modern conflict and cooperation - thesocialsguy.com · 2020. 4. 24. · modern conflict and...

2020-04-23

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MODERN CONFLICT AND COOPERATION

Social Studies 2201

Unit 5, Outcome 14.0

14.0 Modern Conflict and Cooperation

In this outcome we will…

■ 14.1 explain the ideology of imperialism and the influence it had on the human experience

■ 14.2 explain how modern ideological thinking has influenced the use of conflict and cooperation to achieve political and economic goals

■ 14.3 explain the role of supranational agencies, such as the United Nations, in addressing global issues

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■ As the 19th century drew to a close, Europe was at the pinnacle of its power with imperialism dominating national policies.

■ Imperialism: process by which powerful nations extend their influence over foreign countries through the acquisition of colonies.

■ Colony: A territory controlled by another state for resources, military advantage or prestige.

■ Imperialism, as a geopolitical ideology (belief system that influences political actions), would have three primary reasons for its use:

– Gold

– God

– Glory

14.1 Imperialism

1. Gold (Economic)

Overseas colonies provided opportunities

for economic expansion to the “mother

country” in Europe:

Economic expansion

Raw materials & sources of labour

Outlets for surplus capital

Markets for manufactured / surplus

goods

■ e.g., Boer War (1899/1902) took place

in South Africa. Britain gained control of

gold/diamond producing territory in a

conflict with Dutch settlers in the region.

14.1 Imperialism

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14.1 Imperialism

Cecil Rhodes, a British businessman, was instrumental in

planning the British expansion into Africa during the late

1800s.

2. God (Ideological / Moral)

Cultural and religious beliefs force states into imperialism as a "missionary activity“.

(e.g., make other people into good Christians, bringing civilization / progress to ‘savage’ and undeveloped colonies).

Britain's colonial empire existed in part by the idea that it was the "white man‘s burden" to civilize "backward" peoples.

In other words, the “superior white race” (major European states & USA) had a burden to educate the inferior and uncivilized non-white races (racism).

14.1 Imperialism

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14.1 Imperialism

3. Glory (Political)

Many states are motivated to expand by

desire for power,

prestige (widespread

respect and admiration), and security. These

things give a country

diplomatic advantages, which can make it easier

for the country to get

what it wants when negotiating with others.

(e.g., Britain & France

race to seize colonies in Africa)

14.1 Imperialism

By 1900, most of Africa and Asia were divided into colonies by Western states

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■ As we have seen, imperialism is about gaining control of land, people, and resources. Early imperialism (15th-16th

centuries) did not involve going far into new territory, which limited control and resources available to Europeans.

– A colonizer may only control harbour areas, or those close to sea for trade purposes.

■ In the 18th and 19th centuries, imperialism would involve greater depth of control over colonies and have greater economic, political, and social effects.

– This would result in new ways of governing people and greater spread of European ideals.

14.1 Imperialism

In 1884-1885, the Berlin Conference

was held by European states. The

purpose was to lay down rules for the

division of Africa. The influential in

these states assumed they were

entitled to this territory, but did not

consider or consult local groups who

lived there.

COMPLETE “14.1 –

“IMPERIALISM IN

AFRICA” ACTIVITY

14.1 Imperialism

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14.1 Forms of Imperialism

■ Due to different

policies and

goals among

European

countries, four

types of colonial

control emerged:

■ European

countries

preferred

different ways

of governing

their colonies.

These can be

divided into

indirect and

direct methods

of control:

14.1 Imperial Management of Colonies

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14.1 Imperial Management of Colonies

■ Britain preferred to use indirect methods of management, but France

and Germany preferred direct control.

– For this reason, British colonies tended to experience less

rebellion and the colonial leaders were somewhat tolerant of local

cultures. Tensions did still exist between colonizer and colony.

■ Two direct imperial management policies used by the French are

highlighted below:

■ Paternalism is a direct management policy in which the “mother

country” governed the colonies in a parental way, usually by providing

their needs, but not giving them rights.

■ Assimilation is a policy used by the French, which involved

encouraging the local population to adopt French culture and become

more like the mother country. They built schools, courts, and

businesses that were all based on a French way of life.






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Today, ideology can take a variety of forms, but in all cases it involves ideas

about how a people should manage their affairs as a group.

The most common way to think of our own ideologies today is whether they are

right-wing or left-wing:

Right-wing ideology is associated with conservative thought, maintaining the

status quo, or of taking a very traditional approach to issues (i.e.,

maintaining the current order).

Left-wing ideology is more progressive, radical, extreme and in opposition to

the status quo (i.e., changing the current order).

Many people fall into a middle ground between the two, as they may feel left or

right-wing views are too extreme. This is called centrist or moderate.

14.2 Modern Ideology

It is helpful to think of modern ideology on a continuum between left-wing and

right-wing. This is called the political spectrum.

Think of the major events in modern history we have covered in this course (e.g.,

growth of capitalism, Industrial Revolution, growth of socialism, unions, and

communism, harsh rule by dictators, etc.).

How do these developments relate to left or right-wing ideology?


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If we take the Industrial Revolution period as an example we see the following:

The Industrial Revolution led to the generation of vast amounts of wealth for

a limited number of people.

The gap between rich and poor grew greater than had ever been seen

before in human history.

Right-wing ideology would support maintaining the order and economic and

social structures that existed at the time (i.e., opposed to radical change).

As a result of hardships faced by many people and groups, there have been

various reactions to these inequalities, such as the introduction of socialism as

a left-wing ideology to address these concerns (i.e., create positive change for

people).

To find a middle alternative that appealed to views on both sides, centrist

parties have developed that advocate for progressive change, but not sudden

changes to societal structures.


In our last example, we can see questions

arise about the role of government. In the

last two hundred years, two views have

developed about government and how

involved it should be in the lives of citizens:

Authoritarians believe that government

is vital in addressing the economic and

social concerns and needs of citizens.

Libertarians believe in individual

freedom, liberty of decision-making and

limited government interference in

citizens’ ability to do this.


COMPLETE “14.2 – YOUR

PERSPECTIVES” ACTIVITY

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As you saw from the last activity,

these ideologies can be plotted on a

continuum to make a general

comparison of ideas easier.

The graph on the right shows where

the big political parties in Canada fall

and how left-wing / right-wing and

authoritarian / libertarian they are.

When we compare the range of

political ideologies in Canada, we

might say that the Liberal Party is the

closest to centrist, while the NDP,

Green party, and Bloc Quebecois are

farther to the left-wing side. The

Conservative Party is the most right-

wing.


Of primary importance here is that even

though these political parties have different

ideologies, they all believe that democracy

is the best framework for achieving the

goals that citizens have.

Democracy– form of government in which

citizens choose their leaders in open and fair

elections. Also called “rule of the many”.

Decision making is based on the rule of

the majority of the citizens.

It is the responsibility of the government

to represent the will of the people.

There are guarantees in law for the

freedoms of expression, assembly,

religion and the press.


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In some other countries, extreme versions of ideologies can have serious

consequences for people’s lives.

Followers of extreme left-wing ideology (communism) or extreme right-wing

ideology (fascism) typically use aggressive and violent tactics to achieve

their goals. This often includes forcing others to accept the ideology of those

in charge.

Extreme ideologies such as these are conflict-driven by their very nature and

will use assimilation, competition, and terror to achieve goals. Often this

results in:

fewer protections of rights and safety for individuals

little say or political involvement

wealth distribution issues and increased poverty

oppression of minority groups and discrimination


Authoritarian – a form of government that

limits the freedoms of its citizens, demands

strict obedience to government authority, and

does not allow criticism of its policies.

There is a push for nationalism

(devotion to a country) in order to create

loyalty and support from the citizens.

Freedoms lost include equality before

the law, freedoms of speech and

association, and the freedom to create

other political parties.


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Types of Authoritarianism

Absolute Monarchy: Power and authority rests with one

person (king, queen, sultan, sheikh,

emir, etc.)

Upon death, the power is passed on

to a child of the former ruler.

One-Party Nation state: Power and authority rests with one

political party. This is essentially an

oligarchy (rule of the few)

No other groups or political parties

are allowed to affect government.

Military Authoritarianism Power and authority rests with one or

more military leaders. Also called junta.

They either refuse to give up power or

have seized power from the elected

government by force.

Religious Nation State Power and authority rests with spiritual

leaders whose religious beliefs form the

framework of the government.

Laws are created and control based on

the beliefs set forth by the religion of the

nation state.


Communist States

Communism – a form of government in which

ownership of most goods is held by the state,

which generally has some form of authoritarian

government.

Has state-controlled education and healthcare.

Usually has secret police to enforce will of rulers.

Public criticism of the government is not permitted.

Few individual rights.

Individualism is exchanged for the collective, where

everyone shares services and experiences in

common. The ruling person(s) is often the

exception.


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Generally speaking, countries with similar ideologies will

likely be more cooperative, while countries with differing

ideologies will be more likely to experience conflict.

On the global stage, conflicts have one of three

outcomes:

A solution is found that is acceptable to all parties.

The parties involved learn to live peacefully in an

“adversarial state” without the need to proceed to

“adversarial action”.

Some conflicts may worsen to the point where they

become armed conflicts. This means each side will

use force to achieve its goals.

14.3 Growing Global Cooperation

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It’s common between countries that have similar

ideologies to use other methods of interaction:

Co-option is the process by which potential

opponents become closely tied to one another

long before conflict occurs. (e.g., France and

Germany after WW2)

Government Diplomacy involves international

negotiations that take place through formal

government channels.

These options are more cooperative by nature and are

likely to occur between democratic countries.

It is important to note that two authoritarian countries

may use these methods when interacting together as

well.


Supranational Agencies

Attempts have been made in the past to achieve international cooperation:

After the Napoleonic Wars (early 1800s), the Congress of Vienna reached an agreement referred to as the Concert of Europe. This was a system of dispute resolution adopted by the major conservative powers of Europe to maintain their power and oppose revolutionary movements.

After the First World War, U.S. President Wilson’s League of Nations was formed to prevent wars through collective security and disarmament, and to settle international disputes through negotiation and arbitration. While the League has since been considered unsuccessful in achieving these goals, it represents the first attempt in the 20th century to create a supranational agency to help resolve issues and promote international safety.


Supranational

Agency:

An international

group in which the

power and influence

of member states go

beyond national

boundaries or

interests to share in

decision-making and

vote on issues

concerning the

global community.

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The end of the Second World War marked a turning point in efforts towards

global cooperation. The technological advances of the industrial revolution not

only created new products and mass produced them for consumers, but it also

allowed for the development of more destructive weapons and in numbers

never before seen.

It was this deadly combination that led to the First and Second World Wars,

culminating in the development and use of atomic weapons; the significance

of which was that humans now had the ability to destroy the human race and

all life on this planet.

For the first time in history, the need to find cooperative resolution

mechanisms to resolve international issues and concerns became vital.



At the same time, the growth of democratic institutions and the spread of human and political rights created the ideal opportunity

for the creation of an organization, such as the United Nations.

The United Nations (UN) was established as an international

organization with the goal of countries working together to improve the world. It’s primary purpose is to maintain peace and security,

while helping improve life in all nations.

The UN has two bodies which address issues related to peace and security:

The Security Council is the part of the organization that has the greatest involvement with peace initiatives and has the ability

to propose restrictions or sanctions (e.g., verbal, economic, or

military) on other countries who threaten world security.

The General Assembly includes representatives from all 193

member states and debates significant issues of global concern.


Other agencies of

the UN such as the

World Health

Organization,

UNICEF, and The

International Court

of Justice, have

focused on

addressing global

economic and

social concerns.

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International cooperation is quite hard to achieve and, though the UN has been a force for good in the world, it has not been able to achieve all of its goals.

Successes of the United Nations:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights – A document drawn up by the UN to recognize and outline the protection of human rights of all people.

World Health Organization - has played a key role in treating infectious diseases around the world since 1948. (e.g.; eradication of Smallpox)

Protecting the environment - In 1987, the UN Environment Program sponsored 24 nations to pledge to take action against the deterioration of the ozone layer. After five years of talks the group produced the Montreal Protocol — a treaty to reduce the emissions of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs.

Peacekeeping - By providing basic security guarantees and responding to crises, UN operations have supported political transitions around the world. They have helped countries end conflict and progress along a path of development, even if major peace-building challenges remain.



Failures of the United Nations:

■ Peacekeeping - Peacekeeping missions have not always been successful. For instance, Somalia and preventing genocides in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

■ Veto Power - The United Nations Security Council consists of fifteen nations, five of which are permanent: France, Russia, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The five permanent members enjoy the luxury of veto power (when a permanent member vetoes a vote, the Council resolution cannot be adopted).

■ Nuclear Proliferation - At the creation of the UN in 1945, the United States was the only nation in the world to own and test nuclear weapons. In 1970, the nuclear non-proliferation treaty was signed by 190 nations, including five nations that admitted to owning nuclear weapons: France, England, Russia, China, and the US. Despite this treaty, nuclear stockpiles remain high, and numerous nations continue to develop these devastating weapons.

■ Failure to intervene in internal conflicts - While not specifically the mandate of the United Nations, the UN has intervened in a variety of international disputes within nations, but not always. For example, the civil wars within Sudan (Darfur) and Sri Lanka were ignored by the UN leading to the brutalization and death of thousands of civilians.


The nature of

differences in

values and

ideologies

globally

makes the

work of the

UN that much

more difficult.

Should we

focus more

on its

successes or

its failures?

modern conflict and cooperation - thesocialsguy.com · 2020. 4. 24. · modern conflict and...

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