Bringing the World Together One Question at a Time

The following definitions are used in the creation and selection of questions for the Global Awareness Profile.  They can be helpful in preparing students for taking the test, but also in designing learning projects that can increase or improve global awareness.

Socioeconomics or socio-economics involves the relationship between economic activity and social life. In the Global Awareness Profile, questions are drawn in the following basic categories that do not necessarily draw comparisons or judgments but provide facts in the following categories:

• Major industries–formal and informal (legal and illegal)
• Population demographics (life expectancy, literacy, etc)
• Social organization
• Money
• Banking
• Jobs (Employment)
• Poverty/Wealth

Culture refers to the patterns, structures and symbols of human activity and based upon a recognizable and defined social and/or cultural group. Questions are drawn from the following categories:

• Rituals
• Creative Expression (the arts–formal, but generally unique ethnic art forms)
• Language
• Traditions
• Symbols
• Dress
• Norms of behavior
• Beliefs

Geography includes human (built environment) geography and physical (natural) geography. Geography is primarily concerned with major sites and locations, including:

• City, state, nation names and locations
• Natural wonders and important sites
• Important built structures and location

Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions primarily involving civil governments, and includes conflicts and decisions in other institutions. Politics includes social relationship to power and authority. Categories include:

• Political philosophies and movements (Marxism)
• Political parties
• Conflicts and wars
• Peace movements
• People and persons in Power (past and present)
• Influential political personalities
• Major political events

Religion is a set of tenets and practices that finds expression in both personal faith and organized communal organization and expression. For the purposes of the Global Awareness Profile, religion is limited to symbols, rituals, beliefs and practices of major religious movements that are distinct to the religion which may be related to culture, but are distinct to the religion. Categories include:

• Personalities
• Symbols
• Rituals
• Locations
• Sacred sites
• Significant beliefs and practices

Environment

refers to all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth and the relationship of change within the interactions of people and the places where they live and work. Categories include:

• Vegetation
• Animals
• Microorganisms
• Rocks
• Atmosphere
• Natural phenomena
• Natural resources are included in the socioeconomic categories
• Physical phenomena
• Environmental changes and catastrophes

Global (regional) refers to phenomenon that encompasses or transverses transnational boundaries. Categories include:

• Technology
• Global culture, including sports and entertainment
• International or regional agencies and organizations
• Geo-political movements