Politics and Culture in the Developing World

Richard J. Payne, Jamal R. Nassar

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781317345466
• Edition: 5
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

From decolonization and democratization to religion and gender, Politics and Culture in the Developing World is a comprehensive survey of the global context of development. With in-depth and current examples from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East., this text examines the central political themes in the developing world. Throughout, Politics and Culture in the Developing World demonstrates how globalization both accelerates change and increases interdependence between developing and developed countries.

CHAPTER
1

Government, Politics, and Cultures in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America

Government, Politics, and Cultures in a Globalized World

How do we interact in an organized social setting? It is through politics. Our politics are often based on a common culture. But recently, politics and cultures have been going global. What happens in one country is increasingly connected to what happens elsewhere in the world. For example, the government in one country may wish to have a lower price for oil, but that is beyond the control of any single government. Political leaders in one country may want to limit the type of information their citizens receive. That, too, has proven to be largely beyond their control.

In our world, government, politics, and cultures are going through rapid change as a result of globalization. We do not exactly know the shape of future politics or cultures. We do know that our world faces new circumstances whose implications are yet to be fully known. What is obvious is that our interactions in organized social settings have become more complex. This complexity in the midst of a globalized world makes understanding the developing world more important. The recent global recession did not come by accident, it was a result of policies and economics based on an old order that does not fit the current one. Simply put, national solutions to global problems do not work. The developing world represents the overwhelming majority of the people and countries of our world, yet economic policies remain centered on a few countries that are mostly in Europe and North America. It is time for us to learn about the rest of the world.

The recent great global recession has highlighted the weakness of our old understanding of modern society. Historically, scholars of international politics and economics emphasized European and North American trends as if the developing world did not exist. Today, however, we know that old theories do not fit our modern world. This book focuses on the politics and cultures of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America in the era of globalization. These areas make up almost two-thirds of the earth’s surface and are inhabited by approximately 80 percent of the world’s population. Increasing globalization is creating closer and more complex relationships among the peoples of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and those of the developed countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Europe. An understanding of the developing world is becoming more important as events there generally have an impact, directly and indirectly, on the lives of people in the more advanced world. September 11, 2001, was a reminder of such an impact as was the recent global recession.

Before driving to a faraway place, most of us look at a map or the Internet to decide which interstate to take to reach our destination; some would simply program their Global Positioning System (GPS) instead. Similarly, before learning about an area that is largely unfamiliar, we need to know the concepts or ideas that constitute the foundation of more complex issues. Concepts are like the interstate. They become the major link between students and their acquisition of a better understanding of the subject. Along the way, we hope that this book will spark a spirit of critical thinking. This chapter focuses on basic concepts, several of which may be familiar to many students. These concepts are used throughout the book. This chapter discusses concepts such as globalization, politics, government, culture, the state, sovereignty, the nation, and the developing world.

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION?

This concept will be discussed in detail in Chapter 3. For now, you need to have a brief idea about the notion of globalization. In this book, we define globalization as the integration of markets, politics, values, and environmental concerns across borders. This process has been going on throughout history. During recent times, globalization has spread rapidly and its impact has become clear. Today, our global reality is one of interdependence and shared destiny. But globalization has serious consequences. The developing countries cannot live in isolation any longer. Events in other parts of the world affect them more seriously than developed and wealthier states. When the price of oil rises, it takes a greater toll on the poor than it does on the wealthy. When environmental controls are imposed, they have a greater impact on those who depend on the environment more directly. This book will review the impact of globalization in each of its chapters. By the end, you should have a good idea about how globalization affects the developing world.

Globalization ■ The integration of markets, politics, values, and environmental concerns across borders.

WHAT IS POLITICS?

If you are a member of a fraternity, sorority, a student organization, or any other group, you know that the group has to have a way to manage its affairs. The group needs some system to decide on activities, to carry out such activities, or to settle disputes. Often, the system allows certain individuals to be in charge. Such individuals take, or are given, a certain amount of power over others in the group. It is this idea of power that is central to the concept of politics.

Politics ■ The means by which a society organizes its affairs.

Politics may be defined as the means by which a society organizes its affairs. In old tribal societies, a chief took charge of organizing the affairs of the tribe. In modern societies, a government is usually formed for that purpose. So, when we study politics or political science, we generally study government. But that is not all, because in essence, what we study is the power relationships in societies. Although governments usually acquire the most power, other entities also have power. Public opinion, for example, is important. Certain groups acquire power on specific issues that relate to them. Labor unions could have a great deal of power when it comes to issues relating to labor. Farmers and farm bureaus are rather powerful on agricultural policies and practices. The so-called gun lobby is powerful on issues of gun control. In the classroom, the teacher has certain powers that students do not. On the job, the manager or the boss has greater power than some of the other workers or employees. But whatever powers an individual or group has, it is usually overshadowed by the greater power of government.

The study of politics, then, is the study of government and the use of power and its allocation in society. When we study national politics, we concentrate on the national government, its powers, and the powers of other groups that can influence the national government and its behavior. Courses on state and local politics look at state governments, and county, city, and township governance. In public administration classes, you learn about governmental administration and the role of civil servants and their organization. The study of international relations, on the other hand, focuses on relations among nations and on international laws and organizations. In comparative politics, you would study other societies and their political forces, processes, institutions, and performances. In political science, you can also study political theory and methodology. Political theory courses try to understand theoretical and ethical notions underlying government and politics. Methodology refers to the methods employed by students, practitioners, and researchers to assess policies and their consequences. Whatever you study in political science, the subject will invariably touch on government.

WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?

Government is one of those concepts that we often use and know but have difficulty explaining. Like the concept of love, we all know what it is, but we can’t easily define it. We can see government around us all the time. We see it in the police officer issuing a citation. We see government every time we see a fire engine zooming by or whenever we pay sales tax on the purchases we make. Government seems to be with us all the time. It is in the air we breathe, as government regulates emissions from cars and factories. Government is in the food we eat and the water we drink, as government officials or employees draw guidelines on the permissible. Government builds roads and repairs potholes. It erects bridges and installs traffic lights. It maintains armed forces and police departments. It licenses teachers, doctors, real-estate brokers, and car dealers. Government runs schools and universities. It is, somehow, everywhere. Government was there when we were born, and it will be there when we die. In fact, we are not officially born until a government-certified individual signs a piece of paper called a birth certificate. Similarly, we do not legally die, and no one would dare bury us, until some government-approved individual signs a piece of paper called a death certificate.

Government ■ Institutions and processes employed by societies to organize their affairs.

So, what is this creature called government? Simply put, government comprises the institutions and processes that societies employ to organize their affairs and to protect them from internal or external threats. Often, that mechanism is a complex system of local, regional, and national organizations. Each set of organizations or institutions has particular tasks aiming at organizing and protecting society. Local governments may include a mayor, a city council, a zoning board, a police commission, a health commission, a water authority, a fire commission, and a host of other authorities, each working in a specific sphere to organize and protect people inhabiting that particular community. Regional or state government is even more complex, with a larger web of institutions. The national government is the largest entity and, often, the most complex. Our national government starts with the president, heading a very complex executive branch. Congress in the Unite...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Brief Contents
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Photo Credits
• Chapter 1 Government, Politics, and Cultures in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America
• Chapter 2 Global Interdependence
• Chapter 3 Religion and Politics
• Chapter 4 Nationalism, Colonialism, and Independence
• Chapter 5 Global and Domestic Inequalities
• Chapter 6 Challenges of Development
• Chapter 7 The Costs of Development
• Chapter 8 Women in the Developing World
• Chapter 9 Transitions to Democracy and Human Rights
• Chapter 10 Political Leadership and State Capacity
• Chapter 11 Ethnicity, Ethnic Conflict, and Conflict Resolution
• Chapter 12 Migration
• Chapter 13 Foreign Relations of the Developing Countries
• Index