Chapters 22 and 23

Ch 22

Struggles for Independence

                Asia and Middle East in 1940s

                African colonies 1950s-1970s

Empires dissolved into many countries

End of European colonial rule perhaps falls under “conjuncture”—several separate developments coming together at one time…weakening of Europe after both world wars plus the thwo superpowers opposing them.  Additionally social and economic circumstances within the colonies themselves.

 

Independence took varying times from as little as four years to many decades.

 

India – Ghandi was a central figure for independence from British rule.  Did not call for social revolution but moral transformation of individuals.

 

South Africa ending Apartheid

                Independent from Great Britain in 1910

                Under the control of white settler minority (20%) with blacks having no rights. Central figure was Nelson Mandella.

 

Almost everywhere the moment of freedom generated something close to euphoria.

 

Once independent, countries had to choose a political system…communism, multi-party democracy, one-party democracy and personal dictatorship.

 

Turkey – Ataturk sought to transform his country to a modern, secular and national state.  He attempted to try and separate politics from Islam.  Viewed women as equal to men.

 

Iran – followed suite with Turkey under the Shah.  Went in the opposite direction when the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power.

 

Ch 23

World Economy

Capitalists wanted to ensure a good global economy after WWII.  Created the IMF and Bretton Woods System…in 1970s major capitalist countries abandoned earlier economic systems and viewed the world as one single market.

 

World economic growth grew by 10x from 1950-2009

 

Inflated housing market in the U.S. collapsed in 2008

 

U.S. global presence has been seen by some as an “informal empire”

 

Feminism

                Second wave focused on employment and education rather than voting rights

                Global South – motherhood, marriage and poverty

                International – women’s rights are human rights

 

Fundamentalists – cosmic war between good and evil

                Islam prominent fundamentalists of the late 20^th century – Al Queda attacked U.S on 9/11

 

Environmentalists

                Use of fossil fuels skyrocketed in the 20^th century from human activity/human footprint

 

Reflections

                Suffering is a common bedrock of human experience

                Hope is there as well, but according to Strayer, the recent past demonstrates a case for despair…look harder and you can see reason for hope (ending of slavery, people free of empires, women gaining equality, communism brought to its knees)

                Otherness – fearful of difference…our experience is the norm.  We should open ourselves up to a wider world…looking at history through this wider experience is sometimes painful but always enriching.