Chapter 23

This chapter was very meaningful in that it put together everything that occurred and its global impact. Cultural influences was a topic that was the most interesting to me. Even though I did not really appreciate colonization, it was fascinating to read about the impact of Barbie and how its popularity reached a global culture. One quote that impacted me was an Iranian toy seller who said, "I think every Barbie doll is more harmful than an American missile." Even though I think that this quote is a bit exaggerated, I do understand the concern. I think that some Americans had similar concerns regarding Barbie and Ken. The fact that they were both skinny and white and unmarried. The impossible beauty and body standards that came from these dolls were harmful to little girls. I was also touched by Strayer's conclusion. He explained how history constantly have a pattern of people suffering and none of us are exempt. Another issue includes having hope and how it seems hard to have being that our environment, global conflict, etc. seem to keep us afraid or unhappy about the future. I definitely agree with his statements because most of us feel torn. We feel torn because we have seen a lot of progress throughout history but have also seen resistance to progress which makes us somewhat uneasy or stagnant. We are afraid to speak up and be active for what we believe are right because of what resistance we might have to overcome. My mind kept racing when I read how learning about history "provide a marvelous window into the unfamiliar, confront us with the whole panorama of human achievement, tragedy, and sensibility, and offer us company for the journey of our own lives," etc. All of this is true. This is exactly how we feel when I walk into class learning and discussing these topics.