Geology study guide

Why might the population of Islam surpass that of Christianity?

Because Muslim populations have higher rates of population growth than most Christian populations, and because Islam's tradition of charity is attractive to potential impoverished converts to Islam, the population of Islam might surpass that of Christianity.

How is the US population different from most other members of the "global core"?

Because of immigration, our population is not as old, nor is it shrinking like other countries in the core.

Chico State has received money from the Chinese government to pay for Chinese language teachers. How is that related to a general process that the Chinese have undertaken?

As China's economic and political power has grown, the Chinese government has sponsored the teaching of Chinese culture and language within the borders of it important trading partners. The purpose is to familiarize the world with China and to strengthen China's international relationships. Chico State is just a small part of this process.

You are one of the 3 billion locals who will be born in the next several decades. You will migrate to a major, fast-growing mega-city. What language will you speak with your peers? How will that language differ from the official or "standard" language in the country where you live? And, what does that suggest for the future of European "world languages"?

At home you'll speak your native language with your parents. In the city often you'll be interacting with people who speak different native languages. So, you and your peers will improvise a language that borrows terms from pop culture, jobs, and different native languages. That improvised language is not the standard language of your country, which might be a European world language. Because there are so many of you improvising languages, the standard language might become a minority language of only the elites. This has happened before. In Haiti the majority speak Creole, which is a hybrid of French and several African languages. The elite minority speak standard French.

How does the 5th stage of the Demographic Transition suggest that world population will level off? What stage is the US in?

In the 5th stage the birth rates are equal to or greater than the death rate. Thus, population either grows extremely slowly, doesn't grow, or decreases. Because of the migration of young people, the US is in the 4th stage. Our population grows, but not at a high rate.

13. Look at the "global core" on Figure 1.1. What does DeBlij mean by "core"? Periphery?

Core = Rich, industrialized countries of the world.Periphery = Poor, non-industrialized countries of the world.

How might workers in the global core benefit from the presence of mobals?

Core countries all experienced the "Baby Boom" between 1945 and 1963. Baby Boomers throughout the core are beginning to retire and will exert a huge burden on government budgets as they become eligible for government old age security programs. Those programs are funded by taxes. Baby Boomers tended to have small families, 2-3 children. Thus, a relatively small portion of the population must support a larger one. Mobals represent potential taxpayers who will support those government programs.

. How are migrations of mobals a response to the 4th and 5th stage of the Demographic Transition?

Countries in the 4th and 5th stage often have unmet demand for workers, both low-wage and high wage, immigrants and mobals fill much of this demand. The current economic crisis in Europe and the US has decreased this demand, and, not surprisingly, immigration by mobals has decreased.

DeBlij's summary of the evolution of different types of subsistence in different physical environments is related to different sorts of religions and gender status and roles and descent systems (matrilineal vs. patrilineal) is interesting.

He concludes with the important point by Sapolsky: "ours is a Judeo-Christian/Muslim world", three religions that emerged from the arid regions of Southwest Asia.

What is the current trend of humanity's linguistic diversity, and what is globalization's influence on this homogenization?

Humanity's linguistic diversity is decreasing rapidly. Globalization is a powerful force that favors just a few languages at the expense of the hundreds or thousands of humanity's languages.

What is the great migration that is occurring in China and throughout non-industrialized countries?

Hundreds of millions of people are internal migrants. They migrate from rural areas or small towns to major cities in their home countries. The number of internal migrants is much larger than the number of international migrants.

Which religion prevails in the global periphery?

Islam

How did the French policy of assimilation ensure that French would become, and remain, a "world language"?

The French government insisted that the French language, values and culture would be taught in its colonies. The result is that French is the official language for several African countries that were formerly French colonies.

Will English differentiate as happened to Latin? Why?

The Romans couldn't prevent the differentiation of Latin into Spanish, French and Italian. English already has differentiated. The language is so far-flung and the majority of English-speakers speak it as a second or third language. The process of differentiation will probably continue until English-speakers in the US will, only with great difficulty, communicate with English-speakers in Nigeria or India. Or, possibly, global English will spawn several different related languages.

14. Compare the core and periphery's populations and share of annual income

"the global core contains approximately 15 percent of the global population but records nearly 75 percent of the world's annual income. The periphery represents 85 percent of the planet's population, accruing just 25 percent of total income."

What percentage of humans migrated between 1990 and 2005? Does this amount surprise you?

"Locals far outnumber mobals." 3%. In a country in the core, the US, which is bordered by a country in the periphery, Mexico, during an election year, the low percentage of migrants seems surprisingly low.

What is the difference between a transnational and an intercultural migrant?

"Transnational" means the migrant has crossed an international border, like the US-Mexico border. "Intercultural" means the migrant has migrated into a culture different from his/her home culture. Not all transnational migrants are intercultural migrants. A Honduran immigrant in the US is a transnational and an intercultural migrant. A Guatemalan who migrates to Mexico is a transnational, but not and an intercultural migrant.

How did the emergence of national boundaries during the past 500 years make some populations more vulnerable to challenges such as environmental change?

A common adaptation that early humans used in times of environmental stress, for example drought, was migration to areas that could sustain them. The emergence of states and international boundaries has precluded contemporary populations from freely migrating in search of sustenance.

What is a lingua franca? How is English a lingua franca?

A lingua franca is a standard language that is used by non-native speakers in plural societies in the economic and/or political situations and higher education. English is language of international commerce and diplomacy and, increasingly, higher education. Thus, it serves as a lingua franca in much of the world.

How might a global and a local's view of a political boundary differ?

A local probably views a boundary as a barrier to his/her becoming a mobal in the global core where they can maximize their earning potential during their working years. A global might not even think about a boundary as anything other than another stamp in his/her passport. Because of their relative wealth and power globals pass freely over boundaries. If they do think of boundaries, they probably view them as necessary walls to keep impoverished populations from swarming into the core.

16. How did 9/11 affect the movement of mobals to the US?

After 9/11, the US government understandably wanted to prevent potential terrorists from coming across our borders. Unfortunately, this interrupted a process of comprehensive reform of immigration between the US and Mexico. And so, the US' efforts at prevention of the migration of terrorists made it more difficult for mobals from Mexico to legally immigrate to the US.

What is the fate that the billions of speakers of minority languages, locals, are born into? How does that differ from the fate into which you, me, and the hundreds of millions of other globals, were born?

Billions of locals are born speaking a minority, endangered language as their first language. In their home countries, K-12 education is rarely provided in their native language. Thus, their schooling often requires that they learn a second language. You and I, mobals, were born speaking English or Spanish, two closely related Indo-European languages. Once we learn these languages we have much easier access to globalization than a local.

15. Do mobals live in California? Where do they send their remittances? To achieve what?

California's population includes a large population of people who migrated from the global periphery. Many of them send some of the money that they earn in California back to their native villages. These remittances support family and friends. These mobals have an immigrant experience different from the US population of European descent. Those migrants largely cut ties with their homelands and did not send remittances to them.

Which religion prevails in the global core? Where else? How did it come to spread to those regions?

Christianity prevails in the global core and in former colonial holdings of the Americas and parts of Africa. It was spread throughout the Roman Empire and spread throughout the world as European powers established their far-flung colonies.

What is the population of Christians and Muslims?

Christians = ~1.6 billion Muslims = ~1.2-1.3 billion

On what grounds does DeBlij classify Indo-European languages "world languages"?

DeBlij calls several Indo-European languages, especially English, "world languages" because they have spread far beyond their source region and native speakers.

How does the ratio of the jobs available vs. job seekers in the global periphery relate to instability and extremism?

DeBlij cites a US study that found that "there are more than 340 candidates for every 100 jobs" in the global periphery. Even in our current economic crisis, core countries do not face such an imbalance. The large population of young people without access to a career and means to start and/or support a family represents a major problem for government. What prevents the mass of jobless people from protesting against a society's institutions if they feel abandoned by those institutions? To extremist groups who oppose the government, and are looking to swell their numbers, the mass of jobless people is a prime recruiting ground.

What evidence does DeBlij employ to dismiss the notion that fewer languages will result in less human conflicts?

DeBlij correctly points out, that conflicts between humans result for a variety of reasons. A universal language is not likely to significantly reduce conflict.

What is the pattern for the language capabilities of people speaking English as their first language? Why might this be a problem in the future?

DeBlij points out that populations of people who speak English as their first language are notorious for mono-lingualism. They refuse to become fluent in a second or third language and practice a sort of complacency based on a belief that the rest of the world will learn English, their version of English. DeBlij claims that the world is becoming more multilingual and that "English-only notions (and speakers)" should be "relegated to the dustbin of history". Muy interesante, no?

How is the diversity of languages similar to the diversity of plants and animals?

Diversity of plants and animals is greatest in the low latitudes, or Tropics. It decreases as one moves towards the poles. Linguistic diversity also is greatest in the low latitudes, or Tropics, where a multitude of different languages are spoken by many small groups, with no language dominant. Outside of the Tropics linguistic diversity decreases and a few languages are dominant.

What three phases of "modern humanity's geographic dispersal" does Figure 1.2 show?

Emigration of early humans out of Africa and into Eurasia and the Americas; 2. European spread and domination of New World; 3. Population explosion of past century.

What continents are included in the "World Island"? Note how most of humanity has lived in that region for the past thousand years.

Eurasia and Africa

How did European colonialism not erase, but rather simply increase multilingualism in the global periphery? Note how achieving fluency in a European language conferred higher status on colonial locals.

European colonies often were multi-lingual societies inhabited by many multilingual people. The introduction of a European language did not eliminate existing languages. Instead, some colonial subjects added the European tongue to their linguistic repertoire.

Who drew much of the world's political boundaries? How are they a problem?

European imperial powers drew most of our world's political boundaries between 1850 and 1950. These boundaries are a problem because they often ignore cultural geography and the geographic distribution of natural resources. In some cases antagonistic groups of people were hemmed into the same country. In other cases, the Kurds for example, a culture was divided by boundaries into several different countries. Europeans drew boundaries before they had a good sense of the distribution of natural resources. For example, Europeans drew the Middle East's political boundaries before they knew the distribution of petroleum deposits. Consequently, some countries are oil-rich, while their neighbors are oil-poor.

19. Look at Figure 1.2. Why does DeBlij include it? What point is he trying to make?

Figure 1.2 shows the world population distribution. DeBlij uses to make a few points. First he points out that the "World Island" which includes Asia and Africa has long held the majority of humanity, especially East Asia and South Asia. Second, East Asia and South Asia continue to hold the majority of humanity. Third, the decimation of the indigenous inhabitants of Americas and Australia and the growth of European populations in those areas represent a major change to the world population distribution. However, the World Island continues to be the home of most of humanity.

Look at Figure 2.4. How does it suggest that US citizens should not just assume that all Europeans soon will be fluent in English?

Figure 2.4 shows that there is wide variation in English fluency in Europe. More than 80% of Swedes are fluent. Fewer than 30% of Italians are.

Identify the regions from which Muslims migrated to Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Germany = Kurds from Turkey France = Algeria and Morocco Spain = Morocco Netherlands = Morocco, Southeast Asia United Kingdom = South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan) and Nigeria.

9. Why does DeBlij state that "globalization and mobility are synonymous"?

Globalization has made urban areas in poor countries especially attractive destinations for migrating locals. When a multinational corporation like Nike opens a factory in eastern China, that is an example of globalization. The jobs in that factory represent good jobs for Chinese citizens who were raised in poor agricultural villages in the country's interior. Locals around the world are emigrating from their native villages to seek greater economic opportunity in the nearest large urban area. Some of them make epic journeys to the global core to seek even greater opportunity.

12. How do globals "control the fates of locals as well as mobals"?

Globals control the majority of economic activity around the world. They control resources, labor and the distribution. They also consume most of the economic goods produced in the global economy. The consumer decisions of globals influence the availability of jobs in poor countries. If you buy Nike shoes, your purchase influences the availability of jobs, for mobals, in eastern China.

What is one strategy that DeBlij mentions that might reduce Mexican migration to the US?

If the Mexican economy grew and the country's living standards improved, migration to the US would decrease.

What is the "north-south" religious split to which DeBlij refers and how did it manifest itself in the Americas?

In Europe, sectarian wars during the Middle Ages resulted in a Roman Catholic southern region and a Protestant northern region. Because this pattern, "split", emerged before the age of European colonization, it influenced the religious geography of Europe's colonies. Lands colonized and settled by Europeans from Protestant Northern Europe (British Isles, Scandinavia, Germany) planted Protestantism in territories in that became Canada and the US. Land colonized by Europeans from Roman Catholic Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France) planted Roman Catholicism in what became known as Latin America.

What religion entered Europe after World War II? Who brought it? What are some of the results?

Islam. Mobals from European colonies in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East came to Europe and provided the labor necessary to help re-build war-torn countries. Results include the construction of mosques, and the introduction of Muslim sectarian conflicts within Europe's borders, in addition to Muslim-Christian disputes".

8. By 2100 Earth's population is projected to be 10 billion. That's an increase of 3 billion from today. Will most of those people be locals or globals?

Locals

7. Who are the locals and globals? Which group is more subject to place? Which group is growing more rapidly?

Locals are inhabitants of the poor countries of the world. Their lives are more subjected by place. Their aspirations largely depend on the poor circumstances into which they are born. We, residents of the rich countries of the world, are globals. Compared to locals, our horizons are boundless.

How might loss of linguistic diversity increase and improve globalization?

Loss of linguistic diversity implies fewer languages and greater comprehension between global partners. One could argue that greater comprehension will reduce conflicts and disagreements caused by actors not understanding each other's languages.

On what grounds does DeBlij not designate Chinese a "world language"? Where is Mandarin Chinese spoken?

Mandarin Chinese is spoken the historic Han heartland in northern China and in the country's eastern rim where much of the rapid industrialization has occurred during the past 3 decades. DeBlij does not designate Mandarin Chinese a world language because possibly only one half of Chinese citizens speak the language and the language has not spread to the same extent as English.

Considering your answer to #2, how is it difficult to record and preserve the many endangered languages?

Many of the endangered languages of the Tropics are spoken by people who live in remote areas where it is difficult for linguists to record and preserve those languages.

How does Mexico benefit from its mobals?

Mexico receives tens of billions of dollars from its mobals who work in the US annually. Mexican and Mexican-American families regularly send a portion of their earnings back to family in Mexico. This exchange between family members is targeted aid, which is much less vulnerable to the corruption that often results from country-country foreign aid.

Why will the percentage of people speaking Standard English as their first language decline throughout the twenty-first century?

Populations speaking Standard English are growing at a lower rate than other English speakers.

10. Who are mobals? What distinguishes them from locals?

Mobals were born as locals. When they left home to seek greater economic opportunity in urban areas and/or the global core, they became mobals.

Remember these two points. They both reflect how effectively Islam has spread out of the Middle East.

Most Muslims are not Arabs. Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population.

What demographic characteristics of Europe's Muslims and non-Muslims make the notion of a "Muslim Europe" less than far-fetched?

Muslim Europe is young, fervently religious and growing faster than the older, secular population of Christian Europe.

According to DeBlij, why might radical forms of Islam be attractive to Muslim mobals in Europe?

Muslim mobals in Europe experience severe religious indoctrination as part of their practice of Islam. At the same time, they often are treated as outsiders even if they are born in Europe. And, their home mosque operates as a tribal unit that resists assimilation into the general culture of Europe. The combination of indoctrination, alienation and isolation can make radical forms of Islam attractive. A significant portion of Europe's Muslim mobals, and some globals, feel like they are minorities under siege by a "decadent" culture. This situation can make a radical imam's twisted interpretation of jihad, struggle, appealing.

Must a population in the global core be fluent in English or another world language? Why or why not? Use Japan in your answer.

No. Japan is an exceptional member of the global core. It has prevented large-scale migration of foreign workers to Japan. Also, its government has not successfully emphasized English fluency among its general population. Less than 1% of Japanese are fluent in English.

5. Do people who live in the core comprise the majority of humanity?

No. The global core represents only

6. How does "place" remain important in the face of "flattening"?

Place refers to the circumstances into which a human is born and raised. It has an extremely important effect on how that person will be able to enter into a globalized world.

What is meant when some say the human world is "flat"?

Scholars use the term "flat" to refer to our rapidly globalizing world.

How is religion a "countervailing force, roughening rather than flattening the landscape of globalization"?

Shared beliefs and priorities among the world's diverse peoples contribute to globalization and "flattening". DeBlij points out that currently religious conservatism is growing in several regions throughout the world. One aspect of this phenomenon is that fundamentally different religious beliefs can cause different regions to become even more different. This process hampers globalization.

Describe the geographic distribution of each sect.

Shi'ite Islam is Persian (Iranian)-based. Its core is in Iran. However, large populations of Shiites are found in neighboring Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are remnants of an expansive Persian territory from the past. Pockets of Shiite minorities can be found throughout much of North Africa and the Middle East. Sunni Islam occupies the rest of the Muslim world and extends across North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and all the way to the Southern Pacific, including the country of Indonesia, which has the world largest Muslim population.

How is the relationship between latitude and linguistic diversity similar to the relationship between latitude and religious diversity?

Similar to linguistic diversity the greatest religious diversity is found in the low, or tropical, latitudes. Outside of the tropics in the "drier higher latitudes" only a handful of religions, practiced by large populations, are present.

Concerning membership and worship in Europe's traditional religions, what is the current trend?

Since the Enlightenment Europe has become increasingly secular and membership and regular worship in Christian denominations has decreased.

18. Explain how South Africa's former policy of apartheid can be found throughout the world presently.

South Africa's apartheid policy created regions and borders that limited the movement of its citizens. The movement of the country's black, coloured and Asian citizens were effectively controlled by the white minority. Currently, countries in the global core establish policies that restrict the international migration of mobals. "Keeping locals in their place and restricting mobals to the greatest degree possible perpetuate the global dichotomy represented by the map."

What are the two main sects of Islam? What percent of Muslims belong to each sect?

Sunni = ~ 85% Shi'ah = ~ 15% DeBlij omits mention of Sufi Muslims, probably because they represent such a small portion of Muslims

What is the fate of the belief systems of peoples of the tropical rainforest? Why?

The belief systems of tropical peoples will probably go extinct. Tropical rainforest populations speak a great diversity of religions and practice a great diversity of religions. However, each language and religion can claim only small populations of speakers and believers. As you learned in an earlier chapter, the current trend is for peoples of the tropics to migrate to urban areas. As they do they often leave behind their native languages and religions. Once in an urban slum they become exposed to large religions such as some version of Christianity or Islam.

17. What do the circled numbers represent on Figure 1.1? What processes occur at those points? Be certain that you know the names, locations and actors at each of those points.

The circled numbers show international borders between the global core and periphery where core governments recently have raised barriers to limit the number of undocumented migrants/mobals who migrate from the global periphery to the global core.

How is globalization related to flattening?

The global "core" is comprised of the rich, industrialized countries of the world.

DeBlij's points out that a few languages dominate our globalized world. The world's youngest country, South Sudan, chose English as its official language even though the country's population contains no native English speakers. Hmmm.

The leaders of South Sudan have gambled that globalization is the best strategy to develop their fledgling country. Currently, English is the language of globalization.

What evidence from Europe suggests that English is ascending as a global language?

There are 20 official languages in the European Union. English, increasingly is the language used to conduct its business. Meanwhile Central and Eastern Europe are in the process of making English fluency a basic skill expected of its educated citizens.

Also, be aware that world maps that show cultural patterns (language and religion) obscure lots of diversity. The patterns they show are also only temporary. Languages can spread and/or die. So, too can religions. Currently Europe is becoming more Muslim. Will that process continue? Will China become more Christian? Will Africa become more Muslim?

These questions are difficult to answer. However, current trends suggest that Europe might become even more Muslim. China's government might continue its process of increasing individual freedoms and Chinese Christians will be able to profess their faith openly and convert other Chinese to the faith. And, in Africa, persistent poverty might lead Africans to embrace Islam.

Explain DeBlij's hesitation to agree that the world has become flat.

This is because he is a world traveler and scholar who has observed the astounding differences in standards of living of people in poor countries compared to those of inhabitants of rich countries.

11. Distinguish between transnational refugees and transnational mobals.

Transnational mobals immigrate to urban areas and/or the global core seeking economic opportunity. Transnational refugees are driven from their homes because of political instability or conflict.

Considering the jobs available vs. job seekers in the global periphery and Europe's demographics, why does it make sense for a citizen from a poor country to become a mobal in Germany?

Until the economic collapse of the past 4 years, the global core needed workers. In the periphery there are too few jobs available for the locals. So, some of them make the wise but difficult decision to migrate to a core country, Germany for example, where there are better opportunities to find work that provides a good salary.

So, you are a local in a former European colony. You speak a minority language. What disadvantages do you face?

You might not have access to 12 years of education. You probably won't have access to instruction in a European language. The lack of fluency in a European language precludes your active participation in globalization. You won't be able to work in an out-sourced industry. It will also be more difficult for you to secure a job in the country's governing or commercial elite.