GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

Cultural groups are different around the world, but so are the sub-altern cultural expressions of those who feel that they are on the fringes of society.   I remember seeing the emo kids in Mexico City (one of the groups listed) congregate at the same metro station in 2005 and was fascinated by the dynamics between the subculture and the dominant culture.  Given the prevalent of machismo and Catholicism in Mexico, the cultural dynamics between the groups was incredibly tense.  This is an interesting glimpse into foreign counter-cultures.  

Tags:  culture, globalization, popular culture, unit 3 culture.

This is a simplified Census data map viewer specifically for Rhode Island.  To see a simplified U.S. Census data at the national scale, see: http://sco.lt/7G5rur

Tags: statistics, Rhode Island, census, GIS, mapping, cartography.

There certainly is a dark side to large sporting events. 

What is the social media conversation like in different regions of the world?  This realtime mapping tool lets to visualize the ever-shifting world of Twitter.  In this screen shot, Europe and Africa are sleeping the Americas are buzzing with activity.  

Hindu pilgrims from all over India flock to bathe where it the Yamuna Saraswati Rivers join with the Ganges River for a religious experience.  This is a massive undertaking where the cultural practices create migratory patterns that reshape cities because of a sacred physical geography. 

This news article of ‘odds and end’ has some interesting geographic content.  Having lived in Utah for many years, I can attest to the fact that the “Polynesian Pipeline” for Utah schools is incredibly important and represents a chain migration that has culturally shifted both the ‘host’ and ‘migrant’ population.  The ‘haka‘ is now institutionized as a part of Intermountain West football culture.   

Also in this article:

–Hispanics to outnumber whites in California by 2014

–Somali Bantu band from Burlington, VT in demand across the country

Tags: Migration, culture, unit 2 population.

Catalonia appears to want the benefits of independence AND being a politically a part of Spain.

Tags: Spain, Europe, devolution, autonomy.

For computers, shibboleths allow online verification of your identity.  Culturally, shibboleths are words that have distinct regional pronouncations and consequently ‘reveal’ something of the speakers ethnic, cultural or regional background.  This Washington Post article lists some phrases that people that are visiting Washington D.C., or not from there often get wrong. 

Tags: language, culture, Washington DC, unit 3 culture.