Lessons from Rethinking Globalization



















Part I
1. What does this cartoon mean?
2. If each fish represented a group of people, how would you label each of the three fish?
3. If each fish represented a country, how would you label each of the three fish?
4. Create a title for the cartoon.


See pages 73-74 in Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World for more teaching suggestions using this cartoon.


Part II
In class, we will do the "Ten Chairs of Inequality" activity. For extra credit, comment on your feelings about the activity and the class discussion following the activity. In your comment you may want to address reasons why you think many people seem to lack a sense of "class consciousness." Do you think "class" is a "taboo" subject in the media? Among politicians? Why or why not?
("Ten Chairs of Inequality" from Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World, page 115.)


Psychology connection: What is "just world phenomenon"? How does it relate to the "10 Chairs of Inequality" activity and subsequent discussion?


Part III
Assignment: Read, "Myths of Underdevelopment" pages 64-67 from Rethinking Globalization. Class discussion to follow.


Related Links:
http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2007/10/economic-justice.html

Comments

gruber w said…
1. i think this cartoon represents how people are judged by other people.
gruber w said…
i think the big fish would be white people, the middle fish would be like asian people, and the little fish would be like black/latino people.
polk us said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
gruber w said…
i think the big fish would be the u.s. the middle fish would be canada and the little fish would be mexico.
polk us said…
this cartoon represents how people judge other people
gruber w said…
i would call it the "race fish"
polk us said…
in the cartoons the big fish represent white which whould have more freedom then the other fish and the middle fish would be asain which would have alittle more freedom then the smallest fish would and the smallest fish would be black which would not have freedom at all
gruber- So does the size of each fish represent power, resources, something else?

Other than race or class, how else are we stratified in the U.S.?
polk - When you refer to freedom, what do you mean?

Elaborate on that a little bit.
gruber w said…
i think that more people dont kno about this because the people with the money dont want other people to find out because they dont want things to change to much because everything is going their way.
polk us said…
the people with more money want to keep it quiet the media is comtorled with people with money
polk us said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
polk us said…
i mean with freedom they get to do more thing with the white they get to have more freedom alot more freedom and the asain get to have less but not as less then the blacks the blacks get to have nop freedom at all the blacks dont get to do anything at all the whitse get all the freedom then the blacks i hope this helps is not sorry
gruber w said…
i dont think i really understand your question.
gruber w said…
i think the fish could also represent money, power or influence. i just picked one to talk abuot and i picked race.
polk us - So by freedom you mean more opportunities (education, jobs, housing, voting, etc.)...

Also, freedom from persecution. What I mean is, minorities are more likely to experience discrimination. Worst case scenario - victimization through violence. In this class we've talked about lynchings, race riots, Japanese internment camps, terrorism by groups such as the KKK, hate crimes, (Jena 6), etc.

Obviously, the absolute worst case scenario is genocide....
-Some would argue Columbus is responsible for a genocide against the Arawak/Taino people.
-Jewish Holocaust
-Cambodian Genocide
-Darfur
(just to name a few we've discussed this summer)
polk us said…
yes that what i am trying to say sorry for being comfusing i meant that with freedom blacks cant go to school job housing, voting
tylermi w said…
I just viewed this cartoon and felt compelled to post my thoughts on the matter just for the sake of stating my personal opinion. To me this cartoon image really demonstrates how a person perspective of justice and the world can be affected by such matters as wealth, fame, and our standing whether it be politically or job wise. Simply those who are the poor common people who are stepped on see the world as it is and can see that there is no justice for they are always being stepped on by those with more money or fame or prestige. The first fish is obviously the lower class. The second fish is the middle class. They are a little higher up in status and they step on the "Little Guy" so to speak. Yet at the same time they themselves are being steppe don so to speak by the higher class. They falsely come to believe that there is some justice in the world for they are only partly oppressed so they don't see the full injustice of the matter. Now the third and final fish is the upper class, they are the very wealthy famous people who are high up on the economic and political ladder. They walk around stepping on the middle and lower classes and have life so good that they feel that there is justice. They themselves have never experienced being at the bottom of the food chain so to speak. They maybe ounce where but big money, big business, and big politics has made them forget truly where they ounce where and what it was like. Really this cartoon in a way refines the saying "This is A Fish Eat Fish World"
tyler- I'm really happy you decided to share your feelings on this cartoon.

I usually share this cartoon in my Civics and Social Psychology classes when we discuss issues of inequality.

The cartoon definitely provokes some interesting discussion about power, influence, perspective, etc.

In the U.S., especially as members of the "majority" it is sometimes hard to look at the world from the perspective of others, especially those with less (whether it be less resources, power, etc.)

We are indeed a very hierarchical society...we are stratified with a few at the top, more in the middle and many at the bottom. We are stratified according to race, gender, class, religion, sexual orientation and on and on.

I'm reminded of a similar cartoon showing many small fish devouring a much larger fish. I think the caption was "Organize!" So, we can look at it this way...alone, we are relatively powerless but working together, no matter how "small" we can accomplish a lot!

I'll try and keep my comment brief...like I said, I'm glad you decided to share your insights. This satisfies another project requirement.

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