Superpowers Set 2 Flashcards
China’s ‘new scramble for Africa’
- 2006 China’s African policy - aimed at promoting economic and political cooperation.
- Taken advantage of the fact that the west are interested in Africa anymore
- 1950s-60s China supported African nations in constructing railways and developing education etc
- Second era = 1990 which focused on trade with Africa
Costs of China’s investment
- Chinese traders move into African markets and undercut local producers
- Increased Tariffs on Exports
- Life becomes harder for countries that lack raw materials
Benefits of China’s investment
- 15,000 Chinese doctors worked in 47 countries and treated 180 million people
- World bank thinks Africa can begin to manufacture products from it’s own raw materials
- African’s benefit from low prices of Chinese goods
Hegemony
Dominance of a superpower over other countries
Colonialism
DIRECT control of other countries in the interest of the colonial power
Neo-Colonialism
INDIRECT control over developing countries - Primarily uses economic control
Types of Neo-Colonialism - Strategic alliances
- Military alliances between superpowers and developing nations - makes the developing power dependent on military aid from the superpower
Types of Neo-Colonialism - Aid
Aid comes with strings attached - forces the recipient to agree to spending priorities etc suggested by the donor
Types of Neo-Colonialism - TNC investment
Can create jobs but also makes the recipient country dependent on the TNC investment
Types of Neo-Colonialism - Terms of trade
Low exporting prices contrast with high prices for imports from developed counties which slow the development of the developing nation
Types of Neo-Colonialism - Debt
Developing countries borrow money from developed countries - Known as a ‘creditor relationship’
Rostow’s modernisation theory
Stage 1 - Traditional society - based on subsistence farming etc
Stage 2 - Pre-conditions for takeoff - Profits from farming and improving infrastructure
Stage 3 - Take off - Manufacturing industries take off and financial investment increases
Stage 4 - Drive to Maturity - New ideas and technology improve and replace industries
Stage 5 - People have wealth so have more services and goods
- Critique - Doesn’t help understand how some countries gain the political and cultural aspects of their power
Franks dependency theory (Marxist)
- Argues dependency of developing nations on wealthier nations is the cause for poverty
- Critique - suggests countries are stuck in a permanently underdeveloped state
Wallerstein’s world system theory (Marxist)
- Periphery regions provide raw materials to supply manufacturing industry in semi-periphery regions - Furthest down the change and therefore benefit l;east from the profits made from their materials sold
- Core countries - Use semi-periphery countries as cheap locations to manufacture goods
- Critique - Semi Periphery regions are catching up
Criticism of TNC’s
attempts to maximise profits have led to 400 out of the top 500 businesses to be from just 7 countries
TNC’s are positive players in the superpower world
- TNC’s accounted for 80% of global trade in 2013
- Spend money on Research and development
- Programmes such as the Simpsons can be watched in almost every country
TNC’s are negative players in the superpower world
- Patents designed by Pharmaceutical companies make medicines unaffordable to poorer countries
- GM crops are controlled by TNC’s - TNC’s force farmers in developing countries to only use their chemicals with the TNC benefiting the most
Free trade
Exchange of goods and services free from import and export tariffs, taxes and quotas on trade volume
Free market capitalisation
- Private ownership of property and businesses
- Buying and selling of good in a free market with limited restrictions
Centrally planned economy
Government owns property, land and businesses - Profits are taken from businesses and spent on public services - Gov also has control over the prices of products etc
Cultural traffic
- USA dominates traffic - Westernisation
– Westernisation characteristics – - Consumerism
- Attaining wealth
- English as dominant language
Cultural backlash to westernisation
China and Russia ban cartoons such as the Simpsons to protect local animators and limit the effects foreign culture may have on Chinese children
McDonald’s adapted menu
To suit local tastes - e.g. Doesn’t sell pork or beef and has more vegetarian options in India due to the dominant Hindu and Muslim
religious populations in the area
Examples of Cultural Traffic
- 6 times more Indian restaurant sin UK than McDonald’s
- Sushi became popular in the West
- American baseball and football have struggled to spread around the world
