Pop Culturosity Watch

Each month, we highlight the initiatives of some organization, website, media program, or company that is making a difference in society and helping in our mission to make global awareness mainstream.

May 2008

globalEDGE is a knowledge web portal organized by the International Business Center at Michigan State University. It contains more than 5,000 online resources and a vast amount of information, tools, and links that are of interest.

April 2008

The Sweet Life  From world traveler Bill Winunu, who has an avid eye for how culture shapes our lives, comes two great books, The Sweet Life and Life Could be Sweeter. Through short vignettes and powerful stories from other cultures, learn how to make your life richer, healthier, and more satisfying. Get a glimpse of the nuggets of insight you'll gain from the book at this website.

March  2008

Intrepid Travel  is one of the world's leading operators of small group adventures with a variety of experiences to choose from, from homestays to market trips to visits to community projects. With their small group focus, you never have to worry about being in a tourist herd and get to really interact with the culture you visit.

February 2008
 How to tell if you're...  Some people question whether there is such a thing as American culture with all our diversity. If you're one of these people, or if you simply want a quick reminder of what makes you American, check out, How to tell if you're American from Zompist.com.  Read the description of iconoclastic elements of American culture and then you can compare this to other How to tell if you're... versions. Some 35 different versions are listed, from Austria to Quebec. 

January 2008

WikiTravel. With 17,320 destination guides written by avid globetrotters, this travel information site promises up-to-date content and off-the-beaten path tips to enable deep and meaningful travel experiences.

December 2007

2008 Multicultural Calendar. With technology today, there's no excuse not to be aware of the holidays and celebrations of your colleagues around the world. The 2008 Multicultural Calendar makes international meeting planning easy. Incorporate their electronic calendar into your organization's intranet, MS Outlook or Palm software.

November 2007

ExpatExchange Weekly Quiz. Test your cultural IQ with EE's weekly quiz. ExpatExchange helps expatriates find relocation service providers and research what it would mean to relocate your life to a new country and culture. If you're considering an international move, check them out today. 

October 2007

Study the World. There is study abroad, and then there is study abroad. Check out this great new program from Intrax that focuses on combining adventure travel with intercultural competence. This organization has figured out what study abroad is all about. Goodbye enclaves of American students. Hello global skills.

September 2007

Don't Let the World Pass You By! With the motto, 'Do Something for Your Country: Leave,' Lonely Planet has deemed September Passport Month and is launching a campaign to make it nationwide. Learn reasons why you should travel and join in on the initiative by visiting LonelyPlanet.com.

August 2007

Globalization is a National Geographic article from 1999 that highlights the impact of globalization in an increasingly integrated world. Is McDonald's changing the world or is the world changing McDonald's? Explore the interplay between cultures and globalization with this classic article.

July 2007

What the World Eats is a Time magazine feature highlighting different families' consumption habits around the world. Join 15 families at the dinner table and get a glimpse into their home lives and favorite foods. Photographs by Peter Menzel from the book "Hungry Planet".

June 2007

Perceptive Travel features engaging travel stories from some of the best travel writers around the globe. Read from deep-travel gurus about how to see beyond the surface, engage in mind-changing conversation, and build meaningful relationships as you travel the world.

May 2007

Business Week first expanded it's full-time MBA programs profiles in 2005 to include more than 320 international programs. If you're considering getting an MBA, there's no reason to stay in the US and all the reason to get a global degree in our global economy. Check out the free 2005 listing, or register to see the recently updated 2007 edition. 

April 2007

Café Abroad is a new e-magazine and network focused on study abroad. Written by students and for students, Café Abroad features first-hand stories, articles and insight about making the most of experiences abroad.

March 2007

Conversation Café is hosting Conversation Week 2007 (March 25-April 1) to enable people worldwide to meet in cafés, bookstores, conferences, meetings and trainings and share their thoughts and ideas about world issues. Learn about the power of dialogue and find a conversation taking place near you on the Conversation Week website: www.conversationweek.org 

February 2007

The World Clock Meeting Planner. Trying to plan meetings across cultures and time zones can often be a challenge. This useful tool from TimeandDate.com takes the guesswork out of scheduling meetings across cultures. Simply enter the locations of the people you want to connect with, and this tool will help you find the most suitable times for you to schedule your meeting.

January 2007

Your Point of View  What's your take on tattoos, pets, old age, and tipping? Ever wonder how your point of view may be different from people around the world? Find out by checking out HSBC's global interviews and polls and learn about interesting cultural practices around the globe in the process.

December 2006

Working abroad: Looking for international internships or entry-level jobs abroad? This guide from the Occupational Outlook Quarterly will point you in the right direction and give you in-depth information on locating, landing, and getting reading for work abroad.
 

November 2006

Discovery Atlas takes you on colorful and insightful journeys across the globe. The website currently covers 5 cultures and plans to cover four total in a rich 2-hour documentary format. And that's not all. At the website you can join global forums, download podcasts, test your global know-how with the Atlas Quest, send e-cards, browse their spectacular photo galleries, buy DVDs of the TV programs, join interactive discussions while the show is airing, and more. Intercultural learning has never been this much fun.

October 2006

WorkingAbroad. Want to go abroad but don't know how to do it? This site features a variety of work, study, and travel abroad programs. Learn about opportunities in anything from farm work to hotel training and volunteering in countries in Africa, Europe, and South and Central America.

September 2006

CouchSurfing This organization has an honorable mission: 'to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding' and a uncommon way of achieving it: by creating a global network of available couches for travelers. With over 112,000 couch surfers registered worldwide, there is no shortage of people willing to open their homes to travelers for some good conversation and cultural exchange.
 

August 2006

Through the Eyes of the Children Life in Rwanda is depicted through the talented ideas of children aged 8-17 who are part of the Imbabazi Orphanage. The Rwanda project was designed to give children a chance to explore the beauty held in the people and their communities as the country struggles to rebuild. The work of these talented children, which has made global news, paints a rich portrait of life in Rwanda.

July 2006

Global Voices Online With over 60 million bloggers worldwide, finding blogs is no problem, but finding truly interesting ones is becoming the challenge. Enter Global Voices Online. This project locates “bridge bloggers" around the world--people who are sharing interesting information and ideas about their country or region to a global audience. Check out their 'daily roundup' for links to the top 5-10 most interesting global blog posts and tune in to the pulse of the world.

June 2006

Perceptive Travel  Not going abroad this summer? Then enter the world of armchair travel, courtesy of Perceptive Travel, who boasts a collection of travel tales by some of the best travel writers around the globe. Curl up on the coach with your laptop and tuck into stories that entertain and allow you to go deep in virtual travel.

May 2006

MoslBuddJewChristHinDao. MoslBudd-what? It may not be a roll-off-your-tongue name, but it is a good concept... a unifaith scent. Developed by the German company Elternhaus, it is currently only available in London, Berlin, and Hamburg. But you don't have to buy the scent to benefit from its idea: check out their interactive website and link different ideas together with their visual mindmaps. In English and German.

April 2006

The Prejudice Map. What happens when one curious guy wants to find out what people in other cultures are known for? He does a google search such as "americans are known for *" and compiles the results in a global map. The result: an interesting look at stereotypes held about different cultures around the world. It wasn't a scientific process, but it still provides an interesting look at how websites can both break down and reinforce stereotypes--and, as this map shows, some rather ridiculous stereotypes at times.

March 2006

Newspaper Index. Going global means getting news from around the world on a regular basis. Now, the newspaper index can help. A simple concept and a powerful resource--Newspaper index lists the best online newspapers around the world.  Available in many languages

February 2006

The Wombat is a short, irreverent look at the state of the world. From the Foundation for Global Community, a nonprofit educational organization, dedicated to reconnecting people, the planet, and prosperity. Requires Flash.

January 2006

Wikipedia is a free-content encyclopedia, written collaboratively by people from all around the world. It has some of the most comprehensive and up-to-date information about cultures all around the world, and has hundreds of thousands of articles available in 10 different languages.

December 2005

Your Point of View. This is the latest from HSBC, which ran the infamous "Never underestimate the importance of local knowledge" ad campaign. Now they are emphasizing the importance of valuing other perspectives. We couldn't agree more. This is a key component of intercultural competence. Check out this site to see how the world views everything from cloning to tattoos and then add your voice to the mix.

November 2005

Conflict Map. From the official Nobel Peace Prize site comes this interactive map that shows the major wars of the 20th century--one of the most destructive and war-ridden centuries in history. Why so much warfare? Where did it all take place? What were these conflicts about? Answers these questions and more with this map. Engage your mind and morals and you'll walk away pondering more questions: Will history repeat itself--will the 21st century be the same? How can we stop more destruction from occurring?

October 2005

Village of 1,000. Remember this Internet pass-along that describes the composition of the population if we were just 1,000 people? Well, now you can look at an updated version for 2000. Learn what languages would dominate (it's not English), where the majority of people would live, and what major problems we would still be facing as a population. A great site developed by Lloyd C. Russow of Philadelphia University.

September 2005

Intercultural Time Machine. Does "fashionably late" exist in all cultures? Visit the intercultural time machine to find out. Here, you can test your time skills in the cultures of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, and the US. Learn some of the unwritten rules of cultures—like how late (down to the second in some cases!) you can be to a meeting or to a social gathering, and just how much time you should spend doing small talk before getting down to business. This is a free resource from the online intercultural platform ArgonautOnline.

August 2005

What's Up with Culture? This free on-line training resource helps you prepare for your adventures abroad. Whether working, studying, or even traveling for an extended period abroad, this guide will help you understand the adjustment process, learn about the culture you are headed to, and a bit about yourself and your own cultural values in the meantime.

July 2005

Bzzzpeek.com Culture shapes the way we think about the world and hear the sounds around us. This month's pop watch is about having some fun exploring 'onomatopoeia' around the world. Listen to how a fire engine sounds in South Korea, a dog in Croatia, a bee in Denmark, or a cow in Pakistan.

June 2005

Culture Primer: What is this thing called culture anyway? The latest from the About.com guides on race relations, this web section lays out culture in simple terms, talking about how it influences us and shapes our lifestyles. It includes some great links as well to articles and other resources about cultural differences.

May 2005

Words without Borders. In an increasingly interdependent world, literature in translation provides rich insight into other cultures, ways of life, and kinds of thinking. Words without Borders promotes international communication through translation of the world's best writing. Dip into other cultures through the rich world of literature.

April 2005

The Global Game. The global game features less heard news and information about the role of football/soccer worldwide. As the founders say, "Football is the world's game, not ours, so we must ask them about it and read about the game in their publications, in their languages."

March 2005

Business of Touch. Learn how to introduce yourself in 13 different nations in Europe, Asia, and North America. A great, interactive site with Flash animation from Aquent.

February 2005

Intercultural Platform A wonderful collection of international literature and art from over 160 nations. The site includes a vast collection of non-Western and indigenous poets, writers and artists. Short stories and poetry are in English, Dutch, Spanish, German, Japanese, Afrikaans, and Polish.

January 2005

 National Geographic has a great website full of maps, travel information, and photography. A classic site and publication that has been broadening world perspectives for decades.

December 2004

 What's on When? provides information about local events around the world. Organized by theme (adventure, festivals and nightlife, music, etc.) or by geographic area, this site is the best way to go deep as you travel and to plan exciting vacations with local events.

November 2004

 Mondialogo, Intercultural Dialogue & Exchange is an initiative by UNESCO and DaimlerChrysler that focuses on the role of culture in life and work. Mondialogo Magazine presents interesting and easy to understand views on the importance of cultural awareness. Also available in Spanish, French, and Dutch.

October 2004

 Culturally Speaking: National Geographic Photographers for National Geogrpahic capture local cultures on film to help paint a clearer picture of cultures around the world. This interactive site shows you colorful portrayals of the following cultures: India, Greece, Mexico, and New York.

September 2004

 Colors magazine presents in-depth looks at cultures, communities, and issues that rarely are in the media spotlight and need to be told. Each edition focuses on one issue or topic, from drugs to shopping to wealth and war and provides an in-depth analysis of the topic and how it surfaces in cultures around the world. All magazines are bilingual and are available in English, French, Spanish, and Italian. Pick up a copy at your local bookstore or supermarket or read the articles online.

August 2004

 Cultural Olympiad. With the Olympics starting this month in Greece, there's no better time to find out a bit about Greek culture. The Cultural Olympiad helps you do this with their effort to blend sports with culture to reinforce the Olympic Ideal of uniting people. Check out the impressive array of cultural exhibits happening worldwide and in Athens. Also available in Greek.

July 2004

 PeaceBoat. What do you get when you put young people concerned about peace, human rights, sustainable development and respect for the environment together on a cruise ship sailing around the world? The PeaceBoat (and a powerful forum for progress). Also available in Japanese.

June 2004

 Forum Barcelona 2004. This is an amazing 141 day-long public forum centered around three important themes: cultural diversity, sustainable development and conditions for peace. The forum features exhibits, performances, dialogues, guest speakers, and much much more. Virtual visitors can participate in many forums online and see multimedia presentations about the events and performances at Forum 2004. Also available in Spanish, French, and Catalan.

May 2004

6 billion Human Beings. This exhibit, which was originally created and displayed at the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, France, is a fun, interactive exhibit about the state of the world. They provide interesting stats (e.g. 200 million couples make love each day) and powerful questions (Will AIDS decimate our planet?). Also available in French.

April 2004

Cultures on the Edge. Cultures on the Edge offers photographic essays and commentary about developing cultures around the world. It is a beautiful and powerful look at other cultures.

March 2004

 Y? (www.yforum.com) This site is a great way to get some of those difficult cultural and ethnic questions asked and answered. Whether its a question about religion, gender, race, age, class, sexual orientation, occupation, etc., this is the site where you can openly find out answers. The only rule: don't ask questions out of hate.

February 2004

The American Forum for Global Education is a great program and website (www.globaled.org) with the mission to "Promote the education of our nation's youth for responsible citizenship in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world." The site features a number of free resources for students, individuals, and teachers who want to learn more about other cultures.

January 2004

Independent Films at the IMDB. Check out the great resources in the Indie Movies section of the IMDB. The site highlights many interesting independent movies that focus on other cultures, lists independent film festivals, and has a forum to discuss issues raised in independent movies.

December 2003

100 Questions and Answers about Arab Americans. Do you know how many Arab Americans live in the US? What do you know about their culture, languages, and religion? Learn more about this important group of Americans with this great resource from the Detroit Free Press.

November 2003

 International Education Week, November 17-21, is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education. It is designed to promote awareness of the programs that prepare Americans for the global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to the United States. Check it out at the International Education Week website.

October 2003

Cool Culture. Cool Culture provides opportunities for families from low-income communities to visit cultural institutions in New York City and benefit from these outstanding resources.

September 2003

Race Matters. The PBS series, "Race Matters" aired September 23 and 24th. A great look at race issues in America.

Have a recommendation for our pop watch? Contact us with suggestions.