Adam Mast Middle East Class Blog

  The “Others” in our Communities by: Adam Mast Last week, my blog discussed my narrowed worldview, and featured a broader discussion of the effect certain environments can have on one’s life. As mentioned previously, I grew up in a small, slightly-rural, suburban town called Harleysville, located 40 minutes outside of Philadelphia. Growing up in this town admittedly provided me with a narrowed point of view, but I hope to have done work to undo the narrowed perspective and widen my view of the world.   A map of Harleysville, Pennsylvania      In Harleysville, the religious makeup is predominantly Christian, split between Protestant and Catholic. There is also a strong population of Evangelical Christians,  a movement of protestant Christianity devoted to more traditional and conservative values, with a focus on being “born again” after you proclaim your loyalty to god. Both sets of my grandparents consider themselves Evangelical Christians and t...

Where I live; Where They Live By: Adam Mast Coming from a small, slightly rural, suburban town in Pennsylvania, has undoubtedly left me with a narrowed perspective of the world. I am cognizant of this, but on some occasions, it becomes even more obvious. This was the case on Tuesday when my International Relations of the Middle East and North Africa course met virtually with students who attend the American University of Sharjah (AUS). After this session, it was reiterated that my scope of the world can be limited.   The American University of Sharjah The AUS student that I was paired with was born in Dubai and has lived there her entire life. She expressed her love for urban environments, as they provide her with seemingly infinite new activities to try and people to meet. She explained that when she visits more rural areas, she feels overwhelmed by the lack of things to explore.   Dubai   Growing up in a more rural, small town in Pennsylvania, I though...