GLOBAL SOCIOLOGY
The Global Village: A Social Snapshot of Our World
The earth is home to 6.1 billion people who live in the cities and villages of 191 nations. To grasp the social shape of the world, imagine for a moment that the planet's population is reduced to a single settlement of 1,000 people. In this "global village," more than half (610) of the inhabitants are Asian, including 210 citizens of the People's Republic of China. Next, in terms of numbers, we would find 130 Africans, 120 Europeans, 85 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 5 from Australia and the South Pacific, and just 50 North Americans, including 45 of "us" from the United States.
A study of the settlement would reveal some startling facts: The village is a rich place, with a seemingly endless array of goods and services for sale. Yet most people only dream about such treasures, since 80 percent of the village's total income is earned by just 200 people.
For the majority, the greatest problem is getting enough food. Every year, village workers produce more than enough to feed everyone; even so, half the village's people-including most of the children-do not get enough to eat, and many fall asleep hungry. The worst-off 200 residents (who, together, have less money than the richest person in the village) lack both safe drinking water and secure shelter. They are weak and unable to work; every day some of them fall victim to life-threatening diseases.
Villagers boast of their community's many schools, including colleges and universities. About 75 inhabitants have completed a college degree, but almost half of the village's people can neither read nor write.
We in the United States, on average, would be among the richest people in this global village. Although we tend to credit ourselves for living well, the sociological perspective reminds us that our achievements are largely products of the privileged position our nation has in the worldwide social system.
Source: Calculations by the author based on data from United Nations and Population Reference Bureau publications.
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