English Topics

EQUALITY CONUNDRUM

Inequality is one of the greatest dangers in the world, even if we can't define exactly what equality means. There may be a trade-off between treating people equally and treating them as equals. Inequality is everywhere and is unignorable. According to the Declaration of Independence, it is self-evident that all men are created equal. However, some are born smart, other beautiful, other rich, so we can't say we're created equal, even if we are entitled of equal treatment under the law.

EQUALITY could be defined as even distribution of resources, treatment of people or access to opportunities. DEEP EQUALITY should provide a moral sense of what is right or wrong. NATALITY (Anna Arendt) we're all born as newcomers that must learn, pessimistic view. PRIORITARIANISM: importance of fundamental needs (but needs of some, can be luxuries to others). LUCK-EGALITARIAN SYSTEM: capacity to profit from chances is equally distributed.

PHILANTROPY: old philanthropy

is different from the new one. It was based on the idea that helping the poor was a pervasion of God self-reliance and Darwin's theory of natural law and survival of the strongest. Early philanthropists financed museums, expensive art collections, concert halls and libraries (culture). New philanthropy is OUTCOME-ORIENTED, as it makes sure that the contributions go to the intended recipients, avoiding corrupt local authorities. Melinda and Bill Gates are some of the most famous philanthropists. Their programmes are on global development and global health; they funded the fight to AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as angel-funding and now want to expand on climate change and gender equality. Philanthropy is based on the mechanism of LEVERAGE that allows to create high amounts of money starting from small sums (the so-called multiplier effect). This is given by the ability to forge coalitions with large international organizations and governments. The donation of money is tax-deductible,

allowing for strategic use of the charity. This means that opening a foundation becomes a strategy to pay less taxes than it should. This leads to an increase in social inequality because, in relative terms, the rich pay less taxes than the poor. KEYNES: In 1930 Keynes speculated that by 2030 capital investment and technological progress would have raised living standards 8 times, creating a society so rich that people would work only 15 h/week. Nowadays, it has increased 6 times, BUT there is an increasing alarm about climate change and other environmental threats that have led to the DEGROWTH movement that asks advanced countries to embrace zero or negative GDP growth. This is because the faster we consume and produce goods, the more we damage the environment. The Degrowth movement has its own academic journals and conferences. Some are against the entirety of global capitalism, not just the fossil-fuel industry. Others want a post-growth capitalism, in which production for profit continues.

but has to be reorganized. Tim Jackson, in his book "PROSPERITY WITHOUT GROWTH" says that GDP doesn't necessarily mean a rise in human well-being, especially if it isn't distributed equitably, and the pursuit of it can be counterproductive. GDP growth may be beneficial if Government spends more on schools, hospitals and income transfers to the poor. Proponents of GREEN GROWTH say that we can enjoy perpetual growth and prosperity while also reducing carbon emissions and our consumption of natural resources (if we follow the right policy measures).

KEYNES created the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, believes that the Gov can help to solve negative aspects of capitalism, but refuses communism. he thinks that the real cause of unemployment is a lack of demand, that can be created by the Gov (even if it runs a budget deficit) by decreasing unemployment benefits, so that people are more willing to look for a job.

INTERCULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS: are negotiations

between people from different countries. They can be challenging because they require a higher effort for negotiators to come to an agreement. In fact, they need to be both culturally and emotionally intelligent to understand the counterpart. There are many differences in EI across countries (western countries are more rational, over rely on science, and underestimate its importance). There are also differences in emotion expressions, gestures, and nonverbal signs. The term CODE SWITCHING doesn't refer only to the fact of changing the language, but also to changing expression. The awareness of these skills is important to manage international negotiations, create an emotional vocabulary, and understand how people use emotional experiences in dealing with others. HUMOUR: In multicultural negotiations, humour can be a powerful managerial tool, but it can also cause uncomfortable situations. Humour in the workplace mitigates stress, improves relations with customers, and promotes creativity; it builds group cohesiveness.and enhance group identity, increase efficiency and productivity. Is a double-edged sword as people may take legal actions against those who use sexist, racist or ethnic humour that offends the values of others. According to the country, humour is seen in different ways: In UK it is important in every situation, as British feel at ease with ambiguity and vagueness. In France is inhibited by the fear of appearing frivolous or losing personal dignity. In Germany it is a serious thing, only to use if you're sure that the message is clear and can't be misunderstood. If we think about the ICEBERG THEORY of culture, we understand that we only see the tip of the iceberg at first, but there's a wide set of hidden values underneath (religion, norms, gender roles, attitudes, values...). This part is important because humour influences hierarchies in the workplace and disagreements can lead to bad consequences. Humour is not culturally neutral. According to the Hofstede theory, some of

Main important cultural dimensions are power distance (level of hierarchy) and uncertainty avoidance (degree to which something is uncertain in a country).

HUMAN RIGHTS: open-trading relationships is the key to peacefully protect human rights around the world. Human rights are included into EU's bilateral agreements that enable one party to take measures in case of breaches by the other party. This puts EU relations with 3 countries on a solid regulatory base, opening the path to dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues.