Structural adjustment Programs and their effects on global migration.

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Michael Chu

Debating Globalization

Professor Grace Chang

12 December 2011

Topic #2

Structural adjustment Programs, also known as SAPs, are like financial aid programs that are issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or World Bank (WB) which are intended to put developing countries on the same level of playing field with the global economy so that they could repay their loans. The system is supposed to raise the overall standard of living for the people in these third world countries and help the economy develop. Initially it may appear as if this system promising and may benefit developing countries, evidence shows that SAPs have actually worsen the very problems that it was planned to solve. The SAPs primarily benefits first world countries with cheap labor and opens up the third world countries to exploitation. Likewise, the purpose of welfare reforms is to help the people who are jobless or are not financially stable. Primarily it may seem like welfare reforms assures to decrease poverty but instead it increases poverty levels. 

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In an article called On the Beach, Enloe writes "[countries] are usually encouraged by international advisors to develop service sectors before manufacturing industries mature."[iii] This is not the case only for third world countries, but in first world countries as well.  Enloe goes on to explain how first world countries implement forms of SAPs via "cutbacks on healthcare and lack of subsidized child care"[iv]  Poor countries like in the Philippines suffer the most, sadly.  SAPs seem to always be implemented at someone's expense and their true effects can be seen in countries like the Philippines where these programs increase the ...

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