Does the “greener grass” on the other side of the bridge really fulfil your heart’s content?

Immigration, the act of entering and settling in a country that is not one’s native (PIE 1996). The revolutionary advances of transportation systems in the 20^th century have greatly increased the number of international permanent migrants worldwide by more than double between 1960 (~ 75 million) and 2005 (~ 190 million) (Bilsborrow et al. 1997, UN 2005). But what is the main cause of this immigration? Is it due to the belief that the “grass is greener on the other side?” Well, for those individuals who have tasted both the “grass” in their native land and in their current land (immigrated to), Sponty would like to find out whether the “grass” on the other side of the bridge is in fact greener than that from your native land and whether this “grass” fulfils your heart’s contentment. In other words, does your current home make you feel happier and more content compared to your old home?

Sponty’s hypothesis for this poll is that although most, or maybe in fact all immigrants, are more satisfied with their current living standards, their heart still remains in their native land. Why? The reasons are similar to Sponty’s reasons in the poll “Sacrifice Mom or Dad to save the World.” Your native land is your first connection with the world. Through it you’ve learned, you’ve evolved, you’ve become who you are. With this, you develop a personal connection towards your native land.

If you are an immigrant, and you have lived in your current home for over 1 year, kindly place your vote below as to where you heart really is, your native home or your current home. The results of this poll will be released as soon as at least 500 individuals have taken part in it. Sponty believes that 500 individuals will make a good sampling population to develop the conclusion. So yes, spread the word. Tell your immigrant friends to take part of this poll. The more, the better!!!!

References:

Bilsborrow, R.E., Hugo, G., Oberai, A.S. and Zlotnik, H. (1997) International Migration Statistics: Guidelines for improving data collection systems, International Labour Office, Geneva .

PIE (1996) Frequently Asked Questions, Available from: http://www.cimorelli.com/pie/faq/emigfaq1.htm, [Accessed 24 June 2008].

UN (2005) Trends in Total Migration Stock: The 2005 Revision, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations.

Source of image:

Unger, J.T. (2006) 3 Billy Goats Gruff Narrative Sculpture, Available from: http://www.johntunger.com/narrative_sculpture/, [Accessed 24 June 2008].

What sex of preference do you want your first baby to be?

This poll is in relation to the topic titled "How to control the sex of your baby" at http://sponty-tips.blogspot.com. Sponty would just want to know what sex of preference individuals have for their first child. The hypothesis for this study is that most would prefer a male child as a first child because:

• females are perceived as the subordinate sex to the males;
• males carry the family name, family legacy;
• father's are the "head" of the family in most cultures;
• males are physically stronger than women;
• males cannot get pregnant at any age;
  
• the chances of males getting raped when drunk is lower compared to females;
• an eldest son can protect their younger siblings compared to a daughter; and
  
• a son (male) is perceived to be of lower maintenance compared to females since they have lesser needs (e.g. less clothing options, don't menstruate).
  

The result of this poll will be released as soon as at least 500 individuals have taken part in it. Sponty sees this number as a decent population to derive a conclusion to this question. So, kindly pass on to your friends and take part!!!!

Source of image:

Andres (2007) Baby names? Available from: http://dreintaiwan.blogspot.com/2007/07/baby-names.html, [Accessed 14 June 2008].

Sacrifice Mom or Dad to save the world?

I'm sure every individual has experienced being asked the question, "If the world is going to end, and you are the only person who can save it by sacrificing either your mom or dad, whom would you sacrifice?" Yes, this is a very difficult decision to make. However, what if this whole incident is really happening? Would you be so selfish and sacrifice the whole world?

The reason for this poll is just for Sponty to find out whether most of those who take part in it actually have a preference towards either their mom or dad. Sponty’s hypothesis to this is that more individuals will sacrifice their dad because they have this special connection towards their mom. Why? Well, our mom’s have taken care of us and have had us within her for at most 9 months. So, this special bond has been built way before the individual has even made contact with the father!

However, when taking part of this poll, think about the question carefully. Since you have the power to save or not save the world, you and your selected parent will become very influential individuals. Therefore, it might be worth considering to sacrifice the parent whom you feel will be able to handle issues of a universal significance! Now, with the world still currently dominated by men in the decision making processes, this is where Sponty believes that the individuals may sacrifice their mom instead. However, the world is changing and women are starting to take up roles that were once thought to be only for men. Therefore, this is why Sponty is sticking to the hypothesis mentioned earlier.

The results of this poll will be released as soon as at least 500 individuals have taken part in it. Sponty believes that 500 individuals will make a good sampling population to develop the conclusion. So yes, spread the word. Tell your friends to take part of this poll. The more, the better!!!!

Source of image:

Jolly, A. (2007) Are Humans nearing a Dinosaur like Extinction? Available from: http://www.spacescan.org/entry/are-humans-nearing-a-dinosaur-like-extinction/, [Accessed 13 June 2008].