The World History Environment and Periodization h 57AP World History Themes
In each of these six periods, there are fi ve broad themes that the course emphasizes. These are:- Human-environmental interaction: disease and its effects on population, migration,
settlement patterns, and technology - Cultural development and interaction: religions, belief systems, and philosophies; sci-
ence and technology; and the arts and architecture - State-building, expansion, and confl ict: political structures and forms of government;
empires; nations and nationalism; revolts and revolutions; and regional, transregional,
and global organizations and structures - Creation, growth, and interaction of economic systems: agriculture and pastoralism,
trade and commerce, labor systems, industrialization, and capitalism and socialism - Development and change in social structures: gender roles, family and kinship relations,
race and ethnicity, and social and economic class structures
Civilization Versus Society
Another consideration in the AP World History course is the role of societies as well as
civilizations. Historians commonly defi ne a civilization as a cultural group that displays
fi ve characteristics:- Advanced cities
- Advanced technology
- Skilled workers
- Complex institutions (examples: government, religion)
- A system of writing or recordkeeping
Not all peoples on the earth live in cultural groups that meet these fi ve criteria. Yet inhabit-
ants of societies (cultural groups that do not satisfy all fi ve characteristics of a civilization)
also have made signifi cant contributions to the course of world history. One example is that
of the highland people of Papua New Guinea, many of whom lack a written language even
today, yet who count among the earliest farmers in the world.Independent Invention Versus Diffusion
Still another consideration in the Advanced Placement World History course is the ques-
tion of whether cultural diffusion or independent invention is the more signifi cant
method of exchange. For example, in Chapter 6 of this study guide, you will read of the
spread of agriculture throughout the globe. In this case, it is the task of the historian to
investigate where agriculture arose independently, in addition to tracing its diffusion, or
spread, through the migration of agricultural peoples. Also, contact of migratory peoples
with one another was responsible for the exchange of ideas and technological inventions in
addition to the knowledge of agriculture. Patterns of independent invention compared to
those of cultural diffusion will remain a thread woven throughout the story of humankind.http://www.ebook3000.com