The Past is the Future

Religion is our first stop on the development road, being the impetus for many of the first ideas of “progress.” At the religion station, we will consider how changing religious practices shape everyday lives with the cultural norms they create and reinforce.

When was your community established and how does the community trace their [religious] history?

How many religious groups/churches, etc. are present in the community and/or how do people express their religion in the community?

How does religion influence the community in terms of daily practices, interpersonal relationships, politics, etc.?

Is there conflict between community members of different religions?

How do people in the community talk about religious changes?

Are there “traditional” religious practices practiced in the community?

How are traditional religious practices perceived by different community members?

What do traditional religious practices entail?

Education is our second stop on the development road, with the church setting up formal schools in many places around the world. At the education station, we will consider how teaching in learning in new and different environments has shaped daily lives, future plans and fundamental ideologies.

When was your community established and when did formal education begin there? Is it required? Is it valued?

What types of formal learning exist in the community?

What types of informal learning takes place in the community?

Does the community play a role in defining the curriculum taught in schools?

Are children required to travel and/or wear special clothing to attend school?

What outcomes/ideas is formal education associated with?

How do children feel about formal education/how do elders feel?

Health is our third stop on the development road, with clinics and hospitals often following closely behind the school and churches, providing access to medicines and, oftentimes, places to give birth outside the home. At the health station, we will consider how changing healthcare opportunities have influenced new ways of viewing the body and wellness in general, in addition to what this access to type of care has meant to the health of community members.

Where do community members go for healthcare and what influences those healthcare decisions?

What are common health problems in the community and are these problems considered “old” or “new” health problems?

What healthcare is prefered? Are healthcare preferences available?

What words are used to describe healthcare choices?

What impacts of healthcare changes have you noted?

Are their traditional healers in the community and how are traditional healers perceived?

Food is the fourth stop on the development road, with changing diets happening at many places along the development road. At the food station, we will consider how changing ways of producing and consuming food has affected social life, health, the environment, ecomonics and, even, identity.

Describe a typical diet.  What factors (historical, environmental, political) influence this diet?

What impacts of changes in food availability have you noted and what specifically has facilitated these changes?

Would the typical diet be considered a traditional diet?

How are “traditional” foods discussed?  What words are used?

Are “traditional” foods assigned value or a certain status?  On what basis?

How are packaged or processed foods discussed?  What words are used?

Are packaged foods assigned value or a certain status?  On what basis?

Infrastructure is the fifth stop on the development road and a key element to the development process, facilitating the transportation of the materials and resources necessary for the changes to take place. At the infrastructure station, we will consider the impacts of these fundamental, long-term changes.

Describe the history/trajectory of changes in your community related to infrastructure- roads built or modified, electricity or water services provided, etc.

How are changes in infrastructure discussed in the community and what benefits have these changes brought in terms of community-perceived need?

Who facilitated these infrastructure changes?  Who financed them?

What negative repercussions have resulted from these changes?

Environment is the sixth stop on the development road, with changing land use as a central focus on the development process. At the environment station, we will consider how cumulative changes related the the forces of infrastructure, food, and others have impacted how people interact with their environments and what changing environments mean for the communities living in them.

Describe how land was used in the community historically and how it is used now.

What natural resources are available and how are they managed?

How is land ownership determined?

Does your community have a say in the management of natural areas and parks?

Economics is the last stop on the road of development, highlighting the more gradual changes brought about through development processes. At the economics station, we will consider the extent to which all-pervasive economic systems have impacted the social lives of individuals.

Describe the economic system that has been used historically in the community and describe the timeline for changes in that system.

What do community members talk about as the benefits and weaknesses of the economic system and any changes?

Describe similarities/disparities in income in the community and the social results of these similarities/differences.