Cultures shaping similarities and differences among women and men

For all who like to differentiate and consider that differences in dress among 'Muslim' women do not emerge because the all read the same Quran but because different cultures shape different behaviors.

And if you still wonder about the power of culture, see how it shapes similar behavior among women in an Andes forest tribe and among bankers in the Andes country Chile.

Chayanov or Lenin: Kulakization of humanity and overexploitation of the planet

Worries about rampant economic greed and growth are not all that new. During the 1910s, Russia witnessed a fundamental debate on this issue, with Alexander Chayanov and Vladimir Lenin as the main protagonists.

Chayanov claimed that farmers would remain satisfied with a limited level of prosperity and not go on working for more. Lenin claimed that farmers would not remain satisfied with a limited level of prosperity and would go on working for more.

Lenin saw such farmers, Kulaks, as catalysts of capitalism which made him eventually start the communist revolution. But while communism has failed for know reasons, kulakization goes on degrading the planet, who knows until the end of humanity.

In that way, Vladimir Lenin was perhaps more right than Alexander Chayanov.

Chayanov, 1888-1937

Lenin 1870-1924

Deforestation in Latin America 

Reshuffle of social powers

In the visible domain the established media have most of the influence. Not their news consumers but the social media and the Internet bring rivaling influence.

In the hidden domain large companies and banks have most of the power. Not trade unions but consumers and bottom-up initiatives bring rivaling influence.

In collectively shaping the behaviors of future adults, educational departments and teachers have most of the influence. Not teacher unions but parents bring rivaling influence.

In individually shaping the behaviors of future adults, mothers have most of the influence. Not fathers but social media bring rivaling influence.

As a result, trust in companies, banks, schools, governments, elections and parents is on the decline. Trust in social media, the Internet, alternative education and alternative health care is growing but not always justified.

Therefore, certainties are on the decline. Having to manage these uncertainties, along with having to manage uncertainties brought by economic globalization and flexibilization, create increased tension and a sense of immediate apocalypse.

Yet, a real demise of humanity through overexploitation of the planet may, if ever, take centuries, and the need for timely measures to save humanity is increasingly felt and policy plans are being dicussed. In the meantime, inspiring new opportunities are on the rise.

To change a community, start with mothers

If you want to change a community, start with infants or, better even, with the future mothers.

People on the move. More than a billion within countries

Humans migrate. From time immemorial we have been on the move. And perhaps each time our travel came along with fear, wonder, excitement and agitation. And perhaps each time the migration was experienced as unique by the migrants and the people living in destination areas.

These days Syrian people moving to EU for political reasons and Mexican people moving to the US for economic reasons attract the attention as if they set fire to the world in exceptional ways.

But is their migration really so exceptional? My, no, not at all, not even by their numbers. Did you know that the largest type of migration is within countries, of villages to cities? More than a billion people, about 12% of the entire world population, are expected to leave the countryside over the next 15 years, both in ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries.

In ‘developing’ countries, even slum life is more attractive than village life. Migrants can nearly always return to their villages, but hardly ever do.

Admittedly, hygienic conditions in slums are often worse than in the coutryside where cleaner water and air, and more space for private hygiene are available. But somehow, people prefer the city for its marginally better opportunities to eke out a living. Cities also provide more social freedom and dignity, compared to the often ruthless oppression, exploitation and stigmatization by local landowning families or castes. And cities give marginally more access to good school education and health care.

Moreover, sea and river floods, droughts and cyclones become more frequent and severe through global warming and, along with disastrous farming, bring about massive migration away from densely populated, low coasts and valleys to better protected urban areas.