Writing Style

Writing style is very important for readers. If your style is too bold you may alienate readers and may lose a lot of readers because they won’t agree with what you have to say. For instance, the article “Put your money where their mouths are” has some very bold and specific statements that can potentially make readers lose interest because they do not agree with it. This style may work and does have its place in writing but I don’t think it is very effective. My writing style is usually very opposite to that article. I prefer to state my opinion and then explain it throughout the paper. It is important to clearly take a side especially in papers like the opinion editorial you need to clearly state your opinion and then back it up. However, it does not have to be done so boldly, you can be clear and state your arguments and opinions without alienating readers. My style is generally to persuade by giving information and personal situations that the reader can relate to. I think that my style can be a little wordy with my sentences. I tend to add a lot of extra words to sentences usually trying to add some length to the paper. Making my sentences wordy can also make my sentences repetitive because while trying to add length I end up saying the same thing I have already said. I think often times this happens because I’m not quite sure what I want to say. I hope that by the end of this semester I can learn how to write more effectively and get my points across clearly.

Tanner's style

Writing style is such a crucial part to writing a well written paper.  Each writer has their own style, but the way they utilize their style can make or break a paper.  My personal style to writing is often very conservative.  I don’t like to make a whole lot of bold statements in my writing; I prefer to generalize and explain my points thoroughly rather than argue with my audience.  This approach to writing can make some writing assignments difficult such as the opinion editorial, where taking a stand on an issue is required.  In these cases, I have to make a constant effort to make sure I am truly arguing my point instead of just explaining my issue to the audience.  Next, I also have a very structured approach to my writing. I often construct long organized paragraphs that first introduce a point, followed up by sentences that explain that point.  I don’t leave a lot of room for creativity in my writing because I am so focused on the structure on my paper.  As this semester progresses, I would really like to work on being a little more creative and less structured with my writing.  There are many good aspects to my writing style.

                My writing style has some things that I could improve on as well. One of the things I would like to work on is repetition and wordy expressions.  I have a habit of putting a lot of unnecessary words in my writing that often just reiterate what I have already said.  These wordy expressions often confuse the reader, and cloud the meaning of the paper.  This semester, I would really like to learn how to recognize, and eliminate these unnecessary expressions that make it difficult to understand my paper.  These weaknesses in my style can be changed to make my overall writing style more convincing and powerful.

working children

i found this article particularly interesting. i am enrolled in several development courses, and the material falls along these lines. with so many established markets and patterns of behavior, the overhaul solutions to develop third world countries are often much more idealistic than practical. to help get his point across, Kristof very much simplifies the issue of development, but his ideas are very interesting!

by no means do i consider myself qualified to discuss the logistics of development, but the points that Kristof brings up make me feel an adequate understanding of the issues he is presenting. while the understanding may not be complete, his writing strategies are effective in convincing readers. He uses Abakr as his first example. by most western moral standards child labor is abhorred, but as he points out, if we in our "knight in shining armor" attitude implement laws preventing it, the desired effects will not be reached. this appeals to the logic in us all, when typically the emotion takes over when we hear of children working. he masterfully works in the argument that pacifies both our conscience and brain. 

he does make some sweeping generalizations that take away some of the potency from his argument. the assumption that most of us want to help the people around us is harmless, some of his less-than-positive references to democrats did more harm than good. he already made the connection with the humanitarians in all of us, and the additional references were unnecessary.

overall, the article was well done, and Kristof successfully convinced me (but lets be real here, i am very susceptible to rhetorical strategies)! i feel considerably more informed, and feel a desire to look into the issue further.

Claims, Reasons, and Assumptions

"Put your money where your mouths are" by Nicolous D Kristof was pretty interesting.The story followed  a short story line about a boy named Akbar and used his childhood as an example of the child labors he had to endure.  The author, Kristof started off in his article speaking about international labor laws and how it is detrimental for children in third-world countries. He makes it well known he isn't a fan of the child labor laws. Then he speaks on the income of the children's families and the lack of education available to those in third-world countries. The author then continues to list off a number of ways the laws negatively impact these poor families.  Then he opts to bring about a number of cases that show all these problems negatively affecting women just as it does children such as those in Bangledesh(garment industry) and Pakistan. He continues to remark on how powerless these children are without any kind of substantial income and education.
He also makes it sound like we choose to be ill-informed or perhaps pretend to ignore the situation, ''self-righteous indignation", when really the case is that we don't really know how bad things really are. I felt he had a very biased opinion against many of those of us who exist in the U.S. He would really like to make sure those international labor laws for children are changed for the better. To end his editorial he offers up some helpful solutions to many of the problems that exist. He wants to find a fix for all the problems.

       It is a good opinion editorial but I don't think it had a ton of substance to it. Kristof listed his claim, his reasons, and assumptions.  He said what he had to say and got his opinion across and he has targeted his audience pretty well.

Kristof Article-Sterling Paulson

Kristof Article-Sterling Paulson

I found this article to be very interesting, not just because of the issue being addressed, but also because of the way in which the author wrote it. I thought that it was full of thought-provoking content, but I also feel like the author alienated many readers. He seems to assume that the typical Democrat is one who is vehemently opposed to child labor laws, but he also seems to have a demeaning attitude towards them and criticizes their concerns. In doing so, he seems to make another assumption, which is that the “Democrats and warm-and-fuzzy humanitarians” who he seems to be speaking to will be receptive to this kind of criticism. He claims that they are well-intentioned but misguided and naïve in their efforts. He also claims that the Western attitude in general exacerbates the child labor law situation. His ultimate claim is that while child labor laws are a nice gesture towards children in third-world countries, they are lofty ideals that do not have the positive effect that Americans believe they do. He reasons that the ultimate way to address child labor is to address the underlying poverty that causes it.  While I found this claim and accompanying reason to be somewhat persuasive, I also think that he is treating these third-world countries as unfairly as he treats the aforementioned “Democrats and warm-and-fuzzy humanitarians.” He provides an example of a school that offers incentives to children who attend school, as well as an example of a child who must work and doesn’t have an option to attend school.  However, it seems that he uses two extreme examples as reasons to support his claim, and makes the assumption that many children will be in similar situations, or that people will be taken by these two examples. In reality, he generalizes the situation in these countries and ignores the real-life examples of children that child labor laws attempt to address, in which children with the opportunity to attend school are instead forced into work at an early age.  I believe that the article was somewhat persuasive and appears logical at first glance, but with consideration of the assumptions, claims, and supporting reasons I think that it loses its power as you see that two isolated examples are applied as broad generalizations. I was left questioning what exactly the situation is for children in many of these countries, as well as what it would be like for children without the vigilantes who fight for child labor laws in efforts that Kristof labels misguided.

Claims, Reasons, Assumptions

Claims, Reasons, Assumptions

In the very first paragraph of the article, “Put Your Money Where Their Mouths Are” the author assumes that all Democrats are worried about global labor laws. This may alienate some of the readers of this article if they happen to be a Democrat. The author also assumes that most people won’t agree on his stance that child labor is ok in other countries. He claims that child labor and other aspects of labor that may not be accepted here is ok because those jobs are the livelihood of others. The author also claims that child labor is wrong, however, he uses that to his advantage saying that “Children in Africa will be much better off with a hot meal and an education” (Kristof 129). The Author makes his reasoning stronger by showing both sides of the argument and showing how his side is more practical. He shows this by using a personal example of a boy named Abakr. A specific story like this grabs the reader’s attention and plays of emotions to call the reader to action. The author uses other good reasons to prove his point. One, is that he uses stats to back up his point to give his article credibility.  The author also uses examples that have already happened. The example he used was that many Pakistani women lost their jobs because Asia developed a faster way of stitching up soccer balls. Overall I think that the author did a great job in his word choice to get emotions from his audience to convince them of his point of the argument. 

Claims, Reasons, and Assumptions..

“Put your money where their mouths are” by Nicholas D Kristof

I felt that this article was interesting but lacking in depth and clarity.  His first claim is that international labor laws, contrary to having positive effects, would put families in third-world countries in a worse situation that before.  We can note that he is not in favor of international child labor laws by the way he presents his case. He follows up with the claim that many third world countries don’t have opportunities to further education and thus child labor is a means of income to support his family.  By enacting child labor laws, it thus leaves the children with nowhere to go and many fall into worse situations, even resorting to prostitution.  He furthers this claim by saying that it affects the whole family in negative way.  He presents his reason to us with evidence of two cases: the garment making industry in Bangladesh and the production of soccer balls in Pakistan.  In both cases affecting women and children alike, leaving them jobless and worse off.  Furthermore, he shows evidence from an eminent trade economist, Jagdish Bhagwati, in quoting from his book supporting his point of view concerning child labor.  In this article there are many assumptions about the reader.  First he assumes that the audience cares about child labor laws, but that the majority of Americans are ill-informed about the issue.  He also assumes that the readers know about the controversy and laws concerning child labor.  Lastly, that we, university students, are “self-righteous” people who waste time in trivial things such as boycotting Nike or pushing for child labor laws.  Reviewing this article I felt that the argument was somewhat biased with the assumptions, almost offended as some of them concerning university students.  I was also left with questions about his solution, whether there is a way to help the children advance their education past 4^th grade?  By helping feed the children, aren’t we just supporting “bad habits” of forcing children to work at an early age?  The solution doesn’t present a way for progress, just a negative exploit of globalization.  

Claims, Reasons, and Assumptions

In the article “Put your money where your mouths are” by Nicholas Kristoff the claims he makes are that ending child labor is not as beneficial for the child as we think it might be. He claims that while child labor is bad there are other reasons behind it, such as education, that we must fix before we can end child labor, otherwise, the children and their families end up in an even worse situation. He gives two reasons as evidence one being the garment making industry in Bangladesh and the second is the production of soccer balls in Pakistan. In both situations the children and their families suffered after the U.S. ended both of these industries. Without these jobs the children have nothing else. Some of the assumptions Kristoff makes are our views and believe on child labor he assumes that the readers think that child labor is wrong and there are no benefits to child labor. Another assumption is that we know about industries in other countries and that the U.S. has made regulations and laws that have banned these industries. He assumes we have knowledge of these countries and what goes on in them. He also assumes that all of us have “self-righteous indignation” and that we don’t really understand how the world works when many of the readers and the people he calls self-righteous may actually have a good understanding of the situation and may be doing all they can to change what is happening.

Put your reason where your claims are

 Nicholas D Kristof puts forward many ideas that are out of the ordinary in his essay “Put Your Money Where Their Mouths Are”. He makes clear claims that are well backed up with strong reasons that contribute greatly to the strength of the essay. He also makes many assumptions.

His main claim through the article is that international labor laws would put families in third world countries in a worse situation than before. This is a big statement that undermines the counterargument that drives in favor of the laws. In making this claim he points out that champions of the laws seem to look condescendingly without a real understanding of the situation. His next claim is that there's a lack of schools meaning that children with no other place to go or opportunities to pursue end up in prostitution or other similar situations.

His primary reason for the claim of the families being worse off revolves around the fact that the income the children provide is an important contribution in the well being of the family. He also points out that women's jobs are often tied to the childrens jobs, so while they may be primarily trying to help a child escape poor working conditions, they effectively take out two sources of income, thus creating more harm than good. His next main reason is the results of other laws, especially the Bangladesh case where children were forced into prostitution. He also points out alternatives that are more effective at solving the situation.

He does make some assumptions in writing the essay. He assumes first and foremost that people want to help child labor. He also assumes that people have at least some knowledge about current pushes for labor laws.

After Reading I do have some questions. How widespread is the problem and would the UN program alone be able to solve it? If there aren't schools in places like chad for Akbar to attend, shouldn't we also focus on building schools? Are there ways that we can promote opportunities for situations like in Pakistan where women are involved? While the author may assume that we know some basic facts, the answers to these questions are important to making a decision.

Claims, reasons, and assumptions

The essay, “ Put Your Money Where Their Mouths Are”, by Nicholas D. Kristof, is a well written opinion essay that answers key questions that every opinionated essay should contain.  A good opinion essay should make a claim that is backed up by reasons, as well, as having assumptions that precede it.  These three things (claims, reasons, and assumptions) are can be found in the thesis of the paper as well as in the body of the paper itself.  In this specific case most of the information about the claims, reasons, and assumptions of the paper are found in the body of the essay. 

            The first thing that must be addressed in the paper is the claim.  The claim is usually the statement that the author is arguing for.  In this specific case, the author is not supportive of international child labor laws.  The author makes it very clear that child labor is important in certain parts of the world. Second, there must be reasons behind the claim.  The author in this essay supports his claims through a couple different reasons, such as, how some third world countries have no schools, and how some families need the child’s income to put food on the table.  These reasons were well backed up in the paper through examples of how implicated child labor laws affected third world families. Finally, the author makes some assumptions in his paper.  In this paper the author assumes his audience knows that there is controversy over child labor laws. He also assumes that the audience knows some of the history behind the argument of labor laws.  With the claim, reasons, and assumptions well addressed, few questions are left to be asked about the content of the paper.  One question that might be asked is, can the U.N. World Food Program help send kids through high school instead of fourth grade, if enough money is donated? This could be a potential question for the writer. Overall, this essay is very well written and address many of the questions a reader might have along the way. 

Claims, Reasons, and Assumptions

The claim that Nicholas D Kristof makes in "Put your money where their mouths are" is that stopping child labor in other countries doesn't have positive outcomes but rather has serious affects on the child and their family. The reasons that he shows to backup his claim are the lack of schools that these countries have. So if the children lose their job then they don't have a better place to go. Secondly if they lose their job then they will probably find another job with less wages and sometimes worst conditions. Sadly enough, some go into prostitution. Last of all, the children financially support their families and with out these jobs, the family will be caused to go into serious poverty. And lastly when enforced nationally can cause the whole country to enter into poverty. The assumptions that Kristof makes are on the beliefs that we have. One being that we worry about foreign children. After that we think that financial problems are the first to deal with. Last of all that we truly value the importance of an education. This causes me to believe that he assumes that his audience is some what older and interested in helping foreign countries. The questions that come to my mind when i read this article is how those who support enforcing the child labor laws haven't been able to see the serious causes that it has on the nation and on their families. Also i wonder why they wouldn't make sure that after taking them out of their jobs, that they could and would be able to get an education.

Persuasive Essay/Kairos

For my persuasive essay I chose to talk about the honor code at BYU and why it is important to follow it. As the writer I will introduce that I am a BYU student, and I’m just like any other BYU student. I’m going to state the fact to my audience that I’m from high school and I’m just like them. BYU students in this case will be who my essay is written towards. It will be written mainly to freshman at BYU who are like me because I will be able to relate more to the freshmen. The Issue I want to address is the honor code. I wanted to support the honor code with a few points; First the honor code makes this school unique and everyone at this school unique, Second the honor code makes this school professional and clean cut, thirdly this is not only a school of learning but of character building, and lastly BYU is the best university on the planet. I will be presenting these points to the reader to hopefully instill in them a greater desire to obey the honor code. I also want to be able to relight some school spirit into the students of BYU. Another goal is to get students to be proud they are part of such a great university. In this essay I will have to create Kairos, the opportune moment, in which I can influence the reader in a way that I want them to be influenced. I’m going to create this moment by getting the reader to think about their personal experiences with high school as I contrast the difference between the environments of High School and the outstanding BYU environment. During this time I will also relate with them my high school experiences and how college is the phase into adult life and as adults we are examples to the world by the way we act and live out our lives.

Kairos: Concealed Carry on Campus

This week marked the one month anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Since this incident occurred it seems that not a day goes by that we don't hear about gun control. It is simply impossible to ignore the subject whether we agree with gun control or not. Being an avid gun enthusiast I believe that guns should not be limited to the people. My topic for the OpEd is that of concealed carry on campus. The University, being a private school, does not allow the concealment of firearms on campus. This places a large target on our back saying we are completely defenseless. Students and faculty should be allowed to carry their concealed firearms on campus in the event of an open shooter. Those who obtain a firearm legally and obtain the necessary paperwork to carry it should be allowed to do so on campus. By allowing students and faculty to carry on campus we would be increasing our own safety tremendously. All of the publicity in the news about this subject creates the kairos for my paper. With the subject gaining so much momentum right now it is the most opportune time to write about this subject.

blogs and free saturday nights

being an LDS girl, this is probably quite a shocker, but i have a blog. a blog that i actually take quite a bit of pride in, as vain or undeserving as it may be; at least i know that my mother reads it. This being said, somewhere along the long nights trying to generate synonyms, i developed a writing style.

i am under no pretenses that my writing is the be-all-end-all of blogs, but i do believe that it will assist  me in my attempt to generate the “kairos” we discussed in class. as a BYU student writing to BYU student’s about dating seems to always be a topic at its peak, but that is also a part of the problem. after the seventh article, the routine gets tired. there is a new external element that i feel will help me establish that “peak” moment in readers: the mission age change.

now, i plan on being a girl who stays at home, (at least for the next year) so, not only do i have a full campus of RM boys to advertise myself to (this is all hypothetical, of course *wink), i also have a message of hope (and, yeah, possibly minimal chastisement) to send to these fellows, downtrodden with the departures of good friends.

i will be writing in good authority, seeing as i have sent off many both male and female missionaries, and will be doing so in the future, but establishing the authority of a date-starved, Mormon, Young Single Adult shouldn’t be too out of character from the girl i am every day.

Karios, Gun Control

My topic will be about the gun control laws and my audience is to BYU students and administration.  The kairos, within this community, will be created through the ongoing gun violence debates and upcoming proposals on gun control laws and restrictions.  The interest level has hit its peak since the recent gun related events such as the Virginia Tech shooting, the Aurora Shooting, and the Connecticut school massacre occurred.  I feel like too few people know what exactly gun control consists of.  In addition I will talk about the what is responsible gun ownership.  I feel like once we understand the nature of not only what we can do with guns, but what they do to us, we can better discuss the solutions to the gun violence in the nation. As a former soldier of the military, being a responsible gun owner, and as a common student I hope to educate and persuade more students and faculty to get involved in the decision making process of our nation's laws, by first being informed and then taking action.
-Andy Cummock 
 

Kairos: Abstinence-only education isn't worth funding.

I whole heartily believe that, as a Nation, we need to demolish the idea that "Abstinence-only" education is a good sex-education for our future generation. The National government has extended to each individual state five different sex-education programs for use. The five programs range from "Comprehensive" (which teaches our children almost everything there is to know about sex and it's consequences) sex-education to "Abstinence-only",( a program that teaches that abstaining is the only way to go and doesn't teach the children the consequences and knowledge that comes along with having sex).  An overall majority of the states have chosen to use man of the programs that promote just abstinence. The reason I chose this topic for this blog is because I believe right now is a great time to advocate comprehensive programs rather than abstinence only because right now it is a huge topic in Utah right now.  They are currently debating whether or not their programs are doing their jobs.  Another reason I would write a paper on this topic is because not many are aware of how poorly their sex-education programs are doing and that the few states that have put in place comprehensive programs have better stats pertaining to fewer STDs, lower birthrates to teenage moms, and more individuals choosing to abstain from sex because of the consequences.

Kairos on Caffeine!

Obviously with the assignment I need to demonstrate how my chosen topic for my editorial meets kairos. To start with, the topic I have chosen thus far is the debate over caffeinated beverages in the church and the division of the issue. I feel that my topic can have kairos easily established for my topic through a variety of ways. First and foremost would be the fact that it has been a hot button issue in the church for quite a long time. We've all heard of local church leaders and others who have asked members to not drink those beverages or even been a part of these arguments for either side. The other point to help establish it would be some of the recent controversy and examination from the mainstream media from the last presidential election, mostly stemming from the controversy of Mitt Romney being seen drinking a diet coke. From this event the church released a statement clarifying that the church has no position regarding caffeine. This most recent bit goes on the big nasty stack of quotes and other opinions that I feel has plagued the church in this dividing issue.

Kairos; Globalization opens new doors for students

Kairos, if used well, can greatly influence a rhetoric situation.  One place Kairos can be effectively used is in an opinion editorial. My opinion editorial is on the topic of globalization and how it makes the world more equal. In the paper, I plan on establishing kairos by pointing out how globalization affects a student’s future, especially a BYU student.  BYU’s slogan is, enter to learn and go forth to serve.  I will try to emphasize this in my paper, and try to point how the time is now to do this.  As countries seek outside of their borders, they begin looking for many new ideas and opportunities.  These countries will need help with getting integrated into the global society. This is where BYU students can come in and help these countries in need.  Many students at BYU are fluent in another language; this aspect means many service and job opportunities outside of the United States are potentially opened for these individuals. As globalization continues to develop, more and more opportunities will be available. As students look toward their future, the job landscape looks increasingly rough in America.  Having the option to go help someone else and get a good paying job in another nation would be a wonderful option. It is in the students best interest to support globalization because it will potentially affect their future. I will try to stress these points and how important it is to support globalization because the more the world works together the more job opportunities will be available.  The time is now to support globalization and a more equal society.  

Kairos-Longer Library Hours-Sterling Paulson

       For my topic I will be writing on the potential benefits of lengthened library hours here at BYU. As far as establishing kairos, I think that now is the perfect time to introduce the topic. With the semester started, syllabus week over, and assignments beginning to be due, many BYU students-either fresh off of winter break or new to college life-are beginning to stress and work longer hours in order to get their work completed on time.  Further, many returning students have gotten feedback from last semester’s courses and have a short-term fervor for their coursework in an attempt to make up for poor grades in Fall.  Also, as it is winter and extremely cold, the library offers a warm, cozy environment in which worthwhile activities can be performed. If I wait longer to bring this issue up, students will have already adjusted to the current hours and the early semester fervor will be gone. I think that if these aspects of the issue are stressed and possible cons are proactively countered, this opinion editorial will be effective at this optimum time. 

Kairos; where has the dream gone?

The American dream is deteriorating and now is a good time to fix that in more than one way. For example, we, as BYU students, know that it is not easy to get here. We know that we, some more than others, worked hard to get here: we studied and got good grades, we played and excelled in sports, we had extracurricular activities, we served the community, and we worked so that we could pay to be here after all of that other work. That’s what makes America great! We work for what we get and we appreciate what we have. People are losing sight of this vision. It’s plain to see when the government does things like tax us because we got married to discourage family life. New taxes also make it hard to own a small business and scare people from being ambitions and creating new things. The worst of it all is the handouts; people come here (or are already here) and genuinely believe that they just deserve things. They don’t want to work or go to school, they want it given to them, and the government is doing just that. Does it seem fair that you are here (already having worked you butt off to be here) working even harder so that you can get a good job and take care of yourself, your family, and now your lazy neighbor who doesn't want to help himself?

Kairos, Concealed weapons on campus

Because Brigham Young University has a policy against carrying firearms while on campus, either being a teacher or student, I believe that it would be a great topic. Especially a little over a month of the shooting in Sandy Hook Connecticut. There is certainly a lot of states that are starting to become more and more aware of the danger that there students are in at their respective schools and they want to have the highest safety policies in them.With the possibility of having a school shooting anywhere this could scare especially the students at our university. This because if we were to have a shooting in our university we would be completely vulnerable because the students and the professors aren't allowed to carry firearms of any types. So while this has become an important issue in our nation and in our state it would be the opportune moment to make this an equally important issue in our University.

Typical

 After considering my life events and daily choices I would have to say that globalization has impacted my life in a very positive manner.  I eat foods grown in a variety of different countries,  I listen to bands from Europe, enjoy friends speaking in different languages, and have dated boys who were not at all American.  Also, I myself have gotten to travel over parts of Europe and had the opportunity to enjoy the many different cultures and learned how others lived.  Globalization isn't something that I have thought about on a daily basis but it is something I really have gotten to enjoy and have appreciated.
          I think it opens individual's minds to possibilities, to new ways of learning and living, and helps many understand others in ways they may never have.  It adds spice to life to say the least.  It cultures individuals.  It creates jobs for many and contributes to countries that need help. Globalization has helped many of those who are less fortunate to receive education, medical supplies, food, and water.  It has created the aide of protection in countries during times of warfare. Countries have built upon one another, created allies and enemies. Could you imagine what our world would be like if we never shared the power of technology with one another?! We, as humans, are naturally curious and seek power. I don't think globalization would have never not happen. We thrive on creating, and innovating.  Globalization has made the U.S. what it is.
          Globalization, like most other things has it's positive and negatives.   There are always compromises to be made and often times you have to figure out if all the goods way out the bad.  I don't think there are always better ways to do something things I do believe we can try our best to be the most humane about every situation.

Globalization = New opportunities

Imagine an American boy, one that is, the type of person who has never left the country to experience or see another culture.  Yup, that’s me. However I can’t say I haven’t been affected by other cultures. I truly have.

I am going to give a “what everyone has most likely noticed” example about how other cultures have affected me and you.  On my desk: I have a clock that’s made from China, a binder made in Mexico, a shirt designed in Sweden, a hat made in Taiwan, and an even warmer hat that was made in Peru. Ideas and products are traded around the globe. This connects culture, through people’s creations coming together. One of the reasons I wanted to show where all of these items came from is to show that many things we have aren’t necessary American items but I also wanted to say, wow, we have it good if we can afford all these accessories. All these places where our daily accessories come from there is a person who is willing to work for a low wage to make. Life in other places of the world is not as easy as it is here.  That’s why a lot of people envy life in America. America is the central, if not the prime place where globalization occurs. I’m not talking about the negative aspects of globalization. I’m talking about one of the greatest hopes America has to offer. That is to have opportunity. It is the American dream. My great grandma lived in Switzerland back in the day and she traveled to America with her husband to get married and start a good life. She knew she would have to work hard but she also knew it would be worth it. As of a result I am here today, enjoying the freedom of opportunity there is to share in America and especially at BYU.

an elephant and a soccer ball.

all my life the incessant desire to travel has nagged at my restless heart, and my jet setting parents did nothing to settle my yearnings. an eight year old, however, has little control over where she lives and less than adequate means to visit the corners of the world. this being my unfortunate case i lived vicariously through Google looking at pictures of ornately painted elephants, grand halls, austere castles nestled in rolling hills, flea markets, and anything else my heart could find. and so it began with a burning curiosity that was only kindled by research, a selfish fire burning in my heart.
my fires of curiosity underwent a serious change of course about the time i turned fifteen. that summer, i did as many LDS youth do; i packed my bags and headed to a college campus where my adolescent insecurities and passions were to be overcome and bridled through the gospel and camaraderie with peers facing similar difficulties. yes, efy. it happened to be the only year i attended, {though not because of a mediocre experience} and it truly did change my heart. my director relayed a life threatening experience he had playing soccer in Haiti, following the earthquake, but that is not what my impressionable heart had taken from it. all i really heard was that he was helping people. and traveling. up to this point in my life all globalization meant to me was experiencing everything that i could, drinking in all that exotic cultures and landscapes had to offer. my director that year showed me the light of service and that it could very easily be integrated with my love of the world.
a conversation that i had with my father also resulted in serious reflection regarding this little world that we live on. he shared that in his youth he had not felt the need to travel, that America was all he needed. under no circumstances do i mean to demean America, because it truly is a land blessed by God, and i suspect i will never truly understand what a blessing my freedom is. however, chained to my heart with that love of freedom is a feeling of responsibility to do all that i can with it. up to this point, that has meant trying to do what little i could in my community {because my destitution as an eight year old has not particularly changed much in the following decade} but i have kept my embers kindled, and in April will be blessed to travel to Amman, Jordan where my service can hopefully reach new heights. and while i know there are many more facets to globalization, world connections, economies, the most moving impact in my life- thus far- is the desire i feel to be a part of it all.

Globalization

After investigating and pondering the issue, I’ve come to realize that the question if globalization is positive is relative.  One additionally needs to ask, positive for whom?  And through study and personal experience, I’ve come to realize that in a way we are all affected by globalization in some positive way.  While I was out of the country for several years, I spent varied time in different parts of Mexico.   I was able to see firsthand the influence our culture has on theirs, such as American businesses, clothing trends, and music.  After understanding the culture more, I noted that many people were attracted to our ideals and found many opportunities for growth in their businesses, thus improving the quality of their lives for their families.  As I formed bonds with many of the families there, I came to see that globalization had indeed affected them in a positive way, helping them interconnect with the world around them and open up opportunities for a brighter future.  After coming home, I often reflect on those experiences, and wonder what effect globalization has had on me.  Not only am I wearing clothes or using gadgets made in another country, I am using that to influence the world around me also to interconnect our cultures.  Having experience their culture, I bring that here and share it with my community and together we all benefit. In Conclusion, Globalization has had a more profound impact in all of us than we sometimes realize, and although the practices may not always be perfect, the ideals are just and true.  I believe with our support we can go on perfecting this process until we all reach our common goal of happiness.