Blog #19

Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam functioned as a transregional culture that spread beyond their places origin. Buddhist ideas and practices spread to the West, while Christianity of various kinds spread widely in non-Muslim African, South Korea, and parts of India. Christianity found some sixty two of its adherents in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Some missionaries from these regions set about the re-evangelization of Europe and North America. Millions of migrants from the Islamic world spread their religion in the West as well. Religious exchange was not only a simple transmission of Western ideas, but a religious pluralism that characterized many of the world's societies.
Fundamentalism; a militant piety-defensive assertive, and exclusive, that took shape to some extent in every major religious tradition. Scientific and secular focus of global modernity challenged the core beliefs of religion by focusing on the unseen realm reality. Although science and global modernity were not the only problem, social upheavals connected with capitalism, industrialization, and globalization upset customary class, family, and gender relationships that were sanctified by religious tradition. Military defeat, colonial rule, economic dependency, and cultural intrusion came at the hand of the Westerners. Fundamentalism represented a religious response. They searched for an alternative modernity that was infused with religious values.Extensive educational and propaganda efforts, political mobilization , social welfare programs, and sometimes violence, were among the means of fundamentalists.
For some people living in Asia, Africa, or Latin America has been a working environment in foreign-owned production facilities. Companies that are in wealthier countries have an advantage to build facilities in places where labor is less expensive or environmental regulations are less restrictive. In terms of child labor, low pay, few benefits, and dangerous working conditions have been called  sweatshops. In Fig.23.1 it illustrates a Chinese owned company producing Western-style blue jeans in Lesotho.