What should i do for my geography project?

What should i do my geography project on?

• We have to pick a topic to do a project on and compare them to other countries, For example someone did their project on different toilets in different countries. I cannot think of anything to do that someone hasn't done already. Alot of people do like clothes or food. Any better ideas?!

• Answer:

  Choose one of these and analyze how a particular country's society is influenced by one of the following quirky aspects of their culture: __A.) SLANG TALK: Each generation's popular social practices, often become accepted into our formal language and lexicon. In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. What is understood as the “general vocabulary” is itself an ongoing social process which privileges certain groups and perspectives; therefore, despite its critics, the slang talk that becomes apart of the general vocabulary, is created by a "privileged" class of people...NOT trash talkers. __B.) -URBAN LEGENDS: Like all folklore, urban legends are not necessarily false, but they are often distorted, exaggerated, or sensationalized over time and generations. __C.) -PHOBIAS: These fears come in all different, and sometime strange, forms. Cross-cultural psychologists point out that phobias are influenced by cultural factors. Agoraphobia, for example, is much more common in the United States and Europe than in other areas of the world. A social phobia common in Japan but almost nonexistent in the West is "taijin kyofusho", an incapacitating fear of offending or harming others through one's own awkward social behavior or imagined physical defect. As you explore this topic, try to pin point what phobia you think is the strangest. Here are some of the phobias on the list of top 10 strangest phobias: Anablephobia(fear of looking up), Consecotaleophobia(fear of chopsticks), Geniophobia(fear of chins), Cacophobia(fear of ugliness), Phronemophobia(fear of thinking) __D.) PETS: Many people of different cultures have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their dogs, birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. However, many cultures see pets differently. For example: CATS had a great impact upon the symbolism of great cultures, due to their appearance, their independency, their playful behavior or fight abilities. Cats have been seen from different points of view by different cultures. The ancient Egyptians worshiped cats as gods, as they believed that their soul will inhabit cats after death and they had a special symbolism in their culture related to cats. They gave cat a human-like form, worshiping it as Bastet, the cat goddess. In medieval Europe, cats were regarded as keeping a malefic seed, being witches' companions and devil's tool. The Church commanded that all black cats ought to be killed and therefore, the evil seed on earth be eliminated. Cat's nocturnal behavior, characterized by the reflection of light from its retina in the dark and its amazing speed contributed to this conception. Some cultures, however, believe that black cats bring good luck; such cat representations are used as talismans or mascots. For example, in Japan, Maneki-neko, the "beckoning cat", has a good symbol of attracting good fortune. Wildcats also have symbolic attributes in various cultures on the globe. For example, the indigenous South American people thought that the jaguar was a sacred beast and believed that its eyes were windows into the spirit world, also having the ability to reflect the future. Cat's qualities put it into limelight in some cultural traditions, symbolizing liberty, as cats are very independent, cleanliness, courage, stealth, strength and so on. The strong maternal instinct made cat become the symbol of fertility and maternity, while white cats depict purity. Cats in Various Cultures http://www.sooperarticles.com/pets-articles/cat-articles/cats-various-cultures-180079.html#ixzz1tBifb9JW __E.) The Use of Land: In some countries there is more need for land to be left in its natural condition, whereas in other countries there is more need for land to be developed for housing and industry. Use specific reasons and examples to support your comparisons. __F.) Buildings: Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them and replace them with modern buildings? Every country has a different viewpoint. Use specific reasons and examples to support your comparisons. __G.) Human Activity: Some support the belief that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity; Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. Compare two countries' opposing viewpoints on the subject.