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DANNEMARK N. POPULAR EDUCATION - Coggle Diagram
DANNEMARK N. POPULAR EDUCATION
CHAPTER 1; ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
1.1. ECONOMIC INEQUALITY;
A POSSIBLE WAY OUT?
Fighting the
TINA
perspective
B. ACTIVIST LEVEL
THE TRANSITION MOVEMENT
possible response to the problems of economic and political inequalities, climate change, food sovereignty
the idea is that we must act as communities
main points of interest of the transition movement
leaderless organization; allows more autonomy in the design of initiatives by citizens
RESILIENCE
the ability of an individual community or system to ADAPT to maintain an acceptable level of structure and identity
lead to a more sustainable, resilient and enriching economy
can be done through;
training in a wide range of skills enabling citizens to become resilient and less dependant on external producers or providers
training in civics, increasing self-confidence and hability to use political voice
local decision making, community ownership of assets and land (privatization)
LOCALIZATION
process by which some communities have a local food economy, their ownership of energy production and more small-scale manufacturing
PART 1; ENERGETIC TRANSITION
The UN has launched its sustainable development goals; the idea is that access to electricity is a universal right
studies show that consumers have long been uninterested in how energy is produced
a good knowledge of science and technology is essential to prepare young people for the future
PART 2; FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
food poverty is more and more visible in cities
there is a need for sustainability in food production and consumption
C. ARTISTIC LEVEL
HSBC PROJECT
creating fake bank notes in ordre to raise awareness of the growing debt problem
TEDDY CRUZ AND INCLUSIVE HOUSING
discusses how better design of institutions and public places, especially in marginalized communities, can help dismantle inequalities.
Public spaces can be redefined through civic engagement, shared responsibility and learning.
A. INSTITUTIONNAL LEVEL
Universal declaration of Human Rights (1948)
everyone has the right to a standard of living sufficient for their health and well-being and that of their families
UBI: Universal Basic Income
it is a (1) periodic, (2) cash payment, (3) unconditionally, (4) delivered to all, (5) on individual basis, (6) without means-test, (7) or work requirement
gained support across the political spectrum
LEFT
Securing a robust income floor, tackling poverty, promoting equal citizenship distribution of income
RIGHT
minimising state action in other areas, offering both a minimum income and freedom about how to spend it
PURPOSES
reduce the stigma of the poor
it wants to be a complement to social benefits that already exist
eliminates the "unemployment trap", could promote other forms of work (domestic, care)
give minimal basic security of income
CURRENT WELFARE SYSTEM;
old fashioned, and not adapted; many people in need are not eligible for social benefits
UBI scheme; a wider public provision, NOT a substitute
LOIC WACQUANT;
the neoliberal-paternalist regime punishes the misbehavior of excluded classes
dispossessed people are identified as incapable of fending for themselves; these people then internalize these rules and become unable to get out of the trap
examples of stigmatization in us political history
WELFARE QUEEN;
derogatory term used in the us to designate women who have received excessive social benefits
the SURFER
lazy subjects >< productive citizens (puritan work ethic)
POLITIC OF DISGUST
members of marginal groups find their voices devalued and disrespected, increasing their isolation from the public sphere
1.2. ECONOMIC INEQUALITIES
difference between income and wealth inequality
THE INCOME
refers to the money received or earned on a continuous basis, as a return for work or investments, its a flow of money, generated immediately
WEALTH
is the money or valuable assets accumulated by a person over a lifetime. its a stock of assets created over time
INEQUALITIES HAVE A SOCIAL IMPACT
disparities in education, health and access to quality services, increases poverty, limits social mobility, generates social tensions
INEQUALITIES HAVE A ECONOMIC IMPACT
less stable economic system (limited participation of all members of society in the labour market), slows down the economic growth, makes society more vulnerable to economic crises
1.3. INEQUALITY FOR
ALL
; Robert Reich
"taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society"
Facing the increasing inequalities in the US, Robert Reich has advocated
wage supplement for lower-income people
higher marginal income tax on the top five percent
investments in EDUCATION for lower income communities
increased union membership "unionization is not just good for workers in unions, it is very important for the economy overall
an UBI obviously
REICH'S OPINION ON CAPITALISM
actually sees capitalism positively
gives people the incentives to be productive, work hard (meritocracy) and be inventive
has improved the living standards of all people; making goods and services more accessible
THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE
there have been two major economic crises (1929/2008); there were peaks in the economy then it collapses and leads to significant drops. Between the two crises -> great prosperity
similarities between the two crises;
income and wealth got concentrated in fewer and fewer hands
the wealthy turned to and invested in the financial sector which flourished at the expense of other sectors
the middle class stagnated, got debts / economic instability with a high rate of unemployment
HOW DID THE COUNTRY GET OUT OF THE 29 CRISIS?
Roosevelt's NEW DEAL; the 3 Rs
RECOVERY; federal government is the main employer
REFORM; financial system
RELIEF; public work + farm & rural programs
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS
a strong middle-class makes an economy STABLE
they contribute to the running of the economy of a country
they are consumers and thus indirectly the job creators
the top 1% is dependent on the 99%
in the US the middle-class is struggling; incomes are low. The CEO and shareholders want to save money, so the workers dont benefit from the growth of the company
THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF INEQUALITIES
1947-1977
the economy floorished; low level of inequalities
investments in higher education which became affordable to many
in the late 50ies; the US had the best educated workforce worldwide, the next generation was systematically better than the previous one
the average hourly wage continued to rise until the late 70's; then something HAPPENED;
THE LEVELING OF WAGES
appearance of new technologies which allow to produce faster than the work done by humans. Not everyone has access, start of growing inequalities
the blue collars couldn't adapt to the change, losses in the middle of the labour market previously occupied by moderately skilled middle-class labourers
REAGAN AND THE MARKET DEREGULATION
based on the principle of less government intervention to make the economy more competitive. workers become more vulnerable and the economy more fragile.
lower funding of education, social services, healthcare : made the workers more vulnerable
THE ROLE OF UNIONS
unions were born because of the declining share of the middle class in the national income
between 1930-1950, 1/3 of total workforces joined a union
The decline of the unions was really due to the fact that Ronald Reagan declared unions to be the public enemy Nr. 1
The employers tried to prevent the formation of unions more aggressively than before
the promotion of union membership depend on political orientation (Democrats are for, republicans against)
ROBERT REICH AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Clinton’s political program was based on the slogan ’Putting the People First’.
Clinton wanted to expand the middle class and invest in the workers. The economy was prosperous, there were financial surplusses
BUT There was no political will to invest these in public services.
ROLE OF LOBBIES AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
Lobbies hold power in political decision-making in the United States
PACs = Political action committees. Politic Action Committee are private organizations whose purpose is to help or hinder elected representatives, as well as to encourage or discourage the adoption of certain laws.
Lobbies have given unions and businesses the ability to spend unlimited amounts of money on advertisements for the election or defeat of individual candidates.
Since they cannot give money directly to candidates, they have created PACs that use the money donated by billionaires to buy affects. It is a means of political control.
"inequality matters because it undermines democracy"
CHAPTER 2; QUESTIONNING DEMOCRACY
2.2. WHAT IS
DEMOCRACY
?
DEFINITIONS OF DEMOCRACY
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people"
government based on the idea of a critical, inclusive discussion, free from social and economic pressures, in which interlocutors treat each other as equals in an attempt to cooperate to achieve an understanding of issues of common interest.
government by the people and a government in which supreme power is vested in and exercised by the people directly or indirectly through a system of representation generally involving free elections held periodically
THE VERY BEGINNINGS
began in ancient Greece, based on the reflections of Aristotle and Plato
What endangers justice is wealth and poverty, because the rich want to get richer at the expense of the poor
The risk is that the poor will follow any demagogue that promises to overthrow the rich.
CITIZEN COMMUNITY
They wanted the system to guarantee their well-being and set up a system based on citizens being chosen at random.
It is an oligarchic system (= power held by a few). The promoters of this new system were convinced that everyone has the capacity to make the city work.
the sortition system was based on 3 principles
"all" the citizens get the opportunity to get to government (except for women)
If you give people time and information, they will find solutions that work.
If you do it often, more and more people get involved.
Different experiments of sortition show that there are various positive outcomes:
people will listen to each other before making a decision that takes into account adverse opinions
transcends differences because citizens are involved in a common process increases mutual respect
13th century in Italy
banking institutions; the people in power were the wealthy who knew what was best for the people
After the French and the American revolutions:
Elections were promoted in the name of equal representation of all citizens.
BUT elections remained restricted to free male adults at first. Only few people could vote and even fewer could run for office. This created a new political elite.
The power remained in the hands of a minority.
Majority rule is
the rule of tyranny
because it excludes stigmatized and marginalized people.
ROUSSEAU AND THE 19TH CENTURY
considered as the first modern defender of democracy
insisted that democracy was based on freedom and self-governance
for him, in commercial companies, people are much more inclined to take interest in themselves
POLITICAL REPRESENTATION; THE DIVIDE
Political underrepresentation may sometimes be the result of institutional decisions
Since 2010, 22 US states have passed suppression laws in states with the highest black turnout. On polling day (in 2016), there were 868 fewer polling stations in states with a history of discrimination. "It is an assault on the heart of democracy."
Students have never been asked to make decisions that impact the entire community. In the event that the students disagree with the decisions and raise their voices, something (their cell phone) is taken away.
In prisons, education was cut and libraries closed because inmates went on hunger strike. One interviewee said, "It's like in the days of slavery, when reading was forbidden to slaves."
ANGELA DAVIS
Many of the major problems facing contemporary America today are the consequences of the fact that slavery was never truly abolished.
The abolition of slavery would not be simply the dismantling of the institution but rather the creation of new conditions, new institutions, a new democracy, with former slaves who begin to participate in the democratic process on the basis of the 'equality.
Opportunity Threads = Workers' owned cooperatives
It gives workers the opportunity to free themselves from the exploitation of their employers.
They make their own decisions that impact their well-being, taking into account values such as self-respect.
Democracy in a globalized world
Democracy relies on the idea of collective action, which means that ‘we the people’ are going to work together in order to achieve the common good.
Living in a world based on global structures means that political forces are increasingly supranational and therefore less tangible.
Wendy Brown considers that the only hope of democracy is to operate at more local and delimited levels so as not to be satisfied with just contesting but to dismantle the globalized levels.
2.3. THE REBIRTH OF
DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY
A much better way to let people speak would be to go back to the central principle of Athenian democracy: drafting by lot or sortition.
Indeed, Increases diversity in making sure the panel is a reflection of the community / society, increases legitimacy. people will be motivated.
But the Process is slow, longer and more expensive.
The proponents all agree on the fact that the group has to remain small enough to allow for deliberation but has to be large enough to understand a large and diverse set of opinions.
A cross- section of society that is informed can act more coherently than an entire society which is uninformed.
You have to make sure all the participants come to a deep understanding of the topics in order to make sensitive decisions
Van Reybrouck considers it would be interesting to apply the principle of sortition in use in the criminal justice system to the legislative system
2.1. WHY ELECTIONS ARE
BAD
FOR DEMOCRACY?
DAVID VAN REYBROUCK
Why does David Van Reybrouck (DVR) consider referendums a primitive procedure?
Because it is based on a simple majority, there is no debate, it is handled by uninformed citizens
people do not have to think about the consequences of their decision, and there is manipulation.
What does the
World Values Survey
tell us about the state of democracy in the 57 countries it was conducted in?
Democracy is still considered a good way to govern.
But appealing to strong leaders "who don't have to worry about parliament and the elections" has appeared undemocratic.
Why does DVR talk about an explosive era?
Interest in politics is growing BUT faith in politics is waning.
So, it is important to transform this people's interest into something positive by giving them the opportunity to engage at a more concrete level.
Why does DVR consider elections are outdated?
They seem to be out of touch with the way citizens interact today, especially at a time when information has become extremely fast with social media.
How did Rousseau think about elections back in the 18th century?
He said that elections did not free people because as soon as a representative had been elected the people were in chains again, up to the next poll.
What does DVR find bizarre about elections?
They take place individually in a silent booth. People are left alone making their decision and it is a place where people are turning gut feelings into priorities.
In addition, citizens do not have the opportunity to provide some form of explanation or justification with their vote.
What is ‘Democratic Fatigue Syndrome’? What are the causes of this syndrome?
Referendum fever, declining party membership, low voter turnout, political paralysis, widespread public mistrust, and increased success of populist parties.
It is caused by the procedure. In the current context, elections are seen as an end in themselves and not to achieve democracy. Elections do not guarantee the resolution of a conflict.
How does DVR analyze the history of elections?
After the French and American revolutions, there was the concern to "learn the will of the people".
After World War II: The parties held state structures in their hands and there was a network of intermediary organizations made up of unions, corporations, party media. People had the feeling of being heard.
In the 80s-90s, the discourse was shaped by the free market and the party media disappeared. Citizens have become consumers.
What does DVR mean when he says/ writes ‘Elections are the fossil fuel of politics’?
They give a boost for democracy but we cannot restrict a democratic process to elections only.
What does the ‘Post democracy’ coined by Colin Crouch refer to? How do social media influence politics?
The mass of citizens plays a passive role in the electoral debate
Thanks to social networks, people can react and mobilize second by second. But sometimes the information goes a little too fast.
Additionally, people tend to get stuck in a bubble, mostly interacting with like-minded people (= the filter bubble).
So social networks give citizens a voice, but also endanger the system.