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Exploring the Meaning of Global Development Reflection

​ My experience so far with Global Development Studies can be summarized with three

concepts: the erasure of history, the consequences of colonialism, and framing. The erasure of

history refers to the deliberate and selective destruction of culture and history, often motivated by

religious or political reasons (Arnold, 2014, 2441). Not only does this downplay the experiences

and contributions of marginalized groups, it warps how we perceive the world today. For

instance, this distortion is demonstrated by how the Japanese government tries to cover up its

war crimes, like the Nanjing Massacre and comfort women. As stated by Akira Kawasaki

(2022), “The government of Japan has systematically erased the description of Japan's brutal and

criminal acts to its neighbors in the lead-up to and during WWII in history textbooks.” Their

efforts seem to be successful, as most of the Japanese population remain unaware of the horrors

of the past and the reasons behind the tension between Japan and its neighbouring countries

(Global Times, 2022). As a result, it leads to an over-glorification of Japan's history, which

hinders the chance that the remaining survivors will ever get any sort of compensation or

acknowledgement.

The consequences of colonialism are wide-ranging, touching the political, social, and

economic systems of colonized societies long after colonial rule ended. More specifically,

colonialism introduced capitalist ideologies to colonized countries, which transformed local

economies and ways of life to serve the needs of the colonizers. For example, in British-ruled

India, traditional agricultural practices focused on diverse, subsistence farming were

systematically replaced with the cultivation of cash crops like cotton, indigo, and tea for export

to British markets (Sreevatsan, 2018). This shift prioritized profits for the empire, making India

more competitive in global trade, but it came at the expense of local food security and rural
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livelihoods (Sreevatsan, 2018). The long-term impact was severe, as dependence on cash crops

and global market fluctuations destabilized India’s economy, contributing to food shortages and

famines that had lasting effects on the population (Sreevatsan, 2018). This economic

restructuring under colonialism fundamentally left a legacy of inequality and economic

vulnerability.

Framing plays a critical role in how history, global development, and social issues are

understood and addressed. The way events and narratives are framed shapes public perception,

influencing both societal attitudes and policy decisions. Looking at the poverty pandemic,

society seems to underestimate the severity of the problem because fewer people are living under

the international poverty line. In Thailand, 0% of the population live below the line, but 10%

under the national poverty line (Onarheim & Gopinathan, 2020). Similarly, the international

poverty rates of 19% in South Africa and 22% in Mexico hide the national rates of 55% and

42%, respectively (Onarheim & Gopinathan, 2020). This discrepancy is a result of the poverty

line being universalized to one idea of poverty. Besides the fact that US$2.15 is an extremely low

and unrealistic threshold for many, it does not take into account the cost of living for each

individual country. Someone living in Thailand could have a full meal for US$2.15, while

someone in Canada would struggle to even buy bread. Additionally, poverty is framed as simply

a lack of money, rather than a systematic cycle of struggle, which causes us to focus on

short-term economic fixes rather than addressing the deeper, structural issues like access to

education, healthcare, and opportunities for upward mobility that perpetuate cycles of poverty.

Reflecting on these concepts, I have seen firsthand how they play out in my community.

For instance, the history and culture of Indigenous peoples in Canada was only briefly touched

upon, despite Indigenous identities being discussed throughout elementary and high school. I
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found that it was especially lacking in the Indigenous English course that was being offered at

my high school.While I acknowledge the thought behind the course, it failed to "engage

responsibly with these text forms, as well as to follow appropriate cultural protocols to ensure

respect for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures" and to fully provide students the opportunity

to "explore texts emerging from and/or related to diverse Indigenous cultures" (English:

Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices, 2019). Personally, I would

have loved to learn about the cultural practices, the celebrations, and read the stories that they

have passed down for centuries. While I agree it is important to learn about how colonialism has

impacted Indigenous Peoples, it is only one part of history and does not encompass the thousands

of years of their story. As harsh as it sounds, the focus on colonial trauma and victimization

robbed us of the opportunity to experience Indigenous culture, effectively erasing it from our

classrooms. This lack of focus on cultural continuity and Indigenous resilience also does little to

diversify our understanding of history. Even though we are learning about Indigenous history, it

often feels like the narrative is still centered on European perspectives, making the curriculum

feel repetitive and narrow.

In a way, we are still erasing Indigenous history, and the fact that it is going unnoticed is

one of the consequences of colonialism. In the classroom, there seemed to be a greater emphasis

on achieving high marks rather than fostering a genuine understanding of Indigenous culture and

perspectives. Students were more focused on checking off boxes, meeting the criteria for

assignments, and ensuring high marks to satisfy university admissions’ officers, rather than

appreciating, let alone questioning, the material. This fostered a competitive environment where

grades were prioritized over learning, an attitude that is rooted in colonial and capitalist
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ideologies. In this system, knowledge becomes something to consume, package, and produce for

grades, rather than something to be shared, respected, and understood.

In addition to land and people, colonialism seems to conquer our minds as well. Within

that environment, I feel it left a one-dimensional narrative of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit

(FNMI) identities. While I am not denying that millions of Indigenous Peoples were victims, that

is, again, only one part of their stories. It framed FNMI cultures as primarily defined by suffering

and loss, portraying them as passive victims of colonialism. In reality, Indigenous peoples are

rich, dynamic, and resilient, rooted in centuries of traditions, knowledge systems, and

community strength. I want to hear about the resilience of Indigenous peoples and how they

managed to protect their identity despite the massacre. Their accomplishments in the face of

adversity should be highlighted as central to their story, not just their trauma. For instance, I had

only recently heard about Traditional Ecological Knowledge and their contributions to ecological

research. They have generations worth of environmental records and a vast amount of

knowledge, ranging from bowhead whale behaviour to sustainable harvesting practices (Popp,

2018). I know that many of my classmates would have found this information worth exploring.

However, they are completely unaware of these opportunities because we were not given the

opportunity to explore them.

With that being said, I feel that my perspective on global development is very limited. I

have not been exposed to the full range of voices, particularly those from Indigenous and

marginalized communities. This realization has deepened my understanding of global

development as not simply fighting for justice, but also as reforming our systems. This gap in our

education system mirrors our tendency to overlook non-Western approaches in development,

leading to one-size-fits-all solutions. These experiences have made me more critical and
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skeptical of development models because of how easy it was for me and my classmates to fall

victim to the narratives presented to us by the curriculum and by society.

Reflecting upon those experiences, I believe that Global Development Studies is

identifying where systems need to be reformed and finding the most equitable way to go about

reforming them. In stating that, I have come to question if the current solutions, such as the

Indigenous English course, are compatible with how our system is currently structured. Is it

enough to insert solutions to fill the gaps within our society? Or do we need to completely

change the way our society operates in order to rectify the world of its wicked problems? I hope

to have a clearer answer to these questions as I continue to study Global Development.

References

Arnold, B. (2014). Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology. Springer New York.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_373

English: Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices. (2023). English:

Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices. Retrieved

September 29, 2024, from

https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/secondary-first-nations-metis-and-inuit-stu

dies/courses/nbe3u/introduction

Global Times. (2022, July 6). Japan’s erasure of WWII history education is causing problems:

Japanese peace-promoting activist. Global Times. Retrieved October 3, 2024, from

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1269876.shtml?id=11

Onarheim, K. H., & Gopinathan, U. (2020, August 7). There are two pandemics, but why do we

keep forgetting the underlying one? BMJ Blogs. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from

https://blogs.bmj.com/bmjgh/2020/08/07/there-are-two-pandemics-but-why-do-we-keep-

forgetting-the-underlying-one/

Popp, J. (2018, January 2). How Indigenous knowledge advances modern science and

technology. The Conversation. Retrieved September 30, 2024, from

https://theconversation.com/how-indigenous-knowledge-advances-modern-science-and-t

echnology-89351

Sreevatsan, A. (2018, November 21). British Raj siphoned out $45 trillion from India: Utsa

Patnaik. Mint. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from

https://www.livemint.com/Companies/HNZA71LNVNNVXQ1eaIKu6M/British-Raj-siph

oned-out-45-trillion-from-India-Utsa-Patna.html