Changing Landscapes and the Challenge of Transportation

Two Asias Hong Kong, China Sassak Village, Lombok, Indonesia As these photos show, Asia is a continent divided between traditional and modern life.

Two Asias SingaporeMountain Village, Nepal Some countries such as Japan and Singapore are thoroughly industrialized and wealthy while others such as Burma, Laos, and Nepal remain extremely poor and life continues much as it has for centuries.

Two Asias Most countries as these slides of China show, however, have a combination of modern cities and villages that have experienced minimal economic development. Chengdu, Sichuan, China Dong Village, Southern China

Two Asias What things differentiate the economically developed city on the left from the largely traditional village on the right? Chengdu, Sichuan, China Dong Village, Southern China

Globalization and Cultural Diffusion Associated with economic development is globalization, which is generally seen as the linking and blending of cultures through trade. Though globalization is often seen as a recent phenomenon, cultural diffusion—the spread of one culture to another—has taken place throughout history as the following slides will help illustrate. As you examine these slides, ask yourself what the positive and negative aspects of this are.

Cultural Diffusion (Rawalpindi, Pakistan) What are these kids doing? In what ways does this image represent traditional Pakistani culture and in what ways does it reflect Westernization?

Cultural Diffusion (Rawalpindi, Pakistan) These boys are playing cricket, a game that was introduced to Pakistan by the British in the 1800s. Though this game has a foreign origin, it is played all over Pakistan and is hugely popular amongst all ages and classes.

Cultural Diffusion (Rawalpindi, Pakistan) Most Pakistanis would no more consider cricket a foreign game than Americans would consider Christianity a foreign religion, despite its origins in Europe and the Middle East. Of course, unlike the British, the kids are mostly wearing the traditional national dress of Pakistan.

Cultural Diffusion What kind of building do you think this is? To what extent does it reflect traditional Vietnamese culture?