A2 - Superpowers and Migration

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Created by
Hannah Cooley

Cards (36)

  • British Empire

    …
    • By 1880, controlled 1/3rd of the world and 1/4th of the population.
    • Founded on exploration and communications like sea power and the telegraph.
    • Royal Navy dominates the seas from the 1700s-1930s.
    • Aided the diffusion of the English language, laws, customs, arts and sports.
    • After independence, many colonies remained in the Commonwealth and retain a sense of unity.
    • Some countries still have the Union Jack on their flag (Fiji, Australia, Falklands).
  • Why was the British Empire dismantled?
    …
    • Cost of 2 world wars
    • Growing resistance to foreign rule
    • Concern of the injustice of colonial rule by young people
    • Rapid demographic change
    • Tertiary sector shift - no need for raw materials and ruling others.
  • The Cold War - 1947-1991

    USA vs USSR.
    USA had a capitalist ideology encouraging free markets and the introductions of TNC’s.
    Russia had a socialist/communist ideology with a centrally planned economy. Most businesses were state owned (by the government). China also had socialist ideologies at this time.
  • BRICS

    Brazil, Russia, India, China.
  • Brazil

    Strengths:
    • South American superpower.
    • Large agricultural economy - large exporter.
    • Lots of natural resources.
    • Energy independent in oil and biofuels.
    • Large, young, working population.
    • Culturally significant - 2014 World Cup, 2016 Olympics, Rio Carnival.
    Problems:
    • Small military with regional intervention.
    • Economy suffers boom and bust phases.
    • Politically unstable - corruption, protests.
  • Russia

    Strengths:
    • Permanent seat on UN Security Council.
    • 9th largest global economy.
    • Large military.
    • Oil and gas reserves - however very dependent.
    Problems:
    • Ageing and declining population.
    • Large inequality levels.
    • Difficult geopolitical relations.
  • India

    Strengths:
    • Large, young, working population.
    • Highly educated and speak English.
    • Culturally significant - 4 world religions and one of the largest film industries.
    • 4th largest military.
    Problems:
    • Poor transport and infrastructure.
    • Poor resource supply (energy, water, food).
    • High poverty levels.
    • Large polluters of CO2.
    • Poor relations with neighbours.
  • China

    Strengths:
    • Highly educated, innovative population.
    • Large economy - rivals USA.
    • Large military.
    • Modern infrastructure (high speed rail).
    Problems:
    • Ageing population.
    • Poor air and water quality.
    • Tense relations with neighbours.
    • Relies on imported raw materials.
  • Mackinder Theory - 1904
    …
    • Heartland - 50%+ of world‘s resources. Central Eurasia.
    • Core regions - areas near Heartland with good communications, high populations and large economies (UK, USA, Western Europe).
    • Periphery regions - outlying areas with limited access to resources, poor infrastructure and relations (Australia, South America).
  • World Systems - Wallerstein

    Development Is viewed in a global economic context rather than looking at individuals.
    • Core regions - USA, EU superpowers.
    • Semi periphery regions - China, India.
    • Periphery regions - South America, Africa.
    Periphery regions supply raw materials for manufacturing in the semi periphery regions. Core regions use these semi periphery regions as cheap locations for manufacturing and services.
  • Dependency theory - Frank

    Periphery countries provide a range of services for Core countries. Sort of neo-colonialism.
    Core countries control the growth of periphery countries by setting commodity prices and tax to ensure they don’t become developed enough to be potential superpowers.
  • Modernisation theory - Rostow

    Countries develop in 5 stages:
    1. Traditional society - agriculture based, no technology or money to improve.
    2. Preconditions - commercialised farming, slow growth of industries and transport systems.
    3. Take off - rapid growth of manufacturing and decline of agriculture.
    4. Drive to maturity - self-sustaining growth, more industries, urbanisation.
    5. mass consumption - expansion of services, manufacturing decline.
  • NATO

    Military alliance. If one member is threatened, all others will come to its aid.
  • UN

    193 countries.
    First post war IGO - 1945.
    Security Council - 5 permanent members (UK, USA, France, Russia, China - have veto power). 10 other members ranging in size, location and development which change every 2 years.
    ICJ - upholds international law.
    Prevents and handles conflict by peacekeeping troops, sanctions, war crime trails and aid.
    Protects human rights by adopting the UDHR.
    2000 and 2015, set targets to tackle poverty, child and maternal mortality and environmental issues.
  • Contested places

    …
    • Ownership of the Artic - many countries have ownership over parts of the Artic. Problems hace occurred over resources in the oceans and ownership of the oceans.
    • Russia and Ukraine - Russia are taking back the Crimea from the Ukraine.
  • China and Africa

    Since 2000, Africa and China have become major trading partners. This helps China build their relations and aid their progress as a superpower.
    • China built 2250km of railways and 3350km of roads in Africa.
    • China relies on African oil (Nigeria, Sudan) and minerals (Zambia).
    • Africa relies on Chinese manufactured imports and investment.
  • EU-Schengen Agreement

    Regional Agreement which abolished internal border controls in the EU and other selected countries.
    • Helped millions to fill job vacancies - 14 million EU citizens live in another country.
    • Economic theory suggests maximum efficiency comes from free trade, deregulated financials markets and open borders.
    Problems can include the undercutting of local wages and criminals being able to move freely.
  • Japan - migration

    …
    • Ageing population with a median age of 46.5 years.
    • Potential stress on resources due to this.
    • Working population is expected to fall drastically as there aren’t enough young people to fill the spaces left behind.
    • 1.7% of population are immigrants - average 5%.
    • Closed-door policy to immigration. They believe that immigrants will disrupt their peace, harmony and co-operation.
    • Little evidence of a changing mindset.
  • Cultural diversity

    CULTURAL FRACTIONISATION - uses an index to measure the diversity of countries. Measures peoples attitudes towards religion, democracy and law.
    0 = no diversity
    1 = total diversity
    Global average 0.53.
  • Windrush - 1948

    …
    • Over 500,000 migrants came from the Caribbean to the UK.
    • Workers were needed to help rebuild industry and service - filling skill and worker shortages.
    • The main push factor was poverty in the Caribbean due to the economic transition after independence.
  • Iceland

    …
    • In the mid-Atlantic Ocean hundreds of km from its nearest neighbour.
    • Independence was gained from Denmark in 1944.
    • All children’s names must come from an approved list to preserve the language of Icelandic sagas.
    • The language has been unchanged since 870AD.
    • Few other languages like English and German are spoken.
    • 74% belong to the Church of Iceland.
  • Singapore

    Established in 1819 by Sir Thomas Raffles. He divided it into distinct ethnic areas.
    Became independent in 1965.
    • 74% Chinese, 13% Malay, 9% Indian, others European.
    • Tried to generate a national identity based on Asian values but Singaporeans have their own ideas contradicting the government.
  • Alternatives to globalisation - Bolivia

    Evo Morales was elected in 2006 to undo 20 years of privatisation and influence of the IMF by:
    • Nationalising resources with profits going to the government.
    • Reducing primary exports.
    • Redistributing wealth.
    Nationalising oil and gas resources resulted in:
    • Increased gas connections, electricity and telecommunications.
    • Improved healthcare, education, pensions and incomes.
    • Reduced wealth inequalities and government debt.
    Morales was voted out as his supporters thought that change was happening too slowly. The future of Bolivia is now uncertain.
  • UN forces in the DRC

    …
    • Since 1999, $10 billion has been spent on the deployment of UN peacekeeping troops - the largest allocation of UN funds for conflict management.
    • 20,000 peacekeepers have been stationed in the DRC.
    • Congolese people have been protected from militia groups however the country is dependent on support for political stability.
    • In 2005, the ICJ stated that Uganda must compensate the DRC for plundering of natural resources during the conflict which claimed 5 million lives.
  • Failed states

    A country whose government has lost political control and can’t fulfil the responsibilities of a sovereign state.
    • USA (sometimes assisted by France and the UK) has taken military action Yemen, Somalia and Syria.
    • Unmanned drones are used, raising a challenge for international law makers.
    • These drones have killed thousands in Northern Pakistan who the USA aren’t at war with.
    • This is to do with the war on terror which is an ongoing campaign by the USA to counter international terrorism.
  • Water supply in Tanzania

    …
    • Many children had illnesses and girls were absent from school to carry water.
    • The World Bank said they would privatise their water for a $143 million loan.
    • Water bills were issued and houses who couldn’t pay were disconnected. The poorest, most vulnerable communities reverted to unsafe water.
    • In 2005, the Tanzanian Government cancelled the contract with City Water.
    • Services were run locally with support from external players like the African Development Bank.
    • In 2012, the Indian Government provided a $178 million loan for water projects.
  • Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs)

    Rules that provide guidance for receiving countries to follow to aid development.
  • HIPC schemes

    Heavily Indebted Poor Countries schemes. Launched in 1996 by the IMF and World Bank with the aim of ensuring that no poor country faces a debt of can’t manage.
  • UN Environmental Governance
    • Kyoto Protocol - 1997.
    • Paris Agreement - 2015.
    • Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer - banning the use of CFC’s.
    • Conservation of International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
    • UN Convention on the law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - manages navigational rights and ocean areas.
    • UN Convention on the protection and use of Transboundary water.
    • Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (EIA) - evaluates the value and services of ecosystems to humans.
    • Antarctic Treaty - 1959.
  • Lees model of migration

    Intervening obstacles (money, time, borders) can block migration whilst push and pull factors promote migration.
    Problems:
    • Doesn't account that people don’t always have the ability to migrate.
    • Only looks at accessibility and desirability to migrate.
    • People may differ in their ability to migrate.
  • Friedmann Core-Periphery model

    A strong economic core is fuelled by migration of workers and investors from the peripheral regions. Overtime, additional core regions form. The growth of these regions is fuelled by flows of raw materials and workers from neighbouring areas.
  • UK Car industry

    2nd largest global manufacturer.
    Rising production costs, strong German and Japanese competition led to declining production in the 70’s and 80’s.
    Car industry has rebounded under foreign ownership:
    • Jaguar Land Rover combined 2 motoring brands under India’s Tata motors. Cost them £1.6 billion in 2008.
    • The Mini company is assembled in the UK but the company is foreign owned and parts come from the EU.
  • Americanisation

    …
    • Walt Disney - world largest entertainment industry with annual earnings of over $50 billion. Disney movies and magazines expose people to Western culture. This doesn’t intend to change cultures but often does.
    • MTV - showcases Anglo-American music globally. Spreads western culture like fashion and language. MTV promotes strong female artists promoting gender equality.
    • Apple - devices promote Western culture In many subtle ways (e.g. key dates in a calendar).
  • Catalonia

    Autonomous region in North-Eastern Spain with their own culture and language.
    • Since 1979, the Spanish government has recognised Catalonians as a separate nationality but has not gained full independence.
    • Over 50% seek full independence.
    • Catalonians do have some autonomy over spheres of governance and has their own police force.
  • Scotland and the UK

    …
    • 45% of the 3.5 million who voted in the referendum would prefer to be completely self governed.
    • Some resent that their fate is controlled by politicians in Westminster.
    • Little support for Conservatives or Labour so vote for neither.
    • Complicated history between England and Scotland.
    • Most Scots would like to be part of an independent small state whilst remaining in the EU, The 2016 referendum where the UK left the EU has complicated this issue.
  • Tensions in the BRICs

    Brazil: Massive debt and poverty resulting from the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Protests occured saying the money should have been better spent on social problems.
    Russia: Parts of its periphery have ethnic groups that are socially and spatially distant from the core region of Moscow.
    India: Religious division between the majority Hindu and the minority Muslim. Many Muslims in Kashmir would like to break away from India.
    China: The Hukou system means rural migrants who moved to urban areas feel deprived. Government is pressured to change the rules.