3.1.2 Concepts and Terms

How should contemporary society respond to the legacies of historical globalization and imperialism?


In this unit, you will learn more about the following big ideas:

assimilation
Where an ethnic group loses its distinctiveness in terms of language and culture and becomes absorbed into a majority culture.

For example, First Nations tribes were assimilated into the dominant white European culture of Canada in imperialist times. In Canada today, visible minorities have experienced slower assimilation than in many other countries because of Canada's official government policy of multiculturalism. Immigrants often choose to assimilate in order to fit in, while groups like the Aboriginal people were forced to assimilate.
bias
an outlook or viewpoint that is sometimes highly personal or shows a lack of reason in its judgment
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of property, which focuses on the accumulation of wealth and competition in a free market.
cartographer
a mapmaker
developed country
a country with a relatively high standard of living derived through an industrialized, diversified economy

Countries with very high Human Development Index (HDI) are considered developed countries. This usually coincides with a high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
eurocentrism
the belief that the values and experiences of European society are more important than those of other cultures

These values includes the idea that "progress" includes using the natural environment for human purposes, the development of technology, gathering of wealth, and establishing political power.
developing country
a country with a relatively low standard of living that is less industrialized and tends to have a moderate to low rating on the United Nations Human Development Index

A developing country is less developed in terms of education, health care, literacy, and life expectancy. A strong correlation occurs between low income and high population growth. The economy is usually based on agriculture and natural resources. Most such nations are in the southern hemisphere.

In the past, these countries were considered to be part of the "Third World", but that term is not used much today.

Use with care: Some believe that the term developing country implies inferiority. As well, it also implies that the least wealthy countries of the world are all moving forward in economic growth and social development. In reality, many of the poorest nations of the world are not progressing but they are actually becoming less wealthy.
gross national product (GNP)
the total value of final goods and services produced in a year by a country's citizens
historical context
the interrelated conditions in history in which something existed or occurred

By considering the context in which events occurred, we can understand events better.
UN Human Development Index (HDI)
a comparative measure of poverty, literacy, education, life expectancy, childbirth, and other factors for countries worldwide

It is a standard means of measuring well-being in countries around the world.

Link to the HDI here
http://hdr.undp.org/en
Indian Act
a law in Canada passed in 1876 and still in effect (with revisions); officially entitled "An Act Respecting Indians"

It established the rights of registered Indians and Indian bands. It is administered by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Much of the Indian Act has to do with reserves and the lives of the people living there. Indian is understood to mean individuals of First Nations.

The Indian Act is printed in full on the website of the Department of Justice, here: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-5/
Industrial Revolution
the period of major technological, economic, and   cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th centuries resulting from the replacement of economies based on manual labour by economies dominated by industry and machines
multiculturalism
a condition of cultural pluralism and the tolerance that make it possible, AND official Canadian policies that are designed to enable Canadians, from various cultural groups to grow and contribute to Canada.
non-status Indian
a First Nations person in Canada whose name does not appear on the Indian Register and who does not enjoy any of the rights of a status Indian
per capita income
a measure of the wealth of the population of a nation, particularly in comparison to other nations

Per capita income is usually expressed in US dollars to produce a straightforward statistic for comparison. Per capita (literally "per head" or per person) income is usually calculated by dividing the yearly gross national product of a nation by the number of people who live there. Per capita income does not take into account inequalities in wealth distribution, government spending, debt, and goods and services traded outside the formal economy.
pluralism
a society where individual and group differences are present and are celebrated as enriching the social fabric.
quality of life
a measure of how good one's life is, including standard of living and other, more difficult to measure aspects of well-being such as health, happiness, human rights and freedoms, environmental well-being, and creativity
residential schools
Boarding schools for First Nations and Inuit children in which they were taught the ways of the European settlers and were encouraged to lose their own language and culture. Residential schools speeded up the process of assimilation of First Nations peoples. Residential schools were supported by the government of the day and many were run by Roman Catholic and Anglican Church priests and nuns.
rights
legal claims to something or some aspect of life, including the powers and privileges of citizenship 
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
a royal commission established in 1991 to address many Aboriginal issues

The Commission culminated in a final report published in 1996.
self-determination
the principle that a group of people should have the right to determine their own system of law and government and to pursue their own economic, social, and cultural development without intervention by outside forces

Generally, self-determination is linked to the process of decolonization that occurred after the creation of the United Nations in 1945.

The issue of self-determination is tied closely to the struggle of many Aboriginal groups around the world, including Canada's First Nations people, who have fought to regain their sovereignty.
sovereignty
the authority of a country to make independent decisions concerning its own welfare

Recognition by other countries of a nation's sovereignty helps to legitimize that nation's independence in the world community.

Two things are important for a country to have sovereignty:
  1. independence in making its own decisions
  2. recognition by other countries of its independence
standard of living
the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way they are distributed within a population

Generally, standard of living is measured by income equality, poverty rates, and real income per person. Other measures such as health care, education, human rights, and social rights are used also.
status or registered Indians
First Nations people in Canada whose names appear on the Indian Register

status or registered Indians have rights and benefits not granted to unregistered Indians, Inuit, or Métis, including the right to live on a reserve and exemption from federal and provincial taxes for residents for work performed on reserves.
stewardship
the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care

In terms of the environment, stewardship means protecting the environment through recycling, conservation, regeneration, and restoration.
treaties
international agreements between representatives of two or more nations

For example, a First Nations chief signed on behalf of his tribe, and a representative of the British government signed on behalf of Canada.

Treaties are legal contracts because they establish legally binding terms to which both parties have agreed. If one party fails to meet its responsibilities, it can be charged under international law.

Treaties are used to set terms at the end of a war, such as the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
a commission whose mandate is to discover and reveal historical wrongdoing by a government in the hope of resolving conflict remaining from the past

Such commissions are established by states emerging from periods of internal unrest, civil war, dictatorship, or other forms of injustice.
United Nations (UN)
an international organization that describes itself as a "global association of governments facilitating co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity"

The United Nations organization was founded in 1945 by 51 countries, and today includes 191 nations, almost every country in the world.
wampum
beads (usually purple or white and made of rounded seashells) strung together or woven into a belt originally used as a memory aid in oral history, a badge of office, and a ceremonial device

When Europeans came to the Americas, they mistook wampum for money. Soon, they were trading with the native peoples of New England and New York using wampum. Dutch colonists began to manufacture their own wampum.