World Civilizations - Essay Example

THE CHANGES IN AFRICAN REGIONS BASED ON FOREIGN CONTACT WITH CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY This paper explains which among west, east, and south African regions have been most changed by contact and foreign culture technology. The changes brought about by foreign contact in each region will particularly be discussed as well. These discussions will lead to a conclusion that South African region has been most changed by these contacts since it is named as the most developed area in the entire Africa.
THE CHANGES IN AFRICAN REGIONS BASED ON FOREIGN CONTACT WITH CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY
The changes brought about by foreign culture and technology in African societies can be traced back from the historical Westernization that the continent had experienced from the Europeans. As time flies by, African regions have been establishing contacts with other countries not only with Europe but also with other countries like the US, which aided notable developments in its society. However, the level of development and change still varies among these African regions.
For example, the East African region has little improvement when it comes to its economy. Note that this region has been suffering from malnutrition, starvation due to food shortage and some illnesses which had badly been spreading widely across the region for almost 6 decades now (East Africa Crisis). Steps have been taken to get all the help from across countries. Many articles have already been published both in web pages and print. Call for donations and sponsorships have also gone live on-air and via new, but it seems that relief organizations are still having a hard time finding enough funds to overcome this problem. East Africa has been asking assistance from the US both for raising fund and conducting campaigns to raise awareness of the region’s situation. However, improvement is still at its littlest.
Meanwhile, West Africa in majority is still suffering from poverty, drought, nutritional challenges and difficulty in earning money. But increasingly studies are showing that “sociocultural aspects are playing an increasingly important role” in the development of business in this region (Long, 2011). Reports have been made that China is trying to build business ties with countries located in this region. There are also reports of continuous efforts to connect West African business centers and universities to the rest of the world.
Among the three regions, it appears that South Africa, labeled as the most developed region in Africa, has been the most changed by the foreign contact with culture and technology. According to Connor Septhon’s report, South Africa has a noticeably better infrastructure among these other regions. It has already has highly developed roads and railway lines, national and international airports allowing citizens to travel around the area and between countries. This encourages improvement in trade communications across the world. Also, South Africa’s development covers improvement not only in electricity, but also in water system supply which ensures citizen’s access to water resource preventing spread of illnesses, dehydration and other diseases. Another notable development of this region is the establishment of telephone lines which bridge communication gaps among its citizens and improves communication with those who are at the other parts of the world (Septhon).
Furthermore, it can be concluded that the development of a particular African region is an indication of how much foreign contact with culture and technology was established by that particular area. Hence, part of South Africa’s development may have been influenced by its more visible contact with foreign culture and technology.
References
East Africa Crisis. (n.d.). Retrieved from Islamic Relief USA: http://www.irusa.org/emergencies/east-africa-crisis/
Long, J. (2011, April 24). Status of West Africa: Spring 2011. Retrieved from The Long View: http://www.justinlong.org/2011/04/status-of-west-africa-spring-2011/
Septhon, C. (n.d.). Which Country Is The Most Developed In Africa Infrastructurally? Retrieved from BlurtIt: http://www.blurtit.com/q655472.html Read More