Angela DiGioia Geography Professor Lucibello 9 April 2013 Guns, Germs, and Steel: Jared Diamond’s “Big Ideas” to Explain Underdevelopment In Jared Diamond’s, Guns, Germs, and Steel, he attempts to explain the factors that contribute to the underdevelopment of certain continents and regions other than the theory of superiority that he strongly rejects. “The explanation based on race is absurd,” Diamond states in the film. The issue of believing that people in underdeveloped countries are simply “not as smart” has no supporting evidence to it. Jared Diamond actually suggests that people in those underdeveloped areas may actually be smarter because they simply have to be in order to survive in their conditions and circumstances. In an interview with PBS, Diamond states that two of the largest factors contributing to the explanation of what the sources of underdeveloped and inequality in the contemporary world are the differences in availability of wild plants and animals suitable for domestication, and the difference in the shapes or orientations of continents.
Summarizing “Inequality is the Real Enemy” Aaron Paszek 3012584 Eng-102 BN81(1) Polly Toynbee’s essay “Inequality is the Real Enemy” provides an understanding of the social gap between rich and poor. He explains that “social status and respect matter beyond anything and the psychological damage done by being at the bottom is crippling” (330). This persuasive essay presents references from experts that give their take on the correlation with inequality and shorter life expectancy. He gives examples of studies from the book “The Impact of Inequality: How to Make Sick Societies Healthier” by Richard G. Wilkinson. Wilkinson’s message described by Toynbee is that “social environment can be more toxic than any pollutant” (331).
It is our reality. Stepping out of one’s own culture and into someone else’s in an effort to gain a better understanding is known as cultural relativism (Crapo, 2013). This process is invaluable because it helps us to combat our own innate or built in ethnocentric bias. When looking at any belief, culture, ritual or ceremony it is important to remember what noted anthropologist Horace Miner said “Most cultures exhibit a particular configuration or style” (Miner, 1956). If we learn to look at another’s culture as their own particular style, it is easier to be objective, and less judgmental.
Racism is the biggest problem still in today’s society. We may think that we have resolved the situations which had arisen with racism but obviously not. Race and ethnicity refer to cultural differences. They are represented as differences in biology or heredity. Texts construct race as a natural category.
Although they endorse idea of self-determination, does not mean they entitle nations to treat people however they choose. Rights of individuals are above that of claims of national sovereignty. Liberal internationalism is characterised by the desire for nations to conform to a higher morality embodied in the doctrine of human rights. As these rights are universally applicable and lay down minimum existence for humans as well as abiding and constituting the rules of international law. This belief has led to the creation of documents such as UN Declaration, employing support from international institutions of law (International Court of
This demonstrates how Darwin’s ideals could be applied to other scientific fields outside the sphere of biology to include business progress and political science as well. Another example of this is can be shown from writers who used these theories to support the superiority of the Caucasian ethnicity as well as the dominion over, or eradication of non-white ethnicities, stating that they are “lower life-forms”. Of these writers Paul Rohrbach who was a German Colonial of South Africa wrote “No false philanthropy or racial theory can convince sensible people that the preservation of a tribe of South Africa’s kaffirs … is more important to the future of mankind than the spread of the great European nations and the white race in general. Not until the native learns to produce anything of value in the service of the higher race, i.e., in the service of its and his own progress, does he gain any moral right to exist (Perry. Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society, Volume II, 9th Edition.
As people and cultures transcend boarders, it is becoming increasingly important to retain a culturally relative perspective in terms of culture. An aspect of cultural relativity is linguistic relativity, which is the understanding that language is a reflection of the culture. This means words cannot be simply translated, they must be understood from a cultural perspective. This paper will illustrate linguistic relativity through utilizing Grace Harris’s definitions of individual, self and person (Harris 1989: 601-604) as means of analyzing Ernst Callenbach’s utopian novel Ecotopia and Western culture, specifically the United States. In this novel United States journalist, William Weston, enters into the utopian world of Ecotopia.
Fair trade is a market system based on empowering marginalized producers to improve their quality of life. Fair trade, is not a response to poverty, but its supporters clearly believe that it is a very important resource against the deficiencies that confront lots of world citizens. This paper is a critique for the passivity of certain leaders who have the power to make the most important decisions, which can lead to the global changes that imperatively deserve the most needed residents of the world. Leaders of the most important entities related to fair trade (The United Nations, governments, organizations, producers) need to have supportive, directive, participative and goal oriented behavior in order to create the actions required to construct a highway for Fair Trade system. The major Fair Trade failures are associated with the lack of laws and regulatory entities with authority to complete a market chain that permits that the final profit could be redistributed to producing countries.
Justice as Fairness: Political Not Metaphsyical This article by John Rawls discusses the theory of justice which was presented in his book, “A Theory of Justice.” Rawls espouses the concept that justice should be devoid of controversial philosophical and religious doctrines, and instead be understood as political, or actually practical in nature. He further discusses two fundamental principles which should guide this thought process, specifically, that each individual has equal access to basic rights or liberties, and that social and economic inequalities must be attached to offices and positions that provide the greatest benefits for those most disadvantaged. Rawls goes into great detail to explain that his theory of justice is designed, not to focus on the metaphysical or epistemological, but rather as a structure for informed and willing political agreement between citizens who are viewed equally as being free. He avoids the attendant issues that may be considered philosophical, moral or religious, by using the argument that there would be no way to resolve them politically. Rawls also speaks to the issues of social cooperation, which is governed by publically recognized rules that once again, focus on political practicability and the rational advantages that would extend from this cooperation.
Traditionally, EJ originates from the sociological issues, such as the ethnic discrimination of local communities and specific ethnic groups2; however, from Latin America’s perspective3, EJ refers to economic issues, such as criticism against the “Capitalistic-dominated” development model. To some extent, the Latin America’s perspective refers the root of Environmental Injustice. In developing country, economic considerations will indirectly generate the environmental problem, when different groups only care about the economic merit, but ignore the consequence of environmental damage after exploitation. In this article, part I will explain that Economic Development is the root of environmental injustice in Developing Country. Part II is going to talk about the obstacles in pursuing environmental justice and finally, How to promote environmental justice will be illustrated in Part III.