Skip to main content

Home/ APHumanGeography/ Group items tagged a

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Mr. Reidy

Religion in American Culture -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life - 14 views

shared by Mr. Reidy on 02 Dec 13 - Cached
  • Based on interviews with more than 35,000 American adults, this extensive survey by the Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project details the religious makeup, religious beliefs and practices as well as social and political attitudes of the American public.
  •  
    Hello APHUG! I hope you all had relaxing breaks. Looking forward to our upcoming chapter on Religion. As will be mentioned on Tuesday, I would like you to 1) bookmark and annotate (either in comments box or post-it note or both!) at least one SPECIFIC part of this "Religious Landscape Survey" website that helps you understand the geographical perspective of religion the most.  2) Explain your choice. 3) Create an authentic, relevant and real-world project task for this religion chapter that would require students to use the "Religious Landscape Survey" website. 4) Comment on at least one other person's response.  Due on Diigo by Thursday 11:59 PM.
  • ...40 more comments...
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps, This is a map of the United States displaying the distribution of Evangelical Protestant Tradition. 2. I chose this map because Evangelical Protestant has one of the highest percentages for a denomination in the United States, meaning it is very popular. I thought it was very interesting how this tradition has a higher percentage in the Southeast regions of the United States, rather than the North or the West. This fits with many stereo-types about the South, which I also find interesting. 3. Analyze the map of Evangelical Protestant tradition in the United States and form a hypothesis explaining your results. Then explain whether or not this hypothesis applies to other dominant denominations in the United States and other places in the world, and why or why not. Is this specific to the United States? Maybe the students could even find research/surveys done on people's opinions of Southern people and how the data of their religion fits with these stereotypes.
  •  
    Excellent explanation and project idea!
  •  
    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons#, these charts show what people's affiliations are in terms of political party and important issues such as abortion and homosexuality. 2. I chose these charts because they really demonstrate the views people have based on their religion. Many religions have beliefs concerning different issues. Christians are normally don't support abortion because in the Bible it talks about a baby in the womb is already precious to God and thus it is a sin to kill the innocent baby. Christians are often times than not more conservative thus they are Republicans. Other religions are more liberal and thus they are affiliated with Democrats. 3. Pretend that you are trying to become the perfect president. What qualities and view points would you support or not support in order to please most of the population? (Yes it's not possible to please everyone, but how would you secure the majority of the population for voting you into office?) Think about issues such as abortion, homosexuality, size of the government and U.S. involvement in international affairs.
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps# a map of frequency of prayer accross the U.S 2. I chose this map because it displays how religious america is, as it shows high percentages of praying per day especially in the south, steriotypically the most religious area of the U.S. 3. Look at this map and explain what this map implys about this country and if that was what you expected
  •  
    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2. I chose this map because it showed the frequency of attendance at religious services. I thought that was an interesting topic to examine because it shows how many people actually go to church, as opposed to people claiming they are a part of a certain religion, while not being active in the church. That is a powerful distinction. It showed that the Southern areas have higher attendance of religious services. 3. Look at the map about frequency of attendance at religious services and compare that to the different religions present in those areas. Is there a correlation between attendance and the type of religion practiced in a region?
  •  
    Allyson- I thought your project idea was a fantastic idea. It was very creative and well thought out. Nice work.
  •  
    1.http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 2. I found that age affects the population of certain religions to be fascinating. It was interesting to see the way age affiliated with religion. Younger people (18-29) tend to have equal numbers between all religions but when they become older (30-49) they tend to move towards Islam, Hinduism, and Catholic Christian. 3. Examine the data shown on the affiliation between religion and age and explain why each age differs in their religious practices.
  •  
    Nicole- Your project idea is great and I like the explanation you gave on the views of the political parties when discussing religion.
  •  
    Nathan- I like your task. It does a good job of using the map and another map to make connections and comparisons to figure of the why of where!
  •  
    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# (Make sure to click on the tab labeled "Income distribution of Religious Traditions) 2. I had chosen this particular topic because I wanted to debunk many of the stereotypical associations we as a society put on numerous religions. For example, I wanted to find proof that linked Jews with large fortunes or discover some statistic that linked people of color with poverty. To my surprise, the above statements held some truth. Over 46% of the people that practice Judaism hold a job that makes them over 100,000 dollars a year and about 47% percent of those who attend historically black churches make less then 30,000 dollars a year. 3. Explain the connection between a particular group's religious beliefs and how much money they make within a year. Make sure to include details about their lifestyle(Simple or Hectic), the value they put on education, and types of jobs each group holds (White or Blue Collar and examples).
  •  
    Nicole- I enjoyed your reasoning regarding the information you discovered detailing religious beliefs and their connection with political views. Also, I find your project very creative and rather challenging.
  •  
    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/maps : This is a map of the United States showing the where the Mormon tradition is most prominent. 2) I decided to look at Mormons because it is a religion that is not very popular, and I am interested in learning more about it. By the website, it says that it is a sect of christianity, though many would think otherwise. Also, my friends have been watching 'The Book of Mormon' on Broadway. The percentage of Mormon's in the US is around 2%. Most of the country remains relatively lacking in this religion...until you reach West. Salt Lake City, Utah is considered the hearth of the mormon faith in the US. Here the population is 51-100% Mormon. Around Utah, especially Westward, Mormonism becomes more popular, most likely spreading through relocation diffusion. 3) Explain the success of Mormonism in the West versus the East. What are some of the reasons that would make the East less open to the Mormon tradition. Explain why Mormonism has a stronghold in Utah
  •  
    Clay-I liked your project idea! Good job!
  •  
    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/maps This map portrays the importance of religion in one's life across the United States. 2) I chose this map because I found it interesting how religious importance varies across an area. The most dramatic difference in religious importance is between Mississippi and neighboring states, such as Florida and Georgia, for Mississippi views religion being involved in daily life as vitally important, believed by 81% of the residents. Viewing the United States as a whole, 56% see their religion as crucial in everyday life, while 26% see religion as somewhat important, 16% view religion as not very important, and 1% as refusing to practice a religion. This describes how various religions in diverse regions cause differing views on the importance of religion. 3) Explain the correlation between the predominate Protestant areas of Central and Southeast United States with the differentiating views of the importance of religion in one's life. Also, when told that Utah is inhabited by numerous Latter-day Saint members, but surrounding states, such as Nevada, are mostly Catholic, explain the relation of Utah encompassing a different value of the importance of religion from other Western states.
  •  
    Jared- I like how your task relates analyzing religious beliefs to income and style of living, such as a person's job or their value on education. I find this intriguing, but also challenging.
  •  
    1)http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2) This is a map of frequency of prayer. I think that it is interesting that, even though most Americans believe in a God, the percent of those who pray (a way of practicing religion) goes down. Also the percent of those who pray vary on the area, for example in the South the percentage ranges from around 71-80% but in the New England area it ranges from around 41-50%. This has a lot to do with the way parents raise their children and how influenced from the outside world the children are. The reason the number in the south may be so high is because of isolation allowing traditional customs to continue on without influence from those who practice different religions. Barriers that restrict language in the past unit can also work to restrict religion. 3)Compare other areas of the United States and try to access why they practice their religion more so than other areas. Use geological features and factors that might hinder diffusion or allow it to occur at a faster rate.
  •  
    Jared- I liked your assessment and I thought it was clever that you chose something relatable to most Americans. Also I liked your task idea and how it will get people to think about religion and it relating to other aspects of life.
  •  
    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2)This is the map of the percentage of Mormons in Utah. I find this interesting for the fact that I do not know very much about the Mormon faith. I also chose Utah because I know that is the area that is suppose to have the highest amount of Mormons since their main temple is in Salt Lake city. Also my interest comes from the fact that many people consider Mormons a cult. In fact that does not to be true at all. Mormons have a significant amount of followers. This consists of 58% of the people in Utah and 2% of the entire United States. It is for this reason that I chose to look at the Mormons in Utah for the sole reason that it interests me to learn more about what I don't know about. 3) If I were to give an assignment to the class involving this data I would ask that the class look at the percentage of Mormons in Utah and then look at other states and look at their percentage of Mormons. Then I would have them record the highest and lowest three percents and form a thesis on why these areas have the amount of Mormons present as they do.
  •  
    To Jared- I can see why you'd want to look at certain stereotypes involving certain faiths for it is an interesting topic that is a matter of debate and tension among religious groups. As for your project I think it would be very interesting to see how the characteristics of faiths could affect their financial standings. In other words I like it.
  •  
    Nick- I think that the correspondence between age and religion is very interesting as well. Great project idea!
  •  
    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/maps# This is a map showing the amount of people that practice Hinudism in America. 2. I wanted to check out this specific part of the website because I was curious about the statistics of Hinduism in the US, if any. I wasn't surprised to find out that only 0.5% of the American population practices this religion because it's considered an ethnic religion and is therefore tied to one location, which is primarily India. This also means that it doesn't diffuse to other areas very often. 3. Examine the map that breaks down the different religions that are practiced in the US and explain why they do or don't make sense from a geographic standpoint as well as a cultural standpoint.
  •  
    Ally- Your project idea is so thorough and carefully thought out. Well done!
  •  
    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/maps 2. This particular map drew my attention, because many believe in God, but not everyone carries out the duties of their religion. It was surprising to see that just 58% of people pray at least once a day. Knowing that Christianity is an extremely dominant religion in the US, the percentage should be higher. Prayer is an important part of any religion, and certainly Christianity. This stat shows America is not very devout. 3. Compare America's average amount of prayer with that of countries on multiple continents to study how closely certain religions are followed and practiced in different places in the world.
  •  
    Nathan- Your project was clever and it would be very interesting to view the results
  •  
    1) http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 2) This particular set of percentages really helped me to understand how religions are really spread throughout the US. I think that it is amazing how many people actually are Christians in the US. I feel like the percentage should be higher, compared with the video of the spreading religions we watched in class. There are many people who just don't worship a God, and I feel like that is a large part of our country's identification now. 3) Look at how the different denominations and branches of Christianity compare to the rest of the religions in the US, such as Islam, and Buddhism, and show how they relate to each other in many different ways.
  •  
    Isabella - I really liked your project idea and I thought that it was very well thought through. I also liked how you connected everything together with your paragraph.
  •  
    Nathan: Cool project Idea!! I love it! That would be a really interesting overlaying of maps. You could get a map of average times people spend per week on religions services or things to do with their denomination, and then overlay it with the churches of that region. That would be totally interesting. Good job!!
  •  
    Isabella~ I think it's interesting how faiths differ- both internally and when compared to other religions. A denomination like Catholicism seems to be so strict and almost confining, and adherence to the rules is of the highest importance, while other Christian denominations are more open to individual views and interpretation. In comparison to the Muslim faith, where one even has to change the way they dress in some circumstances, it feels like Christianity isn't strict at all! These factors concerning strictness of religions can be connected with how often followers pray and attend services.
  •  
    Hayley- Analyzing the reasons for the distribution of Mormons in the U.S. would be really interesting, especially why people in the west would be more willing to accept Mormon beliefs than in the east. In relation to that topic, you could also research whether there are Mormons outside the U.S., how many, and why and how the religion diffused there.
  •  
    Nicole your project idea is fantastic! I love how you described it and the whole idea in general. I believe that the project would be difficult enough for an AP class but you described it perfectly.
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# 2) This is a chart of the income distribution between the different religions. I choose this chart because I think it is interesting to see the distribution of wealth between different religions. 3) The students would have to compare the differences in wealth between universalized and ethnic religions. Then the could research a religion with an abundance or wealth and one with poor wealth and find out what job(s) the majority hold.
  •  
    1. http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits The map shows that 52% of people attending evangelical churches are conservative which helps me see the relationships between evangelical churches and political views. 2. I chose this map because I practice Lutheran which can be closely tied to evangelical churches and sometimes are combined. It is interesting to learn what political views can be related with the Evangelical church 3. Using this website students could take a map of the US and the areas where different religions are found. Then compare this to a map of political views for those religions. The students will determine any patterns between religions and their political views and where they are located in the US.
  •  
    Olivia it is interesting to see what religions have more wealth and possibly where they are located. Also for your project it would be cool to compare the US Christianity and say Africa's Christianity and find the wealth for both. Obviously the US would have more wealth but it would be interesting to see if Chirstianity in the US has the highest wealth compared to other religions in the US and if the same things works for Christianity in Africa.
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/portraits 1) With a visual representation with a pie graph, this shows how specifically how Muslims live in the United States, for example, the different regions such as the Northwest, Midwest, South and West. Though the numbers of Muslims in the United States are small they still practice what they believe and the numbers are growing, with the biggest group being in the ages of 30-49. 2) I choose this religion primarily because it is a growing religion in the United States and it is interesting to see the demographics of the people who practice Islam. I choose this section also because I could compare the Islam to other religions such as Christianity, and what surprised me was how many Muslims there are in the Northeast. 3) Why is the religion of Islam growing in the United States? Use examples from the Demographic Transition Model and the Migration Transition Model to explain your answer. Explain where this religion is found outside of the United States and how it spread from its hearth to where it is today. Is political and social unrest common in regions with this religion? Explain why/ why not this may be the case.
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps and select, "Mormon Tradition" under the section of "Religious Groups". This map is the percentage of the U.S. adult population that is affiliated with the Mormon tradition. 2.) I chose this map because I was interested where the most concentrated area of Mormons in the U.S. was. I do not really know that much about the Mormon faith and was wondering if there was a large population located near us. I found this not to be the case because the state with the largest Mormon concentration is Utah. All the other states where the population of Mormons was larger than 4% were all found in the east of the U.S also. 3.) My project would be for students to first learn about the Mormon tradition compared to other dominant religions in the U.S. The students would then take the things they learned about Mormons and study this map of their distribution. The students would then be required to apply their knowledge of Mormons and explain why the largest percentage of the population affiliated with this tradition is located in the West compared to other regions in the U.S.
  •  
    Jared- Your project is very interesting and is a great idea! I really like how you want students to connect a group's religious beliefs to their lifestyle and how they value education, and the jobs they have. Great choice!
  •  
    Kelly- it is interesting that you chose Hinduism as religion to study and prove that it is not a common practiced religion in the United States. I enjoyed your project idea because it is a different point of view trying to find whether or not a religion makes sense in a certain region or not based on the distribution that occurred in the past.
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/maps - This is a map that shows the percent of each states population that believes in God. 2.) I chose this because I was interested in seeing where the most concentrated percentages of people that believe in God occur. The map showed that the south east region of the U.S except for Florida had the highest percent of people that strongly believed in God. It also showed that the west coast had the lowest percent. This is interesting because the south east is considered the bible belt and this area has a reputation for being predominantly Christian. 3.) For my project I would have students look at the different percentages of religious beliefs and practices in each state and compare it to the religion distribution in the states. Then the student would have to explain why or why not the percentages of religious beliefs and practices make sense or not compared to the main religions belief.
  •  
    Cameron- I think it was good that you connected this website back to the demographic transition model and the migration transition model. This is the kind of thinking the Mr. Reidy would be proud of.
  •  
    Nicole, I love your idea! Not only are you learning about a majority of faiths in America, but you get to attack certain issues head on! This certainly beats just writing a paragraph!
  •  
    http://religions.pewforum.org/comparisons# This graph shows what political parties a certain religion is most affiliated to. 2. I chose this because the beliefs that a specific religion has affects which political party they affiliate with. They would choose a party with similar views as themselves. Most of the religions have a majority in the Democratic Party, but Jehovah's Witnesses have a majority in no proference/don't know. This group is the "odd man out" as it has relatively low percent of followers that are affiliated with the Democratic Party. 3. I would have students look at this data and a map of the U.S. of where each religion is mostly located and what political preference they have at election time, and determine if the data with the religions matches up with the data of the political parties of each state.
  •  
    Olivia- Interesting project idea. One would believe that universalizing religions would be tend to be wealthier, but then to find ethnic religions that are wealthy, or universalizing religions that are poor when researching. Also to find differences in wealth of the same religion, but in different areas of the world.
Jake Kurtz

FAST-US-1 Intro to American English Reference File - 5 views

    • Jake Kurtz
       
      Different languages (dialects) arise from the mixing of languages. If a language isnt present in a given area, it wont mix with the current language in that area.
    • Jake Kurtz
       
      Prestige can cause separate languages because people of certain class interact with those of the same class, therefore it allows for certain dialects to form in different areas. 
  •  
    CH. 5, KI#3: Highlight and annotate at least two major ideas in this article that seem meaningful in understanding why individual languages vary among places, such as in the US. (Do this by 11/21 for 1 extra credit point. :-))
  • ...6 more comments...
  •  
    "Generally, the southern dialects of American English carry a lower prestige, at least among northerners who will assume that a person speaking a southern dialect is less intelligent and less educated than they are. Some educated southerners even feel this way and will "correct" their speech to meet northern standards. The New York City dialect carries the lowest prestige of all." Similar to what Jake said, dialects can be considered favorable or unfavorable. Southern accents and New York accents are both of low prestige, and deemed improper. Teachers discourage the use of phrases derived from these dialects in formal writing. A language may evolve to eradicate dialects or promote dialects. Either way, the individual language will inevitably vary because of past, present, and future influences of both the indigenous inhabitants of a given region, and the ongoing flow of migrating persons.
  •  
    "Compared with the Eastern United States, the Western regions were settled too recently for very distinctive dialects to have time to develop or to be studied in detail. Many words originally came from Spanish, cowboy jargon, and even some from the languages of the Native Americans: adobe, beer bust, belly up, boneyard, bronco, buckaroo, bunkhouse, cahoots, corral, greenhorn, hightail, hoosegow, lasso, mustang, maverick, roundup, wingding." This quote identifies a key factor in deciphering the cause for variations in individual languages: time and indigenous peoples. After a language has diffused from an area, the new locations that are influenced begin to develop their own unique twist on the language. This doesn't happen overnight. Because the Midwest was settled recently in historical terms, the dialects are not distinct. Perhaps in the future, an accent may develop. In addition, when a homeland of an indigenous group of people is influenced by a new language, the two languages intermix. Because of the large populations of Native Americans living in the Midwest, the pioneers adopted terms they learned from the Indians. This will cause the language to vary from a region with few Native Americans. In effect, both time and indigenous peoples impact a language and inspire regional differences.
  •  
    "Mutual understandability in theory determines what is a "dialect" and what is a "language," but in reality there are also social and political issues. The government of a country might declare that all the languages spoken in that country are actually dialects of one language in order to create the illusion of political unity, while the government of another country might declare that the dialect spoken by its people is actually a unique language from other countries that speak dialects of the same language in order to create a sense of national pride." This quote is meaningful to identify why individual languages vary among places because it talks about how the government plays into the development of languages. This is relevant to the U.S, because when Webster's dictionary was made, he changed the spellings of words to break free from being dependent of England and to create a sense of national pride. This is just one example of how languages change over time.
  •  
    "The modern development of communications technology may possibly retard the evolution of dialects and languages. For the first time in history, a single dialect (sometimes called Network Standard) can be broadcast over an entire country, so few people actually still live in geographic isolation. However, the existence of racism, poverty, and class distinctions may cause some groups to remain socially isolated from the cultural mainstream, giving rise to social dialects like Black English (Ebonics), which is spoken by some urban African-Americans. " This quote plays on the idea that new communication methods are stopping the evolution of dialects. This would mean that less people are living in isolation and therefore it is harder for a dialect to stay strong. This also means that geographic locations that are in isolation have an easier time developing their own dialect and/or language.
  •  
    "Three things are needed for a new dialect to develop: a group of people living in close proximity to each other; this group living in isolation (either geographically or socially) from other groups; and the passage of time. Given enough time, a dialect may evolve to the point that it becomes a different language from the one it started as." This quote describes the factors needed for dialect and even new language to develop and vary among places. It is saying that first of all, there needs to be a group of people for this new language to develop in, which is common sense. However, it also says that this group needs to be living in isolation. For example, when British colonists moved to America, they became isolated from Britain by the Atlantic ocean, this isolation caused them to be unable to hear people talk from their homeland, as they only communicated through letters and writing. This slowly began to morph their language as they fed off each other's new pronunciations. This slow process is also displayed in the quote, when it says there is a need for time, a new dialect must slowly form as people speaking the same language being to get a little bit sloppy with pronunciation, spelling, etc. As the quote states, "given enough time, a dialect may evolve into a language."
  •  
    "For the first time in history, a single dialect (sometimes called Network Standard) can be broadcast over an entire country, so few people actually still live in geographic isolation. However, the existence of racism, poverty, and class distinctions may cause some groups to remain socially isolated from the cultural mainstream, giving rise to social dialects like Black English (Ebonics), which is spoken by some urban African-Americans." This quote also displays how languages can diffuse, and vary among places. Or how they cant. It talks about modern technology's effect of the spread of language, so that people are able to experience ebonics or dialects they have never come in contact with. This could cause less variation, as people want to become like those they see on TV or hear on the radio. However, it could also have the opposite effect; increasing variation. Racism, poverty, and social class seen as "undesirable" by the public, could effect language by isolating it, causing more dialects of these languages to spring up. Technology can have a huge effect of language variation.
  •  
    "Contrary to what your teachers may have tried to tell you, there is no such thing as "correct English." Any manner of speaking that follows the rules of a dialect is equally "correct." Words like ain't are "real" words in some dialects and perfectly acceptable to use." This quote shows how languages and their rules are arbitrary. The main point of language is just to communicate ideas, so as long as the message is spread then the rules don't matter as much.
  •  
    "Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German spoken by people in this area (in this context, 'Dutch' is actually a mispronunciation of the German word, 'Deutsch,' which means 'German')." PA Dutch is an example of a creole language because the German migrators' language fused with the indigineous residents' language which formed PA Dutch.
Padraic Manning

Religious Affiliations and Percentage Practiced In the United States - 3 views

    • Bronte Lebo
       
      2) This map is very interesting because it shows what the majority of Americans in different reasons believe about their religion. The unique thing about this map is that it represents all religions, not just one. I looked in particular at the map of how strongly people view their religion as the one true faith. A relatively low number of people agree with this, which is probably why there aren't many huge religious conflicts in the United States. 3) For a project, I would ask students to look at this map and identify the states with the highest percentage of people who believe that their religion is the one true faith. Then I would have them research religious conflicts in these areas. We would then compare this research with data about states that had the lowest percentage of people who agreed with the statement. This would show if there is a correlation between religious conflict and the belief that a certain religion is the only right way. 
    • Bronte Lebo
       
      Elina: your observations make sense because the South East is the Bible belt, so there are probably a lot more people there who believe in God. It's interesting that Colorado is so much lower than all of the states around it too.
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      Good observation, Bronte. Why does Colorado seem to be not as "mainstream religious" as other states?
  •  
    1) This map depicts the various religions, denominations, and sects within the United States. It shows how these faiths are distributed across the nation and how dense they are in their respective locations. This map is invaluabe in describing what Americans believe and where they do so. 2)I chose this map because of how helpful and powerful it is. It does a fantastic job at being straigh forward in showing the geographer where different faiths reside. From this information, the human geographer can make powerful inferences on why things are the way they are regarding religion. 3) Using the "Religious Landscape Survey" website, the students should write a well-thought-out response answering the prompt "How are different faiths distributed across America?"
  • ...6 more comments...
  •  
    I agree with you, Liam. The map does an excellent job of showing the distribution of the different religions across the United States. The maps themselves would help others to preform your project idea. It would involve what we have learned in the past about migration, but would also tie in what we have learned about religion so far.
  •  
    1.) The map on this webpage displays the distribution of certain religions within the US. For example, it shows that Protestantism and Catholicism are the two most dominant religions within the US. 2.) I chose this part of the survey because it provided me with a visual aid of the distribution of religions within the US. Also, it shows the distribution of specific religions within certain states. 3.) Create a visual representation of the distribution of a religion of your choice within the US, and provide some insight learned from this unit (and others) in order to explain the cause of the religion's distribution.
  •  
    Liam, I agree that the map has power in the way it displays the distribution of different faiths. The visual representation is helpful in understanding a religion's distribution.
  •  
    Very impressive, APHUG! It's a pleasure reading all of your online text transactions. I'm recording these excellent task ideas, too. See you all Friday.
  •  
    This map portrays the percentage of each state in which citizens answer whether religion is "very important" in their life or not. 2. Not only can we learn the number of citizens who truly value their religion in either a widespread or specific area, but also come to some conclusions on what possible dominant religion that area is ruled by. For example, the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana all have very high percentage rates in which the citizens say their religion is very important in their life. From prior knowledge we know this is around the "Bible Belt" area, and can assume that these states are predominately Protestant. In state such as California and Nevada, the percentage rates of the citizens who feel that religion is important to their life is relatively low. Especially on the West Coast, religion isn't well known. 3. A project I feel that would be beneficial and "real world" like would be to survey students at our own High School, asking the same question; whether religion is "very important" in their life. Of course you can't force students to take the survey, but it would be interesting to examine the results gathered from responses of fellow classmates.
  •  
    Nathan V- I really like the creativity of your project. There are definitely a few important correlations between amount of attendance at services and the predominant religion in the area. Great connection.
  •  
    1. This map shows all the religions practiced in the United States and exactly what percentage of people practice each religion. You can also click a link that shows us how many people actively practice their religion. 2. I chose this because it is interesting to see exactly what religions are being practiced and if people are actually practicing their religion. 3. I think an interesting project idea would be to first, take a survey of the people in your neighborhood of what religion they practice. Secondly, take a survey of how many actively practice their religion. Then look up the same statistics for 2000 and compare the results to see how it has changed. After make a presentation/power point showing these results seeing whether more people practice their religions or not now a days as opposed to 13 years ago.
  •  
    Brendan- I love your project idea. I think it would be more beneficial than just writing or creating a visual representation because it would be more like you're doing real field work and it would be more real life than writing about the map.
jbasom

Ethnic minorities under-represented and under-paid | Scoop News - 3 views

  • Public servants from ethnic minorities continue to be under-represented in the senior management of government departments and they continue to be paid significantly below the average public service salary according to Multicultural New Zealand.
  • But Maori, Pacific and Asian public servants are mainly clustered in lower paid occupations and thus suffer from an “ethnic pay gap”.
  • But Maori, Pacific and Asian public servants are mainly clustered in lower paid occupations and thus suffer from an “ethnic pay gap”
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • “While one might not expect the ethnic pay gap to reduce substantially from one year to the next, the almost total lack of progress (and actual regression) over five years is disappointing to say the least” said Multicultural New Zealand.
  •  
    In this article, ethnic groups, such as the Maori, which are found in New Zealand, are getting paid lower wages and they are not considered equal to the other non-ethnic groups. Even though this has not escalated to a full out war (yet), what would happen if the Maori stopped putting up with being "inferior" to the other groups? Would a territorial conflict arise? I think the answers to these questions are obvious because land equals money, which equals power. So, for these Maori people to get the equality they deserve, maybe all they need is a territorial war to gain back power?
  • ...3 more comments...
  •  
    But is it a good idea to start a war? The Muslims and Jews have been fighting for 2,000 years which proves that maybe that's not the best idea. If they want the power back so bad, I feel like there has to be another way to go, especially since wars can go on for long periods of time.
  •  
    Jocy and Catherine- I think that something definitely has to be done to try to fix this problem, but I also don't think that a war would be the best idea in resolving this issue. There does have to be some other way to solve this, but at the same time, a peaceful agreement most likely won't be effective either. Neither several territorial wars or a peaceful agreement worked for the Arab-Israeli conflict over territory, so what makes you think a territorial war would work for them?
  •  
    I agree that a war for territory isn't a good idea, but at the same time, they don't have the rights they deserve. Right now there isn't a war going on, so a "peace agreement" isn't really possible, because there is nothing upsetting the peace. I think the Maori people are taking baby steps to getting the privileges they deserve but they aren't making the progress that they want to, yet.
  •  
    I don't think war is a good idea, it seems that if the people want equal pay, they have to do something about it. As seen in the Arab-Israeli conflict, it may not be the best idea to go to war, but perhaps the people need to do something else.
  •  
    I agree with Brooke. Despite the fact that land equals money and money equals power, does a war guarantee that the minority group will gain land and thereby power to be paid the same amount? In addition, a war requires political power and money in order to gain access to resources. If the minority group has little power to begin with, how are they to obtain the resources necessary to win a war? There must be a better solution to this issue than to go to war.
adukkipati

To Quell Unrest, Beijing Moves to Scatter Uighurs Across China - NYTimes.com - 3 views

  • As a winter chill settled across China’s far northwest, 489 people boarded a chartered train in the city of Urumqi for the 50-hour ride to the country’s opposite corner, in semitropical Guangdong Province, to take up new factory jobs.
  • With violence upending the social order in sections of Xinjiang, where resistance to Beijing’s rule has been growing among ethnic Uighurs, officials there and elsewhere in China are pushing new measures — like chartering entire trains — to bring Uighurs and members of other ethnic minorities to parts of the country where the Han, the nation’s ruling ethnicity, are the majority.
  • Assimilation is only one element of the party’s strategy to quell ethnic unrest in Xinjiang. Security forces there have arrested large numbers of Uighurs, saying some are terrorists, and courts have issued death sentences.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • “people have a bias against Xinjiang people,” Mr. Cheng said. “We need to establish a new image.”
  • “The gap between the Han and Uighur communities has widened significantly since 2009,” he said, “and it’s hard to imagine these sort of state-orchestrated cohesion-building projects narrowing it.”
  •  
    Since the Communist takeover of the region in 1949, the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority in China, have gotten a lot of religious and cultural persecution by Han Chinese. Similar to convicted communists during The Red Scare, Uyghurs have been prosecuted under false circumstances for separatist activities. While this isn't necessarily a dispute over territory, it's certainly an ethnic conflict and because of these hostilities, Uyghurs have a hard time finding migrant work within China. How does this relate to other ethnic conflicts like in Russia or Palestine?
  • ...3 more comments...
  •  
    It is interesting how all of the people of China are viewed as being Chinese by outsiders, but are viewed much differently by the Chinese themselves. China seems to encompass more than what we believe is Chinese, including smaller ethnic groups like the Uyghurs. This seems to be reminiscent of the view of Native Americans in the United States today, who also have trouble finding work and live in relative poverty.
  •  
    I never knew this was happening in China. Like Alex said, I did not know China had smaller ethnic groups. I thought the culture was relatively homogeneous. In the documentary we watched in class, I did not see any discrimination to different ethnic groups, either. It is interesting that the events taking place are very similar to The Red Scare in the United States. I wonder how China is going to resolve this conflict?
  •  
    This is similar to the conflict in Palestine because of the persecution of a group of people resulting in hostilities such as protests, riots, etc. It is sad yet interesting that there are so many instances of such similar conflicts happening all over the world. It seems like if one was to be solved, the rest would be able to find similar solutions.
  •  
    I agree with Alexander about the similarity to Native Americans. Not only is China helping these people with jobs, but they are also making them go through the training programs which includes learning Mandarin, to the point where the minorities are in fear of losing their own identities. The Native Americans were forced to go through similar programs in order to "help them".
  •  
    One of the cities that we will be traveling to in China is Xian. This city has a large Muslim minority. Do ethnic groups form enclaves as a refuge?
smarikunte

EU parliament backs Palestinian state 'in principle' | World news | The Guardian - 3 views

  • Israel has been hammered by a series of diplomatic rebuffs across Europe after the European parliament voted overwhelmingly for qualified recognition of the Palestinian state.
  • Palestinian statehood and call for an end to Israeli occupation.
  • The rare international meeting in Switzerland of the high contracting parties to the Geneva conventions was boycotted by Israel, the US, Canada and Australia.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • 498 votes to 88, stated: “The European parliament supports in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced.”
  • The Jordanian-backed draft, which the US is almost certain to veto, sets a November 2016 deadline for an Israeli withdrawal.
  •  
    To achieve peace in the Middle East, the European Union voted on a bill presented by Jordan. The bill states that Palestine should be recognized as a 'principle state'. The US and Israel both strongly oppose this bill. The conflict has escalated in the past years. This territorial conflict is occurring because two religious groups want the same sacred holy land. How is the bill going to affect Israel and Palestine in the future?
  • ...4 more comments...
  •  
    This is a fascinating conflict. Why do you think that the two opposing religious groups cannot agree to share the Holy Land and thereby resolve the conflict? Will there ever be a solution to this?
  •  
    Sadhana and Jenna - I don't think there will ever be an end to this. If one side gets control, the other will never be happy and they won't stop until they get it, and so on. I don't think they can ever agree because they both feel that it should be their own and don't want the other to get the land. I almost feel like because its been going on for so long, there will never be an end since they are both so determined to control it.
  •  
    Jenna, I think that the two opposing religious groups cannot agree to share the Holy Land and create a resolution because both have significant holy sites that are close to one another (e.g. The Dome of the Rock is close to the Western/Wailing Wall). I think that there could be a solution to this because if some Palestinian areas could see the need for Israel to have the land that it does currently and its right to exist, then the problem could be resolved.
  •  
    Jenna, Since both religions have holy spots in this area, what do you think the best way to solve this issue would be? Is the U.N at a place to solve this conflict or should people who are more directly involved with the conflict be the ones who have more of a say in the peace talks?
  •  
    I only see two possible solutions, both flawed. Somehow, I believe that the two religious groups could find a way to coexist, allowing them both to have access to their holy sites, but this would mean accepting the fact that the other is there. This seems unlikely to happen. Another option is to not let either group have it, and that way neither could be angry that the other possesses it. This, however, is also unlikely seeing how each group strongly refuses to give up its sites. They would fight until death for access. I really don't see this conflict ending any time soon.
  •  
    Interesting solutions to the conflict. Why do you think the United States government has been pro-Israel since the creation of the state in the 1940s?
smarikunte

NEXT TOP CHEF-Lauren and Sadhana - 21 views

  •  
    Tune into NEXT TOP CHEF with Lauren Labell and Sadhana Marikunte! See the finalists in action. Lauren will be making a traditional dish from Spain and Sadhana will be making a traditional dish from Qatar. Who will win?
  • ...15 more comments...
  •  
    I really enjoyed watching your video! You both did a great job explaining how to make the dishes! I also liked how you brought in the "judge" to make it look like a real cooking show! Great job guys!!
  •  
    I like how you gave a lot of history on each of the dishes. You provided good background knowledge on the dishes for the viewers before they watch your video. Also, your idea to have a judge for the food was really cool! Good job on your video!
  •  
    Great job, ladies! I really liked how organized your website was. You also gave a lot of information about your dishes, which was very good. They both looked so good! I think you guys are both winners!
  •  
    The cook it at home recipe is pretty cool. Your information is very detailed and covers any questions I might have had.
  •  
    I really enjoyed watching your video. The directions were very specific and the food looked really good! I especially liked the part where the judge, "Gordon Oliver", tried the dishes because it was different than a lot of the other food videos.
  •  
    I really liked how your video was like a real cooking show! I liked the taste test at the end and the interviews at the beginning that showed the history of the dishes.
  •  
    It's pretty cool how you guys made this seem like a real show. Good work!
  •  
    Great job guys! Your video was really creative and entertaining while also being informational.
  •  
    Very good idea to make it into a real cooking show! Great information and organization of the site. Good work!
  •  
    Good job with your video, especially with the beginning intro scenes and the last scene! Sadhana, you should have won by default because of Lauren's brother being the judge! I wonder which one of your recipes was actually better?
  •  
    Your website was very neat and easy to navigate. I like how you made it like a real show with the judge at the end. Both foods follow the characteristics of folk culture and that the origin is anonymous.
  •  
    I liked how the website was well managed and and easy to navigate, plus those foods look REAAAAAAALLLY good!
  •  
    I liked how the video was set up like a real cooking show. You guys also presented great information about the food's background, as I never heard of the Qatar dish.
  •  
    I really liked the design of the website and that it was based on a real cooking show. I thought the dishes were interesting and displayed how the resources available to countries often affects their folk culture.
  •  
    Great job! The beginning scenes were very informative, and I thought it was interesting how there are different theories on the origin of the tortilla española, which is a great characteristic of a folk culture.
  •  
    I enjoyed your website very much! I like how you incorporated background information into your video as well as your website. It was great to see how well these folk foods relate to what we learn in class. For example, Lauren's food dish has no known origin. This is one of the characteristics of folk culture. Great job over all!
  •  
    I loved the concept of "The Next Top Chef"! The organization of the website is great and I liked how you provided background information. It was also interesting to see the characteristics of culture embedded in the food. Overall, great job!
Mr. Reidy

E-Cigarettes: FDA Regulation Looms for $1.5 Billion Industry - Businessweek - 0 views

  • booked a trip to China; and began meeting with manufacturers.
    • Allyson Fea
       
      I chose this article because it really interested me. Though I do not smoke myself, and I hope I never will, I have always wondered how E-Cigs work and how they are different than regular cigs
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      I think there is an E-Cig shop in Mechanicsburg, downtown.
  • it did work, it could upend the tobacco industry.
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • Verleur saw right away that if e-cigarettes could be made as convenient and satisfying as a pack of smokes, he’d make a killing. He enlisted the help of his brother, an engineer working for an Agilent Technologies (A) spinoff; booked a trip to China; and began meeting with manufacturers. In 2009 he formed his company, V2Cigs, with four employees working out of an apartment.
    • Allyson Fea
       
      This article really display the effects of worldwide globalization, a theme we discussed in class. E-Cigs were created in China, but they quickly became a huge part of the US economy through electronic media and industry. Both of these are ways that new inventions can diffuse across the globe. Now many countries are using E-Cigs due to globalization.
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      Interesting graphic.
  • booked a trip to China; and began meeting with manufacturers.
    • Allyson Fea
       
      One thing we talked about in class was cheap labor. I find it very interesting that Verleur and his brother immediately thought to manufacture their product in China, almost as if this was the only place TO manufacture it. China provides very cheap labor for US companies and E-Cigs are probably not that expensive to ship, so they would save a lot of money.
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      I like your connection to this major site factor.
  • 250 employees, and 5 million customers worldwide.
  • six manufacturing facilities in Shenzhen, China
  • Miami headquarters,
  • commercially marketed device was created by a Chinese pharmacist, Hon Lik, and introduced to the Chinese market as a smoking cessation device in 2004.
  • iny fraction of what Americans spend on tobacco, but it’s pretty solid for an industry that barely existed five years ago.
    • Allyson Fea
       
      More examples of Globalization and Mobility as ECigs diffuse to different countries around the world. They were created through stimulus diffusion and now are expanding
    • Allyson Fea
       
      Will E-Cigs replace regular cigarettes in the near future? I wonder!
    • Allyson Fea
       
      This article relates to current events we looked at when we discussed the globalization of food products around the world, especially fast food, and how people in developing countries and developed countries all drink coca-cola, etc. Same with ECIGs
  •  
    An article discussing how the E-Cigarette industry is quickly growing and diffusing around the world. 
  • ...4 more comments...
  •  
    Interesting choice of article Ally. I like how it show the production of the e cigarettes spreading all around the world, even to china, which shows globalization. Good Job!!
  •  
    I think that it's very interesting how he moved to China immediately to build and produce his product. It must have had several appealing characteristics, perhaps cheap labor, resources, or less strict regulations. I wonder if the tobacco industry will try to combat e-cigs to protect their profits, maybe even by leading research on the effects of inhaling the nicotine vapors.
  •  
    I Think that it was interesting that hey immediately thought to produce it in China. I have seen many start up businesses that was to get to manufacturing in China because it will cut down their production cost and it will increase their profit which is the goal of the business.
  •  
    I was surprised to read that globally, cigarettes earn more than a half trillion dollars in sales annually because I thought the amount would be much less. With the rise in popularity of E-Cigerattes, the markets, as well as the inputs for cigarettes is likely to decline. In addition, I find it very interesting that the product, after improving it with access to technology and knowledge in the U.S., is produced in China. This is probably due to the cheap labor force, as well as the large amount of land available to produce the product, for production near urban and suburban areas could spark debate with health problems.
  •  
    After reading Danyelle's article and the one we read in class, I wonder if the increase in Chinese wages will have an impact on the industries which produce the e-cig. If the factor of cheap labor is taken away, but available somewhere else, how will that shift the distribution and manufacturing of the cigarettes.
  •  
    An article discussing how the E-Cigarette industry is quickly growing and diffusing around the world. 
carke1

Diffusion of Sports- Catherine and Brooke - 11 views

  •  
    When you visit our site you can learn more about the diffusion of a popular sport (soccer) compared to a lesser known sport called croquet. Interact by watching videos and reading more about how sports differ across the world.
  • ...10 more comments...
  •  
    Your page was very interesting to visit because it was very informative and the pictures and video made it unique. Good job!
  •  
    All the pictures made the site really cool! It was fun to look through and find out what sports are played around the world. Good job!
  •  
    Your site was very informative and efficient. I thought it was super easy to navigate, so that's brownie points.
  •  
    Your site is very organized. I never knew croquet started as popular culture and soccer started as folk culture. We learned about diffusion in class and it is cool to see a real-life example of it.
  •  
    Good job making your site. The pictures you added look very nice and the site was very informational. I thought it was interesting that croquet started as a popular sport and was widespread throughout the world.
  •  
    I really like the layout of the website! A lot of other groups did videos but this website is able to incorporate all elements of what would be in a video on to the website. I have one question; does croquet have any relationship with golf? When I was reading that section it looked a lot like golf so I was concerned. The website looks terrific overall!!
  •  
    You guys did a great job on your website! The organization of the pictures and information was great! One connection that I noticed in your work that we learned in class activities, when we take notes from the book, was that the book mentioned that soccer was banned for a time and later unbanned, as well as it also being called football in other parts of the world.
  •  
    Your website has a nice layout so it's easy to navigate. It's also fascinating that croquet started off as a popular sport and has moved to be more of a folk activity. On the other hand, soccer started as a folk activity and became a popular one.
  •  
    I would have never guessed the croquet started as a part of popular culture. I loved how you incorporated the croquet game from Alice in the Wonderland. This connects to what we learned in class because we read about the diffusion of soccer in the book. I loved your website!
  •  
    This was one of the easiest sites to navigate that I have checked out so far. The information is laid out in such an interesting and accessible way. Great Job.
  •  
    This is an interesting website! I never knew about croquet before, but now I feel well informed. I like the use of images as well.
  •  
    I thought it was really interesting that croquet originated as popular culture, whereas soccer originated as folk culture. Today, in our society, soccer is considered more popular culture, whereas croquet is thought of being more of folk culture. I like how you included that soccer was banned and then legalized again because I remember reading about that in class.
Kelly Gallick

American-Made Clothing Companies Find Ways To Survive As Others Chase Cheap Labor Abroad - 5 views

    • Kelly Gallick
       
      Most of the apparel that we wear is made in another country, and very rarely do I see something made in the US, which makes sense because the foreign-made clothing is much cheaper.
    • Kelly Gallick
       
      The topic of outsourcing is linked to globalization because industries aren't just located in one area, but have some branches in other countries that have cheaper labor or products, which is connecting the world.
    • Kelly Gallick
       
      In the industrial sector, you learn that in countries that have a surplus of workers, the wages tend to be very low. Large industries use this as an advantage and send some of their products to these countries to save money and to make more.
  • ...17 more annotations...
    • Kelly Gallick
       
      New technologies are cutting down on production prices and therefore cutting down on the amount of outsourcing that industries do, but are the prices of the technologies cheaper than the prices of the cheap labor overseas?
    • Kelly Gallick
       
      http://www.epi.org/publication/bp336-us-china-auto-parts-industry/ This additional current event talks about the auto industry and how many are based in the US, but most of the small parts that go into making the cars are make in developing countries, like China. This is becoming a problem because some American workers are out of jobs due to the workers in China that do the same amount of work for less pay. Outsourcing of the apparel industry and the auto industry are very similar in this regard.
  • d .
  • said
  • Henry has been in the apparel business for three decades, enough to see nearly all of his competitors disband or head overseas in search of workers who will do the job for lower wages. Henry has taken the opposite route, shrinking the geographic scope of his supply chain and making that a marketing feature.
  • Workers at TS Designs in North Carolina are paid an average of $15 an hour,
  • estimated .
  • His “most sustainable” T-shirt, which uses certified organic cotton, a transparent supply chain, with a patented environmentally-friendly print and dye system, costs around $14 wholesale. The same type of shirt would cost about $8 to make overseas, he estimated
  • The average factory worker in Bangladesh makes $0.21 an hour,
  • bargains on store shelves in Los Angeles and Philadelphia may come at the expense of people toiling in unsafe conditions in Dhaka and Guatemala City.
  • quality of raw materials
  • His shirts are made in America, and not on the other side of the world, in a poor country in which workers may be mistreated.
  • If you take production overseas, the labor cost would be less than $1. The fabric and design cost doesn’t change much, he said, especially for a simple piece of apparel like a T-shirt.
  • “This industry is so mobile that it gets fixed in one place and then pops up somewhere else,” Rivoli said.
  • But American apparel manufacturing may eventually see a resurgence, some experts said. The garment industry is undergoing the kind of technological change reshaping many industries:
  • Machines are increasingly attending to tasks once performed by humans. That undercuts the overall cost advantages of going overseas in search of cheaper labor.
  • As automation emerges as a greater force in the apparel trade, that could send investment back to the United States, where mastery of machinery remains a core strength.
  •  
    Kelly! I find your annotations and article to be very interesting, as myself often wonder how American-made clothing companies survive, with foreign-made clothes being so much cheaper!! I also totally agree with you that countries with a surplus of people who need jobs in that field have very cheap labor wages. For example, the maquiladoras in Mexico. I think American clothing companies DO have an advantage in the fact that many people respect American-made brands as they are seen as higher quality and more durable. Thanks for sharing!
  • ...3 more comments...
  •  
    What's up Gallick. You had a lot of annotations that were very helpful in understanding your article. It's unfortunate and shocking that the workers in Bangladesh only make 21 cents an hour, I find that hard to believe, although I know it's true.
  •  
    Kelly, I find it very interesting how this article incorporates both the desire to reestablish manufacturing in the U.S. and the outweighing factors, such as labor costs, that attract businesses to LDCs. In addition, the article describes the evident connection between labor cost and working conditions. For example, workers in Bangladesh are only paid $0.21 and hour, while recently there was a factory collapse that killed many workers. This portrays that with low labor cost also comes poor working conditions.
  •  
    Kelly G, great article! This article proved my hunch that American made clothing is better quality than ones made in foreign countries though more expensive. I found this very interesting and reminds me of some of the Made in America things that I have seen on TV. I believe that if American companies put more stress on the quality of clothing they are making that outsourcing competitors may start having troubles.
  •  
    Companies have now started to transition to finding the cheapest cost for the production of their products instead of quality. What paths will companies have to take if countries like Bangladesh start to develop more and price of labor rises globally? I assume that greed has taken over in today's world that we look for the cheap way to make products instead of making a great quality one.
  •  
    I found this article very interesting, mainly because of the difference in cost of apparel made in the United States versus in a lower wage country, such as Bangladesh. I find it very hard to believe that they only get paid 21 cents an hour! Overall, I think that our country needs to look at clothing not by how cheap it is, but how it was made and what certain people had to go through to make it.
Eric Bossert

Brazil's Diagnostic Medicine Market - Its Growth and Profits - 2 views

  •  After nearly three years on the market, Alliar – the diagnostic medicine group – continues with its aggressive expansion strategy with a total of 65 diagnostic imaging units in Brazil and reaching revenues of about R$310 million (US$125 million) and a 40 % average growth
  • Alliar’s growth has been in the range of 50% per year.
  • Alliar’s president has stated that “It’s a segment that has differentiated growth possibilities, more accelerated than healthcare in general”. “The sector is still very fragmented and therefore opportunities for consolidation still exist.”
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • Since the beginning Alliar has been taking advantage of the current Brazilian market forces that have health insurance companies setting up low prices for this particular line of services with significant detriment to its profit margins and a growing middle class expansion that have substantially increased its demand for medical diagnostic services.
  • Fleury SA (FLRY3) and Diagnosticos of America SA (DASA), Brazil’s biggest publicly traded diagnostics companies are Alliar strongest competitors, however, these are services in the major centers such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Thus, Alliar has focused in smaller cities having most of its units in São Paulo and Minas Gerais away from their metropolitan areas, areas that are not fully served by FLRY3 and DASA.
  • In 2010, a partnership between the Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) and Patria Investments – Brazil’s leading private equity fund firm – was established allowing Blackstone to buy a 40% stake in Patria Investments with the goal of building their businesses in Brazil and throughout South America.
    • Eric Bossert
       
      Why would the Blackstone group want to build its reach into Brazil? I  am certain there are many other countries with booming markets. For example China.
    • Eric Bossert
       
      This interest the Blackstone Group has in Brazil is showing the theme of globalization as they try to reach out to places around the world for business.
    • Eric Bossert
       
      This article in general connects to our current chapter as it shows the interaction between a business service and a health service as they work together to better their own companies.
    • Eric Bossert
       
      This relates to services in the fact that it is smart of the Alliar Group to locate farther away from competition so that they have more of a pull on the people that live in the rural areas. This opposed to fighting for consumers in an already service filled area. 
    • Eric Bossert
       
      This relates to our previous chapter on industry. It does so as it brings up how strong Brazil's economy is getting. This shows it is indeed a BRIC country.
    • Eric Bossert
       
      This article reminds me a lot of horizontal integration in the trust days of the U.S.
    • Eric Bossert
       
      This is stating that since this company's particular service has so much variation it is easy to consolidate and grow.  
    • Eric Bossert
       
      http://www.businessoffashion.com/2014/02/brazil-fast-fashion-heats.html This other article describes how fashion businesses are trying to get into Brazil and take advantage of its strong economy.
  •  
    This article describes how a health service company is taking advantage of Brazil's booming economy to consolidate business and give itself an edge. This group has an annual growth of about 50% and shows the booming medical services. 
karasmith3

Lithuanian and Tanzanian Food - 10 views

  •  
    Have you ever wanted to watch two very amateur chefs almost kill themselves when they attempt to make foreign food? Guaranteed to make you laugh at their stupidity, LiAnn and Kara demonstrate their awful and slightly-less-awful cooking skills through the completion of this beautiful meal. Featuring: Some weird Lithuanian pork stuff that was actually pretty good; Greasy Chips a.k.a. Tanzanian French Fries; Chai tea with way too much cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger; and, an Orange and Mango drink in the fancy "I'm a Grownup, I Swear!" wine glasses.
  • ...7 more comments...
  •  
    https://sites.google.com/a/masdstudent.org/folk-and-popular-food/home Here's the main page, the above link goes to a subtopic.
  •  
    I think you guys did a good job on this video! The dishes looked great! Maybe a little too informal, but super funny! Overall, good job!
  •  
    I really like the depth you went into to show the history of your foods! There was a lot of great information. Great job!
  •  
    I loved your video! It was very entertaining. I really want to try to make the chai tea now. Awesome job!
  •  
    I like how you gave a lot of in depth detail about the foods and the countries that they came from. I learned a lot about different foods and how to make them!
  •  
    I really liked your video! You guys are so funny and it was a cute little video. I liked how Kara mentioned that the Tanzanian French fries were a lot like regular fries. That comparison shows probably how French fries have diffused into other countries. Great job!!
  •  
    This is so great! The video is very entertaining as well as informative. You did a great job of putting your personalities into it. Both Tanzanian and Lithuanian cuisine are great examples of how a place's environment can greatly affect its food.
  •  
    I loved the video you made! It was... the most unique one I've seen thus far. It was informative, and your commentary was quite comical (my personal favorite being the bay leaf). The diffusion of "greasy chips" was well displayed, and how they have become popular throughout many countries, including Tanzania.
  •  
    I thought it was very informative as well as funny. I liked that the greasy chips were basically french fries with another name. It shows how foods can have more than one origin.
Olivia Moats

FIFA introduces first standardized medical bag for World Cup | Fox News - 1 views

  • In November 2013, FIFA passed a rule mandating that at least one AED must be available on the sideline of all FIFA competitions and matches. FIFA also launched the FIFA Sudden Death Registry in 2014 in order to document fatal events in football.  
  • The bags, created in collaboration Johnson & Johnson, the official health care sponsor of the World Cup,
    • Olivia Moats
       
      It surprised me that a player had died in a FIFA match so recently. It seems like there should have been better medical resources there by now.
  • ...5 more annotations...
    • Olivia Moats
       
      This demonstrates mobility because there are people from Cameroon and other countries in France, experiencing the French culture while playing a sport that did not originate in their home country.
  • “[In the past], sideline medical teams, they were using the standard equipment that they had in the arena, in the stadium,” Dr. Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s Chief Medical Officer told FoxNews.com.
    • Olivia Moats
       
      Johnson & Johnson is an extremely well known brand and the people who are working to get these medical bags together and making sure that they have everything that they need in them.
    • Olivia Moats
       
      I'm really not sure how an organization of the magnitude that FIFA is could go so long without realizing that their medical standards at the games were not safe enough. Why did it take somebody dying for them to figure it out?
    • Olivia Moats
       
      Since my article is about health services being improved I believed that the article about guidelines to hepititis B treatments would fit.  http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/04/09/who-issues-first-ever-hepatitis-c-treatment-guidelines/
  •  
    Current Event #9
  • ...3 more comments...
  •  
    I am surprised a health service hasn't jumped on this opportunity before now. Athletes get hurt, you would think that someone would have moved in as the sole health service in the FIFA cup much early than now.
  •  
    It is also interesting that the health services at such a global sport, like soccer, has not increased because we observed that the health care has been increasing.
  •  
    This will also be great advertising for Johnson & Johnson
  •  
    It is very surprising that the most globally popular sport in the world (soccer) had a lack of medical support at a major FIFA match. However, it is good to see that the next World Cup in Brazil will have the medical bags. You never know when a player could be put into a life threatening situation. I also agree with Bronte, in that Johnson and Johnson will have a significant gain in product sales after advertising at such a prestige event like the World Cup.
  •  
    It is interesting to know that FIFA has just now decided to construct a standardized medical bag for the 2014 world cup. I wonder what precautions were taken for injuries in the past.
Jessica Wray

Dove's Latest Ad Entails Tricking Women to Wear Fake Beauty Patches - ABC News - 1 views

    • Jessica Wray
       
      I cannot believe that this is real; if I were to have a patch on my arm for a few weeks, I would hide it and wonder how it is possibly helping me...Does it really make them feel confident???!
    • Jessica Wray
       
      This relates to advertisement which relates to consumerism which relates to services. Services depend on and affect societies and culture. Different regions of the world have different types of society and culture. Thus, this article relates to the theme of REGION.
    • Jessica Wray
       
      This article deals with advertisement, which is a huge part of consumerism. Consumerism dictates services- if a service is not desirable by the people, then it will not thrive and will not be in a place. Dove attempts to become more popular by making a commercial in which woman wear fake patches that make them feel confident, and even more so upon the revelation that it is made of nothing and is worthless!
  • ...9 more annotations...
    • Jessica Wray
       
      I don't understand how any woman would feel better by wearing the patch...? What did the patch claim to do exactly- why did they want to "show off" such a thing?
    • Jessica Wray
       
      This is an older article; I'll post another one, but it certainly relates!!!! http://weburbanist.com/2010/11/08/15-cool-crazy-controversial-advertisements/
    • Jessica Wray
       
      http://abcnews.go.com/Business/banana-republic-sued-allegedly-deceptive-discount-signs/story?id=23178043 This current event also involves silly and questionable advertisement tricks to attract customers...
    • Mr. Reidy
       
      How does marketing manipulate the range and threshold of services?
    • Jessica Wray
       
      This relates to advertisement which relates to consumerism which relates to services. Services depend on and affect societies and culture. Different regions of the world have different types of society and culture. Thus, this article relates to the theme of REGION.
  • advertising
  • Dove may have struck advertising gold last year with its “Real Beauty Sketches” ad, but not everyone is praising its latest attempt at a viral video in which women were given beauty patches for two weeks as part of an experiment and then told the whole thing was fake
  • sychologis
  • “I’m beautiful. I’m strong. I’m independent. And I can just be whoever I want to.”
  • Dove: Patches campaign was designed to evoke conversation about how the right state of mind can unlock a powerful feeling of beauty that lives inside all women.
  •  
    This is really interesting. I wonder if any of the women at least suspected that something was going on. The whole idea seems kind of ridiculous, but I don't really see why so many people were extremely offended by it!
  •  
    Jes, your article was fascinating. It is baffling how far people will go to "fit in." You made a tremendous point about Dove's advertisement. TV commercials are sources of globalization since they connect different people from around the world.
jared snell

China's Embrace of Foreign Cars - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • Chinese consumers increasingly favor American brands, which have a reputation for safety, youth and international flair. The domestic brands have tended to lag in surveys of initial quality and engineering, although they are starting to close the gap. In long-term reliability, they are far behind and falling even further.
  • Multinational corporations are steadily clawing market share from Chinese brands in their home market
  • as a succession of global brands have pushed their way into China
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • Rising affluence has left consumers reluctant
  • to accept cheaper, spartan models from domestic manufacturers
  • They want to persuade China’s Commerce Ministry to retain a requirement seldom found in other top manufacturing nations: Foreign automakers may assemble cars in China only through 50-50 joint ventures with domestic partners.
  • “If there is a loosening of the restrictions on foreign ownership in automotive shares, it will instigate massive changes in the configuration of our country’s automotive industry,”
  • “The cap has hindered fair, open and transparent competition, which undermines the interests of consumers and the overall competitiveness of the Chinese auto industry,”
  • “It is our common goal to further develop these and to be successful together in the Chinese automotive market,” Volkswagen said in a statement.
  • The original goal of the joint venture requirement was to force multinationals to work with big, state-owned automakers with ample access to credit from state-owned banks. The ministry’s hope has been that the state-owned automakers would learn from their partners to build world-class cars that they could then export
  • The multinationals have continued to provide most of the designs, engineering and marketing. They build essentially the same cars that they sell in the rest of the world
  • domestic brands had only 29.5 percent of the car market last year
  • Ford’s joint venture here in western China has 15,000 employees who assembled more than 600,000 vehicles last year, making it Ford’s largest operation outside southeastern Michigan
  • The second factory is among the most modern anywhere in the world: Steel coils go in one end and finished cars come out the other just eight hours later.
  • Domestic Chinese automakers have also bought robots for their operations from international suppliers. But they have tended to rely much more on using huge teams of workers for manufacturing, and they have struggled to figure out how to integrate robots efficiently into assembly lines — a task that took decades for multinationals to master
    • jared snell
       
      <-- This 50-50 Domestic and Foreign part requirement is interesting in the fact that I have never heard another country implicate a guideline like it. It certainly goes against what is found in the US (IE. The vehicle is either 100 percent foreign or 100 percent domestic...rarely both.
    • jared snell
       
      This bit of text here exemplifies the Human Geography them of Globalization, or the diffusion of ideas and innovations to other regions. By allowing international manufacturers like Ford to form joint ventures with its domestic manufacturers, the Chinese state hopes that important ideas like an aspect of a design or Aerodynamics will "rub off". These industry secrets if you will would, in turn make Chinese domestic cars much more valuable and safe.
    • jared snell
       
      The fact that Chinese domestic manufacturers are can't use robots as efficiently as their international counterparts is just the classic case of under-skilled labor within the secondary sector.. Because international corporations have been around for years, they have been able to master and teach the techniques of operating a complicated machine like a robotic arm. In turn, they are much more efficient in their production and generate a higher profit. On the other hand, China is relatively new to the light vehicle scene and as consequence it's workers aren't as experienced.
    • jared snell
       
      My only question is why have the 50-50 cap in the first place? Is it to protect domestic companies and act as a tariff in a sense? Or is it their to allow the Chinese government to tax the multi-national vehicles?
    • jared snell
       
      The article had mentioned that Chinese domestic vehicle manufacturers were unpopular with the public due to poor crash test results and safety risks. This other article relates seeing how it explains how Toyota had to recall over 6 million vehicles due to product defects that could pose a serious safety threat. Here's the link:http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/10/business/international/toyota-to-recall-vehicles.html?rref=business/international&module=Ribbon&version=context&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=International%20Business&pgtype=article
lexihoffman

Mistrust Threatens Delicate Balance at a Sacred Site in Jerusalem - NYTimes.com - 1 views

  • along
  • Amid roiling unrest over a contested Old City holy site, the
  • this month declared that the name used for the site by Jews, the Temple Mount, was “null and void.” Instead, the
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • The real struggle over the site, however, is not over semantics but over sovereignty, between two peoples who seem unable to find a way to simply share.
  • must be called Al Aqsa Mosque or the Noble Sanctuary.
  • group said, the compound — “a symbol for all
  • Palestinian leaders,
  • contend that threats to the holy site were the prime motivation of the violence.
  • along
  • The attacks
  • along
  • have shattered Israelis’ sense of security but in many cases only strengthened their assertions of ownership.
  • Jewish presence at the site
  • “The Israelis try to force it — it’s not through negotiation, it’s not through discussion, it’s not through any rational means: They use the police, they come in a brutal manner to take over the place,” said Ali Qleibo,
  • “The security argument is also a religious argument, it’s an argument about the No. 1 principle in Judaism, which is thou shalt not spill blood.”
  •  
    In this current event, territory conflicts among Jews and Palestinians arise due to their different beliefs dealing with the city of Jerusalem and the boundary between the two religious groups. What will the Jews and Palestinians do to resolve their disputes over this issue?
  •  
    Maybe the Jews and Palestinians will create a peace treaty of sorts and divide the use of the territory equally. More likely though, they will probably go to war about it. Why do all disputes end in a war these days?
  •  
    I agree, it seems that when attempts at a peace between groups fail, they immediately resolve to violence. In the end, do they believe that the death toll is worth the fight? In many cases it seems that there could have been multiple solutions to solving conflict when people went to war.
dknepper

Jerusalem synagogue attack sparks fear of descent into religious war | World news | The... - 0 views

  • four rabbis and a Druze policeman were killed by two Palestinian cousins in a morning attack
  • bullet hole
  • No one expected this to happen here. We are religious here. And we believe God has a plan. Which is why you will not hear people here shouting for revenge and arguing about whether we should talk peace or not talk peace or fight. We leave that to the politicians.”
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • The situation is worsening already hostile relations between Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
  • much of the tension since the summer was being driven by still strong anger among Palestinians over the murder of teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, as well as a deep anxiety over perceived Jewish encroachment into the Noble Sanctuary, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.
  • Pope Francis voiced dismay at the “alarming increase in tension in Jerusalem” and appealed to both sides to take the “courageous decisions” needed to achieve peace.
  • “wave of Palestinian terror starting to resemble a religious war”, Amos Harel in Haaretz has blamed both sides, the Israeli government for contributing “to the emphasis on the religious component of the conflict by demonstrating helplessness in the face of recent efforts by right-wing [Jewish] activists to change the status quo regarding Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount”. On the Palestinian side, he added: “Defending al-Aqsa Mosque [on the holy site] provides an appropriate excuse for the recent terror perpetrators.”
  •  
    This article discusses the Israeli-Palestine conflict and how that has turned into many cruel acts of violence. What would possess someone to kill these men, especially on the stairs of a holy place?
  •  
    Four rabbis and a policeman were killed by 2 palestinians inside of a jewish synagogue, and many people fear that the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is becoming a religious war, since they have different beliefs. Why would the Palestinians decide to attack the Israelis?
jbasom

Folk Clothing-Jocy and Molly - 26 views

  •  
    When viewing our website about a variety of unique folk clothing items, you will be pulled into our "journey"around the world as we travel to Africa, the Arctic, the Middle East, and South America in search of folk fashion.
  • ...19 more comments...
  •  
    I think you guys did a really good job of showing how unique each country's style of dressing is. I really liked the game and your pictures!
  •  
    I really liked how you added the game, the Pinterest page, and the pictures of you dressed up. It made the site fun to look through. Great job!!
  •  
    Yours kept me interested the whole way through, especially looking at the pictures of you guys dressing up. You were very creative and nicely represented fashions from all over the world.
  •  
    You guys did an excellent job with the appearance of the site and information that adhered the viewer. The representations you guys did goes back to the concept of folk clothing influencing popular clothing that we wear today.
  •  
    I really like the idea of the games and Pinterest page! It added to the site and made it really interesting. I also thought it was creative how you dressed up.
  •  
    Your site was really pretty and I liked it! The idea of the Pinterest page made your site so much better. I think you really did a good job making this project.
  •  
    I liked your site a lot! As we described in class, I saw how the culture of a group affects the style of clothing. The Pinterest page and game were nice touches!
  •  
    The pictures were very interesting and I learned a lot about how different cultures wear different types of clothes!
  •  
    I like how you chose cultural dresses from very different parts of the world! It really shows how diverse the world's styles really are. I dare you to pick one and wear it to school!
  •  
    I liked the entire page, it was easy to use, which is wonderful. Information involved was very informative, which is great for an informative site
  •  
    Your website was really cool and had a great use of pictures and placement of information! One connection I noticed in your work that was learned in our class activities, when we took notes from the book, was from the picture of the Eskimos wearing boots, because the book talked about that people living in colder areas might wear boots.
  •  
    This is a very creative website that shows all different types of clothing styles all around the world. I like your presentation with all the clothes, it looked like a lot of fun to make!
  •  
    I really enjoyed viewing the folk clothes from different places in the world. It's amazing how different they all are from place to place.
  •  
    I love the site! my favorite part was the Eskimos who have the right idea about how to bundle up in this weather. They also rock a nice fashion style. Makes me wish I could wear dead animals in school. Great job!
  •  
    It is interesting to see what clothing around the world looks like when it is not influenced by popular fashion styles. The pictures on your website are neat and the website is east to navigate. Great job!
  •  
    I liked how you showed the diversity of clothing in world today by picking outfits from different parts of the world. Your presentation of you wearing the clothes looked like fun! Your website was very good!!
  •  
    Great simple and informative layout with nice looking use of pictures. I liked how you used clothing from around the world to show the many different styles and there histories, as well as their diffusion.
  •  
    Your website was very well put together and informative and you guys can pull off those folk outfits really well! haha Great job!
  •  
    I really enjoyed learning about the different regions you chose and the clothing they wear. I found similarities with the website I created because of the South American clothing, and how some clothing was influenced by immigrants. I also made a connection with what we learned in class being that a popular clothing item in developed regions is the UGG boot, which was inspired by folk clothing in arctic regions.
  •  
    I liked how well organized and informative your website is. In addition to the hijab, I know that women in the Middle East also wear burkas (which were in the top picture) as well as chadors.
  •  
    I enjoyed this website a lot! I thought it was very interesting to see how different the dress is in places all over the world, as well as the impact that the environment has on style of clothing. Your website is organized and overall very well done! Great job!
Liam Darr

Why Acquisitions Make Sense In Consumer And Retail - Forbes - 2 views

  • This bodes well for growth companies in the consumer and retail space. It also bodes well for investors, whether they use an online investing platform or invest offline.
  • The total value of consumer-retail deals actually exceeded the value of internet and software M&amp;A, combined, in 2013. In 2013, the consumer and retail market was about $91 billion according to PriceWaterhouseCooper. &nbsp;The internet and software industries had a total of $55 billion in M&amp;A for 2013.
  •  
    I'm surprised that retail services are more profitable than tech. services.
  • ...4 more comments...
  •  
    Retail services are so profitable and this relates to cultural landscape, because it says something about a land that spends and earns more money in services that help consumers than in areas that supply food and resources.
  •  
    Retail services are one of the largest areas of consumer services and the tertiary sector as a whole.
  •  
    I wonder if these services will become more or less profitable in the future?
  •  
    http://qz.com/#197172/samsung-just-uncovered-a-market-with-150-million-new-customers/ this link relates to retail services, because it dicusses communications services, which are a part of the tertiary sector as is the retail service.
  •  
    I would believe that the consumer sector would out do the tech sector simply for the fact that it is more traditional. People are more used to shopping and buying things in person, so tech services trying to let people buy things online face an uphill battle one getting people to switch over. Also everyone has to buy things at some point at a retail store, but not everyone will need help with their technology.
  •  
    I believe that we would expect to see an increase in the profits of tech services because as more and more people grow familiar with these services, it is much more convenient and easier for them, like using online shopping rather than going out and spending the time and effort to shop in person. This can be shown by companies like Blockbusters and Borders who went out of business due to at home conveniences of the internet. However, some retail stores and services cannot, and most likely will not, go away because people need what they sell right away, such as grocery stores.
Jake Kurtz

Understanding Religion - 1 views

  •  
    1) This table is obviously invaluable in answering questions concerning the regional distribution of faiths in the United States. It includes the following U.S. regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, West. In addition, the followers of various denominations of Christianity and other significant faiths are compared. It's important to note the difference in sample size. 2) This link helps me understand the geographic perspective of religion because I can make hypotheses and draw connections based on the regional distribution of the followers of each faith. Regions differ from one another, and these differences could explain why one faith is more prominent then another. 3) How are religious faiths connected to the demographic tradition? Analyze the religious compositions of two countries- one developed and one developing. Draw a conclusion based on your findings. Determine if your conclusion is viable- can any generalizations be made about religion? Does religion suggest other characteristics of a person, or is faith a matter to be examined solo?
  • ...1 more comment...
  •  
    Indeed Jess! The table is very helpful and does an excellent job at answering questions regarding distribution of faiths. I like your project idea. It ties in what we have learned about religion, what we have learned from previous chapters, and what we have found about our respective countries.
  •  
    1) This link leads to a comparison of percentage of people's view of their religion in their own life. It divides into very important, to somewhat important, to not too/not important at all, and so on. 2) I chose this graphic because it gives an idea to what a group of people truly feels about their own faith. Because all in all, I feel one is an actual Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Mormon, etc. only if they faithful towards their proclaimed faith. So this graphic helps give a good representation of how many "full time" adherents there are to a specific faith in the United states. 3) One task I would create would be to complete an alternate form of graph to represent the data. For example, a pie chart or bar graph.To add to it, maybe even research the same information, but for the whole world instead of just the United states if possible.
  •  
    1) This link leads to a comparison of percentage of people's view of their religion in their own life. It divides into very important, to somewhat important, to not too/not important at all, and so on. 2) I chose this graphic because it gives an idea to what a group of people truly feels about their own faith. Because all in all, I feel one is an actual Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Mormon, etc. only if they faithful towards their proclaimed faith. So this graphic helps give a good representation of how many "full time" adherents there are to a specific faith in the United states. 3) One task I would create would be to complete an alternate form of graph to represent the data. For example, a pie chart or bar graph. To add to it, maybe even research the same information, but for the whole world instead of just the United states if possible.
1 - 20 of 359 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page