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Explore the world
This section of IWANTTHEWORLD gives you a multi-layered insight in the happenings from around the world.
Trends around the world
On the surface level you can learn about different events and trends in various parts of the world, related to the following spheres:
- Economical: e.g. prosperity, job creation and poverty reduction.
- Political: e.g. governmental policies related to immigration and democracy.
- Environmental: e.g. sustainability and the pros and cons of the energy transition.
- Social: e.g. prevalent subcultures and lifestyles.
- Technological: e.g. innovations in engineering and computing.
By clicking on a particular region (e.g. Europe, South America) you get an overview of the different trends and events that characterize the region.
Both sides of a story
Besides getting an overview, the videos can also present an alternative perspective on issues that contrast with what you see on the news at home. IWANTTHEWORLD aims to discuss both sides of the story, although sometimes a video only discusses ‘the other side’ of the story. The critical thinking process that you should apply in such cases is that you (1) read the news in your home country, (2) weight the quality of arguments, and (3) judge it against the quality of argumentation put forward in the alternative perspective. By considering both sides of the story you get a better grasp of reality. In the process, it will likely become apparent that some issues are quite complex and benefit from additional insights (e.g. context, such as historical developments). This could motivate you to gather more information, for example by following proponents and opponents on X (formerly known as twitter).
Understanding the Other
A deeper layer of understanding the world is provided by the blogpost series ‘Understanding the Other‘. This collection discusses the underlying psychological characteristics (i.e. cultural values) in different parts of the world, as well as what the psychological adaptation process looks like when you encounter people from other cultures and start living in another country for a longer period of time.
Experience new worlds
Since experiencing different value systems yourself is perhaps the only way to really grasp the theory presented in ‘Understanding the Other’, IWANTTHEWORLD also supports you in your decision to travel abroad. In the blogpost series ‘Xperience new worlds‘ several articles discuss the relevance of studying and working abroad, in relation to cross-cultural competencies, personal- and professional development. For example, the articles guide you in understanding the pros and cons of study abroad, overseas internships, study tours and international consulting projects.
Follow your curiosity
Of course you can digest the content in ‘Explore the world’ purely out of curiosity and see it as a fun way to learn more about the world. However, from a professional and educational point of view understanding the different layers (trends, underlying values, actually experiencing other cultures) prepares you for an international career. Such understanding also provides you with a more secure feeling about the world around you, which has become more ‘global’ due to social media and far away events that impact your livelihood at home. It’s up to you how you want to approach this section. Perhaps simple curiosity sparks a deeper need for investigating world issues from different perspectives.
Your feedback
Should you have questions or comments regarding the blogposts, feel free to contact me through this website or my social media account on X.
Good luck on your world exploration tour.
Kind regards,
Erik van ‘t Klooster