case study
Video Key Points
Your final assignment will replace the final test. It will be worth 25% of your course mark. You will need to have a good understanding of the key concepts from the three assigned videos in order to effectively complete the assignment.
So it would be a good idea to view the videos more than once, if you feel you need to, and to take notes on key points from each video.
I have created this document to help you to organize your thoughts and to ensure that you are understanding the key ideas and concepts contained in each video.
Don't just focus on the answers to the questions that I have given you...each video has a lot of information that is relevant to this course. They all deal with socio/cultural issues, economic issues and environmental issues.
Also try and consider which of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals would be relevant in each video.
When viewing the videos consider some of the concepts that we have covered in class:
Socio/Cultural - acculturation, commodification, standardization, etc.
Capacity - social, physical, environmental, etc.
Video One - Case Study of Golf Course Development in Hainan China
Video Two - Case Study of the Mosuo Tribe in China
Video Three - The Economics of Happines
Golf Course Development in Hainan - China
Why is the resort being built? Who will benefit from the golf course/resort? What is driving this development?
Who is the target market for the government’s plan for tourism?
What is the chemical threat?
What was the course developer’s “funny joke” near the end of the video? How does this make you feel?
Can you identify the socio/cultural issues here?
Can you identify the environmental issues here?
The Mosou Tribe
Why is this community so unique in the world? How is their society structured?
What is "walking marriage"? Has this helped to create a harmonious socio/cultural environment? Why?
What is the Chinese government now doing with respect to this community and culture? Why?
What do you see in the video? Acculturation? Commodification? Standardization? Cultural Erosion? Give an example of each of these, if you see them.
Considering the views of some of the Mosuo men and women is this new focus on tourism helping or hurting the community? Why?
The Economics of Happiness
So THIS is a totally different take on things that we've done in class. All semester we've been talking about GLOBALIZATION - the good and the bad! NOW we have a video done by some very smart people who are talking about how LOCALIZATION is now the only thing that will save our societies and our environment. What do you think? According to The Economics of Happiness:
What has globalization done to:
The economic balance of power in the world. Who is making all the money? Who is not making money?
Social/Cultural identities. With the advent of GLOBALIZATION what has been happening around the world with respect to how happy people of different cultures ARE with their local culture? What do many people wish would happen to their cultures?
What has the move from traditional cultures and the ways that different cultures have survived for centuries (small production, farming, fishing, weaving, local shops, etc) to the new GLOBALIZED approach that sees products being made and shipped all over the globe....done to the local societies? Are they more well off now than they were say 50 years ago?
The Economics of Happiness
Let's talk about the ENVIRONMENT. What has GLOBALIZATION done to local environments as well as the over planet? Can you name a few things from the video that have had a bad impact on our environment? Any positives?
The Economics of Happiness
According to the video what at the THREE BIG CHANGES that have to happen to level the economic playing field and to help us all move back to a more "local" way of living? They say that governments around the world have to make drastic changes to:
How Governments TAX BIG companies/wealthy people vs. smaller local companies and not so wealthy people
How Governments SUBSIDIZE big companies/Banking Rules - vs. subsidies and rules for small, local companies
International Trade Treaties/Policies/Agreements
The Economics of Happiness
What are some of the reasons that having small local producers in a community ensure better quality products and services as well as better conditions and pay for the employees?
In general are people more happy or less happy than they were 40 or 50 years ago. Why or why not?