Laxmi's story of being kidnapped and trafficked in Nepal is not an isolated case but, as this graphical account shows, things are not always what they seem.
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Global news with a spatial perspective: Interesting, current supplemental materials for geography students and teachers. http://geographyeducation.org
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Seth Dixon
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Seth Dixon's insight:
Teaching about human trafficking and child slavery can be very disconcerting and uncomfortable. How much of the details regarding these horrific situations is age-appropriate and suitable for the classroom? The BBC is reporting on events with sensitive stories to both give a human face to the story, while protecting the identity of under-aged victims (to read about the production of this comic, read Drawing the News.) I encourage you to use your own discretion, but I find this comicbook format an accessible, informative and tasteful way to teach about human trafficking in South Asia to minors. It is a powerful way to teach about some hard (but important) aspects of globalization and economics. As geographer Shaunna Barnhart says concerning this comic, "It moves from trafficking to child labor to pressures for migration for wage labor and the resulting injustices that occur. There's differential access to education, gender inequality, land, jobs, and monetary resources that leads to inter- and intra-country trafficking of the vulnerable. In the search for improved quality of life, individuals become part of a global flow of indentured servitude which serves to exploit their vulnerabilities and exacerbate inequalities and injustice. Nepali children 'paid' in food and cell phones that play Hindi music in 'exchange' for work in textile factories - cell phones that are themselves a nexus of global resource chains and textiles which in turn enter a global market - colliding at the site of child labor which remains largely hidden and ignored by those in the Global North who may benefit from such labor." Tags: Nepal, labor, industry, economic, poverty, globalization, India. Delete the scoop?
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Executives have recently focused attention on Silicon Valley's workplace culture. While companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo operate by their own set of rules, what happens there may influence how many Americans work.
Seth Dixon's insight:
How does the spatial layout of a workplace impact productivity and corporate culture? "Google has spent a lot of time studying what makes workplaces innovative and casual interactions are important. Sullivan lists three factors to make that set companies apart: learning by interaction, collaborations and fun." Spaces that encourage interaction and collaboration increase productivity. Spaces that are 'fun' help facilitate a vibrant community and deepens worker loyalty. Tags: spatial, architecture, labor, podcast.
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In a surprising move, President Obama proposed during the State of the Union address to increasing the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This made many people ask the question "how many countries have minimum wages?" Nearly all countries in the world have a minimum wage or a partial minimum wage. Delete the scoop?
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Of all the changes announced by the 2011 census, one of the most startling is the rapid change in the ethnic composition of London's population.
Seth Dixon's insight:
The fact the immigrants moving to the UK have flocked to London is not surprising (View a map of the census data). Immigration isn't the only component to this situation. White Britons are also leaving London in large number, prompting some to refer to this as "White Flight." Today, white Britons are no longer the majority population within London (but still the largest ethnic group). Some feel that this story has gone underreported and deserves more analysis. What elements of human geography should an observer of this situation use in their analysis? 
Brittnie Helgerson's comment,
April 28, 11:15 AM
So when hearing “Changing Ethnic Patterns in London,” most people (myself included) thought that this was obviously due to a rise in immigration to the London area. It would seem to be obvious that most immigrants would flock to London in the first place because it is probably the most well know city in the U.K. However the fact there are other factors at play and that it is not just immigration that is changing the ethnic patterns surprised me at first.
It turns out that there are a lot of white people leaving London for outer regions where there is less diversity. Could it be that the influx of minorities is upsetting some of the white Britons’ sense of place? While it is possible that this is the case, it is also likely that they are leaving for other reasons as well. In the article, it discusses how “most diverse wards are urban and poor.” This could be a reason why many people are leaving; some white Britons could want something more rural and less busy. They could be leaving for neighborhoods with better school or different types of homes. 
Conor McCloskey's comment,
April 30, 10:25 AM
The British-white percentage of the population in London is dropping. While this says a lot about the demographics of London it also says a lot about global migratory patterns. London is a international city, culturally and ethnically, it has many pull factors for many different kinds of people from all over the globe, with all different cultural backgrounds. These pull factors have translated into one big push factor for British-whites, however, as they move out of the city.
There are many different things that could explain these patterns. Racism, economic shifts or better opportunities else where, however one thing is for sure, the world is become more multi-cultural. With the movements of cultures comes displacement and resistance, tension doesn’t run short in these types of situations. As so many people move away from their homelands through out the world it will be interesting to see what begins to happen with geopolitical boundaries, will situations like Hungary be more common as people move away? Delete the scoop?
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And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer. God said, "I need somebody willing to ge...
Seth Dixon's insight:
This Super Bowl commercial for trucks also doubles as a tribute to a rural America of yesteryear in general, and for farmers more specifically. While some may object to the overtly religious references of video, I feel that it reflects the cultural ethos of the Midwest, but more importantly, the market research shows that this religious appeal would resonate with the truck-purchasing demographic that this commercial is trying to influence. This commercial was cleverly critiqued in this video, "See God made a (Latino) Farmer" and in this irreverant parody. Tags: agriculture, labor, rural, unit 5 agriculture. 
Ann-Laure Liéval's curator insight,
February 6, 1:04 PM
Religion et société aux EU: un document introductif pour le chapitre, pub du Superbowl 2013, à destination d'un public ciblé... Delete the scoop?
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Flashmob en Madrid (España) organizado por el programa de radio CARNE CRUDA 2.0 Martes y jueves, 16:00, http://www.carnecruda20.es Lunes, miércoles y viernes...
Seth Dixon's insight:
I have previously posted on how successful flashmobs often times use public places in a way that symbolically merges the meaning of that space with the message of the that place. This is a fabulous example of that and I find it incredibly moving and poignant, given the recent economic woes of southern Europe. As Jordan Weismmann said about this flashmob in the Atlantic, "I'm not sure if this video is more heartbreaking or heartwarming, but it pretty well captures what's going on in Europe's economy right now. While the day-to-day drama of the continent's debt crisis has subsided, painful austerity measures have helped leave huge swaths of the population jobless. In Spain, unemployment is at 25 percent." 
Trisha Klancar's curator insight,
January 13, 2:15 PM
We never know when we will make a difference in people's lives. Spain has undergone a very difficult time the last couple years...this is short video reminds us we all need to smile and enjoy no matter what! 
plerudulier's curator insight,
February 17, 8:21 AM
Big fan of flashmob here.
I guess those who attended that day had a bit of sun. Delete the scoop?
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The U.S. economy once worked like a finely meshed machine. That is not true anymore. The U.S. economy is still a powerful engine, but workers aren’t seeing the benefits, less-educated men are struggling, and the rich have disconnected from everyone else.
Seth Dixon's insight:
The problems with the economy are not universally spread throughout society. Certain segments are impacted more than others by the current struggles, especially when with look at axes of identity, such as class, gender and ethnicity. While planning on a blue-collar job in the 1950s could have been a solid career plan for a young man in the United States, not so in the 21st century. Delete the scoop?
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A film from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, adapted from the 1958 essay by Leonard E. Read. This year's Geography Awareness Week's theme was "Declare Your Interdependence!" The GAW poster for 2012 focused on the Geography of a Pencil and this video works together nicely as a supplement to that poster. You may see the economics of capitalism and globalization in a less optimistic light than Leonard Read, but the theme of interconnectedness makes this a great resource. Delete the scoop?
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The 17-nation bloc had a jobless rate of 11.6 per cent in September, while inflation eased slightly in the last month. Although some countries in the Eurozone have lower unemployment rates like Austria (4.4%) and Germany (5.4%), more are in the worst collective tailspin since the creation of the common currency. Spain has the worst unemplyment rate at 25.8% of the adult population out of work. It has taken a nasty cultural and political turn as resentments and frustrations are boiling over in the Eurozone. Some are derisively referring to the struggling southern European countries as P.I.G.S. (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain). Tags: Europe, supranationalism, currency, labor, economic. Delete the scoop?
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Rising numbers of people of Indian origin born in the West are moving to the country their parents left decades ago in search of opportunity and a cultural connection, reports the BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan. Since 2005, the Indian government has been encouraging people of Indian descent and former Indian nationals to return to India. For many Indians living in the UK, there are more and better economic opportunities for them within India. Migrants have many reasons for moving (including cultural factors), but the primary pull factor is most certainly India's ascendant importance in the global economy and rising IT industries.
Tags: India, South Asia, migration, immigration, Europe, colonialism, unit 2 population. Delete the scoop?
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The Kauffman Foundation's Samuel Arbesman on his new book, The Half-Life of Facts. This is an interview, Samuel Arbesman,the author of The Half-Life of Facts explains how population density and place matter in forming a creative economic workforce. Urban centers act as drivers of innovation and advancements and attract the more ambitious and daring workers. Additionally, this map on the expansion of the printing press (discussed in the interview) is also a great map to show how technological innovations can spur cultural diffusion. Tags: technology, diffusion, urban, labor, migration, book review. Delete the scoop?
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Every spring, China's cities are plunged into chaos as 130 million migrant workers journey to their home villages for the New Year in the world's largest human migration. I've posted in the past about this documentary which portrays the The cultural importance of New Year's in China and the massive corresponding migratory shifts that take place. What is new is that the 85 minute documentary is now available online. "Last Train Home takes viewers on a heart-stopping journey with the Zhangs, a couple who left infant children behind for factory jobs 16 years ago, hoping their wages would lift their children to a better life. They return to a family growing distant and a daughter longing to leave school for unskilled work. As the Zhangs navigate their new world, Last Train Home paints a rich, human portrait of China's rush to economic development." Tags: China, EastAsia, migration, development, labor, development, transportation, unit 2 population. Delete the scoop?
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If you are a fan of the 40 hour work week, 8 hour work day, health benefits, child labor laws and this lovely thing called "the weekend," you have the labor movement to thank. The Department of Labor has put together a page entitled 'The History of Labor Day.' This helps us understand that the benefits that we enjoy today are the legacy of generations of workers who courageously fought for for workers rights.
Tags: Labor, industry, economic, unit 6 industry and video. Delete the scoop?
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If Pyongyang is as bent on war as it wants us to believe, why is it keeping the inter-Korean Kaesong industrial complex open?
Seth Dixon's insight:
News reports coming out of North Korea are grim and threatening right now. However, this Washington Post article argues that it might be all for show. The Kaesong Industrial Complex was opened in 2002 as a gesture of peace. Located just across the northern side of the border, it is staffed by South and North Koreans (South Korea get super cheap labor, North Korea gets an infusion of currency, both get positive PR). The Kaesong Industrial Complex continues to operate with the permission of the North Korean government. Were that to ever change and North Korea shut down this joint venture, THEN we'll know that they are serious. Watch this short video for an overview of the geopolitical situation on the Korean peninsula as of March 2013. Tags: North Korea, war, labor, industry, economic, conflict, unit 6 industry. Delete the scoop?
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"77 Photos of the mass production of the Earth's natural resources. In the picture above, a Tibetan villager works in a salt field. Salt has been the most common food preservative, especially for meat, for thousands of years." Tags: consumption, agriculture, resources, labor, industry, economic, unit 6 industry.
Seth Dixon's insight:
Coal, steel, gold, iron, copper, aluminum and oil are all incredibly important commodities. Agricultural products such as rice, cotton, corn, wheat and coffee all travel far beyond their area of origin. Where do these resources come from? How are they produced? This gallery of 77 pictures is a fantastic tour of the resources that are key cogs in the global economy. Delete the scoop?
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What would the perfect immigration system look like? We asked three economists to dream big.
Seth Dixon's insight:
This is an intriguing podcast focused on how to best manage national borders if the only goal were to strengthen the economy (they center the conversatri on the United States). These economists envision plans with more incentives to attract a labor force that is more highly-skilled is crucial to having a rational migration policy. How how you manage the borders if you were in charge? How would your plan strengthen the country? Delete the scoop?
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A different perspective of Paul Harvey's "God made a Farmer." In reference to the foreign-owned Chrysler Corp. that showed a similar video that aired during ...
Seth Dixon's insight:
As a cultural production this is fascinating reshaping of the original Chrysler Super Bowl commercial. The original doubles as a tribute to a rural America of yesteryear and American labor. This one acts as a critique on the status on Latino workers in the United States. The audio is the same, with images that conjure out entirely different messages (here is an irreverent parody). Tags: agriculture, labor, rural, unit 5 agriculture, perspective. 
Anne McTavish's comment,
February 7, 1:56 PM
One more version, showing agribusiness owners, would round this set out. These two together are great. Congratulations to Isaac Cubillos for this thouhtful version of "farmer."
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A Greek exit from the euro has become a bomb fizzling at the heart of the eurozone. What could happen if it explodes?
Seth Dixon's insight:
This is still all speculation, but this speculation is grounded in the very real possibility that Greece may leave the Eurozone. This one possible scenario would have a profound ripple effect throughout the European Union and beyond. This interactive explores each of these 8 possible results. Tags: Greece, Europe, supranationalism, currency, labor, economic. 
Marco Gaggero's curator insight,
February 20, 6:57 AM
Articolo interessante sulle ripercussioni di un eventuale fallimento della Grecia (con uscita dall'euro a seguito) che ci ricorda (per chi ne avesse bisogno) che il debito pubblico non è frutto della fantasia di qualcuno ma piuttosto qualcosa di molto molto tangibile. Il debito, i tassi di interesse, lo spread, sono tutte variabili cui la nostra classe politica deve prestare una grossa attenzione. LA CREDIBILITA' SI PAGA IN EURO Delete the scoop?
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Home-made music video of Billy Joel's "Allentown".
Seth Dixon's insight:
Many teachers use Billy Joel's classic song and music video Allentown as a teaching tool to introduce the topic of deindustrialization in the Rust Belt of the United States. This alternative music video version adds some useful teaching images to help students contextualize the lyrics. Another song to consider using is Telegraph Road by Dire Straits; the song follows a town as it industrialized and as it later deindustrialized. Tags: labor, industry, economic, unit 6 industry and video. Delete the scoop?
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TED Talks In the ongoing debate about globalization, what's been missing is the voices of workers -- the millions of people who migrate to factories in China and other emerging countries to make goods sold all over the world. Our collective understanding of modern industrialization and globalization needs to go beyond the binary of "oppressors" and "victims." This lecture explores the voices and lives of Chinese workers that we so often simply see as simply victims of a system, but are full of ambition and agency.
Tags: industry, globalization, labor, China, TED. 
Braden Oldham's comment,
May 2, 9:49 PM
The workers seem to not see their work as bad as we see it. They see it as a opportunity, bette then waht they had before.
Sarah Graham's comment,
May 3, 1:54 PM
I think that we often overlook the fact that life and culture is very different in these places. Here, the factory workers probably don't want the I-phones that they are making. We don't think about the people and how they WANT these jobs. These people want to make their life better, just like you and me.
Ryli Smith's comment,
May 5, 2:55 PM
In these Chinese factories, they don't view these jobs as harsh or poor treatment because this is better than how they would be doing back in their villages. They want these jobs so bad because they will give them a better life. Also, you have to remember that not all of these Chinese factory workers want to have an iPhone or a Coach purse or Nike shoes, because those things don't have any worth in their culture.
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If you were moving abroad, what would you want to know? Find out the results from the largest ever global independent survey of expats. Gain a unique insight into how expat life differs across the globe. The labor market is increasingly becoming a global market. These countries are the leading places for expatriate workers based on economic and experience factors (according to a survey by HSBC). You can adjust the criteria to see how these 30 countries as destinations for workers that aren't afraid to move internationally. Tags: labor, globalization, industry, economic. Delete the scoop?
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TED Talks For the past two years, photographer Lisa Kristine has traveled the world, documenting the unbearably harsh realities of modern-day slavery. This is a chilling glimpse into the worst and darkest side of the economic systems of geography and labor in the world. It is estimated that there are more than 25 million people who today live in state that can be described as modern-day slavery. We should not discuss slavery only in the past tense, and yet it conflicts with how most people conceptualize the world today. Questions to Ponder: How can this even be happening in the 21st century? What geographic and economic forces lead to these situations portrayed in this TED talk? What realistically could be done to lessen the amount of slavery in the world today? Tags: TED, labor, economic, class, poverty, South Asia, Africa, video. 
Kyle Toner's comment,
November 6, 2012 12:17 PM
This video truly opened eyes into the conflict of modern day slavery. I had no idea just how prevalent, global and horrible this situation is.
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Workers at an ailing paper mill in Siberia are clinging to their jobs in the face of financial pressure and criticism from environmentalists. The environment, industry and politics play key roles in this story of an old style Soviet mono-town on Lake Baikal. Monotowns had planned economies that revolved around one industry and today many of these are struggling in the post-Soviet era. While the particulars of the political situation are a bit dated, the overall issue is still quite relevant to understanding Russia today. Tags: Russia, industry, labor, environment, economic, water, pollution, environment modify, unit 6 industry. 
melissa stjean's comment,
October 16, 2012 1:16 AM
While watching this video, all i could think of how common Flint Michigan is compared to the workers of the paper factory. This factory is the life source of almost all the people who live nearby. By reopening the factory it gives these people hope, but for how long can the doors be open?
Mr. Rodrigues's curator insight,
December 12, 2012 12:37 PM
Even though I lived through the dissolution of the USSR, it's hard to imagine a world where the government would create an entire industry, whiunjust has no means of sustainability without the government feeding supplies and consuming the products.
This when coupled with the environmental damage done by simply using the lake as a dumping ground shows that while the "short game" mig have looked rosy to outsiders, the "long game" wasn't even an afterthought for those in charge. Delete the scoop?
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Ian Goldin, Director of the Oxford Martin School, warns that a backlash against immigration would wreak havoc on everything from hospitals to the high-tech industry. The interview is part of the Risk Response Network’s “What if? This is article can be an intriguing introduction to a thought exercise geared towards understanding the economic impact of migration and the social processes that create our world. Questions to ponder: Which points of the interviewee do you agree with? Are there some that you think his analysis is off-base? What do you think the impacts on a given location would be if there was no migration allowed? Tags: migration, economic, unit 2 population, immigration, unit 6 industry, labor. Delete the scoop?
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Where is Human Rights Watch? Human trafficing is a crime to humanity!!