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Chapter 3: Comparative Culture

No Political Ideology

Religion
Culture = way of life
PEWover 90% believe in some type of god
Impacts economy
o Wever in 1905
In the UKIndustrial Revolution (enclosure, legal system, private property)
Netherlands
USA
o All are PROTESTANT countries
o Part of what created a capitalist economy
Protestants much more individualistic
o About personal relationship w/ Godfeelings of personal entitlement
o Had notions that success in this life was a sign of favour from God
o These beliefs and practices fed the implementation of capitalism
Catholics more group-oriented


1. Religious vs. Secular
90% say they believe in a god
10% Secular: in Europe, Canada and Aus./NZ
o Non-believers are overwhelmingly ex-Christians
o Northern countries must more secular (when they hold belief, held much less seriously)
o Some say: Poorer countries pray to God to make lives better (Northern countries richer, more
comfortable, no need for a higher power)

2. Monotheistic vs. Polytheistic
3. Abrahamic vs. Dharmic
Abrahamic: believe for everyone can have personal connection to God (e.g. via prayer)
o Western & Middle Eastern Countries
o Christianity, Islam, Judaism
Dharmic: impersonal force that unites everything and various gods have various powers within that
system (cant have personal relationship w/ it)
o Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese folk religions


Internet
1940s/50s computers created
o Can we make them talk?
US Federation$$ communication b/w computers
Military research projectsystem thatll survive nukes
60s-70s
o DARPAnetwork of computer, email (1971)
80s
o US brings in partnersEurope
o Tim Berners-Lee from Belgium creates html and www
Late 80s/90s


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o US
o Privatize internetISPbirth of Internet as we know it
o (92-94) commercial
Fun fact: 92 only 1 million ppl had access to internet email
o 2012: 2 BILLION
88% of people who use it are from Developed North


Global Digital Divide
2 billionInternetE-medicine
o So that people can access doctors remotely
Possibilities of E-government
o Tax filing onlinenormal for us, but can become a revolution
o Land ownership/registration
o Govts could issue policy statements and statements of health warnings
National trade
Global South
o Agriculture could use weather information
Infrastructure
o Electricity 1-2 billion lack daily access to electricity
o Literacyilliteracy, 70%
o Censorship
China, Syria, North Korea
o Technology
Access to actual machines
Technology transfer NGOs
Transfer advanced tech from Global N to Global South








Comparative International Business
(Refer to pg. 178)
Autonomous: Selfish business leaders (personal)
Group/team-oriented: focus on group (personal)
Performance-based: meeting objective standards of excellence
o Flat HierarchiesNew economy
o Participative/EqualNot-4-Profit sector