Week 5 - Social Policy and Emerging Realities Flashcards
What are the 5 major emerging issues affecting social policy in Canada?
- The environmental imperative
- Globalization
- Social welfare retrenchment
- Conceptions relating to citizenship & social inclusion
- The growing impact of social movements
T/F - “Rachel Carson’s (1962) “The Silent Spring” was one of the earliest modern day environmental treaties” (Graham, et al., p. 100), which documented the detrimental effects on the environment of the indiscriminate use of pesticides (e.g., DDT). This book was named one of the 25 greatest science books of all time by Discover Magazine.
true
T/F - environmental movements do no seek to change social consciousness and legislation world-wide
false - increasing numbers of environmental movements has sought to change social consciousness and legislation world-wide
BUT more environmental incidents occurred i.e. Chernobyl disaster (April 1986) up to 985,000 got cancer
**Fukushima, Japan (2011) – big earthquake and tsunami and there was a nuclear power plant was involved. In the aftermath plants have changed
Murphy’s Law was discussed in relation to the Environmental imperative, what does that law say?
“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong”
Describe the ecological footprint (4 contributing factors)
it represents the impact of each person on the environment, through consumption of all:
-fossil fuels
-production
-misuses of forests and water
-human settlement
It’s measured in hectares on earth in a given year
Canada: 7.01 (global hectares/person)
T/F - developed world is primarily responsible for the current ecological crisis
true
**Why is it so hard to bring it (the ecological footprint) down?
This is a typical phenomenon of “externality” that a consequence of an economic activity is WHAT?
experienced by unrelated third parties (impacts someone else).
T/F - Canada domestic production of CO2 is 15-20 tones/person compared with 5 tones globally and tends to increase
true
What are 2 reasons why Canada produces a lot of CO2?
- Weather is cold here
- Country is too big, so people drive a lot here
T/F - Thinking about the Environmental imperative raises the issue of sustainability which is an economic, political and environmental world view that promotes present and future generations of stewardship of the physical world
true
T/F - Although there are a few major summits targeting global environmental & ecological actions, actions are great and seeing improvements
false - actions are limited
**Canada is among the worst, and there is no substantial policy move dealing with this issue
Globalization - is a current and pervasive trend of internationalized in which 4 areas?
– Finance
– Communication
– Ideology
– Political arrangements
Because of globalization - A change in one country can quickly cause WHAT?
a significant change in all countries in the areas of…
– Finance
– Communication
– Ideology
– Political arrangements
a British princess (Diana) sitting in a German car with her Greek boyfriend being chased by French journalists who are using Japanese cameras
is an example of what?
joke about globalization
T/F - Implications of globalization include an investment can move quickly & easily across borders.
true
T/F - Implications of globalization - Corporations follow principles of transnational competition for lucrative market and actively pursue inexpensive labor
true
In terms of globalization - corporations do not enjoy growing sovereignty in the absence of constraining nation legislation or intra-national structures
false - they do enjoy this
T/F - Because of globalization consumers have to pay more for foreign goods
false - Consumers enjoy cheaper foreign goods
**However, workers in some countries may face international competitions
T/F - Many people benefit from globalization – i.e. business people who sell goods to other countries. However certain industries get shut down because other countries produce those same goods for cheaper
true
T/F - In terms of the Economic Context of Globalization:
An increasing economic integration and interdependence of national, regional and local economies across the world through an intensification of cross-border movement of goods, services, technologies, capital and human being.
true
T/F - In terms of the Economic Context of Globalization:
there is spreading and shifting of capitalism/modernity from the West to Japan (1960s), South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong (1970s), China (1980s), Eastern European and Russia (1989 -1992), and almost everywhere on the earth.
true
T/F - In terms of the Economic Context of Globalization:
we see emerging international treaties and free trade agreements since 1960s
true
How does the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), 1994 – impact Canada?
we follow the taxation and regulations closer to the US and Mexico which impacts Canadian workers
T/F - In terms of the Economic Context of Globalization:
There is extensive domestic legislation (often overriding international legal system)
false - Extensive international legal system (often overriding domestic legislation)
Due to the Economic Context of Globalization:
People do not have freedom to migrate, travel, invest, and work in other member countries
false - they do have this freedom
T/F - In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
Politically, globalization has not transformed international relations during the past decades.
false it has profoundly transformed international relations
In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
Which democracy triumphed communism?
liberal
T/F - In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
The West won the “Cold War” in a way of “victory without war” in 1990s.
true
T/F - In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
Most of the communist countries, Eastern European countries, China and other former communist countries are keeping that ideology and not changing
false - they are in transition to market economics, regardless dropping the communism ideology officially or not.
In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
We are entering a new era of global political arrangements with emerging powers, how do you describe “the Brics”
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and Indonesia (biggest Muslim country).
T/F - In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
Foreign direct investment (outside of any one country) increased 5 times over the course of 1980s, leading to growing concentration of wealth in the world.
true
T/F - In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
A third of the wealth is now in the hands of 200 corporations (p.108-9). Why? (Examples, Berger King and Tim Hortons’ merge, GM and Apple’s international arrangements) – this number will reduce over time as big companies merge together (i.e. Berger King merged with Tim Hortons and setup main office here because Canada’s corporate tax was a little lower)
true
In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
Which ideology increasingly argue for the interests of multinational corporations and the market state approach to social welfare.
neo-liberal institutions
In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
Globalization allows for governments to control international corporations?
false - Globalization makes it difficult for any government to control international corporates, e.g., in taxation, salaries, and workplace. (For example, The Cayman Islands is the fifth-largest banking center in the world. Why?) – no industry there but they have that big bank because they don’t have tax.
T/F - In terms of the Political Context of Globalization:
The lack of proper financial regulations for the global financial systems led to the financial crisis of 2008.
true
Could happen again soon as interest rates are now going up
T/F - Since the 1980s, Federal and Provincial governments have enhanced their commitments to social welfare programs
false - Federal and Provincial governments have withdrawn from their commitments to social welfare programs
Common themes about the welfare state in the last 30 years have implied that welfare state are proven which 2 things?
too expensive and are a cause of dependency
The two fundamental driving forces for this retrenchment are:
The soaring government debts through 1980s;
The leveling force of globalization in labor and social welfare.
In terms of the changing conceptions of social welfare in relation to citizenship and social inclusion:
Marshall’s (1949) “social citizenship” includes the development in three stages:
18th Century’s WHAT rights focusing property & legal rights, due process;
19th Century’s WHAT rights;
20th Century’s WHAT rights: the development of social welfare and economic security.
Civil rights, political rights, and social rights
T/F - In Canada, entitlements of social citizenship have been met to some extent through federal social programs like Canada Assistance Plan (CAP)
true
Canada Assistance Plan (CAP):
-Obligated provinces to provide for persons in need
-Prohibited workfare & discrimination
-Required the development of an appeals system at the provincial level
-Later when CAP was replaced by the CHST (The Canada Health And Social Transfer)
-In 1996, the fed government signaled its reluctance.
In terms of the changing conceptions of social welfare in relation to citizenship and social inclusion:
T/ F - The “civil society”. “The recent discussion have linked citizenship are to the idea of ‘civil society’ rather than the welfare state”
true
WHICH s the aggregate of non-governmental organizations and institutions that reflect the interests and will of citizens.
Civil society
In terms of the changing conceptions of social welfare in relation to citizenship and social inclusion:
Contemporary activists equate civil society with WHAT
“the third sector”- neither government nor market
T/F - It seems that this third sector is not growing, transcending national boundaries and creating global coalitions.
false - it is growing in all those areas
T/F - Social inclusion and social exclusion have become important concepts in understanding citizenship
true
In terms of the changing conceptions of social welfare in relation to citizenship and social inclusion:
Advantages of using the language of inclusion/ exclusion are:
1- Includes WHAT relations in the analysis
2- Can incorporate many WHAT (quality of life, rights)
3- Involves “the social”- society is the focus not just the poor
4 - Highlights process over WHAT (e.g., the process of becoming poor as opposed to measuring poverty alone).
1 - power
2 - levels of experience
4 - Outcome
The ideology behind universal programs is WHAT?
social inclusion
In terms of the impacts of globalization on Canadian society and social policy…
economic impacts include Canadians enjoy the what type of products through international trade with low import tax rates.
cheaper
In terms of the impacts of globalization on Canadian society and social policy…
due to economic impacts WHAT wages will be linked to global level (global wages)
domestic wages
Canadians might see lower wages as seen in other countries
In terms of the impacts of globalization on Canadian society and social policy…
T/F - Due to economic impacts - Manufacture industries and workers will continue to suffer from global competitions, mostly from emerging economies. (In order to compete, we need to initiate something that emerging economies cannot do. Some small countries’ experiences.)
true
*As a developed countries we need to do something / produce something that other counties can’t in order to complete
In terms of the impacts of globalization on Canadian society and social policy…
T/F - Globalization has several contrasting impacts on immigration including less global flows of population (migration)?
false - More global flows of population (migration) due to increasing information exchange and convenient means of transportations and deregulations.
In terms of the impacts of globalization on Canadian society and social policy…
T/F - According to Samuelson’s theory of trade and labor substitution, international trade may reduce the needs for international migration. However, the actual case can be more complicated.
true
In the meanwhile, counter forces against globalizations have emerged since the mid of 2010s.
OPAEC and WTO reduced their functions; NAFTA renegotiated, TPP has ceased, UK withdrew from the EU
Nationalism and protectionism can be called WHAT
anti-globalization (which has increased).
Describe Brain Drain?
“Brain drain” to the US: Young, talented Canadians to the US. New immigrants in Canada may not fill this gap. (This was the case in 2000s’ during the Internet bubble.)
When young people move to a place they bring with them their education (human capital) – so they are not only physically moving but brining with them their human capital.
T/F - Globalization enhances the government’s power in policy-making, such as minimum wages standards.
false limits government power
Global economic competition may lead to WHAT
lead to some kind “race to the bottom” in regulations of working conditions and environment protection, unless more international cooperation standards are set to overcome all kinds of “externality”.
(All governments deny that they conduct the “race to the bottom” for political reason.)
Global economic changes will affect the WHAT economy and cause what?
domestic economy and will eventually impact social policy nationally and locally.
T/F - Migration, the advance of information technology, Google, Facebook, iPhone, Wikipedia and Twitter, are shaping the global culture.
true
T/F - Social policy is relatively stable?
true - Social policy is relatively stable, (it changes when there is strong pressure or economic crisis) and changes irregularly, lagging other changes. When the effects of changes in other areas have accumulated to certain point, there is a demand for a change, but a policy change may happen irrationally and arbitrarily.
What are the 6 reasons why we need to examine the consequences of policy?
1- There are real life people who are impacted by policy - so through looking at the consequences you could see if it’s a smart and logical choice for real people
2- Make sure the policy is good (this is the purpose of policy) – positive & negative effects
3- It will influence future policies, to make sure the policy is good - you don’t want to keep a bad policy
4- Accountability - Holds people making the policies accountable
5 - Policy may not be the best, but it can prevent the worst
6 - People can give their feedback – more corporative rather than top down
*when people make a policy – the policy is something stated (they have intension based on an ideology)
How Does Globalization limits the power of government in policy making (5 points)
- Cost of living – goods would be cheaper, wages would be low,
- International companies have may power / influence over the local government
- Decentralization of knowledge, more individualism and access to information
- Give more power to the individuals
- Free trade – every country can sell cheap goods, countries relocate
