essential question for international travel
In order for TGC fellows to focus their international experience, we were asked to develop an essential question and follow-up questions to which we would seek answers, clarification or further questions while there. Below is an outline and some reflections on my thought process for this element.
The concept of Christian worldview is an important element of our work here at Valley Lutheran and an element of my Global issues course as well. The idea of worldview is that which shapes how we think and act, the decisions we make in every area of life including politics, entertainment, commerce, the environment and education. The concept of worldview in a developing country intrigued me so my basic question was:
What are the influences of the worldview of teenagers in Ghana?
or in the larger scheme of things
How do different elements of society impact worldview and to what degree?
My assumptions were that, as a developing country, the media would not have much influence and there would be much more influence from family and elders in society. I was curious to examine if worldview varied by religion, age, gender, and socio-economic status. I also wanted to see what roles faith, culture, education, government, and media play in shaping world view,.
My plan to gather information was though casual conversations with students and faculty at Archbishop Porter and other schools we visited, following the media on television, examining textbooks, and conducting research.
To make it short and sweet, I learned (well, I already suspected) that kids are kids wherever you go. The girls in Ghana have many of the same goals, dreams, needs, desires, etc that my students do at Valley Lutheran. They want to be doctors and teachers, watch TV and communicate via social media, love their families and their Lord.
The biggest influences on worldview were definitely religion and traditional Ghanaian culture. However, there is a bigger influence of American culture than I would have thought for a developing country.
Some questions remain unanswered at this time:
1. How great is the influence of the colonial legacy and the slave trade?
2. What is Ghanaian pop culture and how pervasive is its influence?
3. How do peers impact worldview (since I was with a boarding school I got a different perspective on this)
4. What is the relationship of teens with parents and elders
I just guess I'll need to go back to Ghana and continue my observations.
The concept of Christian worldview is an important element of our work here at Valley Lutheran and an element of my Global issues course as well. The idea of worldview is that which shapes how we think and act, the decisions we make in every area of life including politics, entertainment, commerce, the environment and education. The concept of worldview in a developing country intrigued me so my basic question was:
What are the influences of the worldview of teenagers in Ghana?
or in the larger scheme of things
How do different elements of society impact worldview and to what degree?
My assumptions were that, as a developing country, the media would not have much influence and there would be much more influence from family and elders in society. I was curious to examine if worldview varied by religion, age, gender, and socio-economic status. I also wanted to see what roles faith, culture, education, government, and media play in shaping world view,.
My plan to gather information was though casual conversations with students and faculty at Archbishop Porter and other schools we visited, following the media on television, examining textbooks, and conducting research.
To make it short and sweet, I learned (well, I already suspected) that kids are kids wherever you go. The girls in Ghana have many of the same goals, dreams, needs, desires, etc that my students do at Valley Lutheran. They want to be doctors and teachers, watch TV and communicate via social media, love their families and their Lord.
The biggest influences on worldview were definitely religion and traditional Ghanaian culture. However, there is a bigger influence of American culture than I would have thought for a developing country.
Some questions remain unanswered at this time:
1. How great is the influence of the colonial legacy and the slave trade?
2. What is Ghanaian pop culture and how pervasive is its influence?
3. How do peers impact worldview (since I was with a boarding school I got a different perspective on this)
4. What is the relationship of teens with parents and elders
I just guess I'll need to go back to Ghana and continue my observations.