This file is a module in the subject contemporary world, Study notes of Mathematics

Download This file is a module in the subject contemporary world and more Study notes Mathematics in PDF only on Docsity! DOMINICAN COLLEGE OF TARLAC Mac Arthur Highway, Poblacion (Sto.Cristo), Capas. 2315 Tarlac, Philippines Tel.No. (045) 491-7579/Telefax (045) 925-0519 E-mail: domct _2315@yahoo.com COLLEGE DEPARTMENT A.Y. 2020-2021, First Semester OBE FACULTY-DESIGNED MODULE THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD (GE 3) Prepared by: HAZEL P. JAOS, LPT GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 2 MODULE 3 The Global Economy GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 5 There are two different types of economies associated with economic globalization- protectionism and trade liberalization. Protectionism means “a policy of systematic government intervention in foreign trade with the objective of encouraging domestic production. This encouragement involves giving preferential treatment to domestic producers and discriminating against foreign competitors” (McAleese, 2007 as cited in Ritzer, 2015, p. 1169). Trade protectionism usually comes in the form of quotas and tariffs. Tariffs are required fees on imports or exports. For instance, a pen that costs $1.00 in Country A and in Country B, it would be given five-dollar tariff. The pen would become $6 in Country B. This policy was practiced during the mercantilist era, from sixteenth to seventeenth centuries until the early years of the Industrial Revolution (Chorev, 2007). The Great Depression of 1929 marked the peak of protectionism. Until today, protectionism exists in the world economy despite the growth of trade liberalization. Countries such as China, Japan, and the United States are being accused of practicing protectionism (Ritzer, 2015). Economic Globalization and Sustainable Development There are some significant downsides to globalize trade and perhaps the strongest argument against economic globalization is its lack of sustainability or the degree to which the earth’s resources can be used for our needs, even in the future. Specifically, the development of our world today by using the earth’s resources and the preservation of such sources for the future is called sustainable development. In other words, development has to be ensured in and for the future generations. One significant global response or approach to economic globalization is that of sustainable development, which seeks to chart a middle path between economic growth and a sustainable environment (Borghesi and Vercelli, 2008). The relationship between globalization and sustainability is multi¬ dimensional—it involves economic, political, and technological aspects. The continuous production of the world’s natural resources, such as water and fossil fuel allows humanity to discover and innovate many things. We were able to utilize energy, GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 6 discover new technologies, and make advancements in transportation and communication. However, these positive effects of development put our environment at a disadvantage. Climate change accelerated and global inequality was not eradicated. This means that development, although beneficial at one hand, entails cost on the other. Environmental Degradation Development, especially economic development, was hastened by the Industrial Revolution. This is the period in human history that made possible the cycle of efficiency. Efficiency means finding the quickest possible way of producing large amounts of a particular product. This process made buying of goods easier for the people. Then, there is an increased demand. Ultimately, there was an increased efficiency. This cycle harms the planet in a number of ways. For instance, the earth’s atmosphere is damaged by more carbon emissions from factories around the world. Another example is the destruction of coral reefs and marine biodiversity as more and more wastes are thrown into the ocean. Many experts do not think that the planet can sustain a growing global economy. Deforestation, pollution, and climate change will not adjust for us, especially if increases in living standards lead people to demand more consumer goods like cars, meat, and smartphones. Food Security The demand for food will be 60% greater than it is today and the challenge of food security requires the world to feed 9 billion people by 2050 (Breene, 2016). Global food security means delivering sufficient food to the entire world population. It is, therefore, a priority of all countries, whether developed or less developed. The security of food also means the sustainability of society such as population growth, climate change, water scarcity, and agriculture. But perhaps the closest aspect of human life associated with food security is the environment. The challenges to food security can be traced to the protection of the environment. A major environmental problem is the destruction of natural habitats, particularly through deforestation (Diamond, 2006). Industrial fishing has contributed to a significant GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 7 destruction of marine life and ecosystems (Coldburg, 2008). Biodiversity and usable farmland have also declined at a rapid pace. Another significant environmental challenge is that of the decline in the availability of fresh water (Conca, 2006). The decline in the water supply because of degradation of soil or desertification (Glantz, 1977), has transformed what was once considered a public good into a privatized commodity. The poorest areas of the globe experience a disproportionate share of water-related problems. The problem is further intensified by the consumption of “virtual water,” wherein people inadvertently use up water from elsewhere in the world through the consumption of water-intensive products (Ritzer, 2015). The destruction of the water ecosystem may lead to the creation of “climate refugees, people who are forced to migrate due to lack of access to water or due to flooding” (Ritzer, 2015, p. 211). Pollution through toxic chemicals has had a long-term impact on the environment. The use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has led to significant industrial pollution (Dinham, 2007). Greenhouse gases, gases that trap sunlight and heat in the earth’s atmosphere, contribute greatly to global warming. In turn, this process causes the melting of land-based and glacial ice with potentially catastrophic effects (Revkin, 2008), the possibility of substantial flooding, a reduction in the alkalinity of the oceans, and destruction of existing ecosystems. Ultimately, global warming poses a threat to the global supply of food as well as to human health (Brown, 2007). Furthermore, population growth and its attendant increase in consumption intensify ecological problems. The global flow of dangerous debris is another major concern, with electronic waste often dumped in developing countries. There are different models and agenda pushed by different organizations to address the issue of global food security. One of this is through sustainability. The United Nations has set ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture as the second of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030. The World Economic Forum (2010) also addressed this issue through the New Vision for Agriculture (NVA) in 2009 wherein public-private partnerships were established. It has mobilized over $10 billion that reached smallholder farmers. The Forum's initiatives were GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 10 economists referred to as skill-based technological change. As a result, workers who are more educated and more skilled would thrive in those jobs by receiving higher wages. On the other hand, the unskilled workers will fall behind. They will be left or overtaken by machines or more skilled workers. In addition, manufacturing jobs that require low skills are moved overseas. The result is a widening gap between the rich and the poor as well as between high skilled and low-skilled workers. The Third World and the Global South You probably heard of “First World Problems.” When someone cracks the screen on their phone or gets the wrong order at the coffee shop, and then goes on to their social media accounts, you might see their complaints with a hashtag “First World Problems.” What are the implications of talking about countries as First or Third? Where did these terms come from? These terms are outdated and inaccurate ways of talking about global stratification. How then are we going to talk about global stratification? Let us begin by deconstructing the idea of the First, Second, and Third World hierarchy by looking at their origins and their implications. The terms date back to the Cold War, when Western policymakers began talking about the world as three distinct political and economic blocs (Tomlinson, 2003). Western capitalist countries were labeled as the “First World.” The Soviet Union and its allies were termed the “Second World.” Everyone else was grouped into “Third World.” After the Cold War ended, the category of Second World countries became null and void, but somehow the terms “First World” and “Third World” stuck around in the public consciousness. Third World countries, which started as just a vague catchall term for non-alliance countries, came to be associated with impoverished states, while the First World was associated with rich, industrialized countries. A new and simpler classification, North-South, was created as Second World countries joined either the First World or the Third World. First World countries, such as the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and developed parts of Asia are regarded as the “Global North,” while the “Global South” includes the Caribbean, Latin America, South America, Africa, and parts of Asia. These countries were used to be called the Third World during the Cold War (Reuveny & Thompson, 2007). By noting that countries are south of 30 degrees north latitude, they are able to say that these areas share common problems and issues having to do with economy and politics. The terms “Global North” and Global South are a way for countries in the South to make a stand about the common issues, problems, and even causes in order to have equality all throughout the world. These distinctions point largely to racial inequality, specifically between the Black and the White. According to Ritzer (2015), “At the global level, whites are disproportionately in the dominant North, while blacks are primarily in the south, although this is changing with South- to-North migration” (p. 266). In other words, the differences between the Global North and the Global South are shaped by migration and globalization. Nevertheless, the economic GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 11 differences between the wealthy Global North and poor Global South “have always possessed a racial character” (Winant, 2001, p. 131). The Global City The rural-urban differentiation has a significant relationship to globalization. Globalization has deeply altered North-South relations in agriculture. For instance, the relations of agricultural production have been altered due to the rise of global agribusiness and factory farms (McMichael, 2007). In this scenario, the South produces non-traditional products for export and become increasingly dependent on industrialized food exports from the North. Consequently, this leads to a replacement of the staple diet as well as the displacement of local farmers. Schlosser (2005) pointed out that as commercial agriculture replaces local provisioning, the relations of social production are also altered. Rural economies are exposed to low prices and mass migration. Although cities are major beneficiaries of globalization, Bauman (2003) claimed that they are also the most severely affected by global problems. Therefore, the city faces peculiar political problems, wherein it is often fruitlessly seeking to deal locally with global problems and “local politics has become hopelessly overloaded” (p. 102). Answer the following questions. 1. Do you think that the Philippines is harmed as other countries transfer their activities to us through outsourcing? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Activity 2 Analysis GE 3 – THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD – MODULE 1 Page 12 _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 2. In what ways do international organizations help our country’s economy? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 3. Does the position of rich countries as giants in the economic chain threaten the status of less developed countries in the global market? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Answer the following questions. 1. What is the impact of global flows on the global South? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ Activity 3 Abstraction