Key Thinkers Concepts

Nationalism-Anderson

Identification with one’s own nation and support for its interests, sometimes to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations and nationalities.

Imagined Communities-Anderson

Nation is a socially constructed community, imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group. Citizens will never know most of their fellow citizens. Any community beyond small villages are imagined.

Cosmopolitanism-Appiah

All human beings belong to a single community, based on a shared morality. A person who adheres to the idea of cosmopolitanism in any form is called a cosmopolitan.

Identity-Appiah

Characteristics determining who or what a person is, how individuals define themselves or how they are defined by others.

Libertarian-Socialism-Chomsky

Aims to distribute power more widely among members of society. It is anti-capitalist and distinct from right-libertarian ideology, which concentrates economic power in the hands of those who own the most capital.

Neoliberalism-Chomsky/Nozick

The economy functions better when left alone by government. Supports free market economics and policies, which include deregulation, privatisation, low public spending and tax cuts.

Propaganda Model of Communication-Chomsky

Mass media is structured through advertising, media ownership and government involvement. This creates a conflict of interest that acts as propaganda for the privileged few.

Five Filters of Mass Media-Chomsky

Ownership, Advertising, Media Elite, Flak, Common Enemy

Cultural Relativism-Eriksen

All customs, values and practices of a culture are relative to that particular culture. All cultures are worthy in their own right, and a person’s practices and beliefs should be understood based on their own culture.

Identity Politics-Eriksen

Political positions based on interests and perspectives of social groups with which people indentify.

Ethnocentrism-Eriksen

The attitude that one’s own culture is superior to all others. It means judging another culture by your own cultural values and standards.

Social Anthropology-Eriksen

The study of human society and cultures. Social anthropologists seek to understand how people live in societies and how they make their lives meaningful.

Neo-Marxism-Gunder Frank

Ideology advancing key ideas of Marxism. It differs from Marxism by focusing on identity politics and the success of demographics rather than the rich and poor.

Dependency Theory-Gunder Frank

The view that people of less-developed countries are not to blame for the failure of their societies to develop and that Western nations have deliberately prevented the development of these countries.

World Systems Theory-Gunder Frank

A historic international capitalist system of interconnectedness between powerful countries that has prevented poorer countries from developing, and maintained global inequality.

Socialism-Freire

A political and economic system that involved distributing wealth and assets equally, so that everyone has a say, directly or through government, in how they are used.

Marxism

A political and economic theory of organising society, where the workers own the means of production.

Banking Concept of Education-Freire

Students are asked to memorise ideas and phrases without knowing the meaning behind them, turning them into a ‘bank’ of information. Education should consider the learner as a co-creator of knowledge.

Problem-Posing Education-Freire

Form of education encouraging discussion between the teacher and the student, where everyone learns alongside each other, creating equality and stimulating learning.

Conscientisation-Freire

Developing critically conscious, humanised learners who act to liberate themselves and the world from oppression and justice.

Authoritarianism-Hobbes

The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom and a lack of concern for the wishes or opinions of others.

The State of Nature

Hypothetical life of people before societies, government, and the rule of law came into existence.

Social Contract

A real or hypothetical agreement between the ruled and their rulers, defining the rights and duties of each.

Neoconservatism-Huntington

Political ideology characterised by its support of free-market capitalism and an interventionist foreign policy.

Western Civilisation-Huntington

The many cultures of European heritage sharing common cultural ideals, values, and history. Huntington viewed liberty, equality, individualism and democracy as Western and superior values that should be protected.

Conflict between Civilisations-Huntington

Future conflicts will no longer occur on ideological or political grounds, but on cultural ones.

Liberalism-Locke

A political and economic ideology that emphasises individual autonomy, equality of opportunity and the protection of individual rights.

Law of Nature-Locke

Theory that the state of nature has natural, morally acceptable laws that govern it.

Natural Rights-Locke

A set of rights Locke believed all human beings share and which cannot be taken away.

Egalitarianism-Lynch

All people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Social justice-Lynch

Justice through distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges within society.

Equality of condition-Lynch

Principle seeking to achieve equality in the material and non-material conditions of individuals or groups in society.

Communism-Marx

Ideology seeking to establish a classless society in which all property and means of production are owned by the state.

Capitalism

Social order where the means of production are privately owned, valuing private property and the free market.

Class Conflict-Marx

Struggle for political and economic power between capitalists and workers.

Dialectical Materialism-Marx

Theory that all historical events are determined by economic conditions.

Ecologism-McDonagh

Ideology stating that the non-human world is worthy of moral consideration, and this should be considered in shaping social, economic, and political systems.

Environmentalism-McDonagh/Shiva

Ideology concerning action aimed at protecting the environment.

Eco-theology-McDonagh

Form of theology that focuses on the relationships between religion and nature, particularly surrounding environmental concerns, ecological values, and human dominion over nature.

Libertarianism-Nozick

Ideology supporting minimal state interference in the economic and personal lives of citizens. Can be right or left-wing.

Natural Justice-Nozick

View that justice is served by considering what would occur without state interference. Opposite of Social justice.

Minimal State-Nozick

State afforded the least amount of powers to remove any threat to liberty and property of the individual.

Feminism-Nussbaum

The advocacy of women’s rights and the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes.

Capabilities Approach-Nussbaum

Idea emphasising the need to look beyond what an individual posses and instead what they can achieve with what they possess including life, bodily integrity, and control over one’s environment.

Human Development-Nussbaum

Enhancing citizens’ opportunities, freedoms, and improving their well-being while allowing then to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live.

Anti-colonialism/nationalism-Said

Philosophical movement supporting national independence and seeking solidarity among colonised nations.

Orientalism-Said

Western depiction of aspects of the non-Western world as uncivilised and threatening in order to justify Western imperialism.

Us and Them-Said

Theory that viewing the Orient in demeaning stereotypes implies people in the West are superior and entitled to dominate and civilise the other.

Eco-feminisim-Shiva

Branch of feminism that examines the connections between women and nature.

Earth democracy-Shiva

Philosophy promoting an earth family with no separation between nature and humans and no hierarchies between race and faiths.

Eco-apartheid-Shiva

View that people believe the lives of humans are separate from nature.

Eco-centrism

View that the whole environment is important, without preference to organisms.

Feminism (unified)-Walby

View bringing together all forms of feminism to offer a unifying analysis on the role of the patriarchy.

Public & Private Patriarchy-Walby

Women have overcome domestic (public) patriarchy but private patriarchy continues to exist.

Six structure of Patriarchy-Walby

Patriarchy exists in 6 structures: household, paid work, culture, sexuality, violence, and state.