Developing nations are also less likely to use the dispute system due to high costs and an inability to enforce sanctions
In 15 years, NO African country has brought forward a dispute. Only one was brought by a “least developed” country.

98
Q

‘TRIPS’

A

Trade Related Intellectual Property
Any product cannot be copied and is therefore internationally protected.
Poorer countries cannot make cheaper, generic versions. (think medicines and vaccines).
This benefits the corporations at the expense of the poor.
Critics say the TRIPs agreement limits developing countries from utilizing some technology that originates from abroad in their local systems (including medicines and agricultural products).

99
Q

WTO does not

A

Does not protect the environment
Does not allow people to unionize under the current WTO regulations.

100
Q

WTO It Isn’t Democratic

A

The WTO appears democratic, but critics say it isn’t. Many member countries will negotiate to win the votes of other countries for their cause.
Wealthy countries have more negotiation power. – “If you vote with us, we have some prime aid $ for you next year.”
The US gives 17% of the funds, and gets 17% of the vote (most out of any country) An 85% majority is required - therefore the US has veto power.
Many say there should be a WTO parliamentary assembly to allow for more democratic participation in WTO decision making = this motion is constantly blocked.

101
Q

Money is locked away in the hands of the rich

A

Makes the prices of things go up

102
Q

Income Distribution

A

To examine income distribution, economists divide Canadian income earners into groups called “quintiles”
A quintile represents 1/5 or 20% of the total number of earners
First quintile = lowest earners etc.

103
Q

Absolute Poverty

A

A state of utter destitution
Due to Canada’s social welfare system, the incidence of this extreme form of poverty is rare in Canada

104
Q

Relative Poverty

A

Not necessarily a Canadian that lacks food, safe water, shelter, or clothing
A Canadian that feels poor and that other Canadians see as poor compared to (relative to) others

105
Q

Low-Income Cut-Off

A

Average Canadian household spends 35% of its before-tax income on food, clothing, and shelter
A household that is “relatively worse off” spends more than 20% above the national average on the three necessities

106
Q

Before/After Tax Income

A

LICO’s are calculated using both before-tax income and after-tax income
Before-tax income is easier to calculate, but after-tax income is used more…why?
…because it provides a truer picture. All necessities are purchased with after-tax dollars
Money that people really do not have would have been considered.

107
Q

The Poor

A

The working poor – people who work, but whose wages do not keep them out of poverty (absence of unions, market power of employers)
The welfare poor – people who do not work and are experiencing poverty (elderly, poor health, single parents, job loss)

108
Q

Progressive Tax System

A

taxes higher-income at a higher percentage. The more you make the more tax you pay.

109
Q

Sadaga

A

act of charity (no-commitment)

110
Q

Zakat:

A

obligated donation (yearly commitment) → must go towards a just cause
People like to know where their money is going and what it is supporting → beneficial for charitable organizations

111
Q

Decolonization

A

Europeans took the resources from Africa during colonization and then people within Africa fought eachother to survive

112
Q

Why is it problematic when countries decolonize (colonizers feel the country)?

A

Countries are left alone to deal with (economic health, and supply chain issues)
No more stability or guidance to run the country
Countries that are decolonized try to use the methods of the colonizers to regain stability, but it just makes things worse

113
Q

Idi Amin

A

Dictator of Uganda from 1971-1979
Amin reportedly ate dissidents to his regime or fed them to his pet crocodiles
Some of his titles were “Conqueror of the British Empire” and “President for Life”
Banned all Asians from Uganda because the daughter of an important Asian family refused to marry him.
Claimed to be the King of Scotland
Apparently wrote love letters to Queen Elizabeth.
Fled to Libya after the demise of his regime, then to Saudi Arabia, where he died in 2003

114
Q

Mobutu Sese Seko

A

Mobutu was the President of Zaire (Now the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
He made a law saying that TV in Zaire cannot mention anybody but him by name.
He banned all leopard print hats from Zaire, except for his own.
He commanded that all evening news begins with a scene of him descending from the heavens.
He chose many names for himself, including one that translates in English to “the all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and will to win, will go from contest to contest leaving fire in his wake.“
He jailed anyone who did not have an African name.
Overthrown in 1997 and died on September 7, 1997, of Prostate Cancer, in Morocco

115
Q

Baby Doc Duvalier:

A

President For Life Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier was dictator of Haiti from 1957-1971. He once had a heart attack, and chose Clement Barbot, leader of the Tonton Macoutes,a paramilitary group, to become acting president while he recovered.
Duvalier believed his opposition had turned into a black dog. He then ordered the death of all black dogs in Haiti.
Duvalier kept the head of one of his political enemies
In 1961, he ordered elections. He received 100% of the vote.
He made Haitians recite a prayer every day, which went like this: “Our Doc, who art in the National Palace for life, hallowed by Thy name by present and future generations. They will be done in Port-au-Prince as it is in the provinces.
Give us this day our new Haiti and forgive not the trespasses of those anti-patriots who daily spit upon our country…“.
He once said that he controlled Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot JFK with voodoo.
He finally died in 1971, and was succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, who was known as “Baby Doc”.

116
Q

Malaria:

A

Malaria is spread when one gets bitten by an infected Anopheles mosquito.
It may also be spread through contamination of blood from a person who has been infected, or through contaminated needles or syringes.
Getting infected by malaria reduces school attendance for children and adults’ productivity at work (“Malaria | WHO | Regional Office for Africa”).
The impacts of Malaria on a country’s economy reaches around 1.1% of their GDP, which makes the country increase their public health spending by 39% (Andrade et al.).

117
Q

Land-grabbing:

A

People on the land are pushed off and not allowed to live on it - lives are disrupted
The wealthy people land grab to extract resources and then leave
The rich trying to get richer
Negatively affects developing countries
Does not have access to resources - do not have land to grow crops

118
Q

WTO:

A

World Trade Organization
Stated goal: reduce trade barriers to increase free trade, and help poverty-experiencing countries
The rich countries have more influence in the WTO (US, Britain, France)
Developing countries can not dispute and sue rich countries because they do not have the money to hire lawyers or the power to influence

119
Q

Colonialism:

A

Colonial powers exploited indigenous resources, such as gold, silver, and land, leading to economic and environmental devastation.
In Canada, when the Indigenous peoples’ land was colonized for pelts (beavers) and then they faced genocide Canada was not really seen as valuable once all the pelts were gone

120
Q

Baby Doc Duvalier:

A

President For Life Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier was dictator of Haiti from 1957-1971. He once had a heart attack, and chose Clement Barbot, leader of the Tonton Macoutes,a paramilitary group, to become acting president while he recovered.
Duvalier believed his opposition had turned into a black dog. He then ordered the death of all black dogs in Haiti.
Duvalier kept the head of one of his political enemies
In 1961, he ordered elections. He received 100% of the vote.
He made Haitians recite a prayer every day, which went like this: “Our Doc, who art in the National Palace for life, hallowed by Thy name by present and future generations. They will be done in Port-au-Prince as it is in the provinces.
Give us this day our new Haiti and forgive not the trespasses of those anti-patriots who daily spit upon our country…“.
He once said that he controlled Lee Harvey Oswald to shoot JFK with voodoo.
He finally died in 1971, and was succeeded by his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, who was known as “Baby Doc”.

121
Q

Chagas:

A

Chagas is transmitted through the triatomine bug either orally, food-borne, through blood/blood products, congenital transmission, organ transplantation or laboratory mishaps
This disease affects the cycle of poverty as it reduces people’s learning ability, productivity rate, and earning capacity (“PAHO/WHO…”).
If the disease is untreated, 30% of those who are infected can have chronic and irreversible effects on the inner body systems (“PAHO/WHO…”).

122
Q

What is “odious debt”, and how does it negatively affect a country?

A

Banks, other countries and governments give dictators money, which is spent on corruption, Incurs debt and the country has to repay that debt back, Dictators flee or die. Makes it so that the people have to pay off this debt and go poor.

123
Q

What groups of people are classified as the “persistently difficult to educate”? How is this a serious problem in many countries?

A

The term “persistently difficult to educate” generally refers to groups of people facing persistent challenges in accessing and benefiting from educational opportunities. These groups often include people in poverty, women, refugees, and minorities.
RURAL WOMEN
The problem because it keeps people in poverty.

124
Q

Describe 2 of the experiences in “Go Back To Where You Came From” that really seemed to affect the participants.

A

Talking to Ammar’s family
Wavng to the people in the detention centres

125
Q

What is the difference between relative and absolute poverty? What is the difference between structural and immediate assistance?

A

Absolute is a state of utter destitution while relative is not necessarily a Canadian that lacks food, safe water, shelter, or clothing but a Canadian that feels poor and that other Canadians see as poor compared to (relative to) others
Structural Assistance:
Focus: Addresses underlying, systemic issues and root causes of a problem.
Timeframe: Longer-term approach, aiming for sustainable change over time.
Nature: Involves policy reforms, institutional changes, and addressing structural inequalities.
Examples: Education reform, economic policy changes, institutional capacity building.
Immediate Assistance:
Focus: Provides quick and direct support to address urgent needs or crises.
Timeframe: Short-term focus to provide immediate relief or response.
Nature: Involves emergency aid, humanitarian assistance, and rapid response.
Examples: Food aid during a famine, medical assistance in a health crisis, disaster relief.

126
Q

Explain the rationale behind the existence of the WB and the IMF? How does it actually increase poverty?

A

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were created to assist countries financially and promote development. However, some argue that the conditions attached to their help, like cutting government spending, can make poverty worse. For instance, when countries have to reduce spending on essential services, it often impacts the poor the hardest. The emphasis on specific economic rules and indicators, rather than directly helping people in need, may widen the gap between the rich and the poor, making it more challenging for those in poverty to improve their lives.

127
Q

Socio-Economic Theory

A

If you could choose one change to make in the factors that create poverty - disease, economic disparity, education issues, unfair land distribution, or poor political leadership. What change would you choose to make and what do you think that it would accomplish?
Education.