Glossary Flashcards
(172 cards)
1
Q
Aboriginal Multi-Media Society (AMMSA)
A
A Canadian-based Aboriginal communications society that uses Internet, radio, and print media to promote Aboriginal cultures.
2
Q
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)
A
Aboriginal Canadian television network that produces programming by and for Aboriginal peoples.
3
Q
absolutism
A
A political system in which power and the right to rule belong exclusively to the social elite.
4
Q
accommodation
A
An inclusive approach that allows religious or ethnic groups to maintain their distinctive cultures within mainstream society.
5
Q
acculturation
A
Change as a result of contact with other cultural groups.
6
Q
agribusiness
A
Large-scale agricultural businesses, such as factory farms or feedlots.
7
Q
anti-globalization
A
The perspective of individuals and groups opposed to global trade agreements and their negative consequences for people in less developed countries, for the environment, and for peace.
8
Q
apartheid
A
A policy of the South African government from 1948 to 1990 that denied rights to non-White citizens.
9
Q
arable land
A
Land that is good for farming.
10
Q
arbitrary detention
A
Depriving an individual of liberty without just cause.
11
Q
Assembly of First Nations (AFN)
A
The national representative organization of the First Nations in Canada.
12
Q
assimilation
A
The absorption of a minority group by a dominant group.
13
Q
austerity programs
A
Economic programs that aim to reduce government debt by increasing taxes and cutting social programs.
14
Q
bias
A
An inclination that makes it hard to judge fairly.
15
Q
biodegradable
A
Capable of being decomposed by bacteria, thus reducing environmental pollution.
16
Q
boycott
A
A consumer’s refusal to purchase goods or services from a company because of disagreement with its corporate policies.
17
Q
Breton Woods Agreement
A
An agreement forged after the Second World War in Breton Woods, New Hampshire, by 44 countries to establish a system of rules, institutions, and procedures for the postwar global economy.
18
Q
Canadian Audio Visual Certification Office (CAVCO)
A
The agency that judges Canadian content in Canada’s broadcasting industry.
19
Q
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)
A
Canada’s national Anglophone public broadcaster of television and radio programming.
20
Q
Canadian Content (CanCon)
A
The amount of Canadian participation in Canada’s broadcasting industry in such areas as direction, writing, performance, cinematography, music composition, and so on.
21
Q
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
A
Government agency responsible for administering foreign aid programs in less developed countries.
22
Q
Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC)
A
The public authority that regulates and promotes Canadian culture in the broadcast media.
23
Q
Canadian(ne)
A
Francophones living in North America. In use mid-17th century until the early 20th century, as an expression of national identity.
24
Q
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991)
A
International legislation outlining children’s rights, which recognizes that children have the right to grow up in a family environment, and the strengthening of happiness, love and understanding, and is the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality, and solidarity.
25
containers
Standardized units for carrying freight that can be transferred directly to truck trailers or rail cars.
26
co-operatives
Businesses owned jointly by their members, who share the profits equally.
27
cosmopolitan
Reflecting many diverse cultures; worldly sophisticated.
28
cottage industries
In early stage of economic development in which workers produce limited numbers of goods in their homes.
29
criteria
A massive by which to judge something at stake in decision.
30
Crown corporations
Government-owned companies (in Canada).
31
cultural contexts
The interaction of diverse cultural and perspectives, which may result in changes in values, beliefs, and interests.
32
cultural resilience
A process through which change cultures require a sense of identity, and a through promoting heritage languages or working traditions and concepts.
33
cultural rights
The right to participate in the cultural life of community, including its arts and sciences, and the right to speak your first language.
34
deforestation
The destruction of forests by clearing or barring as a result of economic development, and as building roads or conversion to crops leads to through changes in earth's vegetation due to global warming.
35
democracy
A political system in which the law applies even also to ill people; that holds free, fair, and frequent elections of candidates from all. A political system with at least two parties; has an independent court system; and permits the press and other media to function free of government control.
36
demographics
Facts and figures related to populations, for example, the number of males and females who live in an area.
37
depopulation
The reduction of a population because of conflict, disease, loss of resources, cultural change, or assimilation.
38
deregulation
Opening an industry to more competition by reducing government regulations.
39
desalination
Removal of salt from seawater, converting it to fresh water.
40
desertification
The spreading of deserts as a result of poor agricultural practices, droughts, and climate change due to global warming.
41
direct business model
A business model that bypasses retail stores and sells its products directly (such as over the Internet) to customers.
42
disaggregated
Divided into parts, as, for example, the First Nations were divided from one another by the Indian Act.
43
disparity
Economic and social gaps among individuals, communities, or countries.
44
displacement
The involuntary dispersal of a people, especially from their homelands.
45
dissenting
Different from the majority, as, for example, an opinion.
46
economic
The dimension of life that concerns the production and exchange of goods, services, money, and resources.
47
economic nationalism
Concern about the impact of foreign investment on a country’s economic independence and identity.
48
economic rights
The right to fair wages and safe working conditions.
49
employment equity
The principle of equal pay for equal work, or for work of equal value.
50
empowerment
Increasing the political, social, or economic strength of individuals or groups.
51
entrepreneurs
People who take risks by launching business ventures in the hope of making a profit.
52
equality rights
The right to be free from discrimination.
53
equalization payments
Tax money collected from all provinces by the federal government and then dispensed to distribute wealth more equally throughout Canada.
54
Eurocentrism
A belief that the European world view is superior to all others.
55
European Union (EU)
The world’s largest and most powerful common market, which works to develop common foreign and security policies and to address other issues such as citizens’ rights, job creation, regional development, and environmental protection.
56
exchange rate
The price at which one national currency can be purchased for another.
57
exploitation
The use of a person or group for selfish purposes.
58
first language
The first language a person learns as a child.
59
First Nations Policing Policy
Policy put into action by the Canadian government in June 1991, to improve the relationship between Aboriginal people and police by promoting safe and secure communities and providing First Nations people across Canada with professional, effective, culturally appropriate police services that are accountable to the communities they serve.
60
fixed exchange rate
The value of a country’s currency as set by its government.
61
floating exchange rates
Currency rates that are not fixed by government but instead find their own value on the foreign exchange market.
62
foreign direct investment (FDI)
Investment in a country made by a foreign company.
63
free market
A market in which government would regulate nothing and all businesses and property would be privately owned.
64
GDP Index
A measure of a country’s gross domestic product per capita, one of the criteria for the UN Human Development Index.
65
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
International agreement between 1947 and 1995 that aimed to reduce trade barriers among member countries.
66
genetic modification (GM)
Technology that allows genes from one species to be introduced into another to produce a hardier or higher-yielding strain.
67
genocide
An act committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
68
Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI)
A measure of sustainable prosperity that takes into account the value of non-economic positive factors such as volunteering and education, and negative factors such as pollution and crime.
69
global village
The idea, popularized by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s, that the entire world and its inhabitants are becoming one large community interconnected by technology, particularly television.
70
globalization
The process that is making the world’s citizens increasingly interdependent economically, socially, politically, environmentally, and technologically.
71
gold standard
A provision of the Bretton Woods Agreement that all printed money, such as a paper dollar, would be convertible to gold and could be cashed in at any time for that gold.
72
Green Revolution
Period during the 1950s and 1970s when many traditional farming practices were replaced by technologies that created increased agricultural production in countries around the world.
73
gross domestic product (GDP)
The total value of goods and services produced in a country in a given year.
74
gross domestic product (GDP) per capita
The value in US dollars of all goods produced and services provided in a country’s economy in one year, divided by the country’s average population for the same year.
75
Group of Eight (G8)
An informal group of the eight major industrial democracies that meets at annual summits to discuss economic and foreign policies.
76
homogenization
A trend toward uniformity, as with world popular culture as a result of globalization.
77
human capital
The knowledge, skills, and talents that workers have.
78
Human Development Index (HDI)
The United Nations measure of a country’s level of development based on GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth, adult literacy, and school enrollment.
79
hybridization
The blending of media and communications technologies resulting in new modes of expression and cross-cultural consumption.
80
imperialism
An association between people that intentionally benefits one people over another, often by taking over territories inhabited by Indigenous or non-Indigenous peoples, seizing land and resources through conflict and warfare, and imposing political control.
81
Indigenous Television Network (ITV)
Taiwanese television network, modeled after Canada’s APTN, that produces programming by and for Taiwan’s Indigenous people.
82
individual identity
The traits that make up a person’s sense of individuality.
83
industrialization
A stage of economic development that occurs when the place of production shifts from the home and small craft shops to large factories.
84
Industrial Revolution
The combination of social and economic changes brought about by the extensive use of machinery in production, especially in Great Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries.
85
inflation
A situation in which the amount of currency in circulation increases yet each unit of currency buys less.
86
infrastructure
Systems such as electrical power, transportation, and communication that support economic activity.
87
initiative
An action or project, especially one intended to benefit a group or society generally.
88
integration
The incorporation of diverse minority groups into mainstream societies.
89
Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE)
UN agency that has identified several areas of concern for women globally, including violence, poverty, education and training, health, armed conflict, and women in power and decision-making.
90
intermarriage
Marriage between individuals from different cultural, ethnic, or religious groups.
91
intermodal transportation
A system in which several all types of transportation are used to move freight, especially when the starting point and destination are far apart.
92
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
International agency that works with the World Bank to bring stability to international monetary affairs and to help expand world trade.
93
international monetary system
A global network of institutions established by the Bretton Woods Agreement to promote international trade and the regulation of currency (money) among Western countries.
94
international money markets
Markets in which funds loaned for a short time to businesses or governments are bought and sold, for example, short-term bonds and certificates of deposit.
95
international trade
The interchange of raw materials and manufactured goods among distant groups or people.
96
internationalism
The policy of countries working together for the common good regardless of race, religion, nationality, and so on.
97
junta
A dictatorship in which the military has overthrown a civil government.
98
kleptocracy
A government so corrupt that no pretense of honesty remains.
99
knowledge economy
The use of knowledge to produce economic benefits.
100
Knowledge Index
A measure of a country’s adult literacy rate combined with school enrollment rates, one of the criteria for the UN Human Development Index.
101
Kyoto Protocol
International agreement that came into force on February 16, 2005, intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a means to combat climate change.
102
labour-intensive production
Manufacturing in which most work is done by hand.
103
language
A method of human communication, either spoken or written, in which words are combined in an agreed way.
104
Life Expectancy Index
A measure of a people’s life expectancy at birth, one of the criteria for the UN Human Development Index.
105
mandate
Authority based on mutual agreement or support.
106
marginalization
The pushing of a group to the “margins” of society, where they hold little social, political, or economic power.
107
media consolidation
Mergers of media corporations that result in a concentration of ownership.
108
media convergence
See media consolidation.
109
media transnational
A mass media corporation that produces television programs, films, music, books, and so on in two or more countries.
110
megacities
Urban centres with populations over 10 million.
111
mercantilism
From the 16th to the 19th centuries, a system of government-sponsored international business ventures designed to make European monarchs rich.
112
metropolises
Very large cities.
113
minority group
An ethnic, linguistic, or religious group whose numbers are small compared with those of the dominant culture.
114
minority language
A language spoken by a minority of people in a country.
115
mission civilisatrice
“Civilizing mission,” a policy of the French monarchy in the 16th and 17th centuries to establish Roman Catholicism and French culture among First Nations peoples in New France.
116
monoculture
The uniform global popular culture that results from globalization.
117
mutual fund
A company that combines its clients’ money and invests it in a collection of stocks, bonds, and other securities.
118
National Energy Policy (NEP)
1980 federal policy under which the government made oil companies in Alberta lower oil prices throughout Canada to protect Canadians from paying global market prices for oil and gas.
119
nationalize
The taking over of ownership by a government from private business.
120
Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC)
Group founded in 1971 to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of First Nations and Métis women within First Nations and Canadian societies.
121
network
A complex, interconnected system.
122
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
1994 treaty among Canada, the United States, and Mexico to improve trade by removing tariffs and other economic barriers.
123
official bilingualism
An official government policy under which a country or province recognizes two official languages, for example, English and French in Canada.
124
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
International organization that works to meet the challenges of globalization, helping governments achieve sustainable economic growth while maintaining financial stability.
125
outsourcing
The hiring of one company by another to fulfill certain tasks in production.
126
pandemic
A worldwide epidemic.
127
paternalism
Characterized by treating or governing a people in a fatherly way, especially by providing for them without giving them rights and responsibilities.
128
perspective
A people’s world view, one that has developed from its collective experience.
129
plebiscite
A direct vote in which the entire electorate can vote to express the will of the people; a non-binding referendum.
130
pluralistic society
A society in which a diversity of languages, beliefs, traditions, values, religions, and cultures coexist.
131
point of view
in individual’s opinion about a matter, based on his or her personal experience
132
political
The dimension of life that concerns government’s interactions with individuals, groups, and other governments.
133
Political rights
The right to vote and to participate in government.
134
political will
The determination among political leaders to accomplish a goal.
135
privatization
The sale of government-owned industries and services to private businesses.
136
protectorates
an area that maintained its own sovereignty but was guided by a European economy
137
public trust
an essential, life-support resource for the benefit of everyone that should not be exploited for profit.
138
quality of life
the conditions in people’s lives.
139
quotas
proportional shares, such as those paid by member countries of the International Monetary Fund.
140
ratify
formally pass an agreement or treaty into law.
141
recession
a period of reduced economic activity lasting longer than two business quarters (six months).
142
reparations
an action intended to right past wrongs.
143
referendum
a binding vote in which the entire electorate votes to accept or reject a proposal.
144
Residential Schools
Boarding schools for the secularization and assimilation of Aboriginal students, run by religious groups or government from the 1830s to the 1950s.
145
retail operations
businesses that sell goods and services to the public.
146
rhetorical questions
questions whose answers are obvious to the reader, used for emphasis in persuasive writing.
147
secularism
the complete separation between matters of state and religion.
148
social
the dimension of life that concerns societal and cultural institutions, such as individual, family, and community interactions, mass media, arts and entertainment, and trends in popular ideas and tastes.
149
social rights
the right to education and to adequate health care.
150
socially responsible investing (SRI)
an approach that considers social, environmental, and ethical criteria in choosing investments.
151
Société Radio-Canada (SRC)
Canada’s national Francophone public broadcaster of television and radio programming.
152
society
a group of people who form an ordered community centered on kinship, an ideology, a religion, or a particular world view.
153
sphere of influence
an economic agreement in which a European country owned exclusive trade and investment rights in a region of the Americas, Asia, or Africa.
154
spirituality
consideration of matters beyond the purely material.
155
stakeholders
people or groups that are affected by an issue and have something to gain or lose from it.
156
standard of living
a common measure of the quantity and quality of goods and services to which people have access.
157
stewardship
the obligation to maintain resources in a sustainable manner.
158
subsidiaries
companies controlled by a parent company.
159
subsidies
financial help given by government to help support an industry.
160
SWOT analysis
a tool that helps analyze situations and aids in decision making, based on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
161
tariff
a tax imposed on imports to increase their price and thus reduce competition with domestic producers.
162
totalitarian
a political system under which individuals are socially subordinate to the decisions of the state.
163
trade liberalization
the process of reducing barriers to trade.
164
tradition
the customs of a family or culture.
165
transnationalism
the creation of political, social, cultural, and economic links between geographic locations around the world.
166
transnationalist
corporations that operate in two or more countries, and people who are citizens of more than one country.
167
unionized
an industry or business in which employees have formed a union to negotiate on their behalf with management in such matters at any, working conditions, hours, and benefits.
168
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
the basis of UN policy since 1948 that defines the human rights to which every person can be able to equally entitled [potified], civil, equality, economic, social, and cultural rights.
169
universalisation of popular culture
the production by media transmission of the majority of television programs, films, magazines and so on—that are consumed by a vast world audience.
170
urbanisation
the growth of towns and cities, as people migrate from rural areas in search of work and other opportunities.
171
World Bank
an agency of the United Nations that is practice in independent and controlled by its 184 member countries, which provides loans to the developed countries that are in financial difficulty.
172
World Trade Organization (WTO)
international organization founded in 1995 that works to improve trade relations among the world’s countries, especially by removing tariffs and other barriers to trade.
