WORLD HISTORIA: THE ANCIENT AND MODERN EPOCHs
BusinessWORLD HISTORIA
World history is a discipline that examines the interactions of people from different cultures. It covers events that transcend the boundaries of nations, regions, or cultures—such as large-scale population movements, international trade, cross-cultural technological transfer, and the spread of religion and disease.
The study of world history was first formally introduced as an academic discipline in the 1970s by historians who sought to move beyond national and regional approaches to history, but it has roots that stretch back into remote antiquity. The great world religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—presume a unity of humankind; the medieval chronicles of Europe assumed a universal story line for humankind; and speculative theories like those of Giambattista Vico and G. W. F. Hegel presumed a universal understanding of the human past.
The section of World History Curriculum that deals with globalization is also known as “world history.” As a broad discipline, it encompasses international, transnational, and even transregional histories. But most scholars consider it a “world” discipline because it emphasizes a subject area with global significance—the relationship between the world and its varied civilizations.
WORLD HISTORIA: THE ANCIENT AND MODERN EPOCHs
Moreover, it examines the ways in which different international powers interact over time, which is not the focus of international history or the study of particular nation-states. The field of world history also focuses on cultural developments and intellectual exchanges that transcend the national context—such as the rediscovery of ancient Greek learning by Western cultures, the rise of Islamic culture in Asia, and the global impact of the Scientific Revolution.
A key concept in the world-history framework is that of civilizations, which are characterized by shared cultural values and practices that allow them to achieve significant economic, social, and political achievements. World historians seek to understand the development of civilizations across the globe, from their origins to their decline and disappearance.
While the study of civilizations is a major part of world history, it is not sufficient for the discipline to stand on its own. As world history becomes a more prominent discipline, other subjects will inevitably be incorporated into its curriculum—such as area studies (like Latin American history), African and Indian civilizations, and the development of science and technology. As the world continues to become interconnected, it may also be necessary for world-history students to learn to think on a global scale, which is what the discipline is intended to do.
Whether students will find that approach appealing or not will depend on the other AP courses they wish to take and their sense of what it is to be a world citizen today. The Exploring World History Curriculum contains narrative lessons, historic illustrations, and primary source documents. It includes twelve works of literature that enrich the lesson content—and earn the student a high school credit in English. This supplemental text is optional, but recommended. To view the lesson plans and historical illustrations, click on the links below. To see a sample of the student’s review materials, download the free samples below.