Definitions

Definitions

1. Affluence = wealth.

Abu Dhabi is an example of an affluent society.

The opposite of affluence is poverty.

2. Ethnicity = is related to culture, race, language.

Malaysians consist of three main ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians.

3. Ability = skill = aptitude.

He has the ability to get good grades.

4. Diversity = difference.

The gulf region nowadays is an example of a culturally diverse society.

5. Assimilation = absorption.

People emigrating to other countries will gradually assimilate into a new culture.

6. Demographics = the study of population.

You can study a country's demographics in many different ways, e.g. race, language, religion, age, gender.

7. religion = a set of beliefs.

Religious people try to live according to the teachings of their religion.

8. race = a group of people with similarities, particularly physical appearance.

People of Malay, Chinese & Indian race share Malaysian nationality.

9. multiculturalism = many different cultures.

A multicultural society is one where people of different cultural backgrounds live and work together.

10. personality = individual character.

She has a very nice personality: kind, patient, tolerant and loving.

11. prejudice = bias.

Apartheid in S. Africa was based on racial prejudice against black people.

12. Acculturation = the mixing of different cultures.

It means different cultures borrowing from each other.

13. Bias = prejudice.

Bias is a negative opinion of a person or group based on race, colour, culture or whatever.

14. Discrimination = treating people differently.

Apartheid meant discrimination in favour of whites and against blacks.

15. Fringe = edge, margin.

A fringe group is a small minority, usually expressing an extreme opinion.

16. Population = the number of people.

A census is a count of the number of people in a country.

17.Stereotyping = making assumptions or generalisations about a person or group of people.

Americans are rich, while Mexicans are poor.

18. Gender = sex.

There are two genders, male and female.

19. Resistance = opposition.

There have been many signs of political resistance to established governments in the Arab spring of this year.

20. Advantage = a favoured position.

If you are an expatriate, being able to speak the local language is a big advantage.

21. Racism = hatred of another person or group of different race, often based on colour.

The apartheid system in S. Africa was an example of racism.

22.Ethics = morality, i.e. what is right or wrong.

Ethical behaviour is honest behaviour.

23. Productivity = the ability to produce something.

The company's productivity rates are rising.

24. Behaviour = the manner of acting/conduct.

The students' behaviour is very good.

25. Belief = confidence.

I have great belief in her.

Tibetans believe in re-incarnation.

26. Majority = most.

The vast majority of Arabs are Muslim.

27. Income = salary.

All employees have a monthly income.

28. Adverse = bad, harmful.

We didn't go on a picnic because of the adverse weather conditions.

29. Values = beliefs.

I value honesty very highly.

30. Traditions = customs.

They are handed down from generation to generation.

31. Generation = group of people born at about the same time.

In some societies people talk about a generation gap; each generation has its own ideals & standards.

32. Sensitivity = means you’re quick to notice the slightest chill — in the air or in another person’s actions.

She has great sensitivity to her classmates, she's aware of their needs and behave in a way that makes them feel good.


33. Slang =  slightly improper language.

Have a shufti at my blog.

34. Ethnocentrism = believing that your own culture and tradition is superior to others.


Anyone who judges people or traditions based on his own cultural standards is guilty of ethnocentrism.


35. Stratification = something that has been arranged, into categories.


She develop different levels of caste, class, privilege in her restaurant.


36. Socio-cultural = relating to both social and cultural matters evolution.

Language, race, affluence are all socio-cultural factors.

 37. Resident = It's where you were born or where you've lived for awhile.


He was born in dubai but lived most of his life in abu dhabi.


38. Poverty = it means extremely poor.

Millions of families in africa living in extrem poor.

39. Nationality = the country you come from.


He is an emarati nationality.


40. Minority = a number that is less than half the whole number.


Europeans are minority in gulf society.

41. Class = set or category of things having some different from others by kind, type, or quality.

S class it's the top of all classes in mercedes benz.

42. Globalization = Is it the integration of economic, political, and cultural systems across the globe. Or it is the dominance of developed countries in decision-making, at the expense of poorer, less powerful nations.

Free trading is a big example of globalization.


43. Virtual = it mean almost.


3D movies are almost real.


44. Barriers = it mean wall or fence.


The Great Wall of China was a barrier to block invading forces from entering.

Blindsight

Blindsight

Blindsight

Types of cultural diversity in the movie: the German woman who sets up a school for the blind in Tibet. Erik, the blind American mountaineer who volunteers to guide blind children up Everest. They are from western cultures, based on Christianity, as opposed to the traditional Tibetan culture based on Buddhism. The traditional Tibetan view that blindness is a form of divine punishment for sins committed in a previous life or incarnation, as opposed to the western desire to overcome disability, to achieve, to get to the top. The support that Erik received from his father when learning to hike, as opposed to the Tibetan woman who said ‘without eyes a man is not complete.’

Challenges people in the movie encounter: they all, in the expedition, face the physical challenge of lack of oxygen at high altitude. The blind children have the additional challenge of performing an extreme feat blind. The blind girl with 2 blind brothers and a blind father, whose mother died of a heart attack, leaving her daughter with no effective support. Erik losing both his sight and his mother at an early age.

Stereotyping/bias/prejudice/discrimination: the traditional Tibetan view of blindness; the difficulty Tashi, the street kid, had in gaining acceptance from the other children.The boy who was sent away to live with a Chinese couple and who was beaten when he failed to beg enough money, or when the money was stolen from him. Tashi hid the fact that he was Chinese, believing only Tibetan children could join the expedition.

A challenge caused by personality, rather than culture, would be the cigarette burns on Tashi's body.

Benefits because of different culture: the Tibetan girl gets a place in an English language school as a result of coming into contact with western culture. Tashi similarly finds his father and would almost certainly not have done so without western help. The bonding & sense of group belonging seemed to promote a greater mutual understanding and a greater sense of cultural diversity. The greatest conflict within the group which we saw was between the westerners, some of whom wanted to go for the summit and others who wanted to turn back together.

Reflection

Reflection

My reflection on the demographics is twofold:

(a) The website figures are from the year 2000 and are based on a total population of around 4.5M. This figure will probably be much higher today, partly because of the high birth rate among Arab families. Some recent estimates are over 7M. The US State Department reckons over 8M.

(b) The % figure for Filipinos, 3.4%, is probably now much higher. Most of the workforce in new shopping malls & hotels, many built over the past 10 years, seems to be Filipino. As a corollary, the % of Christians could also be much higher now.