Final Exam Flashcards
1
Q
TINA
A
Margret Thatcher
- there is no alternative
- used to justify the market economy is the best, right and only system that works
- supported free markets and trades
- do not want change because it will negatively affect the rich
- way to keep the rich rich and the poor poor
- used in the 1980s
- justification for political and financial decisions
- shows the mindset that neoliberalism is the only way to operate our society correctly
2
Q
“They… brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things.
They willingly traded everything they owned…. They do not bear arms, and do not
know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves
out of ignorance…. They would make fine servants…. With fifty men we could
subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.”
A
Christopher Columbus - 1492
- arrived in the Bahamas
- in 2 years through murder, mutilation, or suicide half of the 250,000 Indigenous peoples of Haiti were dead
- highlights Europeans superiority
- colonization
- Columbus is seen as a hero yet we ignore the horrors he caused
- only species that target each other over small differences
- we do not have a day to celebrate Hitler, but we do for Columbus
- initiated the African Slave trade
- saw humans as nothing more than animals
- shows lack of respect for people wo were not living like him, very Eurocentric, within 2 years of his arrival half of the population was dead
3
Q
Colonialism
A
- involves political/economic domination of territory
- involves people who settle and live permanently in new territory
- with it comes exploitation, murder, rape, cultural genocide, white superiority
- colonialism is the primitive accumulation of capital necessary for the birth of capitalism
- rich will do anything to win (greed & corruption)
- Margaret Wente in 2008 said Indigenous peoples in Canada are savages and are less evolved
- act of coming to a new land, imposing your way of life on others, taking over the land
- in CAN, it began with residential school system which lead to the death and trauma of indigenous population
Justification for colonialism
1) save souls of infidels (Christian prerogative)
2) ‘natural law’ (Eurocentric)
3) progress (barbarism –> civilization)
4
Q
Two Row Wampum
A
- created in 1613 between the Dutch and Iroquois
- Dutch settlers moved up Hudson river into Mohawk territory
- Dutch initially proposed patriarchal relationship
- Wampum belt confirms our words. Neither of us will make compulsory laws or interfere in the internal affairs of the other. Neither of us will try to steer the other’s vessel
- “until the sun still shines, until the water still flows, until the grass turns green, this treaty will be in effect”
- peace, righteousness and power (white beads)
- separate entities that are still connected
- Dutch broke this promise and colonized this land, enslaving Indigenous peoples
- purple beads = settlers big ship and Indigenous peoples canoe
- live in harmony, intertwined by similar morals but separate cultures that are respected
- instead of being like father and son they wanted to be like brothers
5
Q
Formal Freedom vs. real freedom
A
- the concept that in a neoliberal state, there are formal freedoms, but it is set up on the belief that everyone starts at the same place, only freedom for the rich
Formal freedom: refers to the legal or theoretical aspect of freedom
Based off legal rights and liberties of law
Real freedom: refers to the actual ability of individuals to esterize their rights and make choices without facing significant obstacles
Social, economic and cultural factors
6
Q
Eurocentrism
A
- worldview, mindset or rhetorical orientation that center’s European or White ways of knowing as sole, central or superior to all others
- defined as an attitude, conceptual apparatus, or set of empirical beliefs that frame Europe as the primary engine and architect of world history, the bearer of universal values and reason, the pinnacle and therefore model of progress and development
- Eurocentric narratives, the superiority of Europe is evident in its achievements in economic and political systems, technologies and the high quality of life
- tied to and indeed constituted in the violence and asymmetry of colonial and imperial encounters
- makes the violence not only possible, but also acceptable/justifiable
- institutional practice’s that privilege whiteness and Eurocentric epistemologies continue to haunt the production of knowledge in geography in significant and disturbing ways
- form of ethnocentrism that uses European ethnic, national, religious and linguistic criteria to judge other people and their culture (hence reason to “kill the indian in the child”)
- ex: learning about Columbus as a hero
7
Q
Residential schools
A
- first school opened in 1831 and last closed in 1996
- part of the Indian Act established in 1876
- meant to “kill the Indian in the child”
- form of cultural genocide
- primary roles to convert children to Christianity and civilize them
- schools run by church’s
- children prohibited to speak native language and practice own faiths
- overcrowded, poor sanitation and lack of medical care
- assimilation
- shown as this great idea, the children love to be there
8
Q
The TRC report
A
- TRC commission set up in 2008 to investigate history of RS
- published in June of 2015
- interviewed over 7000 witnesses
- TRC states for over a century, central goal of aboriginal policy was to eliminate Indigenous governments, ignores rights, terminate treaties, and assimilate people (cultural genocide)
- land was stolen, integrated a pass system, replaced existing governments with powerless band councils, separated families
- made a 94 calls to action
- specific recommendations and guidelines
9
Q
Indian Act
A
- established in 1876
- gave government control over most aspects of Indigenous life
- Indigenous people physically removed from land and placed on small reserves
- dictated and controlled everything they did
- made it impossible to live (could not vote, hire lawyers, sell or buy certain things)
- used to assimilate
- people seen as savages and barbaric
- long list of restrictions and rules that must be followed
10
Q
Indigenous sovereignty
A
- fundamental solution
- recognize their own traditions/authority
- deal with as nation-to-nation
- get rid of Indian act
- replace with structures of self government to give indigenous peoples more control over their daily lives
- As distinct and independent Nations, we possess inherent rights to self-determination. These inherent rights were not endowed by any other state or Nation, but are passed on through birthright, are collective, and flow from the connection to the Creator and our lands.
- Self-determination means we freely and independently determine and exercise our own political, legal, economic, social and cultural systems without external interference
- This is why we continually seek to work with State bodies on the basis of a government-to-government relationship. This is why development or utilization of lands requires our free, prior, and informed consent, or when decisions are made which may impact our inherent and Treaty rights. While Indigenous Nations are forced to use colonial systems and laws, this does not supersede our inherent rights. Indigenous Peoples have been tireless in ensuring Inherent and Treaty rights are recognized through non-Indigenous vehicles such as the Constitution Act, case law and court decisions. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is another powerful international instrument which creates the minimum standards and principles for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and their rights.
11
Q
“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we
expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We address
ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love”
A
- Smith, 1976
- efficient market coordination
- each person makes many tiny adjustments, there is no overarching social planner
- market is naturally self-regulating
- greed is good (underlying motivator)
- self interest is at the heart of every action
- people are fundamentally self-interested, which is not the same thing as selfish
- people only do things if they can benefit from it not because they care for each other
Renowned economist and philosopher Adam Smith
Encapsulates the idea of self-interest and being a driving force
Laid the foundation for the theory of economic self-interest as a fundamental
Emphasizes that individuals in economic transactions are self-motivated
From his book “wealth of nations”
12
Q
Pullman, Illinois
A
- constructed by George Pullman
- in a south side neighborhood that serves as a focal point for railroad, labor, and history
- was a “company community” meaning a city composed of buildings all owned by a single company/person which is also the town’s main employer
- prohibited independent newspapers and public forms of discussion, inspectors routinely barged into homes to ‘inspect’, leases could be terminated on a whim, banned alcohol (yet he was allowed to drink it)
- oppressive and enforced all employees to follow strict rules
- money spent from their salary went directly to George Pullman
- racism also experienced
There were some defects such as wage cuts
Wage cuts led to a strike in 1894
13
Q
Mondragon
A
- collection of cooperative enterprises, centered in the town of Mondragon
- most of its workers are partners, meaning they own the company
- 96 cooperatives of the Mondragon Corporation must produce profits to stay in business however these businesses have been engineered not to lavish dividends on shareholders or shower stock options on executives but to preserve paychecks
- concept of the cooperative may conjure the notion of hippie socialism, limiting its value as a model for global economy but Mondragon stands out as a genuinely large enterprise
- cooperatives employ more than 70,000 people in Spain
- annual revenues of 12 billion euros
- landmark of social economy (its possible to be profitable but still act on social objectives)
- In a world grappling with the consequences of widening economic inequality, cooperatives are gaining attention as an intriguing potential alternative to the established mode of global capitalism. They emphasize one defining purpose: protecting workers.
- The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the pitfalls faced by companies built to maximize shareholder returns. The shutdown of much of the world’s economy has sent joblessness soaring, threatening the ability of workers to feed their families and stay current on rent and mortgage payments
A corporation, federation of worker cooperatives based in the Basque region of Spain
Founded in 1956 by Jose Maria
Included a wide range of business
Decisions are made collectively with a focus on democratic governance
Emphasizes the importance of creating stable jobs
The world’s largest co-op, originating in Spain - very successful with over 111 locations, 83 000 employees, and 82 million euros as assets
- significant bc it shows a real life alternative to hierarchal workplaces
14
Q
Worker Cooperative
A
- businesses that are owned and democratically controlled by members
- The main purpose of a worker co-operative is to provide employment for its members through operating an enterprise that follows the Co-operative Principles and Values.
- When new employees join the business, after a successful probationary period they are encouraged to apply for membership.
- The worker co-op is, in principle, designed to provide benefits not just to the founding members but also to all future employees
- To create their worker co-op, members combine their skills, interests and experiences to achieve mutual goals such as creating jobs for themselves, providing a community service and increasing democracy in the workplace
- Each member purchases a membership share, or pays a membership fee, and has one vote no matter how many shares they own. Through the democratic governance of the co-op, all members have equal opportunity to affect the way the business is run and to offer input on the decisions affecting their everyday work lives
- Each member purchases a membership share, or pays a membership fee, and has one vote no matter how many shares they own. Through the democratic governance of the co-op, all members have equal opportunity to affect the way the business is run and to offer input on the decisions affecting their everyday work lives
- This is a fundamental difference, as in conventional businesses the ultimate authority rests with a single individual, or with a small group, and the business decisions are based upon maximizing their benefit and profit as owners
- worker co-operatives are a radical break from the conventional business model. The worker co-op’s primary goal in operating an enterprise is for service to its employees and its community rather than in service to the owners of capital. The goal is to provide the best possible employment conditions for the members and to provide the customers and community with a service or product at a fair price that meets their needs and leads to a sustainable community
15
Q
Social Democracy
A
- justice, freedom and solidarity
- democracy = all citizens have the same rights to freedom, security and participation
- social democratic welfare: best social services, public services are accessible for everyone, most taxes, ideal of social democracy
- social democracy = freedom, justice and solidarity
- positive and negative taken seriously, without access to positive rights and liberties some are not able to access the negative
- social democracy = regulated market + socialists state
- the centre of the neoliberal welfare regime is the market vs. the centre of the social democratic regime is the state
- say neoliberal society is unjust and unfree
- idea of freedom = ability to live the life you want
- socialists think corporations are the enemy and the state is a friend
16
Q
Neoliberalism
A
- free markets are the best way to organize the economy
- the state should be kept to a minimum (get the state “off our backs”)
- arguments = 1) efficiency & 2) freedom (freedom and the state are in perpetual conflict)
- core elements = privatization, low taxes, deregulation, free trade (expanding markets and minimizing the state)
- trickle-down effect
- countries with higher inequality also have higher levels of mental illness, teenage pregnancy, obesity, incarceration rates and homicides
- as well as lower levels of life expectancy, social trust, children’s educational performance and social mobility
- say social democracy is inefficient and unfree
- idea of freedom = no interference from the state
- paints corporations are friends and the state as the enemy
17
Q
Marxism
A
- coined by Karl Marx & Fredrich Engles
- Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical perspective to view social transformation
- helped the working class question the injustice enforced upon them through their wages, life style and oppression
- Marxism is the beginning of progress and evolution
- Marxism is a social, economic and political philosophy that analyses the impact of the ruling class on the laborers, leading to uneven distribution of wealth and privileges in the society
- two divisions in the capitalist society: 1) The Bourgeoisie enjoyed the power to control the toiling masses’ wages and work, leaving them vulnerable to even replacements in the future & 2) the proletariat are the workers or working-class people, regarded collectively. only possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capability to work)
- school of thought lead by Karl Marx
- focus on historical materialism (society as what soc produces for life)
- life is built on their relations to production
- capitalism is exploitative
- creates classes, bourgeoisie and proletariat
- unions are necessary
18
Q
Anarchism
A
- Anti-capitalism rests to a significant extent on the claim that capitalism as a way of organizing an economic system impedes the fullest possible realization of the values of equality/fairness, democracy/freedom, and community/solidarity
- why is capitalism bad = irrational, destroys environment, tied to militarism and imperialism
- Many people seem to think that anarchists are proponents of violence, chaos, and destruction, that they are against all forms of order and organization
- Anarchists are simply people who believe human beings are capable of behaving in a reasonable fashion without having to be forced to (organize themselves & power corrupts)
- Anarchists argue that almost all the anti-social behavior which makes us think it’s necessary to have armies, police, prisons, and governments to control our lives, is actually caused by the systematic inequalities and injustice those armies, police, prisons and governments make possible.
- many tend to associate anarchism with chaos and violence but this is wrong
- wherever there are relationships between human beings that involve hierarchy and domination they should be scrutinized and whenever such relationships cannot be justified they hold be abolished to increase the scope of human freedom
- the fundamental idea is that relations between people, and the very structures of our institutions, should be based on mutuality and consent and not on coercion and violence
- opposed to… the state, prisons and police, capitalism, racism and patriarchy and ableism (opposed to forms of violence)
- if oppressive social structures are abolished people will not have any reason to be antagonistic towards each other
- trying to balance individual freedom with social equality
- combo of socialism and liberalism
Anarchism vs. Marxism - anarchists thinks there are many problems with society
- anarchists goal is radical democracy
- anarchists believe in prefigurative politics
