Now that we are looking at the first instance of globalization at work in the Nile-Indus Corridor, it makes me think about the idea of cultural diffusion (or, more simply, one society influencing another). A good topic to consider in the days ahead is how societies influence each other. It’s a topic that comes up often throughout world history: it might be the Greeks influencing the Romans who in turn influenced the Europeans who in turn influenced the Americans; it could be Buddhism spreading from India to China to Korea to Japan; or it could be Mayan concepts spreading throughout Mesoamerica. The cultural, political, and religious influences of the Mesopotamians are profound. Sometimes the relationship is indistinct. Did the Egyptians pick up the idea of writing from the Mesopotamians? What was the connection between the Mesopotamians and the Harappan society in India? What are the roots of monotheism, and how did this revolutionary concept survive and influence other religions? Essentially, what is the stronger force of change? Do societies change because of the influence of their neighbors? Or is and even stronger source of change plain necessity that leads to independent invention (ex/ military innovations because of outside threats, technological innovations because of the environment. REMEMBER: SOCIETY IS MOST INNOVATIVE AT ITS MOST CHAOTIC)? What do you think? By the way, great first week! I can't wait to introduce my son, China, to you guys next week!
9 comments:
I think that all of those things you mentioned apply one way or another..but I think the strongest would be the influence from trading. In the Human Web it went on and on and on and on about how religion spread from merchants through trade. It also talked about innovations such as the camel saddle (?) and others that were spread throughout the world.
Therfore, I think trade helped countries change, due to their influencial neighbors.
Ashley, I agree in many cases trade spread culture to different societies. One example is The Silk Road, which carried Buddhism and other religions along its trade route. I could never agree independent invention was what influenced early societies. They started with independent invention, but communication with neighboring civilizations is what sparked cultural diversity through the world. Europeans had the largest influence when they colonized many many countries and would force their religions on people. They would also force them to conform to their way of living, in cities and complex societies. These influences forever changed the societies they touched. Societies all over the world would become more "civilized", in the European sense. Influences through cultural diffusion, whether it was forced upon societies or accepted by them, have shaped the face of the earth for centuries and still do today.
I believe that the early societies changed mainly on independent invention first, then after developing their own ways they might have traded and adopted new ways. An early society like the one in mesoamerica though had to have a lot of independent inventions before ever even knowing about other societies and civilizations that they could adopt from. I definitely think that after trade and the sharing of ideas started, however, that things were never really the same in the societies because of the new thoughts being spread.
I agree with all of you guys that independent innovation came first,then other concepts like trade, war and technology developed and caused for more innovation. I feel that war had a huge part in this. As we talked about it in class that war was first caused because the nomads wanted to revenge the settlers for taking their home, this caused for more innovations like better weapons. Also, war caused for more military importance. This caused for leaders to lead them through the war. It also caused for the need of men to fight in the war. As we know many men wouldn't want to fight so it caused for someone to force them to go or be put into war. That caused for a revolution in innovation and social structure. So along with trade I think war has a great effect on innovation.
Humans are always looking for ways to make their lives easier, more stable, and more comfortable. Because of this humans are always innovating and looking to their peers for better methods of doing things. They are also looking to be better than their peers, so innovation is constantly happening because of trade, and trade is constantly happening because of innovation. Which is more crucial to the development of early societies? I believe that question is like asking someone if water or air is more important to them. I think both are equally crucial to the survival of a society. If the only way you obtain new technology is thought trade, then you will always be playing catch-up to more technologically advanced societies. But also if innovation is the sole provider of new technology the society may become estranged from outside discoveries.
I think that connection and cultural diffusion is equally the cause of change as independent invention. As new things are being invented to make peoples lives easier(but yet somewhat difficult) are produced peoples lives are changing. There everyday life is different with each and every invention invented. For example, the invention of cars (i know it is a present day topic but the same rules applies for most inventions, even for earlier times). They made the lives of people more mobile so that people can go a farther distance than ever before and in less time, opening up windows of opportunities and other great things. But with it comes more things that change lives. such as the responsibility of cleaning the car as well as changing out parts to make sure its working properly. Also the negative change of a car that effects peoples lives is the dangers. It is a big change for someone in there lives if they got in an accident and became paralyzed or even possibly dead. Now with connection and cultural diffusion, with the connection of trade people back then exchanged ideas to try out ways to see if they can make lives more simpler and to build the economy bigger to gain power. With these new ideas everything started to change from religion to government and how people treated each other.Because of the connection during the years, now all of the world is connect and now dependent on each other causing even the most powerful of societies to be in a vulnerable state. if a society lost its connection to places it would go down hill cause many problems making change important and making both connection and inventions changing a society equally. ... unfortunately
I agree with everyone with the fact that independent invention was the real reason for change, but I also say that cultural diffusion is equally as important. Even before trading or anything else could happen societies/civilizations all had to have their own cultures and traditions in which they lived by. Of course they couldn't pull this out of no where, so they had to create it themselves. But people strive for something better and sometimes their own culture becomes centered around what they find from others. Cultural diffusion improved their way of living and changed their own ideas. Cultural diffusion also, in my opinion, causes competition. Societies want to be bigger and better than everyone around them, so in order to win and succeed they must strive to be the most creative and the most innovative out there. So I think one cannot be with out the other. They are both necessary for change.
since a field of crops can feed a lot of people and a forest with scattered plants and animals can only feed so many at a time. farming can support many more people than hunting and gathering, but came with a shorter lifespan and less quality of life.
There was more population growth in the farming society because there was more food at first and the mother could have more babies at a time than hunters and gathers. I agree with some of the other students that nobody knows where the human race would be if we did not have farming and I think many people wouldnt be here because of famine and starvation. All the other paths would be really interesting to think about. I dont belive civilization crated the worst for us. I think the rulers and power that came from it did. Theses things came from the power: War, crime, poverty, conflicts, and greed. These are the things that made us fall.
As we have said many times in class, humans are lazy. We don't come up with anything new unless we have some sort of pressure. I think that society changes more from cultural diffusion than from individual ideas. We look at a country and say "Hey, that's a good idea!" and we suit it to fit our own needs. Granted, this does take some amount of creativity and planning. The Greeks used Gladiatoral fights and such as ceremonies/entertainment at funerals, and the Romans madde it a sport.
Lora Persyn
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