1. Global Crises and the Future of Globalization 2. Thinking About Your Assessments Professor Peter Arnold Previous sessions Examined the terms modern, post modern as they are applied to society Examined how the discipline of sociology has changed and how attention has shifted away from grand explanations towards questions of identity Explained globalization and the different perspectives on this Considered the effects of globalization Looked at welfare and welfare issues Identified that some welfare issues arise in context of globalization Learning Objectives In todays lecture we shall be exploring globalization and welfare in more detail by: Examining what we mean by a social problem and a welfare issue Examining how global processes influence welfare issues Highlighting modern day social problems which have specific global dimensions drug addiction, human trafficking Considering whether global society is experiencing global crises In the final part of the lecture we will think about your approach to your Assessments Key Themes and Thinking Questions In what ways is globalization influencing social problems and welfare issues? What are social problems? How do social problems arise? What are social policies? What are global social problems and global welfare issues? Does the idea of risk society help us understand todays world Socio-Political and Cultural Perspectives From a socio-cultural perspective, identity constructions and identity conflicts are related to the globalisation process. Those theorists who subscribe to the idea of post modernism argue that collective identities are changing and that our lifestyles and identities have become more fluid (liquid) than in previous times Whereas in the past a persons identity may have been related to class, occupational status, or nationality the present age is one in which a particular aspects of lifestyle may dominate for a while and then give way to other identity defining attributes leisure, political activity, parenting, or many combined Theories of representation, boundary-making and the construction of social and political space in relation to issues of migration, nationalism, gender, race, ethnicity and religion are attributes which have been closely examined in the context of globalization Sociological and Psychological Theories Our interest so far has been in sociological explanations, particularly those which deal with large scale change at the societal level. It has been noted, that the modern day world is one in which difference needs to be understood heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity It is wrong to believe that the discipline of sociology can explain everything. Globalisation, migration and multicultural policies, together with more recent tendencies to define the world in terms of danger, insecurity and terror, have affected peoples sense of security. Critical social psychology in which explanation of health, illness and trauma, education, socialisation are central concerns are all crucial to our understanding of how the world is changing and to our understanding of the risks of globalization What are social problems? Problems which have societal consequences These problems may have complex causes and opinion may divide over why social problems occur and how they are to be addressed Usually social problems are problems which require or receive attention of government via action or policy It is incorrect to consider that these problems lack an economic dimension. Their solutions require resources and their very existence might place heavy burdens on state and private finance Discussion In groups of 3 or 4 discuss what you would include in a list of social problems in Hong Kong in the present day? What are social problems? Social problems not simply individual / personal problems Social problems are experienced by large numbers of people Social problems not fault of individual they arise in a social context responsibility extends beyond the individual They are perceived as problems as a consequence of public reaction Social construction of problems Social problems are socially constructed They reflect political/ideological values about what is desirable or undesirable at specific times Over time, and from one country to another, what is regarded as a problem differs In some societies some social problems have been eradicated, for example extreme poverty, or child labour, but in others they persist In the present day some social problems, such as environmental problems, are of fairly recent concern. 5o years or so ago few people talked of environmental concerns as social problems What are social problems? Defining social problems Global Problems Problems not consistently recognised as such.... not necessarily focus of policy at all times in every setting e.g. homelessness ...policy issues or problems are defined through a process of selection and construction...They are not pre- existing givens waiting to be unearthed or discovered by policy makers Hastings (1998) Journal of Social Policy, 27.2 What are global social problems? George and Page (2004) argue that a global social problem should satisfy four criteria The cause of the problem should be found in global rather than national processes Such problems can spread across national borders despite efforts of sovereign states The problem is increasingly difficult to resolve at a national level International bodies have emerged in order to assist nation-states in dealing with the social problem concerned What are global social problems? Global Social Problems Examples would include: Forced migration Climate change Global poverty International Crime Terrorism International Drug Smuggling Health Pandemics Global Welfare Issues Global welfare issues are in large part an aspect of global social problems We have seen that conspicuous social problems can have clear global dimensions (See George and Page above) Welfare issues are those which relate to the well- being of people - whether individuals or groups of people Welfare centres on people's material circumstances, their well being (physical and mental), quality of life, opportunities and access to social services. Risk and Social Science Social theorists agree that Risk has become a central organizing category of both the personal and public domains. Life as a consequence has become more and more about carving out ways of coping and managing risk-sometimes through active engagement, sometimes by resigned acceptance, or even confused denial Elliot, A (2014) Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition, Routledge, page 305 Risk Societies The British sociologist Anthony Giddens argues that in the present era which he calls late modernity we no longer have the confidence in experts, science and social systems that we used to have Giddens argued that our ontological security has been affected and that we can no longer rely on the traditional meanings and identities of the past. Our lives have become more complex in our day to day experiences and in terms of the different stages of the life cycle Giddens view is shared by German sociologist Ulrich Beck who has stated that we have moved from an industrial to a risk society Giddens and Beck Anthony Giddens Ulrich Beck Risk society Risk society is the term used to describe our modern society. The consequences of human actions on areas such as pollution, global warming, BSE, have introduced new sources of risk and uncertainty In a risk society traditional certainties and securities can no longer be assumed. Increases in scientific knowledge lead to a more contingent society where the risks of anticipated events influence todays decisions See Giddens, A website for discussion of runaway world and social reflexivity the fact that we have constantly to think about, or reflect upon, the circumstances in which we live our lives Ulrich Beck and Risk Society Limitation Accountability Compensation Precautionary after-care (Beck, 1992: 103) Global Risk Industrial society created risks and has failed to control them- ecological, nuclear, Internet etc. He suggests late modernity is not intrinsically more dangerous than the pre-modern era consider famines for example However, Beck contends pre-modern societies had no notion of risk and did not engage in risk management Global Risk In the late modern era there are global hazards that confront all of us: industrial, technological, chemical, nuclear etc. Beck argues this situation can be defined as world risk society Bound up with the new electronic global economy. We live on the edge of high technological innovation and scientific development, but where no one fully understands the possible global risks and dangers we face(ibid., p284). Risk Society Risk in Society Risk Society Can we say that a risk society is a post-modern society? Are they the same thing? No, but they are linked. Risk involves not just economic, corporate and political aspects, it also involves cultural risks E.g. lifestyle choices: LGBT, religious movements, new social groupings. That they may be post-modern means there is no controlling grand narrative but a variety of narratives Risk Society and the Individual In essence the modern age has come to a close and we now live in a reflexive society A combination of reflection and doing what we can consciously but also actions are taken which are ad hoc and not properly thought through which might create further instability Reflexive modernization has disembedded us from the hold of tradition and previous roles, e.g. gender, class, sexuality (Beck, 1997) Increasing engagement with both the intimate and public spheres of our lives Linked to risk society More and more individual decision making Individualization Through Risk Management we are forced to make more and more decisions ourselves, that previous generations did not have to, e.g. careers, health, pensions etc. All this requires planning, rationalization, engagement, deliberation etc. Risk society is lived like this Risk, Trust and Security Sources of trust/security counterbalance sources of risk/danger. In pre-modern society, trust was located in the kinship system, local community, religion and tradition. Kinship and location remain sources of trust but have become less linked to local contexts. We put our trust in expert systems, and face-to-face relationships, particularly romantic love. Trust in Systems and Failure Legal Systems will protect me if something happens Banking systems will keep my money safe Transport systems will get me where I need to go Airport security will keep me safe on the plane Typhoon Warning systems, Earthquake monitoring systems etc. Trust in Experts is fundamental, but questioned in our global society Risk and Abstract Systems Globalization and Social Problems In the present day our knowledge of global social problems has been heightened by the transmission of images and information conveying how people are affected by some of the negative sides of globalization Often in the literature we are referred to cross border problems which arise from economic, social and cultural practices and transmissions across traditional lines of demarcation Examples of these global social problems drugs trafficking, human trafficking, large scale migrations- are given below. Each raises issues about human well being and welfare which confront individual Governments and global organisations. In our discussion of these examples we often refer to them as evidencing global crisis Globalization and Drugs World Drug Report 2013 Harm and Drug Use World Drug Use- World Drug Report (2009 ) Globalization and Migrations Two of the most powerful forces to shape world history have been population growth and urbanisation and it is in the urban context that societies address their most concentrated welfare problems Our world population is experiencing two great changes, falling death rates and still high birth rates in some countries/regions Population growth is greatest in those least economically developed countries with limited resources to respond. In the urban setting environmental and social problems are at their most pronounced in the modern world In the present day population change has also been affected by war, famine and disaster tearing apart families and exposing them to enormous risk. While world history has always been partly shaped by great migrations present day migrations and the refugee problem are part of modern day globalization World Migrations Refugee Source Countries Forced Migration and Refugees European Migration Crisis (Washington Post May 2015) Migration from Africa to Europe Welfare of Migrants Globalization has intensified process of migration travel easier and quicker often result of poverty / economic circumstances arising out of globalization Migration takes many forms Voluntary or Involuntary Temporary or Permanent Economic or Political Legal or Illegal Can be from rural areas to urban areas, across a national border, or across continents Migration is associated with a wide range of welfare issues Welfare of Migrants Welfare issues associated with migration are the result of several factors 1. Migratory Process Illegal migrants - likely to find only low paid, insecure employment, to live in poor conditions, to lack political social and economic rights, move frequently to avoid police Guest workers - recruited for specific jobs, cannot change their employment, often have to reside in designated accommodation, denied political rights, families cannot join them, marginalised in society Citizenship migration - no conditions on kind of job, residence or length of stay, have equal rights with other citizens Welfare of Migrants 2. Ethnicity of migrant Public perception with regard to the economic and cultural factors, religion and skin colour can play a part in migrants being perceived as a threat to society or facing discrimination 3. Attitudes and Policies Policies can be discriminatory, which in turn can foster negative attitudes amongst public, and violence towards migrants In Europe current period marked by 'crack down' on immigration Contemporary discourse marginalizes migrants / encourages discrimination 4. State of the economy Availability of jobs, regular wages and opportunities for upward mobility, and absence of threat to the economic circumstances of the receiving society Welfare of Migrants Migrants often vulnerable in the labour market - to exploitation; losing their job; poor quality employment Men and women may experience migration differently e.g. women may be particularly low paid Migrants can be separated from their family for many years - emotional effects of separation Poor housing and 'ghettoization' Racism and Violence Inequality in education Disadvantage cumulative Migrant Rescues Europe Border Crossing Calais Welfare of Refugees and Asylum Seekers Refugees and asylum seekers are people who flee a country because of a fear of persecution based on their political or religious beliefs or fear for their safety in context of war or civil war. United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated around 22 million refugees at end of 20 th Century UNHCR role is to protect rights of refugeesRefugees from Asia, Africa and Middle East seeking a safe haven in European countries have found they are increasingly excluded and lack basic rights Welfare of refugees and asylum seekers threatened in current period, Income and support offered by state to asylum seekers meagre to deter migration Detention and Deportation common Public are generally hostile to refugees Human trafficking in context Involves deception, intimidation or coercion Two main forms of human rights abuse: labour exploitation sexual exploitation Involves organised criminal gangs: prostitution forced labour illegal immigration loan-sharking drugs money laundering Human Trafficking Human trafficking.org focuses on human trafficking issues in East Asia and the PacificPoverty and lack of economic opportunity make women and children potential victims of traffickers, international criminal organizations. They are vulnerable to false promises of job opportunities in other countries. Many of those who accept these offers from what appear to be legitimate sources find themselves in situations where their documents are destroyed, they or their families threatened with harm, or they are bonded by a debt that they have no chance of repaying. Human Trafficking Women and children are particularly vulnerable to trafficking for the sex trade, but human trafficking is not limited to sexual exploitation. It also includes persons who are trafficked into 'forced' marriages or into bonded labour markets, such as sweat shops, agricultural plantations, or domestic service. Case in UK of 23 cockle pickers who had been smuggled into UK from China 23 died, caught in the tide coming in while working on the beach in the dark; the water rose very quickly Found to have been paid very little and housed in very bad conditions; see story hereSee story of woman who had been tricked into prostitution by traffickers Global Crises and the Future of Globalization In the past 15 years 0ur understanding of globalization has changed and the arguments about global economic growth that dominated are now challenged by alternative accounts which point to the uneven benefits of economic growth Since 9/11 our political world has been affected by the US and western powers global war on terror, by conflicting religious ideologies and political upheaval in the middle east and civil wars in Africa To this can be added the impact of the global financial crisis which in the western economies especially has had long term effects on Government budgets, unemployment and welfare spending In the social sphere in addition to the social problems examined in this lecture we can point to challenges such as environmental damage and degradation, food, natural resources and energy crises, pandemics and health crises. One thread that runs through the reaction to all of these examples is what Manfred Steger has called the fortifying of the market globalist paradigm See Steger, M (2013) Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford Conclusion We have examined selective social problems and welfare issues and how they are defined We have examined what is meant by social policy the responses to welfare issues We have examined the ideas and values that underpin social policies We have examined global social problems and global welfare issues We have examined some initial information on modern day global social problems drugs, migration and human trafficking Our overall aim is to understand how welfare issues arise in the context of globalization and to reflect on what this means for policy and the people involved Recommended Reading Bales, K et al (2009) Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million People, OneWorld Publications Cohen, R and Kennedy, P (2012) Global Sociology, Third Edition, Palgrave, chapter s Elliott, A (2014) Contemporary Social Theory: An Introduction, Second Edition, Routledge, especially chapters 10 and 11 George, V and Page, R (2004) Global Social Problems, Polity Giddens, A and Norton, P W (2012) Sociology, 7 th Edition, Polity, especially chapters 13 and 21 Marfleet, P (2006) Refugees in a Global Era, Palgrave MacMillan Martell, L (2010) The Sociology of Globalization, Polity Urry, J (2002) Global Complexity, PolityUnited Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeWoodward, K (2010) Social Sciences: The Big Issues, Routledge, Second Edition, chapter 7 Thinking About Your Assessments Assessments for the Module There are two assessments. The first is a theory essay (2,000 words) This requires you to understanding of selected theories of social change covered in the module. You choose which theories they wish to discuss from the list provided. The second is a project essay focussing upon the impact of globalization with reference to a specific welfare issue or policy area of choice The deadline for the first assessment is 1500hrs (UK time on Tuesday 24 th November 2015 The deadline for the second assessment is 1500hrs UK time on Tuesday 1 st December Assessment Task 1 Analyse and evaluate the usefulness of one of the following concepts for explaining the nature of society today, giving examples from everyday life in Hong Kong and internationally to illustrate your answer: Consumer society McDonaldized society Risk society Global society Postmodern society The word limit is 2,000 words including references and quotations Assessment Task 2 (a) What is meant by the term global social problem? (25% of marks) (b) From the list below choose one problem and analyse how and why it may be regarded as a global social problem (75% of marks) Organised crime Drug use and drug trafficking Human trafficking Migration and refugees The total word length is 2,000 words, including references and quotations Approaches to Assessment There are no tricks in the assessment tasks and even now you should have some idea of the assessments that you feel most comfortable with and which you will gain most satisfaction in completing Your work towards completing your assessments will require you to: 1. Decide on which topic you wish to concentrate 2. Read around the topic and take notes to accumulate knowledge 3. Ensure that you have combined information from the right sources, academic and scholarly sources, newspapers and media, internet searches and specialist sites 4. Write up your answer ensuring that you stick to the question 5. Check through what you have written to ensure that you have written a balanced essay, which includes supporting evidence and which refers to the key sources you have used 6. Check your expression, your use of English and grammar. You may ask someone else to help you with this Getting Prepared - Reading The previous slide says something about your approach and some of the important things to pay attention to The first and crucial stage is the preparatory stage. To begin with you should read over the lecture notes and your tutorial notes and identify which lectures/tutorials help you most with the topics you have chosen From these you should be able to identify two types of reading which will help. These are the relevant chapters in the general sociology textbooks and the more specialist texts which are referred to in the lectures and tutorials. In the Module and Lecture Guides you will find lots of references to books articles, etc Make your notes on these or better still have photocopied sections of the main parts in your file to help you when working Work through these and your lecture notes and make a list of points that you think help you answer the question set While you are doing this also try to find a quotation which helps you understand and summarise what these main points are. Think even at this stage about the structure of your answer Getting Prepared Web Sites There are lots of websites you can use but in the Lectures, Tutorials, Day Schools and in the Module Guide you will have been given web site references. Look at the web sites which have academic, or policy relevance and which contain reports and data which will help you In the general sociology and social policy texts and in the specialist books you will also find references to web sites which academic scholars have used. These web sites are sometimes referred to in the text and are always cited at the end of chapters. The texts by MacIonis and Plummer, Giddens and Sutton, Cohen and Kennedy are particularly good in this regards. Spend some time on these web sites and use them as if they were books. Make notes, keep references, extract data, comment and quotation. If you are getting nothing from a website back out of it. What will tutors be looking for? There are no tricks and the assessment tasks are clear For both assessments there are some general guiding principles Your tutors will be looking for you to demonstrate understanding of the materials you have used and in your writing to display understanding of the modules content You are not expected to go back to original thinkers, but to use the secondary sources intelligently You are advised also to think hard about the assessment word length and to give your writing balance and perspective Lay out your text carefully, check it over and ensure that you have expressed yourself clearly What does a good answer have? We do not want to be too prescriptive, but a good answer will have: 1. A clear and well researched argument, supported by relevant evidence 2. A logical progression in argument, points that build and an academic flow 3. An argument which is based on reading, not on hearsay, or the popular press 4. A presentation which takes care to cite sources and integrate direct references and quotations where necessary 5. An effective combination of sources- hard data, scholarly referencing, summary of learned works 6. End of text referencing using the Harvard referencing system How many points should I make? Think carefully about the titles of the assessments There will probably be 4 or 5 main points to make and perhaps some subsidiary points How you make the points is important. Start with the main points: Make the point in your first sentence Develop it using description and evidence Provide analysis of its importance Include supportive quotation, if possible Indicate the extent of your reading with end paragraph Harvard referencing Link to the next point Be careful not to overwrite, or underwrite. Take care not to produce paragraphs which read like a series of notes. Dont write your answer as one or two long paragraphs Answering the Question When reading your work Tutors will pay attention to the overall impact of what you have written and how successful you have been in dealing with the question. A successful essay will have: 1. A clear structure and presentation. It will not jump about, but will be logical and easy on the eye and brain 2. Appropriate and relevant content and knowledge with direct references to sources and data 3. A consistent argument and evidence of analysis and evaluation 4. Scholarly referencing in the main text and at the end of the text Often it is said that a good answer should have a good Introduction a Middle and a Conclusion. That is true, but the balance must be right