First Impressions

World Cultures

Introduction to a Global World

The United States of AmericaIt is hard to compare and contrast countries unless you know about

your own…

Median Age: 37

Per Capita Income: $47,800

Life Expectancy: 75(males) 81(females) 78(total)

Infant Mortality Rate: 6.3/1,000 live births

Literacy Rate: 99%(male) 99%(female) 99%(total)

Population below poverty line: 12%

Source: CIA World Factbook 2008

First Impressions Posters

• Family Name

• Location in the World

• Brief Description of Family

• We think the most valuable possession is…

• The families actual most valuable possession is…

• Does this family live in a developed, developing, or underdeveloped country?

Cultural Universals

• Regardless of where each family was located, putting aside how wealthy we believe each country is, what seemed to be common among every photo?

Cultural Universals

• Element, pattern, trait, or institution that is common to all human societies on the planet

• These all fall under the 4 structures of society:

1. Economic Structure

2. Political Structure

3. Belief/Value Structure

4. Social Structure• These are located on the back of your vocabulary

handout

Standard of Living

• Quality of life and quantity of goods and services available to the people

• Measured using 4 criteria:– Wealth– Education– Health– Population

These are used to determine if a country is developed, developing,

or underdeveloped.

It is not enough to determine well-being by

wealth alone!

Do not measure well-being by wealth alone!

1. Wealth Distribution ~ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is an average!

– May hide the fact a country has a few stinkin rich people and a mass of starving people!

2. Purchasing Power of a country varies

– $15,000 in one country could be a lot of money. It would be tough to live on this in America!

– Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) ~ adjusted values to equal U.S. $1

– Example: Big Mac = U.S. $3.15, Australia $2.44, and China $1.30

3. Only Formal Economy included!

– Informal Economy may account for far more activity

4. Ignores all aspects of development other than economic ones

– Education, Health Care, Maintaining Environment

High Human Development

1. Iceland

2. Norway

3. Canada

4. Australia

5. Ireland

6. Netherlands

7. Sweden

8. Japan

9. Luxembourg

10. Switzerland

11. France

12. Finland

13. Denmark

14. Austria

15. United States16. Spain

17. Belgium

18. Greece

19. Italy

20. New Zealand

21. United Kingdom

22. Hong Kong

23. Germany

24. Israel

25. Republic of Korea

Low Human Development

154. Nigeria

155. Lesotho

156. Uganda

157. Angola

158. Timor-Leste

159. Togo

160. Gambia

161. Benin

162. Malawi

163. Zambia

164. Eritrea

165. Rwanda

166. Cote d’Iviore

167. Guinea

168. Mali

169. Ethiopia

170. Chad

171. Guinea-Bissau

172. Burundi

173. Burkina Faso

174. Niger

175. Mozambique

176. Liberia

177. Congo, Dem. Rep.

178. Central African Republic

179. Sierra Leone

High Population Density Countries – Countries and territories in which more than half the land area has a population density above 100 persons per square kilometer

RANK Country ESI RANK Country ESI RANK Country ESI

1. Japan 57.3 8. Poland 45.0 15. Philippines 42.32. Germany 56.9 9. Rwanda 44.8 16. Lebanon 40.53. Netherlands 53.7 10. Jamaica 44.7 17. Burundi 40.04. Italy 50.1 11. Belgium 44.4 18. Trinidad & Tobago 36.35. Sri Lanka 48.5 12. Bangladesh 44.1 19. Haiti 34.86. Nepal 47.7 13. El Salvador 43.8 20. Taiwán 32.77. India 45.2 14. South Korea 43.0 21. North Korea 29.2