Lens Shifting

I have always been curious about the world overseas. I can understand however, why Americans would be worried about traveling abroad or visiting new places. After WWII we were in a cold war with the Soviet Union for so long and it made the U.S. afraid of everything except ourselves. The constant fear of being thrown into a nuclear war with communist countries was definitely enough to make us fear the rest of the world. Another fear of traveling may be from the lack of connection that we have with the rest of the world. The internet does connect us in a way, but not like the centuries of history that the European powers have together. Whether it be times of conflict or peace, the Europeans have had no choice but to be connected to one another for centuries. However, the U.S. has pretty much been going it alone from the time that it first gained its independence. We are somewhat isolated from other major powers.

A lot of Americans are ignorant about cultures not just in other countries, but also at home too. There are plenty of stereotypes between the northern, southern, eastern, and western U.S. that other people simply believe because of their portrayal in media. This is one reason that I want to be a social studies teacher. To motivate students to get away from their homes and experience a life that they are not necessarily comfortable with.

Globalization

Globalization has brought economic prosperity to Ireland. In the early '90s, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in western Europe, but now they have become one of the wealthiest. Ireland is a large manufacturer of high and medium high technologies and that has made their economy explode over the last fifteen years. Because of this, Ireland has high employment and plenty of jobs. Tourism is also an important part of Ireland's economy which brings cultures together, strengthening the effects of globalization.

I am very interested in the similarities between the U.S. and Ireland and Scotland. It will be just as interesting seeing the similarities as it is the differences between these cultures. I do know that American television is big in Ireland, and therefore, people think that American life is like what is depicted in Hollywood. From what i have been told, people over seas have difficulty understanding just how big the U.S. is and how different each region is.

The difference between an Irishman and an American is that an Irishman thinks 200 miles is a long way, and an American thinks 200 years is a long time.