Storytelling assignments
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ONE PAGE ASSIGNMENT
Contribute to the WIKI
1)please put all ‘felt sense questions on the wiki
2)where the notes have survived, please put the story illustrating these questions on the wiki
GROUP Daan, JuanCarles, Katsuya, Lars and Ute
- Felt sense questions
Lars: Why are som many people in Denmark so scared of Denmark being or turning into a multicultural society?
Ute: Why do people in Germany think so negatively about the consequences of the economic downturn and why do they not believe in their own influencing power?
Daan: Why are people in the Netherlands increasingly collectively depressed after a disaster or accident that takes place in society?
JuanCarles:...
Katsuya: Why do people in Japan tend to consider world real pain as a virtual one or somebody else's problem?
- Story
A Japanese travelling around the world. He first arrives in Denmark. What do the people say here?
The Japanese arrives in Denmark. Thrilled and enthused by the great countryside, the clean and small country, Lego, the little mermaid, and the beautiful cities, he turnes to a Danish person and asks: "I really enjoy your country and I would like to stay here permanently! Is that all right with you?". The Dane hesitates for a moment and then responds: "You know, I would really like to help, but I'm somewhat scared of you. You don't look like us, you don't talk like us, you don't have the same habbits and not even God knows what kind of damage you can cause in our country. It is probably better that you spend some time here as a tourist, take many photos and enjoy our hospitality. You are more than welcome to do that, but then you need to move on and leave again! Why don't you try our friends downs souht, the Germans. They are friendly to foreigners .... I think?
Then he decides to go to Germany. He assumes that everything will be in order there and he is looking forward. But unfortunately the economic downturn has influenced the people severely. Everyone is complaining about the difficulties to find and maintain a job, to have enough money and to secure the overall wealth. People fear the consequences of the downturn so much that they are all in a deep depression.
Then the Japanese traveler asks: “Where should I go next?” The German responds that he should go to the Netherlands, since that country is well known for its hospitality, tolerance and open-mindedness. The Dutch would definitely welcome him friendly and treat him in a good manner. The Japanese traveler thus takes the train to the Netherlands and sees from the window a flat and green landscape. And many cows. He gets off in Amsterdam and walks from the railway station towards the city center, the Dam. A couple of hundred meters later he gets stuck in a massive crowd, all cheering and making a lot of noise. Strange the traveler thinks, and he asks a person what is going on in the city. “Is there a party or something?” “No, to the contrary” the Dutchman says. “We are all protesting as someone was shot today because he spoke for what he thought (filmmaker Theo van Gogh was killed by a Muslim fundamentalist). Apparently, people don’t have the freedom of speech anymore in Holland. Therefore, we are angry!” The Japanese then asks: “Do you think it would be wise for me to stay here?” The Dutchman responds that in his opinion he should immediately leave as this country is not as tolerant as it used to be. Strange, the traveler thinks, a country with such a reputation in such depressed mood.
“So, where should I go next?” he asks. The Dutchman responds that he should go to South, Spain, since in that country the sun always shines and life is good. Thus the Japanese traveler takes the plain to Madrid to get some positive energy. No knowing what to expect and experience he met a spanish person during his visit to the coutry. The Spanish told him that he was pretty disapointed of the recent news he got from the newspaper. Some terrist attack was prepared some days ago, and as a consequence a person die. All the media attention was in this poor victim, and a lot of politicians were discussing on the last days what to do to improve the situtation and to finnish the activity of the terrorist group ETA. But the Spannish man was reflecting about the value of the life, because at the same time that this victim of the terrorism died, other hundreds of persons die on subdevelop countries as a counsequence of lack of basic medice and food, and they do not get any attention and any european politician is speaking about them. The Japanese understood that was not environment that he wanted for the furute.
Finally he goes back home to Japan. Life, it seemed to him, was very safe and secure in Japan. However, he has found that Cabinet Office survey was showing that 55.9% of Japanese thought that Japan was not a safe or secure country to live in anymore. For example, it is common knowledge among Japanese people that crime in Japan has been increased and drugs in Japan are fast becoming a social problem. Moreover, according to the Japanese government, if present population trends continue, by the end of the next millennium, Tokyo will be a ghost town, and Japan will be empty. The country's population will be just 500 by the year 3000, and just one by 3500. When that person dies, the Japanese nation will be no more - a mathematical CERTAINTY if Japanese women carry on having just 1.4 children each on average. He really wants to know what will happen in future Japan and in the future world. (to be continued in the scenario thinking)
Group: Eser, Stian, Amedeo, Edo, Katsushi and Frederik
Felt-sense questions:
Eser: What are the potential cultural and social risks that will be faced by small countries, as a result of their membership of large, highly developed and individualistic communities.
Edo: Why do people, even in the most developed communities, insist to vote for incapable administrators and governors?
Amedeo: Why can't people see incapability and selfish attitude of governors that affect the fate of huge populations?
Stian: Why are people so self-centered and unwilling to try to make other people's lives easier in the Netherlands, especially if they are actually working in service positions?
Katsushi: Why do people have severe security issues even in less developed countries like Papua New Guinea?
Frederik: Why do people in less developed countries/communities seem to have more respect than people in very developed societies?
STORY:
There was a young girl who has grown in a small village, living in a society where everyone knew each other. In this society they were not very rich, so things that happened to one person felt like it happened to all the people. Because of this, they all took great care of each other, and everyone was feeling safe and relaxed. Everyone was trying to help other people, and if you asked someone for help, they would never say no or tell people to do it themselves.
Her village was the nicest place on earth, with a nice and warm climate and a sky that always seemed to be blue, and the girl was very happy there. But she kept hearing stories about the amazing life in the big and developed city not too far away. Although she liked her life in the village, in the end she was so curious about the big city that she decided to move there to experience that magical life. However, starting a new life in the city was not as easy and comfortable as she expected.
She soon had to ask for help, and she went to the city hall, where all the administrators of the city resided. But when she asked them for help, she had the feeling that because her dialect was different, they did not want to help her, and all they said was "we do not do it like that", or "that is not my responsibility". This made her very sad, as she was used to people being considerate of each other, and she could not understand it. She heard so much nice things about the city, so why were they treating her like this?
After some time in the big city, she felt she could not take it anymore, and decided to go back to her small village. Happy to return to the safe environment she knew and loved, she started feeling a bit uncomfortable when she was getting near her village. There were so many loud noises, and it seemed people were more focused on their own benefits than they were when she left. It seemed some of the villagers that had also gone to the big city had become very wealthy, and some other villagers that had also gone to the city had become very poor. This caused grievances, and she was very afraid when she heard that some people had been attacked and robbed in the middle of the main street. That would never have happened before, she thought.
Being afraid of these things, she went to the village administration to talk to them and see what she could do to help. She entered the office of the counselor, but did not recognize any of the people there. So she asked a man passing by where she could find the counselor, but he just looked at her and said "I don't know" and went into another room. Surprised by this, she knocked on the door to the nearest office and approached the woman behind the desk. She said she was frightened about what had happened to the village and wanted to talk to someone about what she could do. The woman behind the desk asked her to fill out a form, but the girl said she just wanted to speak to someone. "Sorry", said the lady, "we don't do it that way. It's not my responsibility".
Discouraged and unhappy, the girl went outside. She felt it was getting chilly and pulled her coat tighter around her. As she huddled down the street, she felt raindrops hitting her head and running cold down her neck, and as she looked up at the now grey sky, she wondered if she would ever find her home again.
Group: Claudie, Lucia, Luis, Kelly, Mari, Mike
Felt-sense questions:
Claudie: Why do French people have a tendency to be pessimistic and complain about life even if they enjoy it?
Mike: How is it possible that in the US wealthy, educated and upwardly mobile people live literally accross the street from poor, uneducated people who have lost hope entirely and yet the two never interact and never really influence each other?
STORY:
Paul walks around Oasis Green, a suburb outside of Urbanville, in his Louis Vuitton Kevlar bubble. Paul and his girlfriend, Sally, always wear their bubbles since now there is the constant threat of being shot by terrorists or their unprivileged neighbors, not to mention the skin-eating acid rain and cancerous UV rays. Inside their designer bubbles, they throw “live for the moment” parties, complete with champagne and caviar. Since they never know when the end might be, they live for today and enjoy the moment.
Their political leader, Narciscos Machiavellius, encourages this fear of everything everywhere since his family owns the exclusive worldwide patent to Kevlar and is currently running the only factory in the world producing the in-demand Kevlar bubbles.
On the other side of Paul and Sally’s street, Division Street, lives Dishon Jones. Dishon does not wear a designer Kevlar bubble, but instead bought his bubble at the dollar store on the corner. Dishon and his friends are throwing back 40s of Colt 45 (malt liquor) in their own version of a “live for the moment” party. They cower in a corner on the sidewalk because they do not want to put their bubbles to the test -- everyone knows that bubbles from the dollar store are only about 5% Kevlar at best. It starts to rain, and Dishon pours Colt 45 on his burns from the acid rain that is eating through his $.99 blue-light special bubble….
Group : Kentaro, Ricardo, Miguel, Taro
Felt-sense questions:
Taro: Recently there are a lot of internet discussion board where any one can write as being anonymous. Anyone can put anything such as private information, confidential information of company, personal attacks, etc. The phenomena may change the country drasatically...
Ricardo: In Peru, it is difficult to understand why people fight each other not only across the different social classes (because of the wide gap between rich and poor people), but also within each social class (sometimes due to the envy, the need of money and create a differences –sub classes-)
Ken: I also think Internet changes the way world exists. Annonymous internet board is a kind of threat to not only individuals but also companies...
Miguel: In Venezula, government divided people in two groups with a certain political reason. Each group is fighting always, which creates social anziety in Venezuela. I do not know what is going on from now on...
Story
Now, people in anywhere in the world are separatng because of many reasons. In Japan, anonymous people in internet are attacking a specific individual or company in discussion board. Many rumors flows from the website, but no one knows the information in the website is true or not. Some famous professor in reputational university in Japan was forced to resign because his secret love affair with his student was disclosed in website. Some company lost its faith because some unsatisfied employees disclose secret information of the company on the internet. Because of anonymous attack on the internet, people are getting nervous and doubt gnaws at even colleagues working together. People are getting divided.
Even in another part in the world, people are getting divided. In Venezuela (like almost all countries in Latin America) the current president (a Dictator) is trying to get a new way to still divide the society and get the polarization needed for remaining in the government for many, many years. Since his past moves were detected by the society (and the opposition), this Dictator, once he knew about the Japanese website, traveled to Asia to have a meeting with two of the owners of this Japanese site and see the form to apply it to the Venezuelan reality.
ONE PAGE ASSIGNMENT FOR EVERYONE
3)Look at all the sayings, unwritten laws, questions for the Oracle and your own group’s “felt sense” questions and story.
4)What are the critical research questions you need to ask as you shape your scenario work?
Please put your research questions here. Research questions