unit 1 Flashcards
common features of world issues
All have several things in common, they are complex, interrelated and controversial
complexity
-Problems aren’t as easy to solve and require the untangling of a complex web of cause and effect relationships, but
-E.g. people believed that the famines in Africa could be explained solely in terms of low levels of food production and over population, but the problem has other causes and those must be understood first before success can be achieved
-Often many misconceptions about a problem are believed that it hinders the efforts of people who are trying to deal with the problem
interrelatedness
-Issues that are interconnected makes their study difficult to organize (e.g. population, resources, economic development and environment)
-Hard to start when there is no obvious beginning or clear ending
-Can attempt to deal with this problem by starting with an analysis of growth and development (e.g. of the human population)
controversy
-State of prolonged public dispute
-A part of many issues and can occur in many forms, ranging from questions of opinion to deep-rooted differences often expressed in terms of political, economic, or religious beliefs
-Between these extremes there can be many points of view, attitudes, and prejudices that are a result of an individual’s experiences or lack thereof
manufacturing consent
Info presented in news is often misleading and biased, missing a crucial pov
Filtered through a number of lenses before it reaches the public
Sometimes we get no information at all about important issues and some alternative media sources provide reports on that info from a developing world perspective
Noam Chomsky points out that, while an authoritarian government can easily control the info received by the public, control cannot be imposed by force in a democracy
Limits are placed on democracy by subtle means used to control independent or opposing views, which might translate into opposing action and seen as a threat
The manufacturing of public consent is accomplished by setting the news agenda using techniques
E.g. selecting the topics and issues that will be reported, filtering information through different viewpoints such as editors, time constraints, limiting debate and using a screening effect where one major event is used as a focus to distract from other significant events (e.g. Wag the Dog movie)
setting the agenda
Chomsky sees society as consisting of a political class of about 20% if the population who are well-educated and play a role in decision making
Therefore, public perceptions of the world can be made to satisfy the needs of the dominant elite
propaganda
Used to describe persuasive messages and the promote particular ideas
Many techniques used in communicating propaganda
The language chosen to describe people and events can contribute to “manufacturing” of public consent for policies that favour the dominant elite (e.g. in military conflict)
Few people want to go to war, so military and gov. leaders often use “loaded words” to sell a war to persuade the public and win financial support from elected politicians
Every war must be perceived to be a just cause that is a defence against or liberation from some menacing, murderous aggressor and his “henchmen”, so that the world will become a better place
Stories of atrocities involving dead children are often used to help create this image
Leaders refer to the “theatre” of war and often use sports analogies and acronyms to soften as a form of euphemism to soften the real horrors of war
when jargon is used to manipulate or mislead, it becomes…
doublespeak
e.g. E.g. collateral damage - refers to unintended civiliand deaths
common propaganda strategies in times of war
Restrict free movement of journalists in conflict zones
Provide prepared information to journalists
Demonize the enemy and its leaders, using loaded language such as “evil empire” and stories of attrocities, fabricated or real, as justification for actions
Simplify the conflict to two sides when more are involved, ignoring the role played by groups such as TNCs or foreign governments
Use a double standard to judge atrocities and events of opposing sides
Narrow the focus of commentary; for example, use only retired military personnel
Treat gov. sources as fact instead of just one perspective
Omit historical and geopolitical context
Ignore critical perspectives or alternatives to violence and conflict
the role of journalists
Make useful information accessible to citizens so that they get a sense of the wider world around them
The system with its centralized control of editorial opinion about significant issues, is more likely to hire journalists that follow the values and truisms of mainstream media and who are interested in keeping their jobs
Editors tend to approve or alter stories to meet the expectations of corporate owners, acting as a filter for information
In developing countries, they face censorship or death threats for reporting views on issues that are not in the interests of the powerful groups in society
censorship
the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or “inconvenient”.
setting the agenda
Setting the agenda is the ability of media to influence the public, shape an agenda, and make the public believe what they want them to and they did this using propaganda and other techniques to trick the public into believing that they were at war with Albania.
gatekeeping
Gatekeeping is when they decide which messages to send and how to shape them, and Conrad and Stanley used this in the film to influence public opinion through the fake news footage and peace offering with the president, which made the public believe the war and became more devoted and loyal to their president.
coverage bias
Coverage bias is when the media chooses to report only the negative news about one country or party, and this is shown in the film during the Albania conference when the paparazzi spin the b3 bomber information into a Muslim fundamentalist and anti-American uprising issue and reports that instead.
How does this film connect to the concepts of setting the agenda and manufacturing consent?
This film connects to setting the agenda because it’s the ability of media to influence the public, shape an agenda, and make the public believe what they want them to, and this is what happened in the film. This film connects to manufacturing consent because it’s setting the news agenda by techniques like selecting the topics that will be reported, filtering info thru different viewpoints, and using a screening effect where one major event is used as a focus to distract from other significant events and this happens in the film. This is shown in the film when the president was involved in a scandal that would have ruined his re-election, but the people that work for him used a screening effect and came up with a fake war to distract the public.
global vs. local issues
Issues that are causing concern in many different parts of the world (e.g. the need for adequate housing or food insecurity). These problems are found globally but happen locally.
Issues that are interrelated and have no respect for boundaries (e.g. the ripple effects of a change in a major trading practice or the results of the loss of tropical rainforests). Such concerns are worldwide in their nature since their effects may be carried around the world.
issue
An issue is a complex problem requiring a solution. It has many different sides, involves some dispute and has become a matter of concern to many people.
My dog ran away from home is a problem, how people mistreat animals is an issue.
Issues arise because of disagreements about people’s aspirations for a desirable future.
How people see the future usually depends on their culture and experiential background, as well as, their worldview.
Issues can generate an array of feelings, including surprise, shock, concern, anger, or anxiety.
problem
range from minor to major issues and there’s always a solution to every one, doesn’t involve different viewpoints
environmental issue
Environmental – these issues are those that impact both the natural environment (ie rainforest) and the environment within which people interact with nature (ie a village or city)
political issue
Political – these issues are about power and control. Any organization that designs, administers and makes judgments about rules or control has power.
social/cultural issue
Social/Cultural – these issues are those having to do with interpersonal relations or relations among communities and include cultural factors.
economic issue
Economic – these issues are those involving the finances and the impact on the financial well-being of the country or countries involved.
euphemism
Euphemism: a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
jargon
Jargon: specialized terminology associated with a particular field or area of activity
gobbledygook
Gobbledygook: language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of abstruse technical terms; nonsense.
inflated language
Inflated language: uses over-the-top language to make things seem better than they are
mercator map projections
Presents the view of the world with realistic shape and continent size is inaccurate
mass media
refers to all the various forms of communication used to reach a large population (region or country). Mass media also refers to the organizations, companies and/or individuals that own the media outlets.
mainstream media
refer to the media that is distributed by the largest – most popular- media outlets
alternative media
refer to media that present an alternative to mainstream media (content or modes of distribution)
print media
newspapers, articles, books, pamphlets
broadcast media
radio, TV, film, music
digital media
internet, sites, ads, websites
outdoor/external media
billboards, posters, blimps
bias in the media
Every media story we encounter is the product of reporters, editors, camera crews – individuals who hold points of view which may be different from our own
In other words, the media story which is presented to you is not necessarily “the truth,” but rather one person’s or a group of people’s idea about the truth.
Or…One Company’s Truth
stakeholder
A stakeholder is a person or group of people that have a connection or say in an issue. They will be directly impacted by a human decision.
In every topic, situation or issue we study, there will be individuals or groups of people connected to it and who will be impacted in different ways by it. They are known as stakeholders.
Stakeholders: Someone connected to an issue with something to gain or lose.
Stakeholders often have strong feelings based on facts or opinions that align with one or more of the geographic perspectives.
Depending on where someone gets their facts, or who’s opinions they have heard, their perspective could be biased.
mainstream bias
reporting on stories that other media are reporting on, while ignoring others
sensationalism bias
reporting on events that are unusual or rare, as if they are more common
often associated with entertainment value
gate-keeping bias
declining to report on stories or keeping stories covered up
coverage bias
reporting on only certain aspects of a story
coverage only focuses on the stakeholders in the story or one perspective
advertising bias
stories are covered-up, selected or modified to appease
corporate bias
when the owners of the medium gave an agenda they want to push
-e.g. fox news channel
globalization
A very broad and complex idea
The extent to which a country is economically, technologically, culturally, politically, environmentally, GEOGRAPHICALLY integrated with the rest of the world
old core
OLD CORE: Countries which have been globalized for many years, which have contributed to and benefited from globalization (Can, USA, western Europe, Japan, etc)
new core
NEW CORE: countries which have become significantly globalized relatively recently (eastern Europe, China, India, Brazil, Russia, etc)
near core (the periphery)
The NEAR CORE –includes countries which have significant potential to join the core, to become significantly globalized
far periphery (the periphery)
The Far Periphery includes countries which are the least globalized and are the farthest from joining the core
freedom house rating
measure of political rights and civil liberties, values range from 2 (most rights/liberties) to 14 (least rights/liberties), relates to political growth and social development
infant-mortality rate
measures the number of children (per 1k births) who die before age one, values range from about 3 to about 100, relates to social development and economic development
Gross domestic product (GDP) →
frequently used measure of a country’s wealth, calculation on a PPP basis relates incomes to the cost of living in a country, relates to economic development
Percentage of GDP from agriculture →
richer, more economically advanced countries earn less of their wealth from agriculture, relates to economic development and social development
Visiting tourists as a % of population →
values range from near 0% to over 100%, relates to economic and social development
Oil consumption per capita →
recognizes the role played by consumption energy, values range from 0.3 to 1.0, relates to economic development
Human development index (HDI)
→ an index that combines measures of wealth, education, and health, related to social and economic development
Corruption-Perception Index (CPI)
→ indicates the degree to which corruption is common in a country’s public sector, relates to political growth & social and economic development
Internet users →
indicates access to the info and entertainment of the Internet, relates to social and economic development and political growth
Maps can be biased based on their:
Projection
Cartographic convections (colours, symbols, titles, etc)
Messaging and purpose (intended or unintended)
Mercator Projection
Developed in the 16th century
Great for navigation because all lines of longitude and latitude are the same
Continent shapes are realistic but size is inaccurate
Gall-Peters Projection
Created in the 1970s as an alternative to Mercator
Nation sizes are closer to reality
However the shape of nations is distorted
This projection is often referred to as “hanging laundry”
Robinson Projection
Created in 1983
Purposely distorted to create a more pleasant appearance
Most popular and commonly used map projection
Major areas of distortion are at the poles
Still has a Eurocentric view of the world
which map projection is referred to as hanging laundry
gall-peters projection
which map projection still has a eurocentric view of the world?
robinson projection
bias in maps
The Earth is a sphere (three-dimensional) and a map is flat (two-dimensional), so it is impossible to produce a map which combines the true shape, bearing, and distance.
ALL map projections misrepresent the surface of the Earth in some way!! There are errors in distance and distortions in shapes.
what are the four things cartographers try to preserve in maps
shape, area, direction and distance
shape
an area’s shape is directly related to the actual shape in the real world
area
an area’s size is proportional to its actual size in the real world
Direction
the lines of constant direction remain constant anywhere on a map
Distance
distance measured on a map are accurate
mercator projection bias
Used for navigation since 1569, is most common
Compass direction along a straight line between 2 points on the map are accurate
Distortion in shape & size of regions (north is larger, tropics are smaller)
Polar regions are larger, equatorial regions are smaller
robinson projection bias
In use from 1988 - 1998 by National Geographic
Minimizes the distortion of size & shape of most regions
Badly compresses & distorts the shape of countries in polar region
winkel tripel projection bias
Created by Oswald Winkel in 1921
Prime Meridian & Equator are straight lines, while all other parallels & meridians are curved
Adopted by National Geographic in 1998, replacing Robinson as it better represents the size & shape of Earth features, especially in the polar regions
gall peter projection bias
-shows area-accurate view of the world
-land mass size accurate, shape distorted
three ways countries are grouped
economic development, social development, political maturity
grouping countries
One relatively new way of grouping countries is to consider the degree to which each country is an active participant in a globalized world. The level of global involvement can be assessed by examining three major areas: economic and social development and political maturity
economic development
A community’s material wealth and trade, which is determined by GDP and GDP per capita, ratio of cars to people, per-capita electrical power capacity
social development
Level of education, healthcare, life expectancy and infant mortality
political maturity
Whether a country is democratic, low level of corruption, functioning electoral system, rule of law
authoritarian
A form of government that limits freedoms, demands strict obedience, and generally does not allow political criticism
democracy
a form of government in which citizens choose their leaders in open and fair elections
monarchy
a form of government in which a supreme authority functions as the head of state and who achieves their position through authority
developed countries
Industrialized countries whose economies have higher levels of consumerism, wealth and development infrastructure
developing countries
Less-Industrialized countries that are developing their economies toward higher levels of consumerism, wealth and development of infrastructure.
economies in transition (industrializing economies)
A country that is changing from a central planning to a free market economy. Include characteristics of privatization, economic stability, legal and institutional reform.
globalized core
countries in the core have contributed significantly to and benefited greatly from globalization
They are wealthy, live in secure environment, with good health care. They have a high degree of freedom.
example of countries under globalized core
(Canada/Germany)
less globalized periphery
have not significantly benefited from globalization
-poorer countries, citizens have less personal security, limited political freedoms and civil liberties, corruption is a serious problem
countries labelled as less globalized periphery
bangladesh, zambia
new core
countries which are not as wealthy and have some democratic systems of government
examples of countries under new core
malaysia, poland
near core periphery
with continued economic, social and political growth, they have the potential to join the “core”
examples of countries under near-core periphery
iran, phillippines
other methods of grouping countries
First/Second/Third World Groupings
North/South Groupings
Five Worlds:
First and Second Worlds (demoncratic/wealth, communist) - USA, USSR - Russia
Third World - rapid movement to first world countries - Brazil, Mexico
Fourth World - early stages of transition - Indonesia, Egypt
Fifth World - Little evidence of transitioning in social and economic stability - Haiti, Ethiopia
UN structure
6 main “organs” of the UN
Secretariat, general assembly, security council, economic and social council, trusteeship council, International Court of Justice
Many other agencies and organizations within the UN system
security council
5 permanent members: China, France, Russia, USA, UK
10 non-permanent: Bolivia (2018) , Egypt (2017), Japan (2017), Ethiopia (2018), Italy (2018), Senegal (2017), Sweden (2018), Ukraine (2017), Uruguay (2017), Kazakhstan (2018)
purpose of UN
Maintain international peace & security
Achieve international cooperation in solving economic, social, cultural, & humanitarian
problems
Promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms
Be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining common goals
Main priorities are conflict resolution and human rights
revolution documentary message
Revolution is a feature documentary about opening your eyes, changing the world and fighting for something
Focuses on changing the way the next generation approaches its relationship to Earth
