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Title: Stepping from the shadows Rating: 3.3 out of 4 Reference: Producer, Desmond Smith. Abstract: Examines the effects of globalization on the people of Peru, using the example of the city of Lima. Although the top 5% of society has grown richer, as shown by the example of Luis Andrianzen, who has become a millionaire by selling Canadian cell phones, the majority of Lima's citizens still live in poverty. Aid worker Patricia Delphin's budget has shrunk, as Canada and other developed countries cut aid budgets. Globalization has not made any impact on the lives of the poor, as they lack any part in the formal economy of their country.
Sociology subjects: 3 Most graduate students attending the Graduate Workshop liked this video. However, it was felt that in order to show it, knowledge of Peru’s historical-economical background would be necessary. Some graduate students were alarmed that Peru’s racial tensions were not addressed and thought that this strongly reduced the video’s potential. Some resented how the video attempted to discuss class issues without race. Also, the failure to discuss the politics of gender was seen as an immense disadvantage, almost an absurdity. Workshop participants criticized the use of a male authorial voice for discussions of Peru’s voice, while women’s voices were used in the video only to discuss poverty. Yet, it was ultimately concluded that perhaps this video would be a useful intro into such topics on SAPs and that maybe a 30- minute video could never touch upon such a topic in all its complexity. Graduate Workshop 4 This video is slightly poignant to observe because of its troublesome content. It will be an eye-opener for students because it produces the realization that a humanitarian country such as Canada is financially profiting from the economy of Peru. The entire documentary not only engages its viewers, but educates them as well. The video is concise and straight to the point, and has many purposeful facts, film footages and opinions from several different perspectives. Frank, objective, & high on intellectual content. For students at all levels. Minh Hoang (undergraduate) 3 Good choice for 3rd and 4th year courses, would need careful explanations at 1st & 2nd year levels. Outlines why globalization leaves out many Peruvians, in part through the eyes of Canadian employee of an aid organization & her work in the slums. Profiles the analysis of economist de Soto, well known for arguments that poor people’s lives can be improved through legalizing the informal economy & creating institutions which would enable their entrepreneurial activity. Avoids treating poor people as simple victims; they are actively working on survival in difficult circumstances. Also avoids making globalization a simplistic bogeyman. Good portrayal of class differences. Emotional appeal: video connects well with realities of life for the very poor & portrays the contrast between the very poor & rich in Peru effectively. Some very good visuals, e.g., scenes of crime, which will stick with students. Some observers may disagree with the analysis - that the problem is not that globalization is bad, but that the infrastructural & institutional circumstances of poor people make it impossible for them to participate in & obtain benefits from globalization. I personally like the way they explain this in a careful & accessible way. Even if some instructors disagree with the argument, it’s still worth discussing. Students might want to suggest their own solutions different from those discussed in the video. Peter Vandergeest 3 Successfully demonstrates the growing gap between the rich & the poor in an extreme case. Peru is used as a study to show the disgraces of capitalist imperialism in a growing global economy, while Canada is shown to benefit from foreign dollars via its business relations with the Peruvian elite. The horrors of poverty are powerfully illustrated in this video. People of the slums, living not far from the homes of the wealthy elite, have no hospitals, no running water, no sewage system, no welfare or social support systems, while human excrement and decay are left to fester. The wretched suffering will make viewers feel uncomfortable as any alternate state of being feels more privileged. Runaway children are turned into street fighters as a means of survival. Police beatings and savage fighting among community members are the response to this state of destitute. This is an incredible video though it could have shown more examples of how the rich lived in relation to the poor. And ethical questions about the production of this video could be called into question after we witness, under the lens, a girl getting beaten by male members of her community. After all, this was not a dramatization. For students at any level. Belinda Godwin 3.5 Video raises important questions. It has a liberal
message, offers a liberal critique of liberalism: globalization has
only helped the rich but needs to also help the poor. No critique of
free trade/globalization other than how they should be tied to structural
adjustments. Trickle-down economics shown to be a myth/ineffectual in
practice. May be good to show to classes resistant to a critique of
neo-liberalism/globalization. Lecture topics: globalization, economics,
neoliberalism, poverty, NGOs, Peru, social reform, SAPs. Peter Mallory
& Riley Olstead
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