rachelbrunts Rachel Brunts

Blog Post #8: Muslims in France and The Headscarf 

  1. Explain the historical background of the Muslim presence in France. Why does the Islamic community lag behind both economically and socially in France? Discuss.

Since France needed labor during military conflicts /economic expansion, Muslims first began arriving to France due to underdevelopment and poverty within their home countries. Arriving around the First World War Muslims were immigrated for industrial/ mining purposes, or served in the French military on a “special native unit”. I think the reason the Islamic community lags behind the France both economically and socially steams from their initial immigrating to this society. The book explains that Muslims were not initially planning on staying in France permanently, but inevitably that was the case. Eventually leading the French to see the Muslims as a burden to their society and in the mind of the French as disrespecting their historical religious ideologies. Since the Islamic community was not viewed as to other French citizens, I believe this has led to the economic and social lag in all aspects within France

  • How does the presence of Islam in France cause a challenge to the secular order? Is France’s secularism, or Laïcité, unique? Explain!

Chapter 1 of ‘Islam, Europe’s Second Religion’ describes France’s secularism, or Laïcité as, “morestrict than in other European countries and even has anti-religion dimensions.”  (pg. 3) The book described within its introduction that once Islam became more culturally “visible” in France there was a lot of discomfort and anxiety among Europeans. The Europeans had trouble understanding Muslims dietary differences, the head scarves, and their religious rules. To quote the European uncertainties as, “distasteful and a threat to their cultural identity ad values.” Basically stating that Islam’s pure existence in France challenged the secular order! That is so crazy to me.     

  • Based on your readings and research, why is the headscarf seen by some (many?) as a threat to Western culture?

Based on my readings, research and class discussion, I think the headscarf is seen by some (or many) as a threat to Western culture because of the unknown knowledge of its cultural meaning, symbolization, and/or importance. Conducting my own research, ‘The Conversation’ wrote an article describing three reasons some women wear the headscarf are an expression of identity, to maintain modesty, and for fashionable reasons.

Personally I do not see the headscarf as a threat to Western culture, but it saddens me that not everyone within the Western culture has this same mindset. An Islamic wearing a headscarf is equivalent to a Jewish person wearing a yamcha, or a catholic person wearing a cross. It blows my mind that the Western society would even have to have a conversation about a headscarf being a symbol as a threat to our society.

However, I am aware of the correlation these headscarves have had towards the involvement of terrorism and the overall unfortunate prejudice behavior the western culture has towards Muslims. Especially portrayed in Western Media we, as a society, have labeled these headscarves as a threat to Western culture. All in all, I think of the headscarf controversy as personal responsibility, and I pride myself on seeing through the dense media judgment and stereotypes that the Western culture has given this piece of clothing. I have always every individual as a human being and love to learn and educate myself on cultures, ideas, ways of life different than my own. I believe the headscarf is a threat to western culture because not everyone is willing to take the time to learn about its meaning and accept/respect its values within Islamic lifestyle.

rachelbrunts Rachel Brunts

Blog #7: Muslims in Europe

Blog #7

  1. What are some of the myths about Muslims in Europe that Justin Vaisse discusses?

Justin Vaisse discussed 4 myths about Muslims in Europe within his, ‘Muslims in Europe’ article. The first myth reads: Being Muslim constitutes a fixed identity, sufficient to fully characterize a person. Vaisse proves this a myth by reminding us that being Muslim does not single handedly identify you as a person, but perhaps we should pay attention to each individual person’s nationality, gender, social class, etc.

The second myth states, Muslims in Europe are, in one way or the other, inherently foreign, the equivalent of visiting Middle-Easterners who are alien to the “native” culture. Justin Vaisse shatters this myth stating, “European culture, however, has always included Muslim elements, as early as the 8th century.” Also stating that most of these Muslim’s would not consider themselves anything less than a regular European citizen.

Furthermore, the third myth speaks: Muslims in Europe form a “distinct, cohesive and bitter group,” in the words of a 2005 Foreign Affairs article. Vaisse countinues to dismantle this myth by describing, “the profound divisions, either between countries of reference and their specific culture and brand of, between visions of religion and affiliation (e.g., German Turks associated with Milli Görüş vs. those affiliated with Diyanet), or between social status, political views, ethnicity”.

            Lastly, the forth myth states that Muslims are demographically gaining on the “native” population describing this assumption as a bloc in blending in with the rest of society based on differences in ethnicity. Rudely labeling Muslims people of color vs. white people. However, the reality is far from this myth, Vaisse explains, “True, European birthrates are generally low, and birthrates among immigrant groups are often high. But in the latter group, they actually fall rapidly after their arrival and among subsequent generations, as they tend to conform to the national norm.

  • Why is it important to make a distinction between the religious and political dimensions of Islam?

Ch. 11 Europeanization of Islam, Tariq Ramadan stated, “In discussing Islam, no difference is made between political and religious fields. Indeed, it is assumed that in Islam, religion and politics are one in the same. Yet, this statement is not valid.” (pg. 209)

I think it is important to make a distinction between the religious and political dimension of Islam because too often individuals are judged and/or classified into a generic genre without native Europeans openly and cooperatively listening to Islamic differences. Also I think you can perfectly apply the saying, Don’t judge a book by its cover, to the distinction between the religious and political dimension of Islam.

Ch. 11 also explains that Islam, “from its early days, integrated a great diversity of cultures, and as such, was influenced by, and became integrated into, large numbers of societies.”

All in all, explaining that it is so important to make a distinction between the religious and political dimensions. Islamic culture has been using their strong guidelines of religion to be the baseline of consistent religious beliefs; while simultaneously integrating themselves into each new culture that they are a part of. If Islamic individuals can separate these two dimensions; we should be able to do the same.

  • What kind of challenges do education and social rifts in Europe bring to Muslim communities of Europe? What does Ramadan suggest Muslims should do in face of such challenges? Ch 11

Regarding the educational challenges Muslim communities face in Europe, Ramadan states:

 “A multicultural society demands exacting and adequate education, or else it may produce the worst possible racist and xenophobic deviations. The role of school education, today even more than in the past, is to train individuals who are capable of questioning meaning, of discussing values, and do not remain confined to a mere selective management of technical abilities and performances.”(pg.216)

Overall, from this chapter and specifically this excerpt, Ramadan suggest that everyone within the European society, regardless of religion, work to integrate educational systems to not only benefit Muslims, but to teach all humanity the value of understanding a view-point different than their own. Moreover, helping Muslims identify with their history and cultural identity.

            As far as social rifts, Ramadan claims Muslims face the worst of unemployment, social exclusion, delinquency, violence, and insecurity throughout Europe. Furthermore, explaining that these challenges lead to an increase in racism and xenophobia. When faced with these challenges Ramadan said:

“Muslims will henceforth have to ask questions, not alone, not against the whole society, with their fellow citizens through sincere and genuine shared preoccupation. This mean that a wide involvement in favor of dialogue on ethical as well as religious issues should promote from the grass roots up to leading and specialized institutions in al Western countries.”  (pg. 218)

rachelbrunts Rachel Brunts

Blog Post, #6: Sachs and Easterly Debate Development Aid

By: Rachel Brunts

A)

Chapter 10 talks about the debate on pros and cons of development aid with leading economists Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University) and William Easterly (NYU) pitted against each other. Each side has valid points. After reading for a few weeks about the issue of ending poverty, what is your take on this debate.

In the debate of development aid, I see the benefits of both Jeffrey Sachs and William Easterly’s approaches, so personally I don’t necessarily favor one approach over the other.  Sachs believes that that aid should be monitored because he sees corruption as a poverty trap. Aid will do no good if the money given never reaches its target. Instead, Sachs believes that aid should be distributed towards specific goals such as malaria control, sanitation, and food production. Goals such as these can be easily regulated making corruption in these developing countries more transparent.

Whereas, Easterly believes developing countries can have their own way out of poverty. Easterly takes more of a bottom-up approach, meaning if you fight for democracy and give the power to the people then that can elect officials who look after the interest of the poor. There are many other arguments that could be made on the pros and cons of development aid, one of which is that of Paul Homer. Poor Economics describes Homer’s philosophy as subcontracting someone capable of running a developing country until it is stable and organized enough to be handed back to the people. I think this approach could spark change where it’s implemented.

Overall, I think both Sachs and Easterly make strong cases for their diverse approaches toward how to end poverty. I really think the situation, the people, and the economy in context with each unique country determine which approach (Sachs and Easterly’s) is best suited for solving the problem.

B)

Reflect on the last weeks’ readings on the SDG goals #1 end poverty in all forms everywhere and goal #2 end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Do Banerjee and Duflo address these issues sufficiently? What are policy measures that seem to work? What needs are addressed and are the global measures taken sufficient?

After reflecting on SDG goal #1, end poverty in all forms everywhere, and goal #2, end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; Banerjee and Duflo cover these issues sufficiently. Throughout the book, the authors discuss poverty traps across developing countries and the steps being taken by foreign and domestic sources to stop the poverty and the growth spike.

Furthermore, it seemed that Banerjee and Duflo talking about poverty and nutrition as numerical figures and statistics based off of income. While income is a large portion of what defines poverty and is a crucial tie to the SDG’s, it seemed that Banerjee and Duflo barely scratched the surface of goal #2 in towards promoting sustainable agriculture. When they do reflect on policies that work, it seems that most of these policies are bottom-up methods. These policies are either driven entirely by the people or at least work with the people affected in order to develop a policy that works such as the Gram Vida’s program. Unfortunately, even with some of these seemingly working initiatives, the global measures are insufficient. The SDG’s have sadly not been met, and for progress to be made we must work with the governments and the citizens living within these poverty stricken areas.

miztoritravers Victoria Travers

Victoria Travers

Post 8, Week 9: Islam In France

In the chapter one of the book Islam, Europe’s Second Religion, Shireen T. Hunter. talks about the background of Islam in France.

There where two significant movements that led Muslims to immigrate into European cultures. The first was the migration of laborers and their families to fill low wedge jobs. This occurred in the 1950’s to 1970’s when the economy downturned and forced the immigration to the states. The second movement was after the end of the cold war; this was caused by the economic insecurities and conflict in their home countries, which led them to flea and migrate to Western Europe. These movements led to what Shireen T. Hunter calls failures of integration.

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Zemni and Parker explain the “failure of integration” of Muslims in Europe of reasons. The first reason that European segregate Muslims into a different category then themselves. “…As a failure to adapt styles and practices of daily life considered compatible with the more of hegemonic national cultures,” (Hunter, 2002). An example of this would be that in 1970 “others” referred to a number of different guest workers from different countries like Turkey and Morocco. Today the “others” group are all Muslims. Migrants, whose “problems” had been seen as a consequence of their low socioeconomic status during decades, were perceived as “culturally different” (Hunter, 2002). The other reason explained to be a contributing factor of “failure of integration” is the lack of successful immigrants in European society. This attributes to the failure of conforming to the European norm of the culture.

The French and Islamic gender system is very different in what they believe in specifically sexuality. The French believe in freedom of expression and feel the veil is hindering them to express their freedom. “…The French system celebrates sex and sexuality as free of social and political risk,” (Scott, 2007).

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The French are very passionate about their human rights, regardless of religion, background, sexual orientation, etc. That is why the headscarves are being seen as oppressive because it doesn’t give women the ability to show their bodies in a way that a non-Muslim French woman would. Scott argues that in France, wearing a headscarf devalues a woman’s identity because she is not validated by other men (and women) who can see her for her sexuality. In the Muslim viewpoint of headscarves and modesty, sexuality is an issue that influences political and social interactions, so by using a closed policy, the reactions and effects of sex can be minimized.

“It is a recognition of the threat sex poses for society and politics,” (Scott, 2007). Muslim women wear veils to stray the need to sexualize woman as well as men. The women who wear headscarves view them to be signified as unavailable.

The Islamic headscarf poses a challenge to the French republic’s ideal of “abstract individualism” and “laïcité”. This is further explained the book Politics of the Veil by Joan Wallach Scott. She says, “ The French system of gender was offered as not only the best but the only acceptable, way to organize relations between the sexes. Those who did not conform to it were by definition inferior and therefore could never be fully French. The issue of covered or unconverted sexuality … gave the headscarf affair both its resonance and its intensity,” (Scott, 2007). The headscarf is seen by many as a threat to Western culture because it is viewed as a contradiction to Western democratic values.

References:

Scott, Joan W. The Politics of the Veil. Princeton University Press, 2007. Print.

Shireen, Hunter T. Islam, Europe’s Second Religion. Westport: Praeger, 2002. Print.null

Anna Herman Uncategorized

Blog Post 8: The Challenges Muslims Face in France

By: Anna Herman

The Muslim presence in France was not always a hot-topic issue. According to the Pew Research Center, Muslims today only make up around 5 percent of the population in Europe. However, in countries like France, Germany and Sweden the Muslim population is rapidly growing and appears as if it is nowhere near stopping. The center reported that in 2016 there was around 5.7 million Muslims in France, which makes up 8.8 percent of the country’s population. From 2010 through 2016 Muslims in Europe increased from 3.8 to 39 percent. Although this may sound minuscule, that is increasing the population from 19.5 to 25.8 million individuals.

The LA Times article explains how many of these Muslims trace their roots back to Algeria and Tunisia, both countries are former French colonies. Many of the individuals today had grandparents migrating to help rebuild France after World War II. Then Algeria spend years fighting for its independence from the French. Although this was many years ago, these events impact Muslims today in France. The article explains how European Muslims are condensed in suburbs known as banlieues, that are usually little more than a cement jungle of decrepit high-rises. Although they reside in France, this shows the disparities that European citizens may experience based on the religion, especially one like Islam that has such a rich history.

In recent elections, Muslim immigration has been top issues and that is largely due to these increasing numbers of those in the population. Although a lot of this increase has been due to immigration in Europe, the increase of the Islam community in the future is attributed to the noticeably difference in age of Muslims than other Europeans. Pew Research Center explains that 50 percent of all European Muslims are under the age of 30, which is prime childbearing age. Moreover, the Muslim woman residing in Europe is expected to have 1 more child than a woman who does not identify as a Muslim. These intersecting factors suggest the inevitability for the expansion of this community in Europe, particularly in France.

Laïcité is a term that is very puzzling for those who do not reside in France to fully understand. In this New Republic article, it defines laïcité as France’s principle of secularism in public affairs, aimed at fostering a post-religious society. It originated during the French Revolution when France was seeking separation from the church and state. Ultimately this unique term refers to the freedom of citizens and of public institutions from the influence of organized religion. When laïcité originated it was aimed at separation from the Catholic Church, the Islam religion now conflicting with this concept in France. In 2004 France passed a law that banned religious symbols and clothing in public schools, this further marginalized Muslims as they opted for Muslim schools. This further separated them from the community.

Women protest against the banning of wearing hijabs at work after a court ruling in Europe.

Like I mentioned before, Muslim immigration is a controversial issue, and the presence of Muslims in France has become a political ideology. This Prospect Magazine article suggests that laïcité is a cornerstone of republican values. Similarly, it also reports that the far right is the key factor to upholding these laws that many feels is discriminatory and old-fashioned. With the increase of Muslims presence in the country, it will only create more disparity and separation among the citizens residing there.

No matter where it is in the world, there has been a long history of controversy over women wearing veils, especially in Western culture. There are many stereotypes that I have heard throughout the years that are filled with false information. Some of these include men forcing women wear these scarves and it makes a women look less American. These accusations could be further from the truth. Muslim women choose to wear a veil or headscarf as a symbol of their religion. This Institute of Islamic Information and Education article even poses the idea that wearing a headscarf may be the “truest test” of one’s religion. As we discussed last week the Islam religion is based on a text, The Qur’an. This is similar to the Bible in the Christian religion that offers guidance and rules. One of the principles is for women to have modest coverings. That is where this headscarf originates from that is a distinctive part of the Islam religion.

A young woman represents her faith by wearing a veil.

Although a hijab is an individual’s choice like wearing a cross, it is seen as a threat to Western culture. United Nations University explains that this is largely due to the tendency to pair terrorist attacks with Islam. These attacks that are often labeled as acts originating from the Islam religion include the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979 and the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Obviously when a woman is wearing a hijab, it brings back to life a long-standing superficial security threat to Western soil among America. Additionally, it collides with societal norms in Western culture. These women do not look the same as many others, which causes citizens to question how can they be European or American? This is largely due to the media perpetuating Muslims as having one and only one identity, rather than including their nationality too. This ignorance not only discriminates individuals but has real-life consequences that have and can result in violence

Anna Herman Uncategorized

Blog Post 7: The Challenges that Muslims Face in Europe

By: Anna Herman

What are some of the myths about Muslims in Europe that Justin Vaisse discusses?

The first myth Vaisse sheds light on is the belief that being Muslim constitutes a fixed identity, and it is one that is strong enough to fully characterize a person. He illustrates that this is present by discussing newspaper article from the Washington Post that uses the term “Muslim” to describe individuals migrating West. These writers of the article neglect the individuals’ gender, race, social class and other principles that make up their being. Vaisse also cites the widely used phrase in the media during the riots in France as “Muslim riots in France” when in fact they had nothing to do with the Islam religion. This is expanding the false stereotypes of the religion that are embedded in society.

The second myth is that Muslims in Europe are inherently foreign, in one way or another. This is the equivalent of visiting Middle easterners who are alien to the “native” culture. Despite the popular opinion, European culture has included Muslim elements from as early as the 8th century. Furthermore, there is between 15 and 17 million Muslims in EU-27 countries. This is not a small amount and many individuals are born in Europe rather than abroad. Europe is their home, just like I call the United States home, despite the history of my religion.

The third myth is that Muslims in Europe form a “distinct, cohesive and bitter group.” Vaisse explains how Muslims are the extreme opposite of what the 2005 Foreign Affairs article labels them as. He explains how Muslims in Europe and a national level are anything but a cohesive group. This is because of the divisions between countries, social statuses, ethnicity, and political views. To label them as one community without variety is extremely misleading to people.

The fourth and final myth Vaisse addresses is that Muslims are demographically gaining on the “native” population. What lies behind this myth is the assumption that Muslims form a distinct demographic bloc defined by religion and that is incapable of being a part of society. When in reality, there is significant amounts of intermarriage and conversions. Muslims are mostly lay-abiding citizens and are extremely patriotic to where they live. Since EU immigration is extremely regulated, Muslims will never make up more than 6 percent of the population in the approaching decades.

Why is it important to make a distinction between the religious and political dimensions of Islam?

It is extremely important to make a distinction between religious and political in everyday life, and it is even more important to define these terms when discussing the dimensions of Islam. Because this religion has misconceptions, by defining these differences it allows us to understand the religion more thoroughly. In Shireen Hunter’s book, Islam, Europe’s Second Religion, she discusses that the political and religious dimensions of Islam that are based on two very different approaches.

Muslims worship directly from The Quran. Although individuals are unified through this central text, the politics can and will differ among the members. This greatly depends on the society that they are engulfed in and the sociocultural norms and expectations. When practicing politics, Muslims turn to the Quran to find out what is against their principles, similar to individuals turning to the Bible. It is not the absolute decision making piece for them, it is rather a guidance. Therefore, “Islam” does not have a certain appearance. Just like many other religions, there is diversity within the individuals even though they are connected through the teachings.

What kind of challenges do education and social rifts in Europe bring to Muslim communities of Europe? What does Ramadan suggest Muslims should do in face of such challenges? Ch 11

Hunter addresses the challenges that education and social rifts that members of the Muslim community in Europe face. Since education is evolving, expectations of both teachers, parents, and students are changing. With social media and other factors, students socialize while learning information academically. Their education causes them to socialize. Although children are learning in the classroom, they are not learning how to adapt to diversity that is present in many cultures. This limit in their education has serious consequences. Since students are never taught the truth about racism, it can further perpetuate it. The author discusses that violence and insecurity are increasing in Europe. A lot of this violence is directed at Muslim immigrants, which brings to light xenophobia. Xenophobia is a term that Merriam-Webster defines as a  “fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners.”

The Islam religion has plenty of diversity contrary to popular belief.

Hunter addresses the challenges that education and social rifts that members of the Muslim community in Europe face. Since education is evolving, expectations of both teachers, parents, and students are changing. With social media and other factors, students socialize while learning information academically. Their education causes them to socialize. Although children are learning in the classroom, they are not learning how to adapt to diversity that is present in many cultures. This limit in their education has serious consequences. Since students are never taught the truth about racism, it can further perpetuate it. The author discusses that violence and insecurity are increasing in Europe. A lot of this violence is directed at Muslim immigrants, which brings to light xenophobia. Xenophobia is a term that Merriam-Webster defines as a  “fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners.”

By learning what is taught in basic subjects, it is limiting kids at the very least to form their own opinions and keep their mind open to other ideas. If children in Europe would be exposed to a more well-rounded approach to learning, it would create the future generation to be more prepared for the evolving world we live in and decrease the level of hatred for others who are different than yourself

In Chapter 11, Tariq Ramadan suggests that Europeans fight these injustices that are due to racism, stick with their religion teachings, and attempt to create dialogue among one another. These injustices he mentions includes fighting discrimination in employment and intervening against violence in the community. One of the challenges that Muslims will face is co-existing when they are receiving immense amounts of hate and violence directed towards them. By practicing the values of this peaceful religion, it will help individuals get through rough times. Finally, by creating a conversation about the reality of this religion, it will destroy the myths that are perpetuated in the media and throughout cultures.

Additional Sources

Hunter, Shireen T. Islam, Europe’s Second Religion: the New Social, Cultural, and Political Landscape. Praeger, 2002.

Vaisse, Justin. “Muslims in Europe: A Short Introduction,” Islam in Europe.

miztoritravers Uncategorized, Victoria Travers

Post #7 – Week 8, Muslims in Europe

  1. The first myth that Justin Vaisse describes in the article titled “Muslims in Europe: A Short Introduction” is that being Muslim constitutes a fixed identity, sufficient to fully characterize a person. It is common for people to wrongfully assume that because these people are Muslim, that their religion is what makes up majority of beliefs and attitudes in society. This also constitutes in decision making. One example from the text was from an article posted by the Washington Post in an article on Migration into the EU. It was stated that “Muslims arriving from the Middle East and Africa, and Eastern Europeans moving west,” yet not all of the migrants from the region are Muslim. It was also brought to attention that Eastern Europeans would never be referred to as Orthodox or Catholic, further demonstrating the bias towards Muslims. An additional myth mentioned was that “Muslims in Europe are, in one way or the other, inherently foreign, the equivalent of visiting Middle-Easterners who are alien to the native culture.” Although Muslims have been included Muslims since the 8th century, making up 15 to 17 million people currently in the 27 European Union countries they are often looked at as only foreigners and citizens even though many categorize as European Nationality. This is an issue because Muslims differentiate vastly between European countries so it is unjust to stereotype them all as the same. Vaisse discusses the third myth that is “Muslims in Europe form a distinct cohesive and bitter group according to a 2005 Foreign Affairs article.” This myth is similar to myth two, as from country to country Muslims are not the same. The last myth stated is that “Muslims are demographically gaining on the native population,” even though there is a significant rate of intermarriage and conversions between the religion. This is a common misconception because “European birthrates are generally low, and birthrates among immigrant groups are often high.
  2. It is important to make a distinction between the religious and political dimensions of Islam because the political dimensions vary across countries and the extent religion; just like it does with every religion. Although the role of Islam in the public lives of Muslims plays a role in the culture, individual preferences and varying degrees of religious authority is more important. Generalizing based on the Islamic government is also a mistake that is commonly made. According to an article titled “Islam and Politics: What is a Religious Government,” it is essential to distinguish between various levels of state commitment to a specific religion. In order to have a maximized relationship between religion and politics requires “a total commitment and adherence of a state to the contents of a specific religion.” This idea goes for any religion and political affiliation, as there are always going to be varying degrees to which people chose to follow the beliefs.
  3. According to the book “Europe Second Religion” by Shireen Hunter, education in Europe needs to be more focused on expanding past typical categories of math, science and reading to better enable students to enter into a rewarding career field. Hunter talked about how students need to be taught life skills and to explore their own identities, along with the people around them. Understanding the people around them will enable people to become more aware of other religions around them to avoid racism that could further develop into xenophobia. Xenophobia in regards to Muslims is surrounded over the overarching issue of non-Muslim Europeans rejecting to accept Muslim individuals solely based on their culture, which is a complete disgrace. This then can turn to many Muslims feel not at home in Europe, despite being born and raised there their entire lives. In the face of challenges, one of the main inspiration that Ramadan suggests is for Muslims to stay true to themselves and core values. One of these values is faith and how it can be tied into to co-exist with other religions and cultures in a society. This is why there is a growing need for more education on religion and imprinting the idea that people need to be open-minded of other religions and cultures to bring peace amongst people who are so often discriminated against. The better understanding differing cultures and religions have for each other, the more united the country will be as a whole. The time has come to break the stereotypes associated with being Muslim and for people to start valuing these individuals as a vial part of the community.

By: Tori Travers

miztoritravers Uncategorized, Victoria Travers

Blog Post # 6: Evaluating the Challenges with Development Aid

Jeffrey Sachs and William Easterly both make valid arguments about ending poverty in the book Poor Economics, but they both argue opposite ways of achieving this goal. Sachs is in support providing financial aid to poor countries, whereas Easterly argues against it. Sachs argues that financial aid helps poor countries in three areas. Sachs said financial aid helps them jump-start the process of capital accumulation, economic growth, and rising household incomes. Sachs argues that financial aid is “not a welfare handout, but is an investment that breaks the poverty trap once and for all.” Poor countries are in a poverty trap where corruption causes poverty and poverty in return causes corruption. Sach’s solution to this problem is handing out financial aid for specific problems, such as malaria control that can be easily tracked and monitored. Esterly believes people living in poverty are the best ones to get themselves out of poverty. He thinks they do not need financial aid to do so.

Contrary to Sachs, Esterly says there is no such thing as a poverty trap. Poor people can escape from poverty by making a change on their own. After learning the two sides Sachs and Easterly argue, I agree with Sach’s approach where he is in favor of handing out financial aid. I think poor countries need a financial boost to get their problems fixed and their economy growing. There’s the saying, “It takes money to make money.” I believe this. Easterly argues people in poverty can make a change themselves, but I believe that many impoverished people would do what it took to live a better lifestyle if they knew how. Many people were born into impoverished families and the cycle just continues. It is not like Sachs wants to hand out money with no thought of how it gets spent. I think his approach to financial aid is strategic and efficient. His plan is strategic by giving money to specific causes and is efficient to see if it’s working by monitoring that causes progress to see if there is any progress at all. Geoffrey Gertz makes an argument that “identifying new strategies to move from successful individual projects to transformative countrywide progress in severely off-track countries” is the most important question to answer when trying to figure out how to solve poverty. I think it is important to listen to many different sides when trying to solve an issue because it might take multiple ideas, instead of one to solve a complex issue.

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In Poor Economics, Banerjee and Duflo sufficiently address the first two sustainable development goals that include ending poverty and ending hunger everywhere. The authors addressed potential factors that could cause a country to become impoverished. They listed a few examples such as, what kind of leader is running a country and if a country has natural resources to utilize or not. Banerjee and Duflo believe that people who are living in poverty need to be healthy, educated, have food, and be able to have jobs in order to successfully escape poverty. Banerjee and Duflo say micro finances and micro-credits are policy measures that have been shown to be somewhat successful.

Micro-credits and micro finances have given people living in poverty a chance to pursue their own businesses, especially women. Micro-credits and micro finances have also allowed farmers to invest in better agricultural practices that promote sustainable growth, which also contributes to ending hunger. Banks have also been successful in the way that they have allowed the poor to effectively save their money without the fear of it being lost or stolen away. There still needs to be better healthcare and insurance plans in place so when the poor get sick they are able to seek treatments without going into debt. It is also important for the poor to be treated by hospitals if needed, so they can feel better faster and continue to work. Banerjee and Duflo think having goals that are measurable and trackable is key to accomplishing sustainable development goals.

Anna Herman Uncategorized

Blog Post 6: For or Against Development Aid?

By: Anna Herman

Since the beginning of the semester, we have talked about poverty and the different layers that construct this issue. This includes the varying arguments on the best way to reduce and ultimately end poverty and what poverty actually looks like in third world countries. I have examined and analyzed what has led to extreme poverty in my assigned country, Angola. From this, I have developed certain viewpoints on what can lead and possibly reduce this epidemic. In Chapter 10 of Poor Economics, Banerjee and Duflo display both the positives and negatives of development aid with economists who have studied poverty on an intimate and prestigious level: Jeffrey Sachs and William Easterly. Jeffrey Sachs supports development aid and William Easterly is against the idea of it. Both sides have valid arguments, which helped me construct my opinion further on this complex issue.

Although I have been reading about extreme poverty for the past few weeks, I will never be able to fully understand it. This is because I am a middle-class white female from St. Louis, Missouri. No matter how much material I read or discuss I will never be able to fully understand what these economists or the authors talk about and have seen. I have not witnessed it firsthand, let alone lived it or anything relatively close to it.

Jeffrey Sachs believes development aid is a key tool for economic progress in underdeveloped countries. He argues that this tool does not stand alone and works wonders when it is combined with good governance, transparency, and effective policies administered in these countries. He uses public health for having the greatest success when aid is given to them, specifically with Malaria. As I have discussed before, malaria is disease that is present in many African countries and leads to deaths of tons of citizens. With development aid, it has been able to be under control more than before. He argues that this would simply not be attainable without development aid given. Sachs recognized that there are poorly designed programs that give financial assistance, but it can be fixed by implementing programs with clear goals and sound operating principles.

Jeffrey Sachs, an American economist, supports the idea of development aid in underdeveloped countries.

William Easterly’s major concerns with providing aid is feedback and accountability. He discusses how both these elements are imperative for development aid to work. Furthermore, if they are not there this idea will fail and is proven because it has failed in the past. By agencies not being held accountable for these factors and focusing on broad goals such as reducing disease, he discusses how it progress will not be able to be made with development aid. Moreover, impoverished countries have had a history of corrupt governments controlling where foreign aid is distributed. Easterly argues that this money often has political motives behind it and there are more innovative ways to solve big issues such as health care and education.

William Easterly is against the use of development aid due to the potential abuse of it.

From hearing both sides of the issues, I agree with Jeffrey Sachs for a variety of reasons. Development aid gives these countries a starting point to move forward that would otherwise simply be unattainable. Without it, where do countries realistically begin to make process to achieve goals? I do recognize potential and realistic issues with development aid, but I think that is miniscule compared to the benefits that it has. If people are under such corrupt governments, they will not have the freedom to make effective reforms on their own. It further calls for the need of development aid, in my opinion. In the Brookings article, it discusses how even though there still is many corrupt governments, the past two decades has seen the most dramatic decline in global poverty.  I am not dismissing the fact that there are programs that may not hold individuals to the utmost responsibility. However, I think with programs that are thoroughly constructed, aid has been life-changing. Look at Sachs use of it saving lives with helping diminish malaria, although it is not perfect it is progress that helps lessen poverty.

Banerjee and Duflo sufficiently address the first two sustainable development goals: end poverty in all forms everywhere and end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition. As I mentioned before we have read about the factors that are apart of extreme poverty. The authors discuss how there is a need for proper policies and governance to capitalize on the country’s resources and proper distribution of them. Also, they assert the need for basic healthcare in order for these communities to thrive. This includes the need for clean water and protection from diseases like malaria. Furthermore, they discuss how small loans known as micro-credits have given individuals an opportunity to start their business that would otherwise be nonexistent. In Angola, it has allowed farmers and fishermen to expand their business. They are able to export their products, consequently leading to structural economic expansion. On an individual level, this income has led to more mouths being fed. Although there is strides being made with innovations in underdeveloped countries, there is still struggles that individuals face by not receiving adequate healthcare. This is largely due to the economic struggle of simply not being able to pay for a vaccine. However, by reducing poverty and hunger with better leaders in the government and micro-credits, it provides a backbone for these goals to continue to be closer to being met in the future.

Additional Sources

“Chapter 8, 9, 10” Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty and the Ways to End It, by Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo, Random House India, 2013, pp. 183-234.

rachelbrunts Rachel Brunts

Blog #5

By Rachel Brunts

Dr. Mohammad Yunus accepting The Noble Peace Prize from BBC News

“Microcredit is used to describe small loans granted to low-income individuals that are excluded from the traditional banking system”. Providing credit, savings, insurance, and additional financial services to the poor. (MicroWorld.org) Banerjee and Duflo’s Poor Economics describes the benefits and drawbacks of micro-credits.

When arguing for microcredit, they a line with Dr. Mohammad Yunus, Grameen Bank, microfinance organization model. Yunus defines his mission as a way, “to help the poor families to help themselves to overcome poverty. It is targeted to the poor, particularly poor women.” Moreover, he clearly states microcredit is a human right that is based on ‘trust” versus legal procedures/systems.

From what I gathered from our reading, Banerjee and Duflo are for microcredit in terms of faster return on money, lower interest rates, and offer helpful support groups for members.

To justify microcredits faster return rate on money, the authors discuss a market vendor Jennifer Auma, who uses multiple rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs). Speaking towards Auma’s advantages of depositing a small amount of money, the authors wrote, “They don’t have fees, she could make small deposits, and on average she got access to the pot much faster than it would take her if she saved the same amount every week.”(pg. 187) Proving the authors’ stance that this form of credit helps the poor obtain money faster and avoid the costly extra fees.

Furthermore, this example touches on ROSCAs, or “merry-go-round”; which are most popular in Africa. “The ROSCA group was also a good place to ask for advice.” (187) Microcredit is used for more than just simply a savings arrangement, but it’s also a community of people helping one another to achieve their saving goals, and hold each other accountable.

The drawbacks of microcredit consist of banks being strongly against funding them, their foundation is based on trust and promotes bad saving habits.

To begin, “banks don’t like managing small accounts, largely because of the administrative costs of running them.” (pg. 187) Also, governments regulate deposit-taking institutions heavily for fear of works running away with people’s money. (188) Summarizing the authors claims against microcredits erratic funding/fees and apprehension of trustworthiness.  However, the book does state that if banks could make accounts more affordable, people, like Jennifer Auma, would be more willing to open a savings account. Lastly, the authors specified that microcredits promote a lack of self–control which leads to bad saving habits. “For example, if you want to reach a goal, joining a ROSCA where the total pot size is exactly enough to achieve that goal is a great option, because once you join, you are committed to contributing a certain amount every week or month, and when you get the pot, you have just enough to buy that thing you have looking forward to buying, and you can do it right away before the money slips through your fingers,” concluding that the lack of self–control is sufficiently serious (196)

I definitely agree with Banerjee and Duflo’s arguments for and against micro-credits and enjoy their take on arguing both sides. However, being born and raised in The United States it is hard to comprehend whether I should be for or against microcredits. I think if I living in Africa I would join at least one ROSCA group because I would love having a community of people to help and support me through that lifestyle.

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Microfinance activity in the Republic of Congo began in 1984 with the Central African Economic and Monetary Community(CEMAC)  2007 International Monetary Fund report. In the most recent report, there are 75 microfinance institutions making up 10.5 percent of the financial sector (pg. 62). Ironically, the Republic of Congo is in a very similar situation as described in Poor Economics. An International Monetary Fund book ‘Republic of Congo’ explains that the Congo’s financial sector is underdeveloped because banks charge such high fees for opening accounts. (Pg. 64) Quoting, “the main reasons for high lending costs are lack of competition and the risks associated with the high cost of doing business in Congo.” The Republic of Congo also ranks at the bottom of The World Bank’s Doing Business survey at number 171 out of 175. These findings allow for major micro financial opportunities.

            As far as technology, The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor’s FinDev Gateway, stated technology that shifts to instant mobile payments from required personal travel money transfer operators to accounts could double account ownership in Congo. While digital technology has the potential to make a difference in the Republic of Congo, it has a long way to go, microfinancing will be possible with the right policy and technological improvements. As far as eliminating extreme poverty by 2030, under SDG #1, Republic of Congo remains on a list of severely off-track countries (Brookings.edu)