Assignments for the science groups

Cultural sustainable development

Culture consists of human beliefs, values, institutions and technology. Culture can be seen in verbal and non-verbal communication between human beings, art, construction, the use of natural resources and in the structure of villages and towns. Development should be in harmony with different cultures.

Have a look at the following website:

http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=1219&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Topic 1 Migration

Groups 1 and 2

Assignment 1 (Groups 1 and 2)

Both Finland and the Netherlands are immigration nations.

- Find out what the largest migrant groups are and how many people they number.

- If possible, try to find out how different age groups and sexes are represented among immigrants.

- Describe the history of immigration in both the countries. (A short description will do.)

- Describe the reasons for (immi)migrants to leave their country and to settle in Finland and Holland.

- Discuss in depth which reasons to stay in Finland and Holland are acceptable and which are not. Give argumentative personal views.

- Discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of having (immi)migrants in Finland and Holland.

- Use graphs to illustrate your presentation

Assignment 2 (Group 1)

Describe the cultures of the largest migrant groups.

Assignment 3 (Group 2)

Compare the integration policies in Finland and the Netherlands. You should cover residence permits, work permits, education programs, social security, the position of refugees and asylum seekers, family reunification and follow-up migrants.

What is the position of immigrants on the labour market?

Compare the political participation of immigrants with that of their indigenous peers. At which political levels can they take part in decision making? Who has the right to vote and to be elected?

How do different cultures show in society (e.g. ethnic food, music, art)?

Do they have their own newspapers, magazines, radio stations etc.?

What kind of problems and social strains does immigration produce?

Assignment 4 (Group 1)

Interview immigrants in both the countries. Turn to your immigrant friends, schoolmates, neighbours and ask about their experiences in the new country of residence. Share your information with the rest of your group. Make sure that you interview people in both Finland and the Netherlands.

You can contact Jie, Zahra, Lena, Wolf and Suzana (a teacher) from Seinäjoki Senior Secondary School at the following addresses:

womppi@luukku.com

zahraqaderi@hotmail.com

leena_r2004@hotmail.com

wolf_enstein@kolumbus.fi

suzana.zegrea@edu.seinajoki.fi

Assignment 5 (Group 2)

Form a group of four people. Work in pairs (one Dutch student and one Finnish student) and debate one of the following statements in front of the whole group:

- Immigration should not be restricted at all.

- Work permits should be abolished.

- Immigrants should have the right to use their own language everywhere.

- Assimilation into the new country is not necessary. It’s better to keep your own traditions.

The audience should decide by voting whose arguments were more convincing.

The following sites might help you with these assignments:

http://eumc.europa.eu/eumc/material/pub/RAXEN/3/emp/NL.pdf

http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Frisians.html

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Profiles/display.cfm?ID=267

http://www.uvi.fi/netcomm/content.asp?article=1945&language=EN

http://www.stat.fi

http://www.mol.fi/monitori

www.uvi.fi

www.intermin.fi (Ministry of the Interior)

www.stm.fi (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)

www.coe.int/.../regional_or_minority_languages/2_monitoring/2.2._States_Reports/Finland_report3_FIN.pdf

http://www.inkeri.com/english.html

http://www.inkeri.spb.ru

http://www.spektr.net/kustannus/fi.html

http://www.indpress.fi

http://personal.inet.fi/private/onairfinland/index2.htm

Topic 2 Other minorities

Group 3

Besides the immigrants there are also other ethnic minorities both in the Netherlands and Finland. These minorities have existed side by side with the mainstream population for centuries. In Finland there are the Sami people and the Romanis, who both have an official minority status, and in the Netherlands there are for example the Frisians.

Assignment 1

- Find out how many people these minorities number.

- Describe the history of minorities in both the countries. (A short description will do.)

- Use graphs to illustrate your presentation

Assignment 2

Describe the cultures of the minority groups. Find out how the culture has developed in the course of time. What about subcultures inside the minority culture, such as youth culture?

Don’t forget to make use of music samples and pictures.

Assignment 3

How do different minority cultures show in society (e.g. music, art, literature)?

Do they have their own newspapers, magazines, radio stations etc.?

What kind of problems and social strains does being a member of a minority group produce?

Assignment 4

Interview people who represent minority groups in both the countries. Share your information with the rest of your group. Make sure that you interview people in both Finland and the Netherlands.