Global studies exam 3

climate change as a global commons problem

Climate change operates as a collective action problem because the atmosphere is shared globally.
→ Individual states benefit from emitting (economic growth) but costs are distributed globally.
→ Leads to free-rider problem: states rely on others to reduce emissions.

ecological uncertainty

unpredictability of climate impacts (timing, severity, tipping points)

epistemic uncertainty

limits of scientific knowledge + disagreement over models/data

political-economic uncertainty

uncertainty about how systems (capitalism, governance) shape impacts

Key insight: climate change is not just scientific uncertainty—it is deeply political.

anthropocene

Humans are now a geological force altering Earth systems (carbon cycle, biodiversity).
→ Critiques:

• Not all humans equally responsible (Global North vs South)

• Masks power relations (capitalism, colonialism)
  → Some scholars argue for terms like “Capitalocene” to highlight capitalism’s role.

planetary boundaries

Earth systems (climate, nitrogen cycles, biodiversity) have thresholds.
→ Crossing them risks nonlinear, irreversible change (e.g., tipping points).
→ Climate change is linked to multiple boundaries → systems are interconnected.

climate justice

→ Focuses on distribution + responsibility + capacity:

• Who caused emissions historically?

• Who is most vulnerable now?

• Who has the resources to respond?

→ Example: Small island states face sea-level rise despite minimal emissions.

common but differentiated responsibilities

→ Principle recognizing historical inequality in emissions.
→ Mechanism:

• Developed countries → reduce emissions + fund adaptation

• Developing countries → prioritize development

→ Conflict: Global North vs South disagreements in climate negotiations.

contraction and convergence

→ Step 1: Global emissions contract to sustainable levels
→ Step 2: Emissions converge to equal per capita allocation

→ Implication: Wealthy countries must drastically reduce emissions.

global governance limitations (climate)

→ Weak enforcement → states prioritize sovereignty
→ Voluntary agreements (Paris) lack binding force
→ Collective action problems persist

political economy of climate change

→ outcomes are shaped by:

• Fossil fuel industries

• Capitalist growth priorities

• State economic interests

→ Key idea: Climate inaction is not accidental—it is structurally produced.

fossil capitalism

→ Economic growth depends on fossil fuels (cheap, energy-dense).
→ Creates lock-in effects: infrastructure, jobs, political power tied to fossil fuels.

primitive accumulation

Capitalism expands by taking resources (land, labor) from marginalized groups.
→ Example: Land grabs for mining or agriculture.

spatial displacement

shifting of objects, crimes, environmental impacts, or people from one location to another, rather than eliminating them. It is used in contexts ranging from crime mapping and environmental policy (moving pollution elsewhere)

crisis displacement

capitalism avoids collapse by shifting crises, ex: waste exported to poorer countries

temporal displacement

the movement or misplacement of an object, person, or phenomenon from its original time period into another, often causing disruptions in the timeline

ex: debt + delayed environmental costs

social displacement

burden placed on marginalized groups

carbon markets

Designed to reduce emissions through market incentives
BUT:

• Creates a right to pollute

• Allows rich actors to avoid real reductions

• Encourages speculation (financial markets)

• Often fails to reduce total emissions

→ Example: Companies offset emissions instead of cutting them.

privatization of the air

Turning emissions into tradable property rights is morally problematic because:

• Atmosphere is a shared resource

• Reinforces inequality (rich can buy pollution rights)

false solutions (market solution critique)

→ Technological fixes that:

• Delay structural change

• Require massive capital investment

• Introduce new risks

→ Examples:

• Geoengineering → unknown consequences

• Biofuels → land grabs, food insecurity

• Carbon capture → expensive, limited effectiveness

precautionary principle

Avoid large-scale interventions when risks are unknown or irreversible.
→ Violated by many tech-fix solutions.

Dalby — environmental determinism

Assumes linear causation: environment → conflict
→ Ignores:

• Political institutions

• Economic inequality

• Historical context

main point: environment interacts with social systems, not independently.

geopolitical imagination

Shapes policy by categorizing regions:

• “Stable” (West) vs “chaotic” (Global South)
  → Influences intervention, aid, and military policy.

power of language — discourse

Language constructs reality
→ Fear-based narratives → justify intervention and militarization

→ Example: framing Africa as “dangerous” legitimizes Western control.

Othering as a political function

Creates “us vs them”
→ Reinforces global hierarchies and inequality.

thermal inequality

Not just exposure to heat, but structurally produced vulnerability:

• Labor systems (manual work vs office work)

• Housing (AC vs none)

• Migration constraints

durable inequality

Social systems reproduce inequality across time
→ Climate change reinforces existing inequalities

→ Example: Poor workers remain trapped in dangerous conditions.

precarity vs hyper-precarity

Precarity: unstable work/life
→ Hyper-precarity: extreme vulnerability with no safety nets

embodied climate experience

Climate is experienced physically:

• Heat exhaustion

• Dehydration

• Long-term health effects

→ Connects climate change to public health.

food systems as socio-ecological systems

Food production shaped by:

• Ecology (soil, water, climate)

• Economy (markets, trade)

• Power (who controls land/resources)

urban metabolism

Cities depend on external resources → not self-sustaining
→ Export waste and environmental costs elsewhere

→ Example: Cities rely on rural agriculture but generate pollution.

urban heat island effect

Concrete + infrastructure trap heat
→ Leads to:

• Higher temperatures

• Increased energy demand

• Greater health risks

peri-urban zones

Hybrid spaces where urban expansion meets rural systems
→ Sites of rapid change and inequality.

food insecurity

Not just lack of food, but:

• Market dependence

• Price volatility

• Political instability

→ Example: Egypt’s reliance on imports increases vulnerability.

urbanization of poverty

Increasing concentration of poverty in cities
→ Linked to migration, inequality, and economic restructuring.

public health

Collective effort to:

• Prevent disease

• Extend life

• Promote well-being through social systems

3 core functions of public health

→ Protection (regulations, safety)
→ Prevention (vaccines, screenings)
→ Promotion (education, behavior change)

public health vs medicine

→ Medicine = individual treatment
→ Public health = population-level prevention

→ Key insight: prevention is more effective than treatment.

epidemiology

Studies disease patterns using:

• Person (who)

• Place (where)

• Time (when)

biostatistics

Uses rates (mortality, morbidity) to measure health outcomes.

social and behavioral sciences

Health behaviors shaped by environment and social context.

environmental health

Examines how environmental factors (air, water, toxins) affect health.

health policy and management

Focus on laws, systems, and governance shaping health access.

social determinants of health

• Non-medical conditions (like housing, education, income, environment) that influence health outcomes, quality of life, and inequality.

material-semiotic interdeterminacy

Health outcomes depend on both:

• Material conditions (resources)

• Meanings (culture, interpretation)

pandemics as socio-political events

Not just biological → shaped by:

• Globalization

• Inequality

• Governance

globalization in pandemics

Increases connectivity → faster spread of disease.

health disparities in pandemics

Vulnerable populations suffer more due to structural inequality.

humanitarian perspective

Moral duty to help poorer countries.

market based perspective

Health improves through economic growth.

national sovereignty perspective

Non-interference in domestic affairs.

postcolonial perspective

Wealthy countries owe reparations due to historical exploitation.

free-rider problem

states benefit from others reducing emissions without contributing themselves

non-medical factors

• Social, economic, and environmental conditions (like housing, income, education) that influence health outcomes beyond medical care.

upstream determinants

Root structural causes of health outcomes (e.g., education systems, inequality) that shape more immediate or “downstream” health issues.

“causes of causes”

Deeper underlying factors that produce direct health risks; emphasizes looking beyond surface-level explanations to structural drivers.

problem closure

When models or frameworks limit what counts as a valid cause or solution, often excluding complex or political factors like racism or colonialism.

process based understanding

Viewing health and social systems as dynamic and constantly changing processes rather than fixed, measurable “things.”

measurement practices create reality

• The idea that tools like surveys and metrics actively shape how reality is understood rather than simply describing it.

noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)

Chronic diseases that are not spread person-to-person (e.g., diabetes, cancer), often linked to lifestyle and structural conditions.

“slow motion pandemic”

Framing chronic diseases (like obesity) as long-term global crises to generate urgency and policy attention.

toxic stress

Prolonged activation of the stress response (often from early-life adversity) that disrupts brain development and increases long-term health risks.

population level prevention

Public health approach focused on preventing disease across entire populations rather than treating individuals after illness occurs.

global public health

Focuses on understanding and addressing the cultural, social, political, economic, and environmental conditions that shape health and access to healthcare.

material-semiotic indeterminacy

Health outcomes are shaped by both material conditions (resources, environment) and meanings (culture, interpretation), and relationships between them are not fixed or fully knowable.

epidemic

A sudden, localized outbreak of disease affecting many people at once.

pandemic

A large-scale epidemic that spreads across countries or globally, affecting a high proportion of the population.

endemic

A disease that persists at a consistent level within a specific region over time.

pandemic response stages

• Anxiety and isolation (border closures, fear)

• Collective action (international cooperation)

• Advocacy and reform (policy changes and long-term planning)

pandemics as socio-political events

Pandemics are shaped by globalization, inequality, and governance, not just biological factors

globalization in pandemics

Increased global connectivity allows diseases to spread more quickly across borders.

strategic use of pandemic rhetoric

Using the language of “pandemic” to mobilize funding, policy action, and global attention—even for non-infectious issues.

adverse childhood experiences

Traumatic events before age 18 (abuse, neglect, family instability) that have long-term health impacts.

biological embedding of stres

The process by which early-life stress affects physical development, including brain structure, hormones, and immune systems.

long term health risk amplification

Increased likelihood of chronic diseases (e.g., stroke, cancer, addiction) due to early-life adversity.