Modern Rejections of Liberalism in Canada

Today, we are going to look at some modern rejections of liberalism in Canada.
To begin, let's discuss the following question:

Why would Liberal Democracies sometimes reject the principles of liberalism?

Next, in groups of 2-5 we will be going to the computer lab to make a presentation for the class:

You will have to answer the following questions:
1. What principles of liberalism were rejected in this particular case?
2. How did the government justify their actions?
3. What was the result?
4. Do you agree with what the government did?  Why or why not?

The topics are:

Japanese Internment in World War II
The October Crisis(FLQ Crisis)
The USA PATRIOT Act
Tobacco Laws


You may do your presentation with whatever format you like, so long as you get across the required information.  We will be presenting these tomorrow.

Unit 3 Day 1

First, we will discuss the results of the election:

Then, we will watch the speeches of the leaders.  Why do you think it ended as it did?  What will the results be?

We will also look at some photos of the aftermath of the operation in which Osama Bin Laden was killed.

Then, we will discuss the issue we will be working with for the next few weeks:

To what extent are the principles of liberalism viable?

To begin, we will also review the principles of liberalism?  What kinds of society would be opposed to each?
1. Significant government intervention in the economy
2. All individuals are valued equally
3. Programs must be developed to help disadvantaged individuals and eliminate the causes of proverty, crime, and abuse.
4. Shared benefits of development and sustainable development

Written Assignment

Today and tomorrow, you will be working on a written assigment.  It is to be a position paper, and it will be for marks.  Please refer to the writing samples to see what is required for a position paper.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at matt.chomistek@gmail.com.

Good luck, and I will be taking the papers in on Wednesday.

Modern Liberalism

Today we will discuss Modern Liberalism

To begin, we will look at the principles of Modern Liberalism:
-involves significant government intervention
-proposes that all individuals be treated equally
-proposes the development of programs to help disadvantaged individuals and eliminate the causes of poverty, crime, and abuse
-promotes intitatives to share the benefits of development and to develop wisely


This is rooted in the idea of equality of outcome, while the classical liberal viewppoint highlights equality of opportunity. 
How are these different?

Modern Liberalism rose out of the following events:  Why do you think this contributed to the development of modern liberalism?
A) First and Second World Wars
B) Great Depression
C) Exclusion of Minorities from voting and positions of power
D) the change from a rural, agrarian societ to an urban, manufacturing society

One of the results of the development of modern liberalism was Environmentalism.  This is an ideology that focuses primarily on the protection of the environment and sustainable development.

What are some of the positive results of a belief in environmentalism?  What are some of the negative results?

Neo-Conservatism
-goes even further right than classical liberalism
-believe the following with regard to foreign policy:
a)patriotism is good, and should be encouraged
b)world government needs to be avoided, same as monopolies
c) a large country has interestsbeyond its borders, and thus should have a strong military
d) democratic capitalism is a preferable system, and should be promoted internationally

Where do we see this practiced today?  Where have we seen this practiced in the past?

Reagan and Thatcher

Trickle Down Economics

If we have time left, you may work on your questions from yesterday.

Cold War Wrap-Up

Review Cold War / Thirteen Days

Concept of Proxy Wars.

Please read 272-299.  As you read, please complete the following questions:
Pg. 275 'Voices' Question
Pg. 276 Pause and Reflect Questions(all 3)
pg. 279 Explore the Issues Questions(1, 4, and 5)
Pg. 283 'Voices' Questions 1,2, and 3


Read 'Investigation' on pg. 292-293 and complete 'Questions for Reflection' 1,2, and 3.

Pg. 296 Explore the Issues Question 1 and 2.

Audio Test

Here is a link to an audio file.  You will need to right click, then choose 'save target as.'  Then, if you drag the icon into your iTunes, you should be able to play it on your iPods.

Can someone give it a try?  This is not a textbook chapter, just a short clip.  Let me know if it works.

First, we will answer the following question:
What is the ideological perspective of the source?

You are horrified at our intending to do away with private property.  But in your existing society, private property is already done away with for nine-tenths of the population; its existence for the few is solely due to its non-existence in the hands of those nine-tenths. 

                                                                               -Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto

Next, we will watch a segment of 'Love, Hate and Propaganda that helps explain the transition from World War II to the Cold War.

Then, we will discuss the lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

20th Century History

Today, we will be looking at the following time periods in North America.

The 20's
-Anti-Trust Laws
-Union Busting
-First Red Scare

 Black Friday

Great Depression

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal

Comparisons to today.

Definitions from yesterday will be posted over the weekend.

Video Discussion

We've spent a lot of time discussing the positive impact of the internet during rebellions.  This video discusses how that may be a slightly naive approach.

Election Discussion

First, a discussion of the current election.  What does it mean?  Why is it happening?  What are the ramifications?

Totalitarianism. Continued

1. Discuss any questions you may have from the reading.
2. Complete Questions 1a and 1b on page 177.
3. Please read up to 194 and do questions 1-4 on page 194.

Also, please write a definition, in your own words, of the 'Key Terms' listed on page 128 and 164.

We will be reviewing these questions and terms in class tomorrow.

If you get these done, please complete the handout on Chapter 4, labelled 'Social 30.'

First Day Back!

I hope everyone had a great Spring Break!

To begin, we will review.  Please get into groups of 2-4 and complete the following:

1. On the Whiteboards, draw a continuum from Left to Right.  Please place as many terms as you can on the continuum in their relative position.

2. Current Events!

3. The Rise of Totalitarianism:  Two Case Studies:  Russia and Germany

What is Totalitarianism?

There are two ways that they transform: Radical and Reactionary.

These are, in principal, very different.  However, in practice, they are much the same.  Both use the same methods of exerting control:

1. Extensive local, regional, and national organization
2. Youth, Professional, Cultural, anf Athletic Groups
3. A Secret Police
4. Indoctrination through education
5. Censorship/Control of the Media
6. Redirecting Popular Discontent.

For homework, please read up from page 166-179 in your textbook.

Unit 2 Day 5

Today we discuss the main differences and similarities between Classic Liberalism, Classic Conservatism, and Marxism.

First, let's look into Welfare Capitalism and Welfare State

Welfare Capitalism - page 142

Welfare State - 144

Development of Keynesian Economics

Problems associated with Minimum Wage and Rent Control

Read Page 151-153 and do the question on page 153.

Development of Equality - Who is absent?

Continued

Please read up to page 162 for tomorrow, when we will discuss the topics covered.

Responses to Socialism, Continued

Concept to Cover Today:

Marxism!

Utopian Socialism burned out in the 19th century, just as Marxist thinking began to take hold.   The New Socialists believed the following to be true and irrefutable.(from page 136)

1. Private ownership of the means of production permits exploitation.

Wait!  What are the means of production?

They are:
Land - everything physical that is not the result of human production
Labour-any work that a person does(physical and mental)
Capital -money, machines, or stock

2. The state should direct the economy to achieve economic equality for all citizens

3. Society should be classless

*Now, before we go on, can we see any problems with these principles?

Before we carry on into Marxism, let's have a look at the man himself.

Now:

Let's look at figure 4-6 on page 136.  This was the process by which Marx believed that Society would evolve.

Let's apply this to Socialist countries and see how far along they got.

Let's look at Excerpts from his manifesto.  For interest's sake, let's compare them to Canada's system.

Current Events Challenge!

To begin:

Cause and Effect Video!

Cause and effect are exceedingly important parts of Social Studies, and our understanding of history.  The more we know about these, the more we can actually predict what may happen next.  You will be shocked at your accuracy.  You really will.

Today, I have something fun lined up!  We are going to harness the competitive nature of the class and direct it towards our understanding of Social Studies.

This will be a Class Competition, so please listen to instructions carefully.

First, read through 'The World This Week.'

Highlight, or mark somehow, ones you find interesting.

Our first approach is to look at these events as 'Effects.'  They are the part of the equation that goes after the equals sign.  For the ones that you found interesting, what do you believe, caused them?

For example:  News about the Tsunami can be linked back, very directly, to the Earthquake.

The next part is where the competition part comes in.  We will now look at these events as 'Causes.'  In the events that you find interesting, what do you believe will be the 'effect'?    What is the next step?

Now, for every prediction that is right, you will recieve a point.  This competition will be going on for the remainder of the semester, and the winner(most points) will get a prize at the end.  Don't worry.  The prize will be all kinds of awesome.

Also, the points system is the following:
1 Point for a sure thing
2 Points for a somewhat surprising outcome
3 Points for a very surprising outcome.

The bigger the gamble, the greater the reward, but only if you're right!

Unit 2 Day 4

1. Description  of Stock Market.  How does it work?

2. Review the following thinkers:

Hobbes
Locke
Montesquieu
Mill
Ricardo
Smith

2. As a class, we will read through 114-118 on the French Revolution. 
Also, we will watch this,
and this,
and this.

Then, we will do the following activities:

1. Grab a Whiteboard from the side.
2. Read through each of the Excerpts from the 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen'(page 115 and 118)  and summarize them on your board.
3. For each, identify which one of the liberal thinkers provided the inspiration for this.
4. Share with the class, identifying why you think so.
5. Next, go back to the Principles of Classic Liberalism on page 107 and identify which principles link to each Declaration. 
6. Share with the class.

Classic Liberalism was a significant contributing factor to the Agricultural Revolution, the main advances of which were row seeding. mechanized farming. and enclosure, which contributed to much more efficient farming methods.  Fewer people were needed on the farms, which meant people started moving to the cities, whcih contributed to the Industrial Revolution.

First of all, what do you know about the Industrial Revolution.

Now.  Let's look at a quick video about the Industrial Revolution.

So, how did Classic Liberalism impact 18th and 19th century society?

To finish, please look at the Key Terms on Page 128 and come up with some definitions for them.  You can either go to your glossaries on try to get them on your own.

Unit 2 Day 3

The Beginnings of Capitalism

To begin, we will look at whether Adam Smith believed in government intervention for education, minimum wages, etc.

The short answer is no.  The long answer I will explain in class.

Second, we will go over any questions you may have from your reading.

Before 1750, Britain, and the rest of Europe, had a Traditional Economy.  Simply put, this includes subsistence farming and small cottage industry.  First of all, what do these mean?

Why would these place limits on the progress of a country?

Why did a laissez-faire approach help the economy?

Lastly, we will discuss the possible effects to the Japanese Economy from the earthquake, and discuss the Stock Market in the process.

Lastly, I will have you work on "Explore the Issues" on page 113.  Please do questions 1,2,3, and 5b.  Also, for question 1, ignore Dickens.

Unit 2 Day 2

To Review, we will go over this definitions of Classic Liberalism:

1. "the great political and intellectual movement that substituted free enterprise and the market economy for the precapitalistic methods of production; constitutional representative government for the absolutism of kings or oligarchies; and freedom of all individuals from slavery, serfdom, and other forms of bondage."
-Ludwig von Mises, Human Action: A Treatise of Economics

Let's look at our continuums(continua?)   Where does this definition fit?

Seond:  We are going do a quick research project.  Here's the process:

1. Get into groups of 2-4.
2. Pick one of the following:

A) John Stuart Mill
B) Thomas Hobbes/John Locke - two in this one because we've looked at them before.
C) Charles de Secondat. baron de Montesquieu
D) Adam Smith

Research them and answering the following questions:

a. What was their main belief, or their guiding principles?
b. What contributed to their belief?
c. Where can you see their beliefs in human nature played out?

3. You can use powerpoint or prezi to put together your presentation, which you will be making to the class in second block.

Unit 2 Day 1

Before anything, let's look at the article from The Economist. 

What is the perspective of the author?  What are they saying?

To begin, the second unit will be answering the following question:

We will be looking at the Beginnings of Liberalism and answering the following questions:

To what extent is is resistance to Liberalism justified?

To begin, let's look at a definition of Liberalism:

"A collection of ideologies all committed to the principle of the dignity and freedom of the individual as the foundation of society.  Liberalism has faith in human progress and tends to favour decentralized power, both in political and economic affairs, and respect for the sovereignty of the reasoning individual."

Is this different than what we have seen thus far?  Why do you think so?

In order to understand this, we need to look at the development of liberalism.

To begin, we need to look at a summary the things that are important to classic liberalism:

Rule of Law
Individual Rights and Freedoms
Private Property
Economic Freedom
Self Interest
Competition

Look familiar?

It also promotes 'free market economics' and 'limited government'

What do these mean?

Now:  Here are the principles of CLASSIC LIBERALISM!

-the primacy of individual rights and freedoms, to be exercised in the individual's self interest.
-the belief that humams are reasonable and can make rational decisions that will benefit both themselves and society as a whole
-economic freedom, involving the ownership of private property and free markets(markets with limited government intervention)
-the protection of civil liberties
-constitutional limitations on the government

Class discussion:
How can this be said to be 'liberal'?  For each principle, where do we see it being practiced?  More importantly, where is it not being practiced?

For homework, please read 105-110 in your textbook.(up to The origins of Laissez-Faire Economics).

Exam Tomorrow!

The written component will say the following:

30-1

Examine each source.  Write a response in paragraph form in which you:

-interpret each source, explain the perspective(s) presented, and discuss the links between the competing values of individualism and collectivism
                                                AND
-identify and explain one or more of the relationships that exist among the sources.
.
30-2

Using the sources, answer the following:

When should you, as a Canadian Citizen, support individualist or collectivist views?

Go here to see what samples of goods responses look like.

Good luck!  If you have any questions, feel free to email.

Related Issue #1 Review

Concepts and Terms

1.                  What is Ideology?

2.                  Review the key components of the Political/Economic Spectrum

a.       Left, Centre, Right

b.      Collectivist to Individualism

c.       Dictatorship vs. Democracy

d.      Communism, Socialism, Liberalism, Conservatism, Fascism

4.                  How do you define Individualism

a.       Socially

b.      Politically

c.       Economically

5.                  How can countries that believe in individualism promote it/protect it for its people?

6.                  Why do some people oppose individualism … think of arguments they would use.

7.                  Political Thinkers and their views on Human Nature

a.       John Locke

b.      Jean Jacques Rousseau

c.       Hobbes

Note:  what is their view of Human Nature and how should government be involved in the lives of its citizens

8.                  How do you define Collectivism

a.       Socially

b.      Politically

c.       Economically

9.                  Provide examples of Collectivism in action (how people work together, for the benefit of the group, EITHER by choice or through force).

10.              How does Marx’s view of Communism relate to the concept of Collectivism.

In addition, ensure you have an understanding of the 'key terms' at the beginning of Chapter 1 and 2.  If you understand these, and can apply them, you are in good shape for the exam.  If you have any questions, feel free to email and ask.

Thursday!

Today, we will be doing the following:
1. Finish 'Sicko'
2. Complete worksheet.
3. Watch this:
4. And this:
5. And this:

Sicko

Today and tomorrow, we will be watching the film, "Sicko."  Once the movie is done, we will be completing the handout I gave you guys today.

Day 15

Today, we will be doing two things:
1. Go over the 'Themes of Ideologies' from your handout.
2. Beginning the film 'Sicko' and completing the handout that accompanies it.

Day 13

Schedule for today:

Back to the textbook.  I would like you to complete the following questions.  These will be for marks.  The questions are:

Page 98:
1,2,3, and the first part of 5.(do not do the 'complementary Venn Diagram.)

After twenty minutes, we'll look at this.

Surprised?  Check this out:

Also, tomorrow, we will be discussing 'Classical Liberalism.'  Please read 100-124.  Keep an eye out for the 'key terms' from page 102 as you read.

Day 12

Schedule for Today


Before we start, I will hand out the 'Right-Left' Diagrams.  I even hole-punched them this time.


Today we will carry on with our discussion of the principles of 'individualism' and 'collectivism.'

*In second block, we will have a chance to work on our position papers(about twenty minutes).

So, to begin with, we will examine the principles of Individualism.

They are:

Rule of Law

Individual Rights and Freedoms

Private Property

Economic Freedom

Self Interest

Competition

What are these, anyways?  More specifically, how do they relate to 'individualism?'

Wait!  I'm not going to give the answers to you right away.  Nope.  I want you to think about these terms for a moment(1 Minute or so).  What do they mean?

What side is this guy on?  How can you tell?  What principles is he highlighting?

Look at your charts.  Which side of our chart does 'individualism' seem to fall on.

Great.  Now let's look at 'collectivism.'

The principles are:

Economic Equality

Co-operation

Public Property

Collective Interest

Collective Responsibility

Adherence to Collective Norms

What are these, anyways?  More specifically, how do they relate to 'collectivism?'

Again, I'm not going to give the answers to you right away.   Think about these terms for a moment(1 Minute or so).  What do they mean?

What side is this guy on?  How can you tell?  What principles is he highlighting?

Look at your charts.  Which side of our chart does 'collectivism' seem to fall on.

Okay.  Why is this important, you may ask?  It is my belief that everything that happens in the world can be traced to economics.  The primary struggle within economics is that of individualism vs. collectivism, and the steady tug of war between the two.  Most, if not all major events-and I would argue all conflicts-can be distilled down to this.

Let's look at the news, and we'll see how(or if) this is true.

Now, to give your brains a bit of a break.  Check this out!

Allright, let's take a break.  Please work on your position papers for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Now, let's go to the Economist Article on Ecuador.  What principles of either collectivism or indivualism can we see reflected in the article?

Day 11

A combination of things today:
1. A further discussion of 'collectivism' and 'individualism.'  We will be discussing them in class.  To review these, however, please see your text pages 62-99.

2. We will also be carrying on with our position papers.  See day 9-10.

30-1 Diploma Outline

Try this:

http://ecommunity.pwsd76.ab.ca/mod/resource/view.php?id=30356

Writing Samples

For samples of student writing that fit into the different categories, please go here.

We will going over these in class.

Day 9-10

FIRST!
Let's look at this!  Why?
Two reasons:
1.  I love infographics.
2.  It breaks down(or blows up) the Left Wing/Right Wing divide that we will be coming back to again and again and again and again.                

Today and tomorrow we will be reviewing the written response formats we will be using this semester, as well as practicing them.

30-2 Students:

We have three types of written assignments to go over.  For a description of each, and an example of each, please go here.

30-1 Students.

We have two types of written assignments to go over.  For a description of each, please go here.

Now, please understand that this is just an introduction to these assignments.  What we will be doing for the next two days is not for marks.    Now is the time, though, to put in your best effort to see where we need to improve.

Middle Eastern Protests

CBC has done a nice job of summarizing this.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/01/26/f-unrest-north-africa-middle-east.html

Day 8

1. Review questions from Friday.  I will be coming around to have a look at them.
2.  Today, we will be looking at the often conflicting views of "Individualism" and "Collectivism"

For starters, how would each of you define these terms?

Second, where would each fit on our 'ideological continuum'?(Right wing or left wing).

Now, please watch the following two videos.  As you watch, please keep the following questions in mind:
A) Is the speaker more in favor of collectivism or individualism?
B) What evidence can you find from the video to support your opinion?

Video #1 - Glenn Beck

Video #2 - Keith Olbermann

*Now, you will note that these videos are from different channels in the United States.  As we go through this course, we will see that the source of the news, often betrays the bias of the particular source.  Even our CBC has a fairly evident bias.  They are far more in support of collectivism, than in individualism.  Why do you think this is?

Class Discussion:
Lastly, it was an exciting weekend in Egypt.  However, to use a World War II reference, they've landed men on the beach, but they've not yet taken the cliffs.  Speaking of Operation Overlord, here is one of my favorite pictures of all time:

Pretty crazy, hey?  I had to look at it several times to make sure it wasn't fake.

Anyways, here is where we are at:
Mubarak has officially stepped down. Revolution step one, complete.

Now, think back to the French Revolution.  What initially followed the fall of the royalty was a dictatorial regime that killed thousands of people.  The same sort of thing followed the Overthrow of the Shah in Iran and even the toppling of the Tsars in Russia in 1917.

The question that I pose to you is the following:

What can be done to ensure that Egypt metamorphoses into a democracy without the intermediate stage of a 'reign of terror' sort of situation?

Please have an answer ready, or an explanation as to why there is no answer, for tomorrow.

Day 7

Schedule

Review from yesterday.

1.  To begin, we will carry on listening to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech.
What is his ideology?  Remember, try to break it down into the following questions:

A. What are his guiding principles?
B. What does he believe about human nature?  Or society?

2. Some textbook work:
-Read Chapter 1(Page 20-56)
-Answer the 'Pause and Reflect' Questions.  Do not worry about the 'Explore the Issues' parts.

*If you finish, you may discuss your answers with a partner. We will be discussing these upon your return on Monday. 

The last thing I would like you to consider is the following:

So far, we have seen how people express their ideologies with speeches(Martin Luther King, Jr.) and manifestos(Karl Marx).  Please come to class on Monday with some ideas, and possibly examples of other ways people express their ideologies.

Day 6(continued)

Nationalism Vocab

Nationalism- The strong belief that the interests of a particular nation-state are of primary importance.

Internationalism- the doctrine that all members of the global community accept collective responsibility for the challenges that face the world and that the motives of nations and nation-states must be respected in the search for solutions

Ultranationalism- an extreme form of nationalism. Ultranationalists are often loyal to their nation and racist towards other nations

Sovereignty- the political authority to control one’s own affairs. Sovereignty may be distinguished from and can sometimes conflict with self-determination which is a people’s right to control their own affairs

Self-determination-  the power to control one’s own affairs. National self determination is the power of people within a nation-state or nation to make their own decisions about what is in their interest.

State-the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

Nation- a politically organized body of people under a single government

Nation-state- a country that has physical borders and a single government. Nation-states may be based on ethnic nationalism or civic nationalism or a combination of the two

First estate-the clergy in France

Second estate- the nobility in France

Third estate- the common people

Egalitarianism (equality)- the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability of political and economic and social equality

Cultural Pluralism- a belief or doctrine that holds that collectives should be encouraged to affirm and promote their unique cultural identity in a diverse society

Sovereignists- in Canada people who support the idea of Quebec’s becoming an independent nation-state that can control its own identity

Federalists- people who support a federal system of government

Reconciliation- an act of resolving differences and repairing relationships that enables people to come to terms with past injustices and to coexist in peace

Loyalty- the state or quality of being loyal; faithfulness to commitments or obligations

Alienation- the experience of feeling left out or being on the outside. People who choose one strong loyalty over another risk of alienation from an important part of their identity and from sharing in the collective consciousness

Segregation-  the forced separation of racial groups. Extreme loyalty to one racial group can lead to separate schools and living areas for racial minorities and eventually to ultranationalism and persecution of those minorities

Land Claims- Land claims are a legal declaration of desired control over areas of property including bodies of water

Propaganda-  information and ideas that are spread to achieve a specific goal. Extreme nationalists may use misleading and dishonest information to create fear and insecurity and to persuade people to behave in certain ways

Domestic Policy- a plan of action that guides a governments decisions about what to do within a country. In Canada domestic policy decisions may include changing federal laws, settling Aboriginal land claims, and spending tax revenues

National interest-  the interests of the people of a nation. National interest may include economic prosperity, security and safety, and beliefs and values.

Foreign policies-  a plan of action that guides a government’s decisions about its official relations with other countries. Also called foreign affairs or external relations

Appeasement- giving in to demands. A foreign policy practised by Britain and the United Sates when they granted Hitler concessions in an effort to avoid World War II

Expansionism-the desire of a nation state to extend its control beyond its own borders

Isolationism- a policy whereby a country completely opts out of participating in international social, economic, political, and military affairs

Internationalism-  the doctrine that all member of the global community accept collective responsibility for the challenges that face the world and that the motives of nations and nation-states must be respected in the search for solutions

Conscription-  compulsory military service. In Canada during World Wars I and II, the policy was controversial, especially among the francophone’s in Quebec

Peacekeeping- armed forces who maintain peace by keeping enemies apart until a crisis can be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation

Peacemaking- allowing armed forces that were originally sent to maintain peace in a region of conflict to use force for reasons other than self-defense

Genocide- the killing of members of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group and deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction

Crimes against humanity- widespread or systematic attacks against a civilian population, including murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, imprisonment, torture, rape and sexual slavery, enforced disappearance of persons, and the crime of apartheid

Holocaust- the English term used to describe the genocide of about six million Jews by the Nazis during World War II

Anti-Semitism- the intense dislike for and prejudice against Jewish people

Ethnic Cleansing- a term that is used to make more socially acceptable the murder of expulsion of an ethnic nation from a territory

Decolonization- the process that occurs in a former colony when an imperial power withdraws. Decolonized countries can exercise sovereignty under international law and can join the United Nations

Successor state- a country created from previous state. By international law, the people who lived in the predecessor state or to choose their nationality if the predecessor state I divided into more then one state.

 Refugees- an exile who flees for safety

NATO- North Atlantic Treaty Organization: an international organization created in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty for purposes of collective security

Warsaw Pact- an alliance including Russia and Eastern Block nations.  Served as a balance to NATO

Unilateral- the policy of a country responding to events on its own without agreements with or support from other countries

Multilateral- a policy that involves several countries working together to meet challenges and solve problems. The United Nations is multilateral in nature.

Collective security- the condition of protecting all members of a group or collective from danger. The United Nations tries to ensure the collective security of all member states

Absolute Poverty- a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education, and information. Absolute poverty may depend not only on income but also on access to services

Odious Dept- a dept that is incurred by a despotic power, not to meet the needs of the people of the country but to strengthen the despotic regime

Trickle-down effect- the theory that when people in developed countries have more money to spend, they will buy goods and services offered by business in less developed countries and that this spending will eventually help strengthen economies in the developing world

Economic sanctions- the actions of cutting off trade with a country is an effort to force it to follow a particular course of action

Tied Aid- help that is given with strings attached.

Day 6

Schedule for Today


1. Continue 'Contributors to Identity' Discussion
2. Definition of Ideology:

A set of principles or ideas that explains your world and your place within it, which is based on certain assumptions about human nature and society, and provides an interpretation of the past, an explanation of the present, and a vision for the future.


I cannot stress how important this definition is to the course. Look on the title page of your textbook, for goodness' sake.


Okay, now that we have a definition to work with, let's examine a few things about it. We'll break it down into chunks.


First: the 'set of principles or ideas that explains your world and your place within it' part.
Let's look at the list on the board. These are your guiding principles. How does it explain your world and your place within it?


Second: the 'certain assumptions about human nature and society' bit. How do people act? How do societies act? Why do people make the decisions they do? What is human nature? Why do societies act the way they do? Are there exceptions to any of these?


Timeout: Let's try to form an ideology for the class. A 'mission statement' if you will, but one that we feel can be applied to the whole class. Before we do, let's look at some famous ones:


Karl Marx
Machiavelli
Martin Luther King, Jr.
and, because this speech is so great, let's listen!
"I Have a Dream"


Man, I hope we fight. Trust me, it's more fun that way.




Third: Can ideologies in general, and maybe ours specifically, be used to interpret the past, explain the present, and provide a vision for the future?

Day 5

Schedule for Today!

1. Review from Friday's class.  Any questions or comments?  I will give you about five minutes to gather up your gear and clear the cobwebs from the weekend.

2. Go over reading questions.

3. Definitions of "Conservatism" and "Liberalism"

3. Quick introduction to ideological continuum.

4. Research Project!  You will be divided into three groups, each assigned to one of the "Big Three" Philosophers.   Here is your task:

-The philosophers Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau will be very important in this course.  As such, we will be doing a research project on them.  Now, this project has two distinct parts: the medium, and the message.  I will explain.

-Medium: You will have to find information using three means: My computer, the tablet, and an iPhone. In the course of your research, please identify two advantages, and two disadvantages to it.  You will get to use all three devices for ten minutes, then switch.

Message: You will be providing answers to the points on the bottom of page 18, as well as the following question:

"What event or condition in their life contributed the most, in your opinion, to their outlook?"

Lastly, we will present, and try to determine where each sits on our continuum.  In addition, we will discuss the usefulness of each research tool.

P.S.  We discussed the things that impact our identity.  We listed the contributors to our identity.  Tomorrow, we will try to group them.

Day 4

Hey gang,

Schedule for today!

First of all, I would like you to complete the sheets that are on the desk labelled "Social 30."  The first one is a 'Would You Rather' exercise.  Though it may seem simplistic, this will get you back in the habit of Finding Evidence, and Supporting Your Opinion.    Skip past the 'Come up with your own' section and go straight to the back page.  Please complete these in complete sentences.

Now, to get the most out of the assignment, please follow these steps.
1. Do the assignment, on your own, without talking to anyone. (10 Minutes)
2. Discuss your answers, your justifications, and your values, as written on the back. 
3. Hang on to these.  We will be discussing these further as a class on Monday.

Next, please fill out the ideology questionnaire and evaluation, and find your 'ideological total.'   Please read through the following sheets on your own.  Again, please hang on to these, as we will be discussing them further on Monday.

Lastly, we have some text reading and questions.  You may do these in groups.  We will be discussing these on Monday.  The assignment is as follows:

Read Page 4-the middle of page 10.
Answer the first 3 bulleted questions.  We will do the last two on Monday.
Read Page 10 and 11. 
Answer the 2 questions at the bottom of page 11.
Finish reading to page 19.

I expect you should be able to finish this in class.  If not, can someone please email me( matthew.chomistek@wrsd.ca ) and let me know where you got to.  The 'Nationalism' Definitions should be posted and handed out by Tuesday at the latest.  Globalization Defintions will also be handed out shortly.  Have a great weekend!  Keep an eye on the news!

Day 3

Schedule for Today

1. Go over any questions from the terms I posted yesterday. Remember: these terms will help you understand the material as we go through the course. You don't need to have them memorized, but having an idea of what they mean will certainly help. They will stay on the Day 2(continued) site henceforth.

2. Establish days for extra help and review. I am more than happy to offer help with the course, and any other courses, outside of class time. Now, we can do this on an appointment basis, or establish a consistent weekly time. I can do the following:

Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 7:45-8:45am

Monday, Thursday - 3:30-4:30pm

Days 2 and 4 Lunch Time.

As well, I have preps during the following:

Day 2 - Block 4, Block 6

Day 4 - Block 6

We'll sort it out in class.


3. Social 20 Review:

You guys know the drill. Social 20's theme is Nationalism, and, more specifically,

"To what extent should we embrace Nationalism?"

Below are a list of vocabulary words from the course. I have culled them down to what I believe are the most important. In groups of 2-4, please have a run through them, and figure out what you know.

Social 20 Review Terms

Nationalism

Internationalism

Ultranationalism

Sovereignty

Self-determination

State

Nation

Nation-State

First, Second, and Third Estates

Egalitarianism (equality)

Cultural Pluralism

Sovereignists

Federalists

Reconciliation

Loyalty

Alienation

Segregation

LOYALTIES: Class - Religious - Regional - Ideological - Cultural

Land Claims

Propaganda

domestic policy

national interest

Foreign policies:

appeasement, expansionism, isolationism,internationalism

conscription

peacekeeping

peacemaking

genocide

crimes against humanity

war crimes

Holocaust

anti-Semitism

ethnic cleansing

decolonization

successor state

refugees

NATO

Warsaw Pact

Unilateral

Multilateral

collective security

Absolute Poverty

Odious Debt

Trickle-down Effect

Economic sanctions

Tied Aid

Same drill as with the globalization terms. Once we go through them as a class, I will post the definitions up here. Please do your best to try to come up with what you know first, though. The more you jog your memory during these first few days, the easier the rest of the course will be.

*Also! [Light at the end of the tunnel alert!] Once we get these done, we will be done our Social Review, and we'll be on to new stuff.

Day 2(Continued)

Here are the definitions from today.  Feel free to print off to keep as a reference.

Globalization Review

Unit One

Individual Identity- the traits that make up a person’s sense of individuality

Collective Identity- the combination of beliefs, values, view of history, and language of people

Globalization- the process that is making the worlds citizens interdependent and interconnected economically, socially, politically, environmentally, technologically

Acculturation – where a minority culture adopts cultural characteristics of the dominant culture; a voluntary process

Accommodation- an inclusive approach that allows religious or ethnic groups to maintain their distinctive cultures within mainstream society

Cultural Revitalization- a process through which unique cultures regain a sense of identity, through heritage, languages, customs, and traditions

Integration- the incorporation of diverse minority groups into mainstream society

Assimilation- the absorption of a minority group by a dominant group

Marginalization- the pushing of a group to ‘margins’ of society, where they hold little social, political, or economic power

Homogenization- a trend toward uniformity, as with world popular culture as a result of globalization.

Unit Two

Eurocentrism- a belief that the European world view is superior to all others

Cultural Contact- the interaction of diverse cultures and perspectives

Depopulation- the reduction of a population because of conflict, disease, loss of resources, cultural change or assimilation

The Silk Road- an ancient trade network between China and the Mediterranean sea and linking China with the Roman Empire

Imperialism- an association between peoples that intentionally benefits one people over another

Displacement- the involuntary dispersal of a people, especially from their homeland

International Trade- the interchange of raw materials and manufactured goods among distance groups of people

Mercantilism- a system of government sponsored international business ventures designed to make European monarchs rich

Free Market System- a market in which the government would regulate nothing all businesses would be privately owned

Entrepreneurs- people who take risks by launching business ventures in the hope of making a profit

Worker Exploitation- subjecting employees to low wages, long hours, or poor working conditions

Communism- a planned economic system in which the government owns all means of production and all people work for government owned enterprises

Colony- a territory that belonged to a European country, was ruled by European government, and was completely subject to that European country

Protectorate- an area that maintained its own sovereignty but was guided by a European country

Sphere of Influence- A territorial area over which political or economic influence is wielded by one nation

Motives for Imperialism- money and prestige

Residential Schools- a boarding school for Indian and Inuit children from sparsely populated settlements

Unit Three

International Monetary System- a global network of institutions established by the Bretton Woods Agreement to promote international trade and the regulation of currency among western countries

Gold Standard- a provision of the Bretton Woods Agreement that all printed money, such as the paper dollar, would be convertible to gold and could be cashed in at any time for that gold

Fixed Exchange Rates- the value of a country’s currency as set by its government

Floating Exchange Rates- currency rates that are not fixed by government but instead find their own value on the foreign exchange market

International Monetary Fund- international agency that works with the world bank to bring stability to international monetary affairs and to help expand world trade

Free Market Economies- a system in which a government does not intervene in the production and control of goods and services

Centrally Planned Economies- a system under which government planners decide what goods to produce and how many

GATT- (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) an international agreement between 1947 and 1995 that aimed to reduce trade barriers among member countries

Tariffs- a tax imposed on imports to increase their price and thus reduce competition with domestic products

NAFTA- (North American Free Trade Agreement) 1994 treaty among Canada and the US and Mexico to improve trade by removing tariffs and other economic barriers

EU- (European Union) the world’s largest and most powerful common market

Free Trade Agreements- economic treaty between Canada and the US that sought to promote trade by reducing tariffs and other barriers between the two countries

Trade Liberalization- the process of reducing barriers to trade

GDP- a measure of a country’s gross domestic product per capita, one of the criteria for the UN human development index

WTO- (World Trade Organization) international organization founded in 1995 that works to improve trade relations among the world’s countries

G8- (group of eight) an informal group of the eight major industrial democracies that meets at annual summits to discuss economic and foreign policies

Outsourcing- the hiring of one company by another to fulfill certain tasks in production

Deregulation- opening an industry to more competition by removing government regulations

Privatization

Unit Four

Quality of Life- the conditions in people’s lives

Disparity- economic and social gaps among individuals, communities or countries

Standard of Living- a common measure of the quantity and quality of goods and services to which people have access

Human Development Index- the United Nations measure of a countries level of development based on GDP per capita life expectancy at birth, adult literacy, and school enrollment

Universal Declaration of Human Rights- UN policy that defines the human rights to which every person on the globe is equally entitled

Political, Civil, Equality, Economic, Social, Cultural Rights- political: the right to vote and to participate in government

Civil: the right to freedom of opinion and expression

Equality: the right to be free from discrimination

Economic: the right to fair wages and safe working conditions

Social: the right to education and to have health care

Cultural: the right to participate in the cultural life of a community, and the righ to speak your own language

Employment Equity- the principle of equal pay for equal work or for work of equal value

Genetic Modification- technology that allows genes from one species to be introduced into another to produce a hardier or higher yielding strain

Kyoto Protocol- international agreement that intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a means to combat climate change

Referendum- a binding vote in which the entire electorate votes to accept or reject a proposal

Corporate Responsibility- the degree to which companies act in a manner that supports environmental sustainability and prevents worker exploitation.

Consumer Activism- is activism undertaken on behalf of consumers, to assert consumer rights

Day 2

Schedule for Day 2

Go over any questions from yesterday.

Introduce RSS Reader Instructions. RSS Readers  are programs that send you updates every time a Blog is updated.  This would be handy for this course. If possible, set up a gmail account beforehand.  In order to use the 'Google Reader,' you will have to have a gmail account.  To join gmail, go to:

www.gmail.com

Continue on definitions from Social 10.  For those who missed yesterday, see Day 1 to see what we did.  When we are finished, I will post them on this site.

*Remember!  You do not need to write the definitions as we go.  Pay attention, of course, but do not be concerned with keeping up with the writing.  These will all be posted on the site for Day 3.

For tomorrow!  Start thinking about Nationalism.  What does it mean to you?  What do you remember from last year?  What terms do you remember?  What countries did you look at?

Just for Fun: Remember when we talked about Egypt's rebellion today?  Check these pictures out.

Day 1

Welcome to Social 30!

First of all, let me welcome you to the course.  On this site, I will be posting assignments, notes, discussion points, Diploma Updates, among other things in order to give you real-time, and all-the-time access to anything we have covered.  Feel free to explore the site, and please send any questions you may have to my email address at matthew.chomistek@wrsd.ca.

Schedule for Day 1:
Introductions
Classroom Guidelines and Expectations
Course Outline
Diploma Exam Overview
Website Overview
Globalization Review

Introduction:
See above.

Classroom Guidelines and Expectations
I don't have a ton of rules, but the ones that I do have, I stick to.  I don't allow the following in my classroom:
1. Lateness - when the second bell goes, you need to be in the room.
2. Inappropriate language - anything that I determine to be 'not classroom' language
4. Talking while either I am talking, or one of your classmates is  - pretty self explanatory

Working outside of these guidelines will result in ten minutes owed to me either at lunch, after school, or before school.  These are pretty easy to get used to, and I generally don't even have to keep anyone for the extra time.  I like to have my classroom be an environment of mutual respect, which makes for a fun and engaging Social class.

Course Outline

Diploma Exam Overview

Website Overview
You're here, so it must have worked.

Globalization Review
First, we will be finding out what you guys remember about Globalization in groups.  Then, you will have some class time to review some terms from Social 10.  Remember, the Social Curriculum is Cumulative, so you need to incorporate what you have learned up to now in Social Studies.

Term Review:

Globalization Review

Unit One

Individual Identity

Collective Identity

Globalization

Acculturation

Accomodation

Cultural Revitalization

Integration

Assimilation

Marginalization

Homogenization

Unit Two

Eurocentrism

Cultural Contact

Depopulation

The Silk Road

Imperialism

Displacement

International Trade

Mercantilism

Free Markey System

Entrepreneurs

Worker Exploitation

Communism

Colony

Protectorate

Sphere of Influence

Motives for Imperialism

Residential Schools

Unit Three

International Monetary System

Gold Standard

Fixed Exchange Rates

Floating Exchange Rates

International Monetary Fund

Free Market Economies

Centrally Planned Economies

GATT

Tariffs

NAFTA

EU

Free Trade Agreements

Trade Liberalization

GDP

WTO

G8

Outsourcing

Deregulation

Privatization

Unit Four

Quality of Life

Disparity

Standard of Living

Human Development Index

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Political, Civil, Equality, Economic, Social, Cultural Rights

Employment Equity

Genetic Modification

Kyoto Protocol

Referenda

Corporate Responsibility

Consumer Activism