Lecture 19 Flashcards
What idea did the The Peace of Westphalia (1648) establish?
established the idea of sovereign states—countries having control over their own affairs, free from outside interference.
This system laid the foundation for the modern international order.
What is a nation?
A group connected by shared culture, language, ancestry, or territory.
What is a state?
A formal structure with official roles and authority, separate from other social systems.
Nation-state
A political system where a nation is represented and governed by a state.
What’s a tool that helped spread the idea of nationhood, building nationalism?
print capitalism (the mass production of books and newspapers)
True or false: Anderson’s theory shows that nations are ancient and natural entities
No, nations are modern constructs, they were created over time through shared ideas and stories, not necessarily through shared blood, land, or language.
It helps us understand how nationalism works: not just through politics or borders, but through imagination, emotions, and daily practices.
Benedict Anderson argues that a nation is a socially constructed community—it is “imagined” because
- Members will never know most of their fellow citizens personally, but still feel connected as if they are part of the same “family” or group.
- The sense of shared identity is created through symbols, media, language, and shared stories (like history textbooks, newspapers, maps, and national rituals).
What are the four key points of imagined communities?
- Imagined:
You don’t meet everyone in your nation, but you imagine a bond with them.
It’s not fake or false—it’s real in its effects—but it exists in the mind. - Limited:
Nations are not global communities. They define who is in and who is out through borders.
This “limiting” creates the sense of a distinct identity. - Sovereign:
Nations are imagined as free to govern themselves, not controlled by empires or kings (important especially in post-colonial contexts). - Community:
Despite social and economic inequality, people feel a horizontal comradeship, like they are equals within the nation.
When was UN formed and what was charter goal?
1945, To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, and to maintain international peace and security.
WHat are the two main arms of the UN system?
Security council and general assembley
What is a major criticism of the UN Charter according to Sliander (2014)?
It represents the security interests of powerful states more than a principled emphasis on human rights.
How is the UN closely tied to the United States?
It was named by Roosevelt, chartered in San Francisco, is headquartered in NYC, and the U.S. is its largest financial contributor.
What are the two types of security in tension within the UN system?
Human-centric security (inclusive): This means focusing on the safety, rights, and well-being of individual people around the world. It’s about protecting humans—especially vulnerable populations—from things like war, persecution, poverty, and injustice, no matter which country they live in.
State-centric security (exclusive): This focuses on protecting the interests, borders, and power of individual states (countries), often prioritizing national sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs—even if people within that state are suffering.
What does Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights say?
Everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution, except in cases involving non-political crimes or acts against UN principles.
What core contradiction lies within the UN’s mission?
Balancing the promotion of universal human rights with the protection of state sovereignty.
What is the current global refugee crisis as of May 2023?
Over 110 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide, marking the largest single-year increase in forced displacement in UNHCR’s history, largely driven by conflicts like the war in Ukraine.
What defines a refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention?
A refugee is someone who has fled their country due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group and is unable or unwilling to return to their country.
What is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?
A refugee is someone who has already fled and is internationally protected, while an asylum seeker is someone who is seeking protection but has not yet been legally recognized as a refugee.
What is the non-refoulement principle in refugee law?
Non-refoulement is the principle that refugees should not be returned to a country where they face persecution, ensuring their protection under international law.
What are the three main pathways for refugees?
- Repatriation – Safe and voluntary return to the home country.
- Integration – Becoming part of the first asylum country.
- Resettlement – Moving to a third country that offers protection.
What challenges do refugees face in the first asylum countries?
Many refugees remain in developing countries, which host 84% of the world’s refugees. These countries face challenges like inadequate infrastructure and lack of durable solutions for refugee integration.
What is collective responsibility in the context of refugees?
Collective responsibility refers to the shared duty of states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure equitable distribution of the costs associated with granting asylum through international cooperation.
What factors contribute to the uneven distribution of refugees between countries?
The uneven distribution is often an “accident of geography,” where certain countries, particularly neighboring conflict zones, bear a disproportionate number of refugees.
What are some examples of restrictive asylum policies used by states?
Restrictive asylum policies include carrier sanctions, safe third-country agreements, detention of asylum seekers, and the denial of social assistance to refugees.
