GLST 101 - Midterm Study Guide Topics

information from study guide

global studies

interdisciplinary study of power, culture, economics, and politics across borders and societies

single story

stereotypes that oversimplify complex realities, often controlled by Global North

soft power

cultural influence and attraction rather than military and hard power to achieve political goals

IMF Conditionality

international monetary fund grants loans that come with strings attached (mandatory policy changes)

austerity

economic policies that reduce government spending, often harming social services and vulnerable populations

policy space

a government’s freedom to make independent economic decisions without external pressure

organized hypocrisy

when institutions like the IMF claim to help development but impose harmful conditions

secular nationalism

state identity where religion is separate from government and politics

religious nationalism

state identity where religion is central to national identity and politics

Hindu nationalism in India

BJP / Modi push Hindu-politics despite India’s secular constitution, leading to minority exclusion

impact of religious nationalism

exclusion of minorities, increased conflict, and erosion of secular democratic principles

religion’s dual role in Nigeria

religion both fuels conflict (Boko Haram) and enables peacebuilding efforts

God Loves Uganda key lesson

US evangelicals promoted anti-LGBTQ+ laws, showing how foreign actors shape local politics

colonial legacy of religion

religion was used as a tool of control and continues to influence inequality and politics today

2013 Rana Plaza collapse

factory collapse in Bangladesh that killed 1100+ workers (mostly women) in an unsafe building

Rana Plaza significance

global supply chain exploitation where Western brands profit while workers face deadly conditions

gender and labor exploitation

women are the most exploited in export industries, facing lowest wages and worst conditions

Chernobyl as environmental justice

1986 nuclear disaster where poor/rural populations suffered most while elites were protected

environmental injustice lesson

environmental disasters hurt the powerless most; delayed evacuation showed injustice of silence

Chernobyl’s impact

explosion spread radiation across Ukraine/Belarus, with lasting health and displacement effects