I. Current Events / Global Issues
In terms of current events and global issues, examples of my study come from our more recent areas of study. For starters, I am aware of the war in Uganda, and how the Ugandan Government is recruiting former L.R.A. soldiers to track down the L.R.A. leader, Joseph Kony. I know this is an unstable situation, for the reliability of said soldiers is often called into question. Other situations I am now knowledgeable about include the many troubling sutaions in the Middle East, as shown in the documentaries we watched, including "Invisible Children". It is very troubling to see how so many now homeless children gather together at night, hidden out of fear. More troubling still is how little regard there is for them, both by their own people and those in other countries. On a larger scale, I am aware of such issues as the endless struggle over the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and the atrocities that thake places therewith.
II. History of the Twentieth Century
This semester, my knowledge of the history of the Twentieth Century expanded greatly, and I will provide an overview of the specific areas we studied. First of all, there was the New Imperialism, involving the expansion of many European Empires into foriegn continents- areas such as Africa, India, or China, and the troubles that followed. Such troubles included the native's discontent with foreigners marhcing in and snatching up their lands, or the invading countries' arguments with each other concerning territories. Following this unit, we studied Japan and the story of the reformations in their government that led to the country's modernization. Under the Meiji, Japan finally became open to foreginers and began learning the ways of the west, to become more industrial and set up a stronger military. Finally, we studied the causes and effects of World War I. In a nutshell, the Great War was caused upon the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. When Serbia would not submit to Austria's demands, Austria declared war on them, with Germany's support. Germany also ended up fighting Russia, France, Belgium and Britain, being allied with the Ottomans and Bulgaria. The U.S. entered the war upon the sinking of the Lusitania. This eventually led to an allied victory. However, there were many who were not satisfied with the terms of the Treaty of Verrsailles, which would lead to another World War...
III. Human Diversity
In this semester, I became more aware of what "race" really is. It is not a category that you can be placed into by others, it is how you understand your own categorization. Upon taking the "Sorting People Quiz", I realized that I, for one, am certainly in no position to categorize others.
I understand now that the only person we are fit to categorize is ourselves, for only we know who we truly are, and it is unfair to group people based solely upon how they look. With the great diversity of humans around the world, most ancestries are so complicated and weaving around that everyone should essentially fall into their won category!
IV. Places on the Earth
With our varying places of study this semester, I became more familiar with the geography of many places around the world. When we studied New Imperialism, I became more familiar with the creation of the borders of African countries. Of course, with Japan, I became more familiar with the four major islands that make it up: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. In studying World War I, I gained a greater understanding of European geography and how its borders have evolved- usually with lots of arguing. Lastly, I became even more familiar with the countries of the Middle East, and the great tensions concerning current border disputes in that troubled area.
V. Cultures of the World's Societies
Finally, alongside all this history and geography, I developed a deeper understanding of several cultures in the world. The deepest study we did was that of Japanese culture. We spent much time reviewing the concepts of Wa (Harmony) in the Japanese world, from topics of greetings to conforming to the group. Other such topics were timing and punctuality, and especially respect. Respect is shown in many ways, such as how one adresses others and bowing. Other areas of cultures were less direct, but significant nonetheless. For example, I saw many times how the rash descisions of leaders, based solely upon their own desires, leads to their destruction. This is not confined to any one society, but is a much-recurring theme throughout all of history, all around the world. Also, another common trait of cultures as a whole in history is the desire for power and to dominate, that is, to be leader of the pack. These traits are less desirable in society, but they are still defining characteristics of many figures in history.
