Global Economy and Neoliberalism

Questions and Answers

What is Sosua known for in the Dominican Republic?

A hub for technology startups

A center for agricultural trade

A transnational sexual meeting ground (correct)

A tourist destination for family vacations

What term describes the landscapes that are building blocks of imagined worlds in globalization according to Arjun Appadurai?

Sexscapes

Inequality exists in sexscapes based on race, gender, class, and nationality.

True

What is one characteristic of sexscapes?

International travel from the developed to the developing world Signup and view all the answers

What causes the growth of sex tourism in developing countries?

Global capital's destabilizing effects on economies Signup and view all the answers

Which country is associated with a widespread image as a sex hot spot?

Thailand Signup and view all the answers

Sex workers in the Dominican Republic often seek __________ as a strategy for improvement.

marriage to foreigners Signup and view all the answers

What role do sex workers often see marriage as in the Dominican Republic?

A viable option for legal migration Signup and view all the answers

The body is solely a physical entity and does not carry cultural meanings.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the global economy?

An immense network of exchanges of capital, goods, resources, people, and services across national borders. Signup and view all the answers

What is neoliberalism?

A strategy for economic development that calls for free markets, balanced budgets, privatization, free trade, and minimal government intervention in the economy. Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between liberalism and neoliberalism?

Classical Liberalism promotes liberty, freedom, and the welfare state, while Neoliberalism places high importance on free markets and rejects the welfare state. Signup and view all the answers

What is deregulation?

The removal of governmental controls over commercial activities or markets. Signup and view all the answers

What is privatization?

The transfer of governmentally owned enterprises to the private sector. Signup and view all the answers

What are the underlying values of neoliberal thinking?

Freeing markets from interference, deregulating sectors, privatizing public goods, and promoting individual responsibility. Signup and view all the answers

Who are the biggest proponents of neoliberalism in the USA?

Republican political conservatives with strong alliances to big business. Signup and view all the answers

Why is the concept of liberalism confusing in North America?

In the USA and Canada, the word liberal is often understood to mean the opposite of conservative. Signup and view all the answers

What is a crucial factor in the development of the global economy under neoliberalism?

The establishment of important supranational institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Signup and view all the answers

How are the poor and especially poor women burdened by structural adjustment policies?

They face increased prices, shrinking incomes, and must work more due to reduced government services. Signup and view all the answers

What is the feminization of unemployment?

The tendency for women to disproportionately lose their jobs due to retrenchment in manufacturing and services activities. Signup and view all the answers

What is the global division of labor?

The organization of production across national borders, leading to outsourcing of manufacturing to lower-wage countries. Signup and view all the answers

How have neoliberal policies adversely affected wealthier nations?

Higher rates of women's unemployment and dismantling of public services have expanded poverty. Signup and view all the answers

What is global apartheid?

An international system of minority rule that promotes inequalities and differential access to basic rights determined by race, class, gender, and geography. Signup and view all the answers

What are the racial disparities in the criminal justice system?

African Americans and Latinos face disproportionate unemployment and mass incarceration. Signup and view all the answers

What is de-Americanization?

Associates being white with being American and creates fears of undesirable citizens. Signup and view all the answers

What is the feminization of poverty?

The tendency of women to bear the burden of poverty, leading to harsh living conditions for women and children. Signup and view all the answers

How is the gendered global labor force created?

Through the tying of certain kinds of imagined identities to specific forms of labor. Signup and view all the answers

What is a tautological argument?

An argument based on circular reasoning, often used to justify women's roles in certain jobs. Signup and view all the answers

What is the feminization of labor?

The relative growth in the use of female labor as a result of deregulation. Signup and view all the answers

Why do multinational corporations like poor nations?

Low costs and higher profits due to minimal labor conditions and environmental standards. Signup and view all the answers

What are maquilas?

Export processing factories found along the border between the USA and Mexico. Signup and view all the answers

What is the transnational labor force?

The movement of people across national boundaries for economic production. Signup and view all the answers

What is the most common job for women in the transnational labor force?

Domestic service. Signup and view all the answers

When women leave their home country to pursue work abroad, what typically happens to their own children?

Their children are usually cared for by other women, often relatives. Signup and view all the answers

What is transnational motherhood?

The practice in which women from the Global South take care of children of women from the Global North. Signup and view all the answers

What is the feminization of international migration?

The tendency for women to disproportionately migrate across borders for employment. Signup and view all the answers

What area of the world economy has been most affected by the loosening of border controls and migration?

Tourism. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Grand Tour?

A 17th-century rite of passage for wealthy British men to travel and educate themselves. Signup and view all the answers

What is sex tourism?

Travel to facilitate commercial sexual relations between tourists and local residents. Signup and view all the answers

What is Fordist accumulation?

Assembly line production for building automobiles, leading to monotonous tasks for workers. Signup and view all the answers

What is flexible accumulation?

A form of capitalism allowing manufacturers to respond quickly to changing consumer demands. Signup and view all the answers

What are Host/Hostess Clubs?

Commodifications of intimate relations, reflecting the commodifying logic of capitalism. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Global Economy and Neoliberalism

The global economy consists of an extensive network facilitating the exchange of capital, goods, services, and labor across national borders.
Neoliberalism promotes free markets, privatization, and minimal government interference, significantly influencing global wealth distribution since the late 1970s.
It is a continuation of classical liberalism, emphasizing limited government and allowing market forces to dictate economic outcomes.

Neoliberalism Defined

Neoliberalism supports deregulation and privatization of public goods, arguing these will lead to increased efficiency and innovation.
Proponents claim that free markets inherently benefit everyone by creating fair wealth distribution and facilitating technological progress.

Liberalism vs. Neoliberalism

Classical Liberalism advocates for liberty, equality, and a welfare state, whereas Neoliberalism favors free markets and unequal wealth distribution, often undermining welfare provisions.

Key Neoliberal Policies

Deregulation: Elimination of government controls on commercial activities to enhance profits.
Privatization: Transition of public services and enterprises into private sector hands, affecting areas like health and education negatively for low-income populations.

Structural Adjustment Policies

Institutions like the World Bank and IMF impose conditions on loans that often lead to cuts in social programs in borrowing countries, exacerbating poverty and inequality.
These policies disproportionately affect women and marginalized communities, deepening societal vulnerabilities.

Feminization of Poverty and Unemployment

Women's labor is often devalued, leading to higher unemployment rates among women, especially during economic downturns.
Structural adjustment policies and labor market retrenchment contribute to the feminization of poverty, pushing women into low-paying, unstable jobs.

Global Division of Labor

Advanced capitalist nations outsource manufacturing to lower-wage countries, reinforcing gender biases and economic disparities.
The outcome is a global labor structure that exploits cheap labor in the Global South while products are marketed in wealthy nations.

Transnational Labor Dynamics

Female migration for work is rising, with many women leaving their children behind, resulting in a global phenomenon known as transnational motherhood.
These women often take on low-status jobs abroad, further entrenching economic inequalities and gender roles.

Impact of Tourism

Tourism has evolved into a critical industry for economic development in many poorer nations, yet it has also given rise to a controversial sex tourism sector.
Historical practices, such as the Grand Tour, continue today, often perpetuating colonial stereotypes and exploitation of local women.

Global Apartheid and Inequality

An international system manifests disparities in wealth and human rights, often influenced by race, gender, and geographic location.
Racial disparities are prevalent within the criminal justice system, disproportionately affecting African American and Latino communities.

Gendered Selling of Labor

Corporations favor employing women in deregulated environments due to their perceived docility and low wage acceptance.
Maquiladoras serve as a case study of women's exploitation in the labor market, where their roles are commodified and devalued.

Sexscapes and Commodification

Locations such as Sosua exemplify how global cultural flows intersect with commodified sexual relations, blending tourism with exploitation.
Sex tourism reflects deepening inequalities in the global economy and reinforces systemic poverty among women in developing regions.### Sexscapes and Racialization
Developing world locations termed "sexscapes," where sex work defines the culture and identity of women.
Dominican women in Europe, especially Germany, are stereotyped as sexually available, contributing to their racialization.
Thailand recognized as a prominent destination for sex tourism, enhancing its image as a sex hotspot.
Male sex tourists often engage in racialized sexual fantasies, associating nationality, race, and gender with sexual prowess, attracted by lower costs than their home countries.

Male Sex Tourist Behaviors

Negative and misogynistic attitudes expressed by male sex tourists towards women from their home countries, including partners and wives.
A preference for traditional relationships draws Western males to seek out compliant and feminine partners in sexscapes.
Economic advantages experienced by sex tourists in places like the Dominican Republic allow them to escape social and economic constraints faced at home.

Sex Worker Strategies - Dominican Republic

Sex workers leverage unequal conditions to pursue opportunities such as forming stable relationships with Europeans for financial support and migration prospects.
Marriage to foreigners is often viewed as a primary route for legal migration from the Dominican Republic.
For many, marriages serve as transactions, improving financial security amid chronic labor instability and crises, often devoid of romantic love.

Embodying Gender

The body is viewed as a social construct with cultural significances attached to it.
It serves as a medium through which political, economic, and social inequalities are embodied and expressed.
Bodies also become sites of protest and resistance against inequality and discrimination.

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Explore key concepts from Chapter 7 regarding the global economy and neoliberalism. This quiz covers definitions and core ideas that shape the understanding of economic systems and labor dynamics today.

Global Economy and Neoliberalism - Chapter 7