Soc Ch 10

Mena

- The middle east and North African region -includes oil-rich countries in the gulf. Like Iran Iraq and Kuwait. but also countries that are relatively resource poor in relationship to their populations, like Morocco and Yeman. -these countries are predominately Islamic -For last century economic growth was slower in MENA than in other developing countries -the two regions with the highest risk of social unrest are Sub Saharan Africa and the Middle East North African region.

Core Nations

- are dominant capitalist countries, highly industrialized, technological, and urbanized. -Wallerstein says the US is an economic powerhouse that can support or deny support to important economic legislation with far reaching implications

Semi-peripheral nations

- are in between nations, not powerful enough to dicatate policy but neverthless acting as a major source for raw material and an expanding middle class marketplace for core nations, while also exploiting peripheral nations.

Asia

- the majority of the worlds poorest ppl are here -finds itself with disparity in the distribution of poverty with japan and south korea holding much more wealth than india and cambodia -most poverty is concentrated in South Asia -causes of poverty simply point to the pressure that the size of the population puts on its resources. -many believe that chinas success in recent times has much to do with its draconian population control rules

Symbolic Interaction

- this perspective studies the day to day impact of global inequality, the meanings individuals attach to global stratification, and the subjective nature of poverty. -focuses on understanding the difference between what someone living in a core nation defines as poverty (relative poverty, defined as being unable to live the lifestyle of the average person in your country)

Global Classification

-A major concern when discussing global inequality is how to avoid an ethnocentric bias implying that less-developed nations want to be like those who've attained post-industrial global power

Gross National Income

-GNI - the mean income of the ppl in a nation

Global Stratification

-Unequal distribution of resources among individauls -two dimensions to this stratification 1. gaps between nations 2. gaps within nations -when it comes to global inequality, both economic inequality and social inequality may concentrate the burden of poverty among certain segments of the earth's population.

Functionalist Perspective

-a macroanalytical view that focuses on the way that all aspects of society are integral to the continued health and viability of the whole -might focus on why we have global inequality and what social purposes it serves -

Deindustrialization

-a related issue, occurs as a consequence of capital flight, as no new companies open to replace jobs lost to foreign nations

World Bank Economic Classification by Income

-along with tracking the economy, the world bank tracks demographics and environmental health to provide a complete picture whether a nation is high income, middle, or low

Consequences of Poverty

-are often also causes. -the poor often experience inadequate healthcare, limited education, and the inaccessibility of birth control. -its challenging to break out since these consequences of poverty are also causese of poverty perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage -secondly its effects on physical and mental health. Poor ppl face physical health challenges, including malnutrition and high infant mortality rates. Mental health is also detrimentally affected by the emotional stresses of poverty, with relative deprivation carrting the most robust effect . -thirdly, the prevalence of crime. crime rates are higher, particulary for violent crime, in countries with higher levels of income inequality

First world

-capitalist democracies like US and Japan were considered first world

Subjective Poverty

-describes poverty that is composed of many dimesnions; it is subjectively present when your actual income does not meet your expectations and perceptions -has more to do with how a family or person defines themeselves

Noblesse Oblige

-first world responsibility -suggested that the developed nations should provide foreign aid to the less developed and underdeveloped nations in order to raise their standard of living

Conflict Theory

-focuses on the creation and reproduction of inequality. -would likely address the systematic inequality created when core nations exploit the resources of peripheral nations.

Peripheral Nations

-have very little industrialization; what they do have often reps the outdated castoffs of core nations or the factories and means of production owned by core nations -typically have unstable govs, inadequate social programs, and are economically dependent on core nations for jobs and aid.

Second World

-inbetween category: nations not as limited in development as the third world, but not as well off as the first world, having moderate economies and standard of living Like China or Cuba.

Relative Poverty

-is a state of living where ppl can afford necessities but are unable to meet their societys average standard of living

Global Inequality

-is concentrating resources in certain nations and is significantly affecting the opportunities of individuals in poorer or less powerful countries -the richest 85 ppl in the world are worth more than the poorest 3.5 billion combined

Modernization theory

-low income countries are affected by their lack of industrialization and can improve their global economic standing through 1. adjustment of cultural values and attitudes to work 2. industrialization and other forms of economic growth

GNI coefficient

-measures the income inequality between countries using a 100-point scale on which 1 represtents complete equality and 100 reps the highest possible inequality

Slavery

-modern day slavery goes hand in hand with global inequality. -refers to any situation in which ppl are sold treated as property, or forced to work for little or not pay.

Debt Accumulation

-most pressing issue for middle income nations is this -this is the buildup of external debt, wherein countries borrow money from other antions to fund their expansion or growth goals

Debt Bondage

-or bonded labor, the poor pledge themselves as servants in exchange for the cost of basic necessities like transportation

Absolute Poverty

-ppl who live here lack even the basic necesities which typically include adequate food, clean water, safe housing, and access to healthcare

Fourth World

-refers to stigmatized minority groups that were denied a political voice all over the globe. -ex: indigenous minority populations, prisoners, and the homeless.

Capital flight

-refers to the movement (flight) of capital from one nation to another, as when General Motors company closed US factories and opened in Mexico

The sedimentation of global inequality

-relates to the fact that once pvoerty becomes entrenched in an area, it is typically very difficult to reverse

Chattel Slavery

-the form of slavery once practiced in the american south, occurs when one person owns another as property. -ex: Child slavery, which may include child prostitution

Africa

-the majority of the poorest counties in the world are in africa -South africa and Egypt have much lower rates of poverty than angola and ethiopia -meaning africa as a whole is getting more poor -much of the poverty can be traced to the availability of land, especially arable land (land that can be farmed)

Global Feminization of Poverty

-the poorest ppl in the world are woman and those in periperal and semi peripheral nations -says that around the world, woman are bearing a disproprtionate percentage of the burden of poverty

High income nations

-the world bank defines high income nations as having a gross national income of at least $12,746 per capita -face two major issues: 1. capital flight 2. deindustrialization

Immanuel Wallerstein: World Systems Approach

-uses an economic basis to understnad global inequlity -says the global economy is a complex system that supports an economic hierarchy that placed some nations in positions of power with numerous resources and other nations in a state of economic subordination

Dependency Theory

-was created in part as a response to the western-centric mindset of modernization theory. -it states that global inequality is primarily caused by core nations (or high income nations) exploiting semi-peripheral and peripheral nations. (or middle income and low income nations) -creates a cycle of dependence. -the theory states that since core nations, as well as the world bank, choose which countries to make loans to, and for what they will loan funds, they are creating highly segmented labor markets that are built to benefit the dominant market countries

Cold war terminology

-was developed during the cold war era. still used by many -classifies countries into first, second, and third world nations based on thier respective economic development and standards of living.

North American Free Trade Agreement

Good example of how a core nation is able to leverage its power to gain the most advantageous position in the matter of global trade.

Third world

The poorest most undeveloped countries