Blog 12 Critical Viewing

After watching your choice of film from our Blackboard collection, answer the following items:
1. Share the title and topic of your film.
2. Why your chose that film.
3. 5 points one should take away from the film.
4. One thing that surprised you about the film.
5. One thing from the film that made your think differently and why? 

A little less talk and a lot more ACTION!

As the holiday season is upon us- it is a great time to think about giving back. In the context of this course, we have examined areas of need and importance all around the world and also in our local communities. The time has come to think about what YOU will do about the areas of need in your world. Choose something - big or small (One Peace at a Time will give you plenty of ideas) something that your will do to make a positive difference in your world. Write about it and share it with your classmates on our blog.

Blog 10 $$ Cha-Ching $$

Need some comic relief? Check out this comedy bit from Jim Clue on debt...

After your classroom presentation on debt and viewing the film: Capitalism: A Love Story, please respond to the following prompts and respond to a least 2 classmates with a question.  Try to answer the questions asked of you by your classmates.

 What is my role as a consumer and responsible citizen in a global economy?
 How do my actions affect complex, global consequences, as well as personal consequences?

Blog 9 You are what you eat!

After you have watched the film, Food Inc. answer the following four questions on our blog: 

1. When deciding what to eat, how much should we consider the workers who pick, process, and transport it?

2. What individual and/or collective actions are you willing to take to improve our food system, and what would be their impact?

3. What are your values/commitments/goals regarding the food you eat on a daily basis? Have you been influenced by anything you have seen in the film?  


4. How are the issues you see in Food Inc. related to other global issues you have read about or talked about in this course? Make at least one connection...

Food Inc. connections: 
http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
http://www.monsanto.com/food-inc/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/food_inc_review.htm

Blog 8 Tough Stuff...

 

After viewing the Blood Diamond Videos and the Cameroon videos, please respond to the prompts below:

1. Thoughts, questions, reactions to Blood Diamond Videos ...

2. Choose 4 questions for the Cameroon video: 
a. Why wouldn't the World Bank object to the implementation of the Pipeline? 
b. Who benefits from the pipeline? 
b. Who are being undervalued? 
c. What can we do to improve this situation? 
d. How can a company/organization/person understand the reality of a foreign location? 
e. What other examples can you think of that relate to this type of undervalued compensation? 

3. Discussion Continued from Oil Presentation: 
Respond to 2 of these questions and 2 of your classmates: 

1.  Does the world revolve around oil?
2. When did oil become a commodity?
3. Are Americans dependent on oil?  is the world? 
4. What’s in a barrel of oil?
5. Do you think we need to put a high priority on reforms for offshore drilling?
6. How can you do your part to help give aide to the Gulf regions most effected by the Oil Spill in April?  Will this effect those local businesses?  Tourism?  
7. What about the billion dollar fishing, shrimping, boating communities?  
8. What are your thoughts on renewable, clean energy?  What can you do to participate in the movement?
9. Would you in the future purchase a hydrogen fueled vehicle?
10. What are your thoughts on oil prices? is there a link between oil prices and war?

Blog 7

Reactions, thoughts, ideas, links, revelations... on Addicted the Plastics...

Blog 6

After watching the Story of Stuff episodes, reflect on the following prompts. Please comment on other people's posts as well.

Story of Stuff
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

1. What makes a healthy consumer vs. a not-so-healthy consumer?
2. Are you willing to pay more for products that are manufactured in a more responsible way?  What is the flip-side of your perspective?
3. Whose responsibility is it to ensure/regulate the way that stuff is produced/used/disposed?
4. Are you aware of a local economy functioning here in the San Antonio area? (farmers markets/locally produced items) Include a link and comment...
5. In what ways do you feel empowered to change for the better? 



image from www.waitslowdown.com

Blog 5 Welcome to Wally World

After viewing the WalMart documentary, read "Why the Bosses Need Wal-Mart" from your Globalization book (pp. 92-96). Incorporate a quote or a point of interest from that reading in your response to the film. Additionally, add a link that your find relevant to your perspective. Engage in a dialogue with your classmates.   

Other relevant connections to WalMart that may be of interest:
http://www.ufcw.org/makingchange/

http://www.epi.org/publication/ib223/

http://www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?eventID=125 

Thinking Ahead for the Second World Presentation

Here is a question from group 2!

Please respond before Tuesday... (you do not have to post this on your wiki page)

"What does a 'second world' country mean to you?"

Group 2's Definition:

"Countries that are not stuck in third world poverty or arrived in first world modernity, but are both at the same time--not half-way, but both--these are second world countries."

Blog 4 Society - Privilege - What's it to me?!

Please respond to 2 or more of the following questions:

1. How does society connote a notion of differences among people to bestow or limit privilege?
2. How do my decisions reflect my willingness to accept responsibility as a global citizen?
3.  Why do responses of denial maintain the status quo in society?
4.  How can I use critical inquiry help to dismantle the institutional constructs used to subjugate people?
5. What methods of engagement circumvent perceived empathy?

Please comment on your classmates and engage in conversation.  

Blog 3 Explore with Purpose

Explore the following links...

United Nations Statistics Division
United Nations Human Rights
US Census 2010
UNICEF
United Way
Population Reference Bureau
Global Policy Forum
Globalization 101
 

Find and briefly explain, include links when appropriate. 

1. One thing that makes you angry/sad

2. One thing that makes you happy 

3. One thing that surprises you 

4. One thing that makes you thankful 

5. One thing that makes you think about change 

6. One thing that makes your think about politics

7. One thing you think others should check out (include the link)

Post your response in the comments box and on your wiki page. 
Respond to at least 2 other people with questions or comments.
Try to answer the questions asked of you.  

image from http://www.channels.com/genres/government_ngos?page=2&slug=government_ngos

Blog 2 Reflection on Globalization

After viewing the film Globalization, reflect on the terms below as they pertain to issues or ideas that stood out to you in the film. Respond to at least one person. See if you can initiate or participate in a dialogue.

Empathy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/empathy
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Empathy_vs_Sympathy

Denial 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/denial

Blog 1 Getting to Know You

Please respond to one or more of these questions, and then respond to one other person's entry... 

1.   What determines my cultural identity?
2.   How do my experiences influence my understanding of the world?
3.   What forms of communication effectively express my understanding of my identity?
4.   How do I understand others different from myself?
5.   How does context affect identity?

Please indicate which question you are answering, also copy the text of your entry to your wiki page under the blog one heading.

Image from: http://mycareermanager.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-is-your-stage-of-identity.html