What is Power? (Final Exam)

There are many things that could define Power, but I think that the best definition, however, is the ability to rule and benefit other people. A person with power has to have the qualities of a good leader. Once a person is given the ability to rule, it doesn't make them more important than everyone else; though they will be a lot more respected if they can rule but still act like every other person.

An example for misuse of power is Animal farm; Napoleon and Snowball were given power, though they both misused it. Napoleon decided that because he was given so much power and authority, he was able to rule over everyone else. This is exactly the opposite of the definition of power. Power means that you can rule but still relate to everyone else that are 'beneath' you. It means that you can make sure everyone is 'equal' and gets equal shares in everything.

When Europe was colonizing Africa, they thought that since the Africans were very poor and did not know any better, they were somehow 'better' than them. They decided that since they were given power over them they could also treat them like animals. This is another example of the misuse of power. Not many people that are given the ability to rule can do it without it getting to their heads, and that's why many leaders are selfish and abuse their power.

An example of good use of power is from the book 'The Giver'. The Giver is very highly respected in Jonas's community. He was given the power to hold all the community's memories and advise the elders whenever they are faced with a situation they have never faced before. The Giver and Jonas have the power to change the community, but they don't use it to feel like they are more important than others. Jonas still goes out to play with his friends, still sits to eat dinner with his family. Even though he was given so much respect to receive the memories from the giver, he didn't abuse it and treated everyone around him like he always did.

In conclusion, the word power means to be given the ability to rule without misusing it. Most leaders think that because they were given power, they are more significant than everybody else. Though other leaders don’t abuse their power and treat everyone the same as he would like them to treat him.

Net effect of Globalization

Over all, after all that we've learned in class, i think that the net effect of globalization is negative.

Through the videos we watched, I understood that due to globalization, the rich are become even richer still, and the poor are staying the same, if not getting even poorer (if its possible). I also learned through the video we watched from a show called '30 Days' that cultures are being destroyed. India is becoming more and more like America, more Indians celebrating Christmas and becoming christian, old customs being forgotten and jumbled up with new ones, everything is becoming the same. Through our class discussions I learned that more and more technology is being produced, which also causes E waste, and results in everyone depending on it. Humans nowadays cannot live without at least one computer in their home, and we're all becoming fat. Also, at the beginning of POP we had an activity where the teachers asked all the students that are holding a blue square to stand up. This indicated the percent of people that actually do own a computer. Only about 5 people stood up. This emphasizes the point I made earlier, of the poor becoming even poorer. As the rest of the world races ahead of them, they lag behind even further.

However, there are positive things about globalization.
For example, a person in China can now go to a McDonald's and buy a hamburger. A man in India can go into a store and buy a Nokia phone; and someone living in Egypt can buy Nike shoes. The world has become so flat, meaning that (according to Friedman) everyone is becoming the same, you can buy anything, anywhere, and at the best quality and cheapest cost possible. New companies from America are emerging everywhere in Asia, and adapting so that they can sell their products in the different culture. (Like McDonald's not selling beef in India). Countries are experiencing different cultures, ideas, and new ways of doing things.

Even though there are many good things coming out of it, I still stand strong that the over-all effect of Globalization is negative. That is because the negative results are more severe than others.

Feedback- POP!!!!

The three most important things I learned in the population projects this year are:


1. MANAGE YOUR TIME!!! I wasn't one to do all my work the day before its due, but I also didn't research enough and finish it a week before. This is a skill that will help me with other projects and tests.


2. Another more general thing I learned is that a lot of girls in India are being mistreated because of their gender. Hindu families prefer to have boys because they continue the family line, they can help with farm work, they are more accepted in society, and they are the only ones in the family that can conduct the funerals for the parents. This leads to families not caring for their daughters and treating her like an object to be owned and then taken away.


3. Finally, I also learned that when researching don't put all your faith in one source. I got all my data from Indiastat and it didn't end up being so good. My graph was small and didn't prove my point very well since I didn't get all the data I needed. Also, the data I got might not have been correct.