Essential Question and Guiding Questions
for International Travel
What are the most significant issues impacting urban life within Indonesia?Supporting questions (in no particular order):
--socio-economic status? --religious perspectives? --age ranges and groups? --justice and human rights? --infrastructure: transportation, sanitation, etc.? --industry: type(s) and level of development? --education: quantity and quality? --gender equality: political, economic, etc.? --housing: conditions and locations Resources:Indonesia's Urban Studies -- blog maintained by Deden Rukmana, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Development at Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia, USA.
"Indonesia's urban development challenges" -- article by Tommy Furman, Professor at Bandung Institute of Technology in Bandung, Indonesia, appearing in The Jakarta Post on February 5, 2011. Assumptions:Islam is the dominant religion within Indonesia. Western stereotypes of Islam often generalize that a lack of gender equality exhists within economic, educational, political, and social life within Muslim majority societies. To what extent are these stereotypes valid within the context of urban Indonesia?
Indonesia ranks 124 out of 187 on the 2011 list of countries by the UN's Human Development Index, with a HDI value of 0.617. Stereotypes of those countries, like Indonesia, which are deemed "developing" include not having achieved a significant degree of industrialization relative to overall population, a medium to low standard of living, and higher than average population growth. To what extent are these stereotypes valid within the context of urban Indonesia? Conclusions:Below, linked in PDF format, is Mr. Burton's essay response to the "esential question" he used as an important lense for his international travel to Indonesia. Please keep in mind that contraints on the trip, especially the short period of time, prevented a thorough analysis of this question. While quantifiable evidence may have not be available, these conclusions are supported by that which could easily be obererved by the naked eye.
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