GENERAL CURRICULUM TEST OBJECTIVE : 0008 Understand major developments and figures in world history.
Analyze the impact of industrialization, nationalism, immigration, and globalization on modern world history.
The Modern Era (1945-present)
Impact of Industrialization: Industrialization throughout the world changed the way we do practically everything. The production of goods, transportation, and communication became easier and more efficient while increasing our dependence on these commodities. Major population centers shifted from areas conducive to farming and fishing to urban areas where large factories or industrial corporations could flourish. The shifting population also meant a shift in the distribution of wealth, political power and societal influence as the well-being of industrialized areas became central to maintaining this new way of living. This change, in turn, meant that places, which were less or not at all industrialized, became more vulnerable to threat from those that were. Industrialized nations continue to exercise power over less industrialized nations. This pressure occurs in order to control raw materials and cheaper labor needed to feed their industries and thus their economies. Africa and Asia have been particular targets for the raw materials they could provide (e.g., diamonds, oil, cotton, coffee). Scientific and technological developments have most recently combined to create a growing global economy with industrial interconnections throughout the world.
Impact of Nationalism: Nationalism, which is a belief in one’s own nation or people, became a powerful force during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (1700's and 1800's). This belief precipitated several changes in government, most notably in France when the people rose up in a spirit of nationalism to overthrow an oppressive system of government. This new order established a government in which the people could govern themselves as a democracy, but maintain their French identity. Nationalism also brought large groups of people together during the unification of Germany and Italy. This sentiment was also responsible for the colonization of Africa and Asia by European countries in attempts to nourish their own economies as the expense of others. Evidence of nationalism is also present in the waving of flags in the Parade of Nations at the Olympics; the unity expressed in the United States after the events of September 11 and most recently the “Made in America” campaign.
Impact of Immigration: Migration, the movement of people (groups or individuals) from one place in the world to another, has always played a critical role in how humans have survived and thrived. There is evidence that the first humans migrated from Africa to all other continents. Thirty to forty thousand years ago, human beings migrated across a temporary land bridge into the Americas and across the seas to Australia. When people move to live in a country where they were not born it is called immigration. Currently about 216 million people or a little more than 3% of the world’s population live outside the country where they were born. Almost all unforced migration occurs because people are trying to improve their lives. Immigration is a complex global phenomenon with significant economic and social impacts on receiving countries as well as the migrant families themselves. Issues around the expenditure of resources, rights of immigrants and costs and benefits of immigration in the labor force have contributed to international attention and discussions focused on policy and practice. For example, the liberation of Northern African and Middle Eastern nations called the "Arab Spring" contributed to unrest, and even civil war, in a number of countries. Thousands of immigrants have moved northward into Europe seeking more peaceful prosperous lives. However, such large numbers of immigrants have put a strain on the resources of the countries receiving the majority of these immigrants. Additionally, immigrants can provide unique skills and a willing labor force, such as in the United States where immigration to meet these needs is common. The issue, however, remains hotly debated throughout the world, and is commonly used as a political tool to bring favor to particular groups or individuals.
Impact of Globalization: Our world is now deeply connected through exchanges in good, services, and ideas. What happens in one part of the world impacts all of us, in one way or another. Rapid technological innovations have played a major role in facilitating these connections. Technology has also made information more readily available and reduced the degree to which any information is private. People have become more aware of ways in which globalization has become embedded in every part of our lives. Industrialization continues to reach developing countries creating and strengthening ties to nations considered world powers. These developing countries still have high rates of poverty and are primarily in Africa and Asia. Most of Africa is still subject to poverty, disease, and war. In the Middle East ongoing and complicated international conflicts, religious fundamentalism, and various political regimes have led to the spread of radical political Islam. We still struggle with oppression, exploitation and inequality in all parts of the world as well as issues that are both moral and economic in nature. Changing immigration patterns have redefined geographic, ethnic, and cultural boundaries and all countries still find issues of patriotism and identity embedded in social and political discussions. For example, the increase in multiple language options in signage, media, and advertising reflects the changing demographics of the United States.
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