Lesson 6.1

Module 6 Introduction

Module 6 Introduction

To what extent should I, as a citizen, respond to globalization?

In this final module for Social Studies 10-1, you will look at how citizens respond to an increasingly connected and interdependent world. Global events and how others live their lives are no longer remote and too distant for us to be aware of or affected by in some way. Some people consider themselves to be global citizens, not just citizens of a country. The influence and impacts of globalization create opportunities and challenges that demand effective and innovative responses from global citizens for the prosperity of all citizens. How do you act as a global citizen? What does it mean to be informed, engaged, responsible, and active citizens?

global event: a happening that has connections to or impacts on others outside of where it occurred global citizen: an individual who is committed to actively participate in the achievement of human rights and prosperity for all citizens of the world informed citizenship: making decisions and taking actions that are based on the recognition of multiple perspectives and background knowledge engaged citizenship: participation in the issues and decisions that affect others and the community responsible citizenship: making decisions and taking actions that reflect consideration of the impact of these decisions or actions on others active citizenship: demonstrating interest in and contributing to the well-being of others and the community

Section 1 Inquiry

Section 1 Introduction

What are the multiple perspectives on quality of life in a globalizing world?

Inquiry into the Issue

In what ways has globalization created a disparity among Canadians?

Canada’s reputation as a developed country with one of the highest levels of quality of life can be misleading. Not every Canadian enjoys the quality of life for which Canada is well known. A disparity in quality of life exists between Canadians. This inequality among Canadians has various causes.

The United Nations has expressed concerns over the poor quality of life of many Aboriginal peoples in Canada. In 2008 the federal government recognized that much of the economic, political, and social struggles of Aboriginal peoples in Canada are rooted in historical actions such as the past government-supported placement of Aboriginal children in residential schools.

Read

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Lesson 1

Lesson 1—Children and Youth

What are their perspectives on quality of life in a globalizing world?

Get Focused In Module 5 you examined understandings of quality of life, prosperity, and sustainability in a globalizing world. Globalization offers opportunities and challenges for improving quality of life. Has globalization resulted in prosperity for children and youth around the world? children: as recognized by the UN, persons between birth and the age of fourteen youth: as recognized by the UN, persons between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four

Research

This is a required activity to support Get Focused.

Examine the life expectancy of children and youth worldwide. Identify ways that global issues such as malnutrition, obesity, HIV/AIDS, lack of healthy living conditions, violence, conflict, labour, and lack of access to health and education affect children and youth.

Assignment

Please complete your Photo Essay Assignment Assignment at this time.

Lesson 1 Explore 1

Explore 1

To what extent has globalization positively or negatively impacted the well-being of children?

How is the well-being of an individual impacted by globalization? The increased connections in a globalizing world have implications on the sustainability and prosperity of our world. We can already observe changes in migration, technology, agriculture, pandemics, and natural resources as a result of increased global contact. How do these changes affect the well-being of individuals and communities, especially children and youth? Prepare for a discussion on this inquiry by completing the assigned readings. well-being: the condition of being healthy, happy, or prosperous implication: a potential that the presence of one condition will lead to the presence of another condition migration: the movement of individuals or groups from one place to another

These are required readings to support Explore 1.

• Read pages 319 to 326 in Perspectives on Globalization to review understandings about quality of life.

• Read pages 354 to 358 in Perspectives on Globalization for an introduction to these changes and to examine how technology and migration in a globalizing world affect people.

• Read pages 362 to 366 in Perspectives on Globalization about the globalization and the politics of food.

• Read pages 367 to 369 in Perspectives on Globalization about pandemics in a globalizing world.

• Read pages 370 to 373 in Perspectives on Globalization about globalization and natural resources.
  
  
• Read pages 338 to 345 in Perspectives on Globalization about the global challenges and opportunities for children and youth.

The impacts of globalization are often measured in the amount of prosperity a country has. The sustainability of a country is often connected to the land and environment. Children and youth are neglected resources in many countries. The United Nations has identified children as a valuable resource and that children need to be sustained along with the land and natural resources of this planet.

The relationship between globalization and the well-being of children is intertwined. Children in many developing and less-developed countries are the workers that labour to globalize their country. These children have yet to experience the benefits of globalization. For many global citizens there is a responsibility to act on behalf of all children and stop the damage of globalization to their well-being or to use it to improve that well-being.

Going Beyond

UNICEF has created a collection of videos and podcasts on issues related to children. These videos are available on the UNICEF website. This non-governmental organization also offers video-on-demand available free through iTunes.

UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund): an organization established in 1946

Explore the causes of the issues and the role UNICEF has taken on these global issues.

Lesson 2

Lesson 2—Women

What are the diverse impacts of globalization on their lives?

Get Focused People in the Western world often recognize the accomplishments of the Famous Five, a group of Canadian women in 1927 who won a Supreme Court decision acknowledging women as persons, in forwarding the rights and equality of women. Girls are often asked to dream big and beyond about their future—anything a boy can do, a girl can do. Role models include astronaut and medical doctor Roberta Bondar, Governor General Michaëlle Jean, auto racing driver Danica Patrick, and media leader Oprah Winfrey. There are those who consider the opportunities created by globalization to also be available to girls and women. What impacts does globalization have on the lives of girls and women? Are these the same impacts?

This is a required activity to support Get Focused.

Read pages 346 to 352 in Perspectives on Globalization about the global concerns of women.

Research

This is a required activity to support Get Focused but will not be graded.

Saudi Arabia enjoys a relatively high quality of life. Access to rights and freedoms for Saudi citizens is dependent on gender and Islamic law. Amnesty International and the United Nations continue to promote action to protect Saudi women and to expand their rights, such as voting, currently held only by Saudi men.

Research the rights and freedoms of girls and women in Saudi Arabia. The Human Rights Watch website provides an overview on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia.

Lesson 2 Explore 1

Explore 1

Have the lives of women benefited from globalization?

Supporters of economic globalization believe that women in the twenty-first century can access many economic opportunities to improve their quality of life. Anti-globalization supporters cite cases of injustice against women and how economic globalization perpetuates the inequality and poverty of women. Can globalization benefit the lives of women?

Assignment

Please complete the Women and Globalization Assignment Assignment at this time.

Lesson Summary

Women have also been identified as a group in a globalizing world that has yet to universally enjoy the opportunities of globalization. As with children, women are often the labour that drives the efforts to globalize in many developing and less-developed countries. Some people recognize that the future of globalization is dependent on the full economic, political, and social participation and representation of women in the world. Others are concerned that economic globalization limits that participation and representation.

Going Beyond

The United Nations declared March 8 as International Women’s Day. Find out how this day is commemorated around the world and the issues women in a globalizing world continue to face.

Lesson 3 Introduction

Lesson 3—Good Governance

What is the relationship between human rights, democratization, and globalization?

Get Focused

Canada ranks in the top 10 out of 167 countries of the world as a full democracy. Canada is a member of the G8 as one of the world’s highly industrialized economies. In Canada’s constitution, it is written that Canadians have the right to free elections, and specific rights and freedoms are protected. Tibet is considered a less-developed country with limited rights and freedoms. Do all highly globalized countries also have high levels of human rights and democratic practices?

democracy: a set of political principles that respects freedom to choose

Research

Create a chart ranking the degree of globalization, democracy, and respect for human rights. Economist.com provides a democracy index that ranks the most to least democratic countries in the world for 2006. FreedomHouse.org provides comparative scores on how much freedom exists in countries of the world. You can find relevant information in the “Freedom of the World” tables and graphs. Amnesty International provides the status of human rights by country on its website. NationMaster.com lists countries based on their gross national income.

1. Research information about the rankings (most, some, least) of the following countries in the areas of gross national income, human rights, freedom, and democracy.
   
   
   • Canada
   • United States
   • France
   • Germany
   • Britain
   • Italy
   • Japan
   • Russia
   • China

2. How does each one of the nine countries rank in the four areas? Create a chart displaying this information.

Lesson 3 Explore 1

Explore 1

What is the status of human rights in a globalizing world?

Along with economic prosperity, has globalization expanded the respect and protection of human rights for all citizens in a globalizing world?

Eleanor Roosevelt holds the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948: a statement of the recognition of the rights that all persons should have

Lesson 3 Explore 2

Explore 2

Does globalization lead to democracy?

Members of the Madheshi community of Biratnagar attending a political rally to demand autonomous federal regions and greater representation in parliament

Eighty-year-old Nepalese woman participates in historic elections Ratna Maya Thapa from the Central Region of Nepal, who is eighty years old, shows her voter registration card. She walked one-and-a-half hours to cast her ballot in the Nepalese Constituent Assembly elections.

The concepts of globalization and democracy are often marketed together as one leads to the other and one requires the other to survive. The Organization of American States, of which Canada is a member state, promotes democracy as good governance and essential for prosperity and economic development. Good governance refers to the decisions and policies that guarantee the maintenance of human rights. There are many perspectives on the relationship between globalization and democracy. As in the case of Nepal, to what degree does globalization increase or limit democracy? To what degree does globalization benefit from democracy?

Section Summary and Glossary

Gauging Quality of Life

How rich is your quality of life?

Internet

This is a required activity to support the inquiry.

A simple approach to who you are and where you live can be found in If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World’s People or the interactive The Miniature Earth. These two presentations are available on the Internet. Explore who makes up the world’s population.

Assignment

Please complete the Challenge - Quality of Life Assignment Assignment at this time.

Section 1 Summary

There are diverse perspectives on quality of life and whether globalization improves or diminishes it. Of critical concern is how globalization impacts the quality of life of children and women. Democracy and human rights can improve the quality of life of individuals and communities. There is much debate as to whether globalization encourages or impedes democracy and human rights.

Glossary

Section 1 Glossary

active citizenship: demonstrating interest in and contributing to the well-being of others and the community

children: as recognized by the UN, persons between birth and the age of fourteen

Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989): a recognition of and declaration to guarantee the fundamental rights of all children of the world

democracy: a set of political principles that respects freedom to choose

disparity: a condition of a country’s inequality in natural resources, literacy rate, life expectancy, international disputes, and earned income in comparison to a more prosperous country

engaged citizenship: participation in the issues and decisions that affect others and the community

global citizen: an individual who is committed to actively participate in the achievement of human rights and prosperity for all citizens of the world

global event: a happening that has connections to or impacts on others outside of where it occurred

good governance: the practice of making decisions and taking actions in consideration of the well-being of the country’s citizens

implication: a potential that the presence of one condition will lead to the presence of another condition

informed citizenship: making decisions and taking actions that are based on the recognition of multiple perspectives and background knowledge

malnutrition: the condition of lacking food for a long period of time

migration: the movement of individuals or groups from one place to another

responsible citizenship: making decisions and taking actions that reflect consideration of the impact of these decisions or actions on others

UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund): an organization established in 1946

It was originally set up to provide for the well-being of children after the Second World War. Now it is committed to upholding the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): a statement of the recognition of the rights that all persons should have

This declaration is symbolic of the commitment of countries to guarantee these rights for all citizens.

well-being: the condition of being healthy, happy, or prosperous

youth: as recognized by the UN, persons between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four