Different ways of viewing the world shape different ways of researching the world
(Crotty 2003:66)
World refers to the human civilisation which is characterised with history, human experience and the human condition in the context of earth. Philosophically, the world is viewed in the context of physical universe and on ontological world. In the theological context, the world is viewed in the context of profane sphere or material sphere, which is in opposition of the sacred, celestial, transcendence and spiritual aspects[1]. In religious context, end of the world will mean end of human history.
The history of the world is reflected in the context of geopolitical developments as pertaining to the five millennia, which spans the civilisations to the twenty first century[2]. The world can be viewed in the context of populations, economies, sports, different nations, religion, wars, languages, cultures, climate, civilisation, education, physical attributes, science, terrorism, peace, gender and flora and fauna. Focussing at the different elements that shape the world, it is true that viewing the world from different ways shape diversity in research on the world as asserted by Crotty. This paper will focus at practical research done on different elements of the world, in which humans view the world.
Researchers work as investigators in establishing facts. In United States, majority of researchers work as private practitioners, academic institutions, industrial areas, private institutions and in the government[3]. There are diverse research institutions in the world dealing with different areas depending on the researchers view on the world. Examples of research institutions in the world identify with A*STAR in Singapore, Ma Chung Research Centre for Photosynthetic Pigments in Indonesia, Universities across the global, United Nations, NASA Ames Research Centre in United States, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia, Centre National de la Recherché Scientifique in France, Centro de Estudios Cientificos CECs in Chile, Joint Insitute for Nuclear Research in Russia, European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in India, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres in Germany, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche in Italy and Spring-8 in Japan among others.
All these research institutions have definite vision and mission as pertaining to the way they view the world. The research organisations and the researchers are committed in solving a particular problem in the society. Common areas research in the world identify with global population, religions, sports, economies, cultures, war, terrorism, peace, education, health, climate, organisms, history and on science and technology among many others. People view the world from different perspectives, which has contributed to the diversity of researching on the world. Social policy is concerned on principles, guidelines, activities and legislations that influence the way people live as different societies respond to different needs in the environment. People focus at sociology, economics, geography, psychology, law, history, political science and philosophy. Social policy has contributed to safe environment, sustainable environment, health promotion, supporting the weak to have independent life, training and educating individuals in ways that they contribute positively to the community.
World Population
World population refers to the sum total of populations in relations to the human beings. It has been noted that the global population has been on a sharp rise, with majority of the people constituting active youths. It is estimated that the world has more than seven billion people in the face of the earth. These were surveys done by USCB (United States Census Bureau) and also by the research done by the United Nations Population Fund. It is estimated that in 1350’s after the Black Death and Great Famine, the period was characterised with continuous growth; estimates done by then indicated that the human population was at three hundred and seventy million persons.
In the 1950’s to 1970’s, it is estimated that the period had the highest human population explosion; with an estimated human growth of 1.8% in each and every year. Estimates done in 2012 indicated that the human population is growing in a sluggish manner, basing on the fact that families engage family planning in managing small families. Estimates indicated that human population by 2040 will be increasing by eighty million persons per year; these are according to the United Nations (UN) projections and United Nations population division[4]. Analysts indicated that human population is exerting pressure on the environment, resources of energy and on food supplies in the world.
Global Religion
The world has diverse spiritual traditions and religions; which has changed with civilisation. According to research done by the World Fact book 2012, it was estimated that Christians comprise of 31.59%, Muslims constitute 23.20%, Hindus constitute 15.00%, Buddhists are 7.10%, non-religious constitute 11.67% while others take 11.44%. Diverse categories have different histories, which mainly constitute different cultures. An example is the Indian culture that traditionally has pursued truth. According to the Islamic faith, Quran is characterised with three categories identifying with people of the book, Muslims and the idol worshippers[5].
Religion is classified as a model of worshipping God, although it also refers to the worship of Deities and idols among others. Modernisation has facilitated changes with socialisation, people in the twenty first century live together as one community, an indication that multicultural societies is the order of the day. Diverse religions are then subdivided into different groups which can be researched on.
Global Sports
A sport is part of the competitive physical activities which are organised or on casual basis. The participation in the sporting activities maintains and aims at improving the physical skills and abilities. Spectators cheer up individuals and teams involved in the sporting activities. Thousands of sports exist in the world, from sports requiring two participants to sporting activities requiring multiple teams[6]. The physical dexterity and the athleticism are encouraged in Olympic Games, Council of Europe, International Olympic Committee, and International Sports Federation Association among other organisations.
There are diverse customs and rules that govern the sporting activities, which are critical in ensuring consistency and fair competition; where the winner is rightly adjudicated. There are sports that are organised like football; researched information is widely announced in the sports highlights in the media houses. Sports offers entertainment and career to diverse people in the world, where some sports bring out togetherness among different nations of the world as spectators both in the stadiums and in the television screens come together with a one vision of winning. It is estimated that the sporting industry in the world is worth more than six hundred and twenty billion United States dollars.
Global Economies
World economy is interrelated among diverse nations due to importation and exportation of products and services. Global economies refer to the combined research on the economies of different nations in the world, which is then subdivided into national economies. There are various ways of researching on the global economy. Research may be conducted in regards to the model engaged, and in most cases expressed in terms of United States dollars[7].
Global economy has direct relations with the ecology and geography of the earth, where resources contributed to the diversity of the economies.
Global economies are built by the activities of the human beings and judged in regards to the monetary terms. Government cooperation and independent research has been influential in estimations of the global economy depending on diverse jurisdictions; challenge arises when nations trade in illegal substances like drugs that in the real sense contribute to the global economy but are legally excluded from the global economy since there is no legal market. Purchasing power is used to define the local economies. Largest global economies in the world constitute United States, United Kingdom, China, Germany, Japan, France, Russia, Brazil and Italy among others.
World Cultures
The world is made of diverse cultures, it has been noted that the concept of culture is a modern view on the diversity of people. Culture in the world refers to the human capacity that has evolved with time; with different representations of creativity, symbols and imaginations. Culture also refers to the distinct ways in which people show as they live differently in the world. Defining culture is difficult as different people have different understanding on the concept. Culture is mainly made up of behaviours that are learned with time, and at times referred in the name of material culture; since it is mostly made up of intangible attributes like customs, language and ways of doing things.
Culture in the modern world has come to signify human civilisation, majority of the people live in multicultural societies that include people living together although they originated from different places. The concept of the multicultural societies has resulted to changes in way people do business and carry out day to day activities. The world is facing one of the biggest cultural changes with modernisation under the influence of media, international commerce and the explosion of the human population. Cultures in the human beings are highly influenced by the forces resisting on the changes and on the forces encouraging the change. The forces are part of the natural events and social structures that facilitate penetration of cultural practices and ideas[8]. A number of social conflicts in the world have been facilitated by diversity of global cultures.
Global, War, Terrorism and Peace
The world over times has experienced lapses of peace and war, an example is the World War I and the World War II. In the early times, cases of terrorism were limited as compared to the twenty first century. Terrorism instils fear through systematic acts, it has been noted that the topic of terrorism has been on concern basing on the increased acts of terrorism. Political influences have largely been considered as the main contributor of terrorism in the world. There is no legal term that defines terrorism; different jurisdictions have diversity as pertaining to the issue of terrorism[9]. Terrorism in most cases is fuelled by political aspects, ruling governments, nationalist groups, religious aspects, deliberate targets and ideological goals among other factors.
Terrorism target at civilians who are non-combatants in carrying out their illegal activities, which creates fear to the general public; terrorism in most cases refers to the emotionally or politically charged as defined by state authorities. Different governments have developed counterterrorism mechanisms in curbing the illegal acts. An example is the terrorism acts that happened in the New York in United States where Al-Qaeda targeted at the World Trade Centre, which killed many people, injured thousands and destroyed property. More research can be done on the peace, war and terrorism.
Global Education
Education in the world varies with jurisdictions, it has been noted that learning comprises of skills, knowledge and habits of groups of people, which is passed on from one generation to another generation. Education is transferred through research, teaching and training. Education is autodidactic or simply passed over by trainers in different capacities. Educational attributes are considered as formative effects that alters the way individual acts, think and feel. Some of the governments in the world have considered education as a right to each and every child[10].
According to the research performed by United Nations, it was noted that both formal and informal education is penetrating the world fast with globalisation. Formal education is characterised with curriculum, preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, tertiary colleges, universities, alternatives, special education and vocational education. Informal education is characterised with Autodidacticism, education through recreation and indigenous education. There are diverse areas of research in education.
Global Health
Global health refers to the health of the diverse populations in the world irrespective of the concerns and perspectives of the individual nations. There are a number of health problems that transcend boundaries of different nations, hence making an impact on the economic and political aspects. Global health is concerned on reduction of health disparities, reduction of health related threats and improvement of general health with regards of the national boundaries.
Research on global health has been facilitated by World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), World Bank and World Food programme (WFP) among others[11]. Nations has come together to facilitate global health through Millennium Development Goals and through United Nations Millennium Declaration. Measurement of the global health is facilitated by life expectancy, morbidity, disability adjusted life years, quality adjusted life years and on disability adjusted life years. Common health conditions in the world identify with HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, Malaria, diarrhoea diseases, maternal health, nutrition, chronic diseases, violence carried out against women and surgical diseases among others. Global health has a wide area of research mainly touching on challenges and health interventions.
Global Climate
Researchers may sort to research on climate patterns in the world. Climate is reflected in the eyes of atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, precipitation, wind and atmospheric particles among other variables in meteorological. Climate is researched over a long period of time, as compared to the weather patterns that are short lived[12]. A climate system generates the climate of a region within a jurisdiction which is subdivided into five segments identifying with hydrosphere, atmosphere, land surface, biosphere and cryosphere.
Research has indicated that climate of a region is influenced by: terrain, latitude, altitude and the surrounding water bodies. Climates are mainly classified in relation to precipitation and temperature. A researcher by the name Wladimir Koppen developed the Thornthwaite system. There are different lines in the global climate that researchers can extend their tentacles in research.
Global Fauna and Flora (Organism)
Researchers may sort research on living things, according to biology; living things constitutes contiguous living system identifying with fungus, animals, plants and microorganism among others. One characteristic of living things is that they respond to reproduction, stimuli, development and growth and in enhancing homeostasis. Organisms are single celled or multi-celled as in the case of human body[13].
This is more of biological as scientists feature of diversity in the organisms as they experience evolution with modernisation. It has been noted that some of the organisms are fading with time as the global climate change. Human beings contribute significantly to the environmental degradation, hence contributing to lost natural environment that supported diversity of organisms. There are different areas to be researched on global organisms.
Global History and Science & Technology
The world is made up of histories as societies experience change with years. It has been noted that global history is subdivided into pre-modern history, early modern history and on contemporary history. Historians in the world engage thematic approach focussing at differences and integration[14].
The world is facing modernisation with advancement in science and technology. Different scientists have heavily invested in research and design (R&D) as a model of solving challenges that face humankind[15]. Technology has influenced the way human beings and animals relate to their natural environment. Some divisions of technology that researchers engage in relates to information technology, construction technology and medical technology among others[16].
In conclusion, people are different and face different challenges in life, in the course of life, people seek to research on solutions to the problems they face. In so doing, they view the world differently and consequently research on the world differently as asserted by Crotty 2003. This paper has focused at global researches on population, religions, sports, economies, cultures, war, terrorism, peace, education, health, climate, organisms, history and on science and technology. The list is not exhausted.
Bibliography
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[1] Pendlebury, D, “Materials Science and Technology.” Global Research Report, 2011: 4-16.
[2] Adams, J, “Global Research Report, China.” Research and collaboration in the new geography of science, 2009: pp 2-12.
[3] Mendeley. “Global Research Report.” Mendeley, 2009: 1-8.
[4] Connelly, M, Fatal Misconception: The Struggle to Control World Population. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010, pp 35.
[5] Smith, H, The World’s Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions. New York: HarperOne, 2001.
[6] Liponski, W, World Sports Encyclopedia. Norwalk, Connecticut: MBI , 2003, pp 19.
[7] Maddison, A, The World Economy. Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2007, pp 88.
[8] Davis, W, Book of Peoples of the World: A Guide to Cultures. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2008, pp 28.
[9] Lutz, J, Global Terrorism. London: Routledge, 2013, pp 48.
[10] Darling-Hammond, L, The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010, 99.
[11] Lee, K, The World Health Organization (WHO). New York: Routledge, 2008, pp. 77.
[12] McGuire, B, Waking the Giant: How a changing climate triggers earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 37.
[13] Goldstein, K, The Organism. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2000, pp. 65.
[14] McNeill, W, A World History. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 35.
[15] Isaacson, W, Steve Jobs. Rockefeller Center, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011, pp. 47.
[16] Pendlebury, D, “Materials Science and Technology.” Global Research Report, 2011: 4-16.
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