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mre · Senior Member

Assignment #14: Material World

jveloso8 · Member

A. Specifically, highlight 5 observations concerning their stories, facts and possessions for each family (15 total).

Mali: The Natomo Family
1. Soumana Natomo is 39 and has 2 wives.
2. Soumana now has eight children, and his wives, Pama Kondo (28) and Fatouma Niangani Toure (26), will likely have more.
3. Mali's infant mortality rate ranks among the ten highest in the world.
4. Not all of their belongings are shown in the photo, which only less than 10 items are visible.
5. Their other belongings are a mortar and pestle for pounding grain, two wooden mattress platforms, 30 mango trees, and old radio batteries that the children use as toys.

Japan: The Ukita Family
1. Like many Japanese women, 43-year-old Sayo Ukita had children relatively late in life.
2. Sayo is supremely well-organized, which helps her manage the busy schedules of her children.
3. Maintains a 1,421-square-foot Tokyo home.
4. She and her husband Kazuo, 45, have all the electronic and gas-powered conveniences of modern life.
5. Their most cherished possessions are a ring and heirloom pottery.

United States: The Skeen Family
1. Rick and Pattie Skeen's 1,600-square-foot house lies on a cul-de-sac in Pearland, Texas.
2. Rick, 36, splices cables for a phone company.
3. Pattie, 34, teaches school at a Christian academy.
4. To get the picture, photographers hoisted the family up in a cherry picker.
5. Though rich with possessions, nothing is as important to the Skeens as their Bible.

B. Write a brief essay concerning their similarities and differences concerning their material possessions and what conclusions you can draw from each. Think of the following questions: What factors influence the inequalities in each story? How do these inequalities affect their lives? What factors can change these material inequalities? How do their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities?

Each of the pictures show a decent size family, some have more children than others. As I went along, I saw the families lessen with children and increase with possessions. The Natomo family in Africa have a handful of children but can't really say the same for their belongings. The Ukita family seem satisfied in Japan and have just enough things to get by. With the Skeen family, the photographer didn't have enough room to put all their belongings in like the other two families, but there was a numerous amount that was left out, unlike the others. To each family, their most prized possession influences them all. The inequalities affect how they live daily. The family in Africa can't do the same things as the American family because there is such a range from their personal belongings. What the American family is using batteries for is the complete opposite of what the African family is. I'm sure if these two families were to switch lives, they wouldn't know where to begin. These families possessions shape their day to day lives. Their possessions do not make them who they are as a person or a family, but does reflect how they choose to live.

KaylaG10 · Member

Comparing 3 families idea

First the Wu family currently presented in China

My obersevations are

1.They have many children

2.Their house is very small and acquaint

3.The most prized possession is their television

4.100 Mandarin trees, vegetable patch, and three

pigs they have that supply them wit food

5. They get all their news from two radios inside their home.

Second the Ukita family currently presented in Japan

My obersevations are

1.They are extremely well organized

2.Their house is very small

3.House packed with stuff as well as their daughters and dog

4.Many toys for children (keep entertained)

5.Future wish- a larger house

Third and last the Natomo family currently presented in Mali

My obersevations are

1. Their house is very bare

2. Not the same amount of furniture as the other houses

3. Have many children

4. Pots and pan are basically all of what they have

5. Houses built with cement

My Brief Essay:

The similarities between the 3 families I picked are they all have many

children. All houses are very small, two of the houses are packed with many

items. Some differences is that the Wu family has food grown around in

which they could or do use to keep food in their stomachs.

The Ukita family keeps their items organized so that the have

Place for everything. The Natomo family their house is very bare in which

Their house contains very little items. They affect their lives by having little

Or no space for stuff which starts a crowd and is hard to live in such a packed

Environment., or having nothing and needing a lot. They have many thing that

Reflect their cultural identities for the Wu family it is their house they texture of

The house shows Chinese within them. For the Ukita family its their way of

Sitting at the table the way they enjoy dinner is the way of showing japenese.

The Natomo family its their clothing that shows who they are the way they

Dress expresses their culture the Mali world.

sarahsnw · Veteran Member

A. OBSERVATIONS -In the Natomo family from Mali, I had observed a many things. The first thing that had caught my attention was the fact that men had more than one wife. There is more woman than men in Mali. There possessions include a lot of pottery, which were their daily tools. There is a bicycle in the background, probably belonging to the eight children living there. Something interesting is that the children also have old batteries from a radio and use them as toys.

-I observed more about the Skeen family in the United States. I observe a lot of sentimental possessions. For example, the fire-hydrant was representing when the father had been a firefighter. Their furniture is simple, as a loving family would have. The mother holds their bible with pride for her religion. There is a whole wall full of family photos, showing that they are very close and loving. Lastly, their pet dog is outside as well. Animals always make a house livelier.

-The Wu family in China was the largest family I observed, having nine members. There close relatives all live in the house, including daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. These eight people live in a three bedroom house with one small television. Its their only way of finding out about the world, seeing as they have no phone. There favorite possession seems to be their TV, as its in the middle of them in the boat. They also have a lot of pots and art, to represent their culture. Their landscape is more than beautiful, that they get to wake up every morning to the mountain range.

B. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES There are many similarities and differences in the lifestyles of these three people. All of the families are together, and love each other. They all are proud of their possessions and you can see that in their faces. They all have very strong attachments, from the family in the U.S. with their bible to the family in China with their television. There are many differences between these three families though. We go from the country of West Africa, with their building made out of mud and sand, to the comforting home of the family in the United States. The Natomo children have very little to keep themselves entertained. They have some pots and batteries to play with. The children in the Skeen family have much, much more. They have a piano, a television, books, pets, and more. It gives these children more of a knowledgeable childhood with more to play with. They have vehicles and paved roads to drive on unlike the Natomo family. The Wu family seems to live simply. They have one main prized possession, which is their television. Unlike the family in the U.S., they have no way of communicating with people beyond their household. They have no phone, making it difficult to keep in touch with people. Their TV is the only possession they have that keeps them connected to todays world. Their gardens are also important to them. Thats how they keep food on their table. Also their family is huge, having eight members. This makes living harder, in such a small area. The family in Mali also has seven members, along with two wives. Its clear that families in different countries are living different lifestyles. Some have more possession than others, but they all seem perfectly content with what they have. These families all have each other, but have different definitions for the word home.

-- Edited by sarahsnw at 17:14, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by sarahsnw at 17:14, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by sarahsnw at 17:14, 2008-11-13

Cassy23 · Member

Highlighted Observations

India: The Yadev Family;

~ Mashrea Yadev at age 25 already has four children. She had her oldest child at 17.

~ She was to draw water from a well so that her children can bathe.

~ She cooks meals over a wood fire, in a windowless kitchen that is six-by-nine-feet.

~ Her husband works 56 hours a week, that is when he can find work.

~ The possessions that they own includes two beds, three bags of rice, a broken bicycle, and a print of Hindu gods, which it is their most cherished belonging.

China: The Wu Family

~ The Wu family has nine members---father Wu Ba Jiu, mother Guo Yu Xian, their sons, daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren

~ They live in a three bedroom house that is 600-square-feet

~ They have no telephones and they have two radios to get news

~ They have 100 mandarin trees, vegetable patch, and three pigs. They also have, which is their most prized possession, is a television

~ The family wishes to have a 30-inch screen television with a VCR. Also a refrigerator, and drugs to combat diseases in the carp they raise in their ponds.

United States: The Skeen Family

~ Rick and Pattie Skeen lives in a 1,600-squear-foot house that lies on a cul-de-sac

~ Rick use to work as a firefighter but now he splices cables for a phone company.

~ Pattie teaches school at a Christian academy.

~ The family possess a refrigertor freezer, camcorder, woodworking tools, computer, glass butterfly collection, trampoline, fishing equipment, and rifles; which Rick uses for deer hunting

~ Even though the family has many rick possessions, the most important is their Bible. They believe that it is spiritual-rather than material-life that matters most.

Essay

The three families are all different in what they possess. One family has more than the other, but each family all had at least one most prized possession that they cannot be without. For the Yadev Family, their prized possession was their print of Hindu gods. The Wu Family, it was their television, and in the United States, the Skeen Family, their prized possession was their Bible. It seemed like the Skeen Family had the most possessions, unlike the Yadev Family and the Wu Family. The more possessions a family has, means that they are able to afford them and is higher in rank on the social ladder.

sarahsnw · Veteran Member

To kathlynxo:

I agree with you on the subject of their possessions and children. The families either had seven or eight children and very little possessions, or two or three children with more possessions than needed.

vreyes09 · Member

A Material World Family 1: The Wu Family in China1.) Had 9 members living in their home.2.) They have a 3 bedroom house.3.) Their two sons and their wives and children live in the house.4.) Amongst all of their possessions is a T.V. that they cherish.5.) They want to be able to afford drugs that will help fight diseases in the carp they raise in their pond.

Family 2: The Yadev Family in India1.) Mashre and her husband Bachau have 4 children. 2.) She gets water from a well so that her children can wash up.3.) She cooks food in a windowless kitchen over a wood fire.4.) Her husband works about 56 hours a week when he can find work 5.) They do not own many things but their most cherished possession is pictures of Hindu gods.

Family 3: The Natomo Family in Mali1.) Soumana is 39 and has two wives and 8 children.2.) His two wives are expected to have more children.3.) Not all of his possessions are shown in the photo.4.) His home seems to be a pretty good size. 5.) His family owns a large number of pots and cooking utensils

Each family has their differences. For instance they all live in different parts of the world. The amounts of things they own are all different along with the sizes of their homes. The sizes of their families also seem to vary. However they all seem to have similar values. For example their families are important to them also their religion has a big part in their lives. They have pictures of religious characters in their homes that show this.

devoncarter · Member

The 3 familes i chose were the Soumana Natamo Family from Mali, the Ukita Family from japan, and the Lagavale Family from Somoa. Each was asked to take everything they own out of their houses. All three familes differed in what they had. The Soumana Natamo family didnt have much of anything. The only things they brought out were there pots and pans. The Lagavale family brought their chairs and there livestock which included two cows and two goats and from what i can see possibly a cat. The third family, Ukita, stood out to me the most. They were clearly consumer buyers. Their belongings ranged from washer machines and clothes to pianos and televisions. Its amazing how different your way of life is depending on your location.

Soumana Natamo Family, Mali
1. House is made of clay
2. the sticks attached to the house in a crisscross manner could be used for possibly drying clothes or a decoration for their outside "deck".
3. Pots - there might be so many pots to gather water
4. Its interesting that they have a bicycle, its probably used just for transportation and not for fun activities like in America
5. Seems that 12 people are living in the house

Ukita Family, Japan
1. Mother, father, and 2 daughters.
2. They have many clothes
3. New electronic devices (washer machine, television, piano)
4. Live more modern lifestyle, they actually have electricity
5. Alot of items, little space.

Lagavale Family, Samoa
1. 9 people living in 1 tiny house
2.tropical environment, good for crops
3. livestock for food, and milk
4. I wonder what the blanket made of straw could be used for
5. they have beds with vails around them, probably to keep the bugs away

-- Edited by devoncarter at 17:34, 2008-11-13

dominik722 · Member

Family comparison

First the Ukita family

They have a lot of possessions but no space
They have 2 kids
They have all modern conveniences
They wish 4 a larger house
They live an average life

Second family

The Wu family

they live with 9 members in a 3 bedroom apartment
they hear about news threw radio n a small T.V they own
they want medicine 4 the carp they catch
they own 100 mandarin trees
it seems like the river or pond is there livelihood

Third family

The Yadev family

there most prized possession is a print of there gods
their home is very small and has no windows
the coutrys population is 1 billion
Bachau, 32, works roughly 56 hours a week, when he can find work
In rough times, family members have gone more than two weeks with little food

-- Edited by dominik722 at 16:00, 2008-11-14

jessicalol · Veteran Member

mre wrote:

Sources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722, http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf

Background: The purpose of examining economic stories and statistics is to ask questions about our ethical choices as a culture, both as a whole and on an individual level. Paul Menzel, in his book Material World: A Global Family Portrait has also asked these questions. As a photojournalist, he travelled around the world talking to families in dozens of countries. In each case, he asked the families to gather their material possessions (what they owned) in front of their homes for a portrait. He then compiled their photos together, along with other facts and photos about their lives, into a book.

Assignment:

1.       Read the article on Material World: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722

2.       Using the website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html) and (http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf) and the book (shared throughout the class) compare three families from different countries.

A.      Specifically, highlight 5 observations concerning their stories, facts and possessions for each family (15 total).

B.      Write a brief essay concerning their similarities and differences concerning their material possessions and what conclusions you can draw from each. Think of the following questions: What factors influence the inequalities in each story? How do these inequalities affect their lives? What factors can change these material inequalities? How do their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities?

C.      Feel free (if you have extra time) to examine the NOVA site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/) where Menzels work was used.

Evaluation: You will be awarded 45 points for the 15 observations. You will be given 45 points for your essay on similarities and differences and the conclusions drawn from it. You will also be given 5 points for a comment or question to another student and 5 points for a response to another students post.

-- Edited by mre at 15:21, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by mre at 15:23, 2008-11-13

1.)The Wu's have nine memebers to their family.

      2.) They have no telephone but they still get news and images of a wider world through two radios and the family's most prized possession, a television.
      3.)In the future they hope to get one with a 30-inch screen as well as a VCR, a refrigerator, and drugs to combat diseases in the carp they raise in their ponds. Not included in the photo are their 100 mandarin trees, vegetable patch, and three pigs.
      4.)At age 25, Mashre Yadev is already mother to four children, the oldest of whom was born when she was 17.
      5.)Each morning at their home in rural Uttar Pradesh, she draws water from a well so that her older children can wash before school. She cooks over a wood fire in a windowless, six-by-nine-foot kitchen, and such labor-intensive domestic work keeps her busy from dawn to dusk.
    6.)Everything they ownincluding two beds, three bags of rice, a broken bicycle, and their most cherished belonging, a print of Hindu godsappears in this photograph.
    7.)Like many Japanese women, 43-year-old Sayo Ukita had children relatively late in life.
    8.)Her youngest daughter is now in kindergarten, not yet burdened by the pressures of exams and Saturday "cram school" that face her nine-year-old sister.
    9.) The family's wish for the future: a larger house with more storage space.
  10.)It is not unusual in this West African country for men to have two wives, as 39-year-old Soumana Natomo does.
  11.)It is not unusual in this West African country for men to have two wives, as 39-year-old Soumana Natomo does.
  12.) More wives mean more progenyand a greater chance you will be supported in old age. Soumana now has eight children, and his wives, Pama Kondo and Fatouma Niangani Toure, will likely have more.
  13.)Rick and Pattie Skeen's 1,600-square-foot house lies on a cul-de-sac in Pearland, Texas, a suburb of Houston. The fire hydrant in this photo is real, but not workinga souvenir from Rick's days as a firefighter.
14.) For this devoutly Baptist family, like many families around the world, it is a spiritualrather than materiallife that matters most.
  15.)Though rich with possessions, nothing is as important to the Skeens as their Bible.

D.crosson · Member

A.1. The wu family from china is a big family in a little house.2. They have no telephone.3. They have 2 radios for news and information4. There most prized possession is a TV5. And they also have 100 mandarin trees vegi. Patch and three pigs.

1. The yadev family from India is a young family whos mother is 25 and has 4 children.2. They have to draw water from a well in order to shower in the morning.3. They only have two beds for 6 people.4. They have in there picture 2 bags of rice a broken bicycle.5. There most prized possession is a plate with the print of there hindu gods.

1. The ukita family from Japan are fortunate enough to have a 1,420 ft. house.2. The kids have and abundance of toys and cloths.3. They have all the modern electronics and gas powered convinces of life.4. There most cherished possession are there gold ring and heirloom pottery.

B.The wu family and the yadev family dont have as much as the ukita family or are ther less fortunate. There ways are life in the yadev are based off there income wich is little because work is scarce for there father and when he does have work its like 56 hours a month. The wu familys income is based off how much manderine trees and vegitables they sell.and the ukita family has more opritunity than them and there fore have more valubles.

svizzy09 · Member

The Wu Family
·       Nine member family living in China.
·       No telephone
·       Get there news from their two radios.
·       Most prized possession is a TV.
·       They have 100 mandarin trees, vegetable patch, and 3 pigs.

The Ukita Family
·       Four member family living in Japan.
·       Have a big home crammed with appliances and other needs.
·       Have all electronic and gas powered conveniences of modern life.
·       Most cherished possessions are a ring and heirloom pottery.
·       They wish to have a larger house one day.

The Skeen Family
·       Family of four living in the USA.
·       Have many things that some are not included in picture.
·       Most prized possession is the Bible.
·       The value life more then their possessions.

· They live in a good sized home in the suburbs.

essay:

All the pictures show the families and their possessions and you can tell that one has more then the other. All three have decent size families and they all look happy even in the situation they are in. The family in China has a good size home and they live rite near the water so they can get food from that. The family in Japan has a really nice house and has a lot of possessions and they look very successful. The family in USA has a big house also and have so many possessions that they couldnt fit in the picture. The differences between them are the location for one the type of possessions they have because different possessions mean different things to people. There possessions shape their identities in a major way because its the things that represent them.

-- Edited by svizzy09 at 17:32, 2008-11-13

Tay'le · Member

1. The countries im comparing are Kuwait, Mali, and Japan.
The Sounama Natamo Family is from Mali. The five possesions I observed from the picture of the family were bowls,eating utensils ,and buckets. In the picture i seen that the family washed they're clothes in some of these buckets and hung them on sticks at their home to dry the clothes. The five possessions I observed from the Abdulla family in Kuwait were they're four cars, many furniture peices of all sizes,beds,and other really nice looking things. When observing the Ukita family from Japan the five things i observed were the washer and dryer ,piano, lots of clothes, lots of shoes,and a computer.
The three countries are very different from each other ecause n t Mali's possesions were way less than the others for example the Abdulla family has four cars while neither Japan nor Mali has a car, also unlike the Mali family who washes theyrre clothes in buckets and dries them by hanging hem on sticks The Ukita family has both a washer and dryer.

claydir · Member

Mali: The Natomo Family 1:mortar and pestle for pounding grain2:wooden mattress platforms 3:A bicycle 4:Pots made from clay5:Tools

United States: The Skeen Family 1:computer 2:rifles 3:cars 4:Table and chairs 5:tv

China: The Wu Family 1:Radios 2:canu 3:Pottery 4:Television 5:Pigs

The Natomo family the husband has 2 wives and 8 Children. The Natomo family has a house which looks like clay, most of their possessions are pottery, and baskets that look made from dried hay. One of the wives preparing corn for the family. The family has 30 mango trees which is not shown in the picture. All though the family does not have much to show the one thing that means more then anything to them is their family. The family in Mali has to work hard for what little they got because not a lot of people in their country sell and buy items, in order to get what they got they have to make them mostly by hand and their most likely with no help, other then the family. Because of what they go through makes them a hard working people who appreciate what they got and not take anything for granted. The American family Skeen has a well house with a garage on the side. The husband, who worked for as a firefighter, now works for a phone company, and the mother works as a teacher at a Christian academy. The Skeen family has a lot of item which they can buy at a store, and not have to make them like the Natomo family. With all the items they have nothing is more important to the skeens family then their bible. They believe that it is a spiritualrather than materiallife that matters most.
The Wus family, has a family of 9, which they live in a 600 square foot. They have no telephone, and they get most of their news from the radio hey have in their possession, and they also have a small television. The wus family has high hope for the future. In the future they wish they could get a 30-inch screen as well as a VCR, a refrigerator, and drugs to combat diseases in the carp they raise in their ponds. The Wus family has 30 mango trees, and three pigs which they could grow to eat or sell

-- Edited by claydir at 17:35, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by claydir at 16:06, 2008-11-14

AltonH · Member

mre wrote:

Sources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722, http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf

Background: The purpose of examining economic stories and statistics is to ask questions about our ethical choices as a culture, both as a whole and on an individual level. Paul Menzel, in his book Material World: A Global Family Portrait has also asked these questions. As a photojournalist, he travelled around the world talking to families in dozens of countries. In each case, he asked the families to gather their material possessions (what they owned) in front of their homes for a portrait. He then compiled their photos together, along with other facts and photos about their lives, into a book.

Assignment:

1.       Read the article on Material World: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722

2.       Using the website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html) and (http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf) and the book (shared throughout the class) compare three families from different countries.

A.      Specifically, highlight 5 observations concerning their stories, facts and possessions for each family (15 total).

B.      Write a brief essay concerning their similarities and differences concerning their material possessions and what conclusions you can draw from each. Think of the following questions: What factors influence the inequalities in each story? How do these inequalities affect their lives? What factors can change these material inequalities? How do their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities?

C.      Feel free (if you have extra time) to examine the NOVA site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/) where Menzels work was used.

Evaluation: You will be awarded 45 points for the 15 observations. You will be given 45 points for your essay on similarities and differences and the conclusions drawn from it. You will also be given 5 points for a comment or question to another student and 5 points for a response to another students post.

-- Edited by mre at 15:21, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by mre at 15:23, 2008-11-13

U.S Skeen family
1Rick and Pattie Skeen's 1,600-square-foot house lies on a culdesac in Pearland, Texas, a suburb of Houston.2Rick, 36, now splices cables for a phone company. 4Pattie, 34, teaches school at a Christian academy.3Though rich with possessions, nothing is as important to the Skeens as their Bible.5For this devoutly Baptist family, like many families around the world, it is a spiritualrather than materiallife that matters most.

Japan:ukita family
143-year-old Sayo Ukita had children relatively late in life.2Her youngest daughter is now in kindergarten, not yet burdened by the pressures of exams and Saturday "cram school" that face her nine-year-old sister.3Sayo is supremely well-organized, which helps her manage the busy schedules of her children and maintain order in their 1,421-square-foot Tokyo home stuffed with clothes, appliances, and an abundance of toys for both her daughters and dog.4She and her husband Kazuo, 45, have all the electronic and gas-powered conveniences of modern life, but their most cherished possessions are a ring and heirloom pottery.5The family's wish for the future: a larger house with more storage space.

Mali:Natomo family
1It is not unusual in this West African country for men to have two wives, as 39-year-old Soumana Natomo does.2More wives mean more progenyand a greater chance you will be supported in old age.3Soumana now has eight children, and his wives, Pama Kondo (28) and Fatouma Niangani Toure (26), will likely have more.4How many of these children will survive, though, is uncertain: Mali's infant mortality rate ranks among the ten highest in the world.5Some of the family's possessions are not included in this photoanother mortar and pestle for pounding grain, two wooden mattress platforms, 30 mango trees, and old radio batteries that the children use as toys.

B.there no simliarities in materials between becouse there all differnt cultures the matreialistic are no the same in each other eyes differnt is that the u.s family had the most in material thing then the mali family.even though there differnt they still work hard for anything and have beliefs

acevedo123 · Member

A. Specifically, highlight 5 observations concerning their stories, facts and possessions for each family (15 total).

Mali: The Natomo Family
1. Soumana Natomo is 39 and has 2 wives.
2. Soumana now has eight children, and his wives, Pama Kondo (28) and Fatouma Niangani Toure (26), will likely have more.
3. Mali's infant mortality rate ranks among the ten highest in the world.
4. Not all of their belongings are shown in the photo, which only less than 10 items are visible.
5. Their other belongings are a mortar and pestle for pounding grain, two wooden mattress platforms, 30 mango trees, and old radio batteries that the children use as toys.

Japan: The Ukita Family
1. Like many Japanese women, 43-year-old Sayo Ukita had children relatively late in life.
2. Sayo is supremely well-organized, which helps her manage the busy schedules of her children.
3. Maintains a 1,421-square-foot Tokyo home.
4. She and her husband Kazuo, 45, have all the electronic and gas-powered conveniences of modern life.
5. Their most cherished possessions are a ring and heirloom pottery.

United States: The Skeen Family
1. Rick and Pattie Skeen's 1,600-square-foot house lies on a cul-de-sac in Pearland, Texas.
2. Rick, 36, splices cables for a phone company.
3. Pattie, 34, teaches school at a Christian academy.
4. To get the picture, photographers hoisted the family up in a cherry picker.
5. Though rich with possessions, nothing is as important to the Skeens as their Bible.

B. Write a brief essay concerning their similarities and differences concerning their material possessions and what conclusions you can draw from each. Think of the following questions: What factors influence the inequalities in each story? How do these inequalities affect their lives? What factors can change these material inequalities? How do their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities?

Each of the pictures show a decent size family, some have more children than others. As I went along, I saw the families lessen with children and increase with possessions. The Natomo family in Africa have a handful of children but can't really say the same for their belongings. The Ukita family seem satisfied in Japan and have just enough things to get by. With the Skeen family, the photographer didn't have enough room to put all their belongings in like the other two families, but there was a numerous amount that was left out, unlike the others. To each family, their most prized possession influences them all. The inequalities affect how they live daily. The family in Africa can't do the same things as the American family because there is such a range from their personal belongings. What the American family is using batteries for is the complete opposite of what the African family is. I'm sure if these two families were to switch lives, they wouldn't know where to begin. These families possessions shape their day to day lives. Their possessions do not make them who they are as a person or a family, but does reflect how they choose to live.

-- Edited by acevedo123 at 17:39, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by acevedo123 at 17:11, 2008-11-14

elwilliams · Member

Part A:

China: The Wu Family
1. There are nine members of this extended family.
2. The nine members of the family all live in a three bedroom house.
3. They live in a 600 ft dwelling.
4. Their most prized possession is their television.
5. In the future they hope to get a 30 inch tv, a vcr, a refrigerator, and drugs to protect their carp from diseases.

India: The Yadev Family
1. At the young age of 25 Mashre Yadev already had four children.
2. She gave birth to the eldest child at 17 years old.
3. They have a six-by-nine foot kitchen.
4. Mashre's husband, Bachau, works about 54 hours a week.
5. All they own is two beds, three bags of rice, a broken bike, and their most prized possession a picture of Hindu gods.

Japan: The Ukita Family
1. Sayo Ukita, like many Japanese women, had children relatively late in her life.
2. Her youngest child is in kindergarten.
3. Sayo is very well-organized which helps her maintain the house and manage the busy schedules her children have.
4. Their most cherished possessions are a ring and heirloom pottery.
5. In the future they hope to get a bigger house with more storage space.

Part B:

The families I chose all have quite a few family members. Each family looks and seems like they are hard workers, and work for the things they want. Each family wants something different in the future.

fahimmulti · Veteran Member

Assignment:

1.       Read the article on Material World: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722

2.       Using the website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html) and (http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf) and the book (shared throughout the class) compare three families from different countries.

A.      Specifically, highlight 5 observations concerning their stories, facts and possessions for each family (15 total).

B.      Write a brief essay concerning their similarities and differences concerning their material possessions and what conclusions you can draw from each. Think of the following questions: What factors influence the inequalities in each story? How do these inequalities affect their lives? What factors can change these material inequalities? How do their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities?

C.      Feel free (if you have extra time) to examine the NOVA site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/) where Menzels work was used.

Evaluation: You will be awarded 45 points for the 15 observations. You will be given 45 points for your essay on similarities and differences and the conclusions drawn from it. You will also be given 5 points for a comment or question to another student and 5 points for a response to another students post.

The Observation

A.
the wu family:
1. they live in a three-bedroom, 600-square-foot dwelling in rural Yunnan Province.
2.While they have no telephone, they get news and images of a wider world through two radios and the family's most prized possession, a television.
3.In the future, they hope to get one with a 30-inch screen as well as a VCR, a refrigerator, and drugs to combat diseases in the carp they raise in their ponds.
4. The nine members of this extended familyfather Wu Ba Jiu (59), mother Guo Yu Xian (57), their sons, daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren
5. they have a 100 mandarin trees, vegetable patch, and three pigs.

the yadez family
1. At age 25, Mashre Yadev is already mother to four children, the oldest of whom was born when she was 17.
2. she draws water from a well so that her older children can wash before school.
3.she cooks over a wood fire in a windowless, six-by-nine-foot kitchen, and such labor-intensive domestic work keeps her busy from dawn to dusk.
4.Her husband Bachau, 32, works roughly 56 hours a week, when he can find work. In rough times, family members have gone more than two weeks with little food.
5. Everything they ownincluding two beds, three bags of rice, a broken bicycle, and their most cherished belonging, a print of Hindu godsappears in this photograph.

the ukita family
1.43-year-old Sayo Ukita had children relatively late in life.
2. Her youngest daughter is now in kindergarten, not yet burdened by the pressures of exams and Saturday "cram school" that face her nine-year-old sister.
3.Sayo is supremely well-organized, which helps her manage the busy schedules of her children and maintain order in their 1,421-square-foot Tokyo home stuffed with clothes, appliances, and an abundance of toys for both her daughters and dog.
4.She and her husband Kazuo, 45, have all the electronic and gas-powered conveniences of modern life, but their most cherished possessions are a ring and heirloom pottery.
5.The family's wish for the future: a larger house with more storage space.

B. Essay

a lot of similarities and conclusions can be drawn from the stories of these three families. similarities are things such that they all are in need of some money, better housing, life and etc. but they all have differences too, such as the chinese family if more family orientated and an average family, not too rich or poor. the japanese family can range as a upperclass family because they have a lot of things that are new and useful as opposed to the indian family who barely have anything in the first place and are in need of better " everything". they need the most help because they have almost nothing besides a couple of pots and pans. the conclusion that can be drawn from this is that an average japanese family are living a good life, a chinese family is living a average life, and that a indian family is living a life in poverty.

Question: to AltonH
just because people are from different cultures, does that really mean that they dont have any similarites?

IndiaRussell09 · Member

Assignment A
China: The Wu Family
1.There are 9 members in their family.
2.The mother is 57 and the father is 59.
3.They have no telephone so their main source of media is through the radio.
4.Their most priced possesion is a television.
5. They all live in a 3 bedroom home.

Japan: The Ukita Family
1.Like many other women in Japan the wife in this family had children relatively late in life.
2.At the age of 43 her youngest is in kindergarten.
3.She lives in a 1,421 sq ft home.
4. They have many clothes.
5.Their home is very modern in the way that everything is electric and gas-powered.

Mali: The Natomo Family
1.The male in this family has 2 wives.
2.He has 8 children.
3. Infant mortality is the 10th highest in the world.
4.Their belongings showen in the photo are of a very small amount.
5.They own under 10 things. not all showen in the photo

Assignment B: The families i have chosen are very different in the way that their possesions vary. Out of the three I selected the family from Japan was the most fortunate. Another difference is the beliefs carried out by each family on the subject multiple spouse marriages. Some ways that they are all similar is that they all have children and are all married. Another similarity shared specifical bewteen the family from Mali and the family from Japan was that the things they found to be the most priced possession were things that the family from Japan already had.

-- Edited by IndiaRussell09 at 16:16, 2008-11-14

jessicalol · Veteran Member

mre wrote:

Sources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722, http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf

Background: The purpose of examining economic stories and statistics is to ask questions about our ethical choices as a culture, both as a whole and on an individual level. Paul Menzel, in his book Material World: A Global Family Portrait has also asked these questions. As a photojournalist, he travelled around the world talking to families in dozens of countries. In each case, he asked the families to gather their material possessions (what they owned) in front of their homes for a portrait. He then compiled their photos together, along with other facts and photos about their lives, into a book.

Assignment:

1.       Read the article on Material World: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is_n2_v32/ai_17369722

2.       Using the website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/material.html) and (http://www.catalog.socialstudies.com/pdf/ZP219Psample.pdf) and the book (shared throughout the class) compare three families from different countries.

A.      Specifically, highlight 5 observations concerning their stories, facts and possessions for each family (15 total).

B.      Write a brief essay concerning their similarities and differences concerning their material possessions and what conclusions you can draw from each. Think of the following questions: What factors influence the inequalities in each story? How do these inequalities affect their lives? What factors can change these material inequalities? How do their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities?

C.      Feel free (if you have extra time) to examine the NOVA site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/) where Menzels work was used.

Evaluation: You will be awarded 45 points for the 15 observations. You will be given 45 points for your essay on similarities and differences and the conclusions drawn from it. You will also be given 5 points for a comment or question to another student and 5 points for a response to another students post.

-- Edited by mre at 15:21, 2008-11-13

-- Edited by mre at 15:23, 2008-11-13

Brief Essay:

The similarities between the 3 families I picked are they all have many

children. All houses are very small, two of the houses are packed with many

items. Some differences is that the Wu family has food grown around in

which they could or do use to keep food in their stomachs.

The Ukita family keeps their items organized so that the have

Place for everything. The Natomo family their house is very bare in which

Their house contains very little items. They affect their lives by having little

Or no space for stuff which starts a crowd and is hard to live in such a packed

Environment., or having nothing and needing a lot. They have many thing that

Reflect their cultural identities for the Wu family it is their house they texture of

The house shows Chinese within them. For the Ukita family its their way of

Sitting at the table the way they enjoy dinner is the way of showing japenese.

The Natomo family its their clothing that shows who they are the way they dress.

Tay'le · Member

1. The countries im comparing are Kuwait, Mali, and Japan.
The Sounama Natamo Family is from Mali. The five possesions I observed from the picture of the family were bowls,eating utensils ,and buckets. In the picture i seen that the family washed they're clothes in some of these buckets and hung them on sticks at their home to dry the clothes. The five possessions I observed from the Abdulla family in Kuwait were they're four cars, many furniture pieces of all sizes, beds, and other really nice looking things. When observing the Ukita family from Japan the five things i observed were the washer and dryer ,piano, lots of clothes, lots of shoes, and their van.
The three countries are very different from each other because Mali's possessions were way less than the others for example the Abdulla family has four cars,and the Ukita family has one car while Mali has no car, also unlike the Mali family who washes they're clothes in buckets and dries them by hanging them on sticks. The Ukita family has both a washer and dryer.Also the Ukita and the Natamo family both have children with them outside there homes. Its obvious that the Mali family is less fortunate then the rest. I say this because they dont have cars, furniture etc. They barely have what they need for survival if not what they need for survival. You can tell the other families are more fortunate because they live in actual homes where it looks as if they have pipes for running water. Unlike the Mali family who has to go to a body of water and get what they need for things. In addition unlike the other families the Mali family has no beds. In addition another difference is in the Mali picture the transportation for them is a bike but Kuwait has four cars and Japan a van.

Mali is a country with rare electricity, cars, and paved streets.

Where the inhabitants deserve more then they get. The Mali family shares their dinner from one bowl and they eat with their hands , One of the wives in the family walks to a well to get water for bathing. They dont have actual tubs. In addition the house is made of Adobe. They have 1 radio, no telephone, and no automobiles. These inequalities affect their lives because they dont have much and they are living in poverty. Also the things they wish for like a motorcycle ,and an enclosed garden are minor things and even though they dont have enough barely to live they ask for such small wishes.

Japan has more then needed. They have scheduled days for what they do. They have a car and they all have jobs while the children have activities to go to and can do a lot of fun things . They eat healthy good meals and are able to eat at a table nin a real home thats big. Their wishe are unlikie the Mali family they wish for a bigger home and a second apaprtment for rental income. This family is fortunate and they are living a great average life. Also the Ukrita family children have a lot of clothes and shoes.

Kuwaits standard of living is upscale. They have more than what is needed. For example they have four cars. Also they have two servants that make up the meals of the day. Kuwaits Petrolium supply has made them a very wealthy country. The Kuwait family wishes for a fishing boat, and More income for leisure times and vacations. The family goes shopping and their very busy. .

xotorixo · Member

    The Ukita Family in Japan

1. Has a mother, a father, and 2 daughters
2. Have a lot of clothes and shoes
3. Have a lot of new electronics like tv's, radios, and music instruments
4. The father works very hard and the mother stays at home and watches and takes care of the kids, cooks and cleans the house.
5. They also would like for the future to have a larger house and more storage room for all there stuff.

    The Hatomo Family in Mali

1. The father has 2 wifes and 8 children
2. They only own 10 items in there household
3. They are very poor and live in little cement houses
4. Most of the people have to share there food and its only a little.
5. They dont have any bathrooms to wash up with so they use the dirty water and a bucket.

    The Yadev Family in India

1. The wife in the family was only 25yrs old and had already 4 children.
2. Her husband works 54 hrs a week and she stays at home with the children and cleans the house.
3.

mre · Senior Member

Grades Updated 11-16-08

mitchelltetreault · Member

Wu Family: China

Wu family has several young children

Television is their most important accessory.

They have a farm-like setup which enables them to get food.

They also have radios which enable them to get information other than the television.

Their home is rather tiny and appears to small for the family.

Ukita Family: Japan

Ukita family has two young daughters.

There house is small, but appears suitable for the family.

Their valuables were set up very neat which indicates they keep a tidy household.

There are tons of toys and games to keep the daughters busy.

Ukita family owns a dog who stays with them at their house.

Natamo Family: Mali

The Natamo house is made up entirely of clay.

The sticks attached to the clay are used to dry clothes.

Several pots owned by the family are used to get water.

Bicycle is one of the most surprising valuable.

Very large family.

Different families in different parts of the world obviously cherish different materials, but it is surprising that some of these families differ so much. The conditions the Natamo family deal with on a daily basis would be unbearable for me to live in. It appears to me that the more children in a household the less extra items you have. Obviously every family has the essentials needed to survive, but the smaller families have the extras like pets, toys, and abundance of clothes.

patriciaaaaxo · Veteran Member

A. India: Yadev Family

1. Mashre Yadev is 25 years old with four children.

2. She draws water from a well everyday so her children can wash before they go to school.

3. The population in India is 1.0 billion.

4. In the photograph there are their valuable items, not much but enough.

5. The following items are: pictures, pans, a bed, stuffed brown bags, a bicycle and rugs.

Japan: Ukita Family

1. Forty-three year old Sayo Ukita had children late in life.

2. Sayo is very organized and manages the busy schedules of her children in their 1,421 sq. ft. home stuffed with clothe and appliances.

3. Their most cherished possessions are: ring and heirloom pottery.

4. In the future the families wish for a larger house with much more storage space.

5. The total fertility rate is 1.3 children per women.

China: Wu Family

1. Nine members in the family, father Wu Ba Jiu (59 years old) and mother, Guo Yu Xian (57 years old).

2. Their sons, daughter-in-laws and 3 grandchildren line in a 3 bedroom house.

3. Their most prized possessions are their TV and two radios.

4. In the future they hope to have a refrigerator and VCR with a 30 in. screen.

5. 46 million people in China are Internet users.

B.
Different families around the world cherish different things. But it's shocking on how they seem to differ so much. The conditions that the Ukita family live in make me realize to be grateful for the life i have. All families have less items than I do and they seem to be happy with what they have. Each family needs major things in their lives to survive. Although they all carry along something a little extra such as: toys, TV's and bicycles.

xotorixo · Member

xotorixo wrote:

    The Ukita Family in Japan

1. Has a mother, a father, and 2 daughters
2. Have a lot of clothes and shoes
3. Have a lot of new electronics like tv's, radios, and music instruments
4. The father works very hard and the mother stays at home and watches and takes care of the kids, cooks and cleans the house.
5. They also would like for the future to have a larger house and more storage room for all there stuff.

    The Hatomo Family in Mali

1. The father has 2 wifes and 8 children
2. They only own 10 items in there household
3. They are very poor and live in little cement houses
4. Most of the people have to share there food and its only a little.
5. They dont have any bathrooms to wash up with so they use the dirty water and a bucket.

    The Yadev Family in India

1. The wife in the family was only 25yrs old and had already 4 children.
2. Her husband works 54 hrs a week and she stays at home with the children and cleans the house.
3. She cooks over a wood fire in a windowles, six by nine foot kitchen, and such labor intensive domestic works keeps her busy from dawn to dusk.
4. Her husband Bachau, 32, works roughly 56 hrs a week, when he can find work. In rough times family members have gone more than two weeks with little food.
5. Everything they own including two beds, three bags of rice, a broken bicycle, and their most cherished belonging, a print of Hindu godsappears in this photograph.

Each family has their similaraties such as each family having alot of family members in each household, having small houses, and having to work very hard but get very little for it. But there are also some differences between the familys like the family from Japan is more organized and they have alot more then the other two familys and the family from Mali they only have ten household items and very hardly work and the family from India they have to work very hard more than the other two families put together and there belongings are worth more to them then buying new things.

-- Edited by xotorixo at 22:59, 2008-11-25

-- Edited by xotorixo at 23:08, 2008-11-25

-- Edited by xotorixo at 23:21, 2008-11-25

Tay'le · Member

Tay'le wrote:

1. The countries im comparing are Kuwait, Mali, and Japan.
The Sounama Natamo Family is from Mali. The five possesions I observed from the picture of the family were bowls,eating utensils ,and buckets. In the picture i seen that the family washed they're clothes in some of these buckets and hung them on sticks at their home to dry the clothes. The five possessions I observed from the Abdulla family in Kuwait were they're four cars, many furniture peices of all sizes,beds,and other really nice looking things. When observing the Ukita family from Japan the five things i observed were the washer and dryer ,piano, lots of clothes, lots of shoes,and a computer.
The three countries are very different from each other because Mali's possesions were way less than the others for example the Abdulla family has four cars and Japan has a van.Japan while Mali has no car, also unlike the Mali family who washes they're clothes in buckets and dries them by hanging them on sticks The Ukita family has both a washer and dryer. These are the observations i got from the pictures.

There are many conclusions I can draw from the possessions of each home. From what I seen of the Mali family they are the least fortunate. The reason for this is because the have nothing compared to the other families. For example the Ukita family and the family from Kuwait both have electronic and gas powered conveniences of modern life, unlike the Mali family. In addition they have a home stuffed with clothes, appliances, an abundance of toys for both her daughters and dog.. You can tell this family is at least a middle class family because they can afford toys for there dog and there children. The family in Kuwait is living the upscale life. They have four cars and actual furniture unlike the Mali home. Also they have all types of furniture from huge to small. Both The Ukita family and the Family from Kuwait live good lives and have way more then they need. While the Mali family suffers barely having what they need to survive. The factors that influence the inequalities are how the fact that The Mali family doesnt even have an indoor bathroom along with a washer, dryer,.or shower. Also I think its sad how the Ukita family has enough to buy toys for her children and her dog, when these people cant even buy furniture to sit on and a bed to sleep in. Also theyre transportation is a bike, for the Mali family. Which seems so inequal because the family from Kuwait has four cars. These inequalities affect their lives because they hardly have things for survival,while other families have way more than they need. Also they dont have as much opportunity then the others because the money situation . The factors that can change these inequalities are the government and help from the United states because I think its a really big issue and because its not someone we actually know they make it not a big deal. Their possessions shape or reflect their cultural identities because it shows how the people live in their country and how its awful what the unfortunate families have to go through.

mre · Senior Member

Grades Updated 12-07-08