Blog post 29

This semester opened my eyes to the world and how it really is.  I learned that the world is a lot worse than I thought it was.  This class helped me realize that humans need to step up their game and improve the world for those less fortunate.  My favorite topic was the population unit.  I liked learning about population because it gave me perspective on the size of the earth.  There is no memorable or stand out class, because all of them were great.

Blog 28

1. What have you learned about Dinka culture? 

I have learned that Dinka culture is a very different from any culture I have seen before.  It is very different.

2. What markers from the film are representative of Dinka culture? 

Markers include music, dance, food, clothing, and language.

3. Of American culture? 
American culture includes music, fashion, food, partying, and language lingos/different pronunciations of words and phrases 

4. What values do the Lost Boys hold? 

They value education, community, family, faith, and hard work.

5. How do those values compare with your own? 
I have the exact same values

6. What questions and fears do the Lost Boys have about life in the U.S.? 

They have questions and fears related to technology, cultural practices, and food.

7. What questions and fears would you have if you were moving to a new place? 
I would wonder if I would be able to fit in to the culture

8. What differences do you see between Dinka culture and American culture? 
The Dinka and American cultures are very different.  Dinka has more wholesome and important values than Americans

9. What are some of the challenges the Lost Boys encounter? 

Challenges include learning a new culture, figuring out how to get around in the U.S., finding jobs, pursuing education, and making friends.

10. How do they adapt to life in the United States (think in terms of both assimilation and acculturation? 

Assimilation: clothing, improvising English/adopting American slang, not holding hands in public or traveling in groups. Acculturation: eating traditional food, song, dance, attending reunions.

11. How do you think you would adapt to life in a new country?
I think that it would be very hard to adapt to a new country and try to make a new life

12. A benefit of this documentary lies in the opportunity to view our own (American) culture through the eyes of the Dinka. What aspects of our culture, which we may or may not take for granted, could potentially make immigrants feel marginalized or not a part of the American culture?
We take our freedom and economic largess for granted, while the Dinka have very little of both.


13. What scene(s) or ideas presented in the film stood out to you? Why
The scene that stood out to me was when the tall guy (I think his name is John) used his money to get his family across the ocean to the U.S.A.


14. Was there anything that surprised you as you watched the film? Detail one thing that you took away from the film study.
The one time the guy got arrested for running away and going insane.  I thought that the law would be more leniant. 

Blog 27

1. In what ways to the boys eat differently than average Americans? 
They eat weird and unnatural foods, they eat with there hands
2. What was John’s job at the age of 13? 
He buried dead bodies
3. How does sleeping in America compare to sleeping at the refugee camp? 
They get to sleep in comfortable mattresses instead of the ground
4. How many months of assistance does the government provide? What happens after that time? 
3 months
5. What holiday traditions do the boys want to know the meaning of? 
They don't understand Christmas and Santa and Christmas Trees.
6. What is John scared of doing? Why? 
He was scared of ice skating because the force of gravity would act on his lanky body.
7. What are John’s jobs? 
He is packing gaskets and he is working at McDonalds
8. What is Daniel’s job? 
He processes checks at a bank
9. Why does Daniel think life in America is tough? 
Because everyone and everything is different and you have to adapt.
10. What do the boys think of Americans? 
They think that Americans are not kind people 
11. Why do merchants file a complain with the police? 
They feel intimidated by the boys traveling in groups
12. How are the lost boys feeling 1 year in America?
They feel lonely 

Blog 26

1. How many people lost their lives from the civil war in Sudan? 
2 million2. Who are the Lost Boys? 
Young boys who walked thousand of miles to escape the war.3. What two things started the civil war in Sudan?
 Religion and oil started the war.
4. Who was fighting in the war? 
Arabs in the north and black christians in the south.
5. What hardships did the boys face on their journey to Ethiopia? 
The boys faced starvation, lack of water, hyenas, lion attacks, and bombings 
6.What happened to the refugee camp at Ethiopia?
The government failed and they had to escape again.
7. How many years did the Lost Boys walk total after the attacks on the villages?
The boys walked for five years.

Blog post 25

LO1: Define Migration, immigrant, emigrant, push/pull factors

Migration- Movement of an object/animal/person from one place to another

immigrant- A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

emigrant- A person who leaves their own country in order to settle permanently in another.

push/pull factor- Factors which either forcefully push people into migration or attract them

LO2: Evaluate the combination of reasons as to why groups of people migrate

The reasons that cause individuals/groups of people to migration are lack of work, wars inside or outside a country that affects said country, insufficient government, discrimination, and to reconnect with family

LO3: Establish migratory trends around the world 

• Migration can be divided into two categories
• Internal migration - a permanent move from on county to another 
• Voluntary- moving at your own will
• Forced- moving against your own will
• Internal migration- happens in the same country
• Interregional
• Intraregional 
• Approximately 9 percent of the worlds people are international migrants 
• Global pattern reflects migration tendencies from developing countries to developed countries 
• Net-out migration 
• Asia, Latin America, and Africa
• Net-in migration 
• North America, Europe, Oceania

Blog 24

1. Israel
2. Jordan
3. Lebanon
4. Syria
5. Iraq
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Yemen
8. Georgia
9. Armenia
10. Azerbaijan 
11. Kuwait 
12. Bahrain 
13. Qatar the United Arab Emirates
14. Oman 
15. Iran
16. Kazakhstan 
17. Uzbekistan
18. Turkmenistan
19. Kyrgyzstan
20. Tajikistan
21. Afghanistan 
22. Pakistan 
23. Russia 
24. Nepal
25. India 
26. Maldives
27. Mongolia
28. China
29. Buthan
30. Bangladesh
31. Myanma
32. Thailand
33. Sri Lanka
34. Singapore
35. Laos
36. Vietnam
37. Cambodia
38. Brunei
39. Malaysia
40. Indonesia
41. North Korea
42. South Korea
43. Taiwan
44. the Philippines
45. Japan
46. East Timor

Blog post 23

1)According to Jared Diamond, what allowed Europeans to develop the power necessary to conquer (take over) large portions of the world? 

Geography-having the most productive crops and animals allowed Europeans to develop guns, germs, and steel, and ultimately, to conquer the world.

2)Why were the Europeans who settled the South African cape(tip) so successful? Describe two reasons. 

The temperature and the climate in the South African cape is nearly the same as what the Europeans had at home. Because the Cape and Europe have a similar latitude (distance from the equator), they can grow the same types of crops and raise the same types of livestock in Africa as they did back home in Europe.

3)How did disease allow the Europeans to conquer the native populations in the Americas-and in the African-cape? 

Europeans introduced germs that these populations had never before been exposed to, particularly smallpox. Because Europeans had been exposed to the disease over the course of centuries, their bodies had built up a natural resistance (antibodies) to these diseases. When the people of the Americas and the South African cape came into contact with these germs, they were killed in massive numbers, making settlement of these lands much easier for the Europeans.

4)The Europeans who settled the tropical areas of the African continent introduced killer germs to the native populations. However, Europeans also suffered from the effects of germs native to Africa. Describe how native African germs worked against the European settlers. 

The Europeans were experiencing a reversal of the pattern they were used to. Rather than introducing germs to the people they hoped to conquer, they were being infected by the germs that were indigenous to Africa and losing their livestock and their own lives as a result.

5)How did the native Africans protect themselves from the germs that caused diseases such as Smallpox and Malaria? Give specific examples cited in the film. 

The native Africans had developed immunity to Smallpox through repeated exposure over thousands of years and vaccinations they had developed that could provide immunity for life. In addition, the Africans also knew how to avoid diseases like Malaria by preventing infection. This was done by choosing to live in high, dry areas where the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the disease do not typically live. Because the Africans lived in small communities spread out over relatively large areas, they could minimize the transmission of diseases such as Malaria when outbreaks occurred. Because European settlers did not understand the causes of Malaria, they concentrated their settlements near rivers and water sources where they faced the greatest exposure to Malaria. Because they all lived in close proximity, epidemics were frequent and deadly to the settlers.

6)How has the colonization (European take over) of Africa created countries filled with disease? Give specific examples from the film.

Because European colonists in the late 1800’s forced the native Africans out of their small villages and into cities and large, crowded communities to mine and ferry the continent’s natural resources, they took the successful economic and social systems away from these people. By putting so many people together in areas where diseases like Malaria are easily spread, the native populations have lost the immunity they once had to these diseases. This is caused, in part, by the strains of the disease mutating, causing drugs to be less effective. As a result, there are high numbers of people infected with and dying from diseases like Malaria. In addition, new diseases, such as HIV/AIDS are now also spread more easily because of so many people living in densely populated areas.

7) A Wha is the number one public health problem in Zambia? B) Who are the people mainly affected by this? 

Malaria. It is the number one killer of African children under the age of 5.

8)How has disease made poverty (poorness) worse in many African countries such as Zambia? 

It has decreased life expectancy dramatically. The average lifespan in Zambia is only 35 years. Because the disease affects so many children so frequently, many mothers who would normally be working and contributing to the society are instead sitting in hospitals nursing sick children.

9)According to data from the film, how has Malaria effected the overall growth in Africa over the last 50 years? 

Malaria has caused 1% NEGATIVE growth in Africa EACH YEAR for the past 50 years. This has caused them to become poverty stricken.

10)Describe how other tropical countries such as Malaysia and Singapore have developed rich economies despite having many of the same geographical and health problems faced by African nations.

By understanding their environment and realizing the burdens that their geography and certain germs could cause, these governments planned and executed measures to eliminate diseases like Malaria. As a result, they were able to develop rich economies and capitalize on the positive aspects of their geography.