Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Topics for 11/2
2 Topics for 12/1
3 Topics for 12/2

Topics for 11/2

Muslims in Britain

Texts

Read from beginnin to "And it's a very powerful grip on one's mind. And in my case it took years to shed that influence." (third box)

Answers to book, p. 86/87 q. 5 + 6
Why does a young muslim turn into an extremist?

crucial event: death of thousands of European muslims in war in Bosnia in 90s! West just watches and doesn't help the muslims there. (Parallels to wars in Iraq .... muslims are being killed and no-one cares)
Islam is cleverly presented as way of looking at history: like in Marxism it is always a struggle, them against us, bad against good, everybody against the muslims (idea of Western/Jewish conspiracy against Islam/muslims)
at school/in university young muslims become part of an active, organized, outspoken movement ⇒ proud to be an active muslim, feeling of power, feeling of belonging to group and of changing the world.

Cartoon ⇐Klick!

4 frames, three show acts of violence/hatred committed in the name of Christianity/Western Civilization

evangelical pastor [=church] burning Korans, evangelical/conservative politician [politics] against building mosque in USA, secret service agent [=government] torturing terrorist suspect)
irony: they all want revenge/act as unchristian/intolerantly as those they accuse of doing this to them
irony: preacher is completely stupid: of course "them folks don't act like Christians" - they simply aren't christians!
preacher also doesn't seem to know his Bilble: "Jesus hates Mohammed" is absolutely like anthing Jesus preaches in the Bible: Jesus preaches love, peace and forgiveness - not hatred!
picture four shows the result: children in USA have learned, that you needn't act as you wish others to act towards you (in civilized way, mercyfully, helpfully, tolerantly ...) but can do anything you want as long as nobody stops you.
General criticism: christian/western preachers and politicians and governments do the same things they accuse terrorists and radical islamist of ⇒ they are no better than them.

Globalization

Definition and Key Facts

Cf. Book, p. 178

History / 3 Phases of Globalization

Globalzation 1.0 (first phase/era) - 1492 (Columbus) until around 1800

world got connected, shrank from size L to M
trade between Old World and New World
countries' power defined by use of horse power/wind power/steam power/ (horses, ships, engines)
aim: to fit into global competition
motivation often religion / imperialism

Globalization 2.0 (second era) - 1800 to 2000

interrupted by the Great Depression, World War I and II
world got more connected, shrank from size M to S
industrial revolution and multinational companies (e.g. East India Company) as most dynamic forces
global integration ⇐ breakthroughs in hardware development

1. falling transportation costs (steam engine, railroad, cars, airplanes)

2. falling telecommunication costs (telegraph, telephone, PC, satellites ...)

development of really global economy ⇒ massive movement of goods and information

Globalization 3.0 (third era) - from 2000 to …

world got even more connected, shrank from S to XXS and countries got even closer
newfound power for individuals to communicate, collaborate, compete globally
key developments:

- fiber-optic cable + Internet + work flow software + mobile computing

- final end of simple East/West division

⇒ very small, flattened world/playing field (many forces on same level, even individuals are very powerful)

- China has become more powerful

- now much more diverse, non-white, non-European influences ⇒ West no longer dominant in globalization

Source: Friedman. The three eras of globalization (Book, p. 176f)

Pros and Cons

Globalisation and the Internet

http://www.bivingsreport.com/2004/globalization-the-internet-and-public-opinion/ ++

Download:

Globalization and culture

Ecology and Protecting the Environment

How green are you?

Look at How green are you?
Look through the test again an create a simple list of dos and don'ts!
Prepare a short talk about at least 4 environmental dos and don'ts and tell people about your favourite!

Environmental DOs and DON'Ts

Zum Vergrößern mehrfach klicken und dann speichern ...!

Saving the rainforests, Global warming and use of energy

See our blog http://howgreenisourfuture.wordpress.com, especially the chapters on "global warminfg" and "energy".
See this blog http://no2deforestation.wordpress.com, especially the two chapters on "effects/risks" and "solutions".

Topics for 12/1

The Hobbit - a Fantasy Novel classic by J.R.R. Tolkien

Cf. your scrapbook + worksheets + notes that you took while we were reading it in class. Especially look at the two concepts of the hero, at Bilbo and Thorin ...!
Reasons for reading Fantasy:

Using Robots

Using robots today ...
New wave of adept robots is changing global industry
How robots can be used:

Effects of using robots ...

Summary of the two articles:

Advantages of using robots:

Military robots:

advantage in war
unlimited supply of robots
fewer in human lives lost
more effective use of weapons than human soldiers
rms race in robotics has begun → US a must keep advantage in this field
Machines: no negative or strong emotions
better at quick, rational decision-making
more rational/calm and ethical decisions (no anger, revenge) is

Household robots

save time/work/do boring and dirty jobs ⇒ useful helpers
can be used to control home/house remotely

Problems/dangers of using robots:

Military robots

Sufficient ability to identify proper targets/combatants?
right to decide about acceptable human collateral damage?
inability to show mercy/give pardon
who is responsible if robot kills wrongly
technical ability to kill and destroy is more easily developed than more role/ethical control-mechanisms
dangerous, 100% obedient tool in the hands of dictators etc.

Household robots if hacked, they could be illegally used to

control our homes
spy on us
attack us

.

Text: Programmed for Love (Man loves Robot?)

The original text on the problematic relations between people and robots can be read here!

Answers to questions 1 and 3 on worksheet:

1. Headline makes reader wonder:

programmed (technology) ⇐⇒ love (emotion)?
programmed: no choice, no free will ...
who is programmed for love? (Assumption: a robot/computer/machine?)

Reader curious to answer the question/find connection between technology - emotion

After reading that human beings, and not machines, here are programmed in such a way that they fall in love with robots ⇒ surprise ⇒ interest ... How can that be - "to have" to love a robot due to being programmed to do so?

3. Change in author's attitude to robots:

first/before

enthusiastic about new technologies (MIT)
believed in benefits of creating alternative identities in virtual life
studied human interactions with computers

then / after (encounter in which she realized she wanted the robot's attention, reacted to simple signals of communication) against man - robot relations on an emotional basis as:

Robots can malfunction
afraid that machines play role that only humans should play
it damages our sense of humanity
robots don't love you back, even if the promise
people give up establishing and having relationships with real people

Outlook: Will robots change us?

Improving yourself: The human body as a piece of art:

Plastic surgery: statistics

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jul/22/plastic-surgery-medicine

Plastic Surgery for Men:

want to have more success in jobs
want to attract younger women
want to have an image of vitality
makes them feel better
to look more attractive
to get attention from other people
to look young, fit, with good reactions and professional
to bring out their character
to prevent prejudice

Cf. Worksheet/mediation on plastic surgery for men

Plastic Surgery for Women:

to look like the women in the media
everybody does it
prices go down
feels good to get told that they look good
to improve their self-confidence
to remind themselves of the good times
people don´t like themselves because they are brainwashed by the media
to be more attractive to men
to get better job chances
youth shows fertility
to wear the newest dresses ( fashion ) ????????

Plastic surgery for teenagers: Video

Plastic surgery performed on teens in the USA: Motives, views and attitudes, effects and problems covered by this video clip ...!

How much do looks count today? (Cf. worksheet/handout)

Looks count ... Text on worksheet, too!
Looks count more than skills at work (and that goes for men too). Text on worksheet!

The cult of youth, beauty and the body:

Cultural Obsession with Youth and Beauty

Topical Vocabulary

Vocab sheet on plastic surgery / youth cult:

Topics for 12/2

Obesity in the USA

Why our food is making us fat

It's the sugar ...
Fighting obesity Watch the embedded video!
Cf. cartoons on obesity, e.g. here!

Society and Class in the UK

Definitions of "Class" in Victorian Society

Victorian Class System

Victorian Society = 3 classes: upper, middle, and lower/working
Upper class = nobility, or peerage (dukes, earls, viscounts) sometimes related to royal families of Britain and Europe society distinct and separate to the other two classes aristocrats without profession, as their families had sufficient funds to live in affluence (But captains of industry, esp. mining, ship building) Middle class = rich families (respectable, sometimes with land - but lack a "title") often had skilled professions (doctor, teacher) beginning of Victorian times: small proportion of the population. Industrial Revolution  more people defined as 'middle class' (improvements in education and more opportunities to work your way up, make money) The lower class (working class) = rural and urban poor often low skilled, dangerous, dirty and boring jobs due to lack of education some are 'lower middle class', but living in terraced housing  defined as working class Paupers = class below working class extreme poverty (old age, unemployment, illness or strained resources) targets of Philanthropists in the 1890s (idea to reduce alarming poverty)

Class today - The class system redefined

BBC Science: The Great British Class Survey – Results Look at the embedded video!!!

The role and image of the USA since 1945

Typical Americans are .... / Typically, in America you find ... / In America "they" believe in ...
celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving (huge turkey) in a big way boys play basketball or football; girls are cheerleaders eat tons of fast food ⇒ obese OR they are very sporty love beauty contests ⇒ plastic surgery all own a gun streets are straight for miles are either conservative and patriotic or crazy lots of casinos and gambling huge shopping malls and outlets king size beds big houses with big front-lawns basketball-basket in every front-yard newspaper boys throw papers in the garden drive broken/huge cars waste a lot of energy (big cars, air conditioning) don`t protect nature/environment, e.g. use one-way plates and cuttlery American Dream: from dishwasher to millionaire, you can do it if you really want lots of poor/homeless people many people are not properly insured/ no social security often have to work two or more jobs to survive love the Oktoberfest in Munich go to church regularly are not allowed to have sex before marriage all wanna be famous wear funny costumes at highschool graduation live in big cities/skyscrapers listen to hiphop or country music feel like/would like to be/behave like cowboys in saloons/on prairie gangs + much crime in big cities Americans are only interested in America

Cartoons on US Cultural Hegemony / Americanization

Coursework: Text on US Cultural Hegemony

1. What reasons for anti American feelings in Europe does the text give?

American culture ousts European culture
German or other European languages are being flooded with English terms and expressions
Sense of national identity severely disturbed
Europeans are afraid of loosing their cultural autonomy
European culture replaced by American culture
Vietnam-war
Guantanamo Bay and Abu-Ghraib
Americans ignore and don't know about European culture
American worldview is centered on America
Americans expect everyone to think and speak American
Americanization as cultural imperialism

2. Why has Germany been especially quick at embracing American culture?

America's help after WWII (→ Marshall Plan) ==> Germans felt grateful
German culture discredited by Nazis, German from "Dichter und Denker" to "Richter und Henker"
Germans looked for new cultural model → culture of the victoriuos, democratic and successful USA
Germans were not allowed to have and learned to feel ashamed of patriotic feelings → easy to take over Western/US mass culture
US culture meant luxury, affluence, freedom, individualism

The USA and Europe - increasingly difficult relations?

The results of your work on the two texts on the relations between the USA and Europe:

colloquium2014