Social Structure Essay example

There are many different ways that Africa compares to other civilizations. In this paper, Africa and China will be compared. Trade, Religion and Government, Family groups, and Conquering style will be discussed. To begin, China and Africa were both very powerful at their separate times, and they both had many comparable things about them.

This chapter Chapter 1 gives us an understanding of the three main cultures that interacted with each other as a result of the European voyages of exploration and discovery of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The examination of the political, social, economic, and religious beliefs of Native Americans, West Africans, and Europeans helps us understand the interaction among the peoples of these cultures and the impact each had on the other. Although this interaction and its impact is a major theme in Chapter 1, the chapter also focuses on the impact of geography and environment on peoples and the societies they build.

Native Americans and Colonist had sophisticated differences with so many factors, adding West Africans to the new world would contribute to even more catastrophic events to the three cultural groups during the changeover, the a chronologic and historical event leads to what is known today as the “Clash of Cultures.”

For cultures to coexist peacefully, socially and economically, it is extremely beneficial to understand the core beliefs that exist within those cultures. As already explained, the strong influence that origin stories have on their respective cultures, explains the unique lifestyle that may be diverse and rich in how people groups determine what their culture will look like and represent. A coming together of two cultures with opposing or different cultural heritages, can create more conflict and misunderstanding, given the sensitive nature of their belief system especially when an aspect of the divine or spiritual nature of their heritage is desecrated.

     Out of all of the continents, Africa is the most central. It is told that the first man was found in Africa, so with this, many feel that Africa is the birthplace of human culture. Within this continent, there are many different lifestyles, which are lived. Many blame the variety of lifestyles on western influence, but the truth is that different lifestyles began thousands of years before the west had influence on Africa. African’s

Prior to western expansion in the late 17th century, the Europeans practiced their own unique customs, traditions, and ways of life. Similarly, the natives of the Western world had their own set of beliefs and cultural values. When these two worlds meet, many ideas are exchanged among the different groups. However, going from a racially and ethnically separated world, to a world where these many cultures meet, was bound to create conflict. The Natives of each region of the Americas responded differently to the Europeans settling on their land. The actions taken by both the Natives and the Europeans had a large impact on the relationships between these

According to Baffoe, “culture is the totality of the way of life of a group of people that has been developed, shaped and practiced over the years. The development of these cultural norms and practices are shaped by the environment and the needs of the people” (Baffoe 2005). As traditional societies develop as a result of modernization, the original indigenous practices of the community begin to disappear, and are replaced by ideas from more developed Western countries. Culture is forever changing, and it adapts based on the changes happening within the people of the community and their environment. With modernization, ideas and beliefs that are practiced in Western societies are diffused across the world, setting the standard for behavior that should be commonly practiced in all societies. Modernization in tribal African communities has affected their cultures in such a way that their rich traditions have began to become diluted as they are replaced with .

culture are intricately interwoven; they do not exist in vacuums but rather influence each other in

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.” (Marcus Garvey). In today’s society, culture is one of the most influential aspects of one’s identity. From family recipes to the clothing we wear, it all represents our lives of today and who we are. Culture helps bring out our true identities, brings us together, and makes our lives easier by new inventions.

In China in particular the nation had just taken back their country from the rule of the Mongols. The Chinese despised foreign rule and made every effort possible in an attempt to avoid the same situation in the future. The new ruler of China order that the Great Wall of China be built and created a large army as well as a navy to ward off invaders by land and sea (Sayre, 2010). This created a strong military that would have also been able to fight off the Western invaders should they have gotten too close or the Chinese felt threatened by them.

The concept of cultural syncretism exists when two different cultures combine their ancient beliefs of the past to create new traditions and/or beliefs. There are several cultural factors that influenced both Africa and the Americas such as weaponry, technological advancements, medical and religious. China and India’s values were quite different when it came to cultural beliefs. They would isolate themselves from outside traditions, which made them more resistant to syncretism.

The fatal mistake of those who encounter other cultures is assuming that they are homogenous. Tens of thousands of years of civilization, religion, war, and migration have shaped the

The discovery of the New World brought many irreversible changes not only for the European countries, but to the natives of the land that was being discovered. The sense of exploration began expanding more and more among the European powers. Every time the explorers invaded, they would be more avaricious and aggressive against the natives of the land. Along with diseases and inhumane treatments, the European powers also brought education to the “uneducated” crowds of areas such as India, Africa, and China. The main intention of the foreign powers was to Europeanize the natives of these lands and enslave them into doing the European’s dirty work. To attain such results, the Europeans tried converting the natives’ lifestyles completely. These conversions ranged from substituting the natives’ religion with Christianity, to the way they labored, and to the way they portrayed themselves. All the changes the natives had to go through, are clearly seen in excerpts of Feng Guifen, Afghani, and Gandhi. Each of these men describe the different aspects changed by the Europeans, for instance Feng Guifen describes the education system brought by the Europeans and how that affected Asia. Afghani describes the input of science in Islam, while Gandhi describes the cold heartedness that has spread among the natives and how they have become “civilized.”

The study of an individual as a source of material culture involves the analysis of not only the individual themselves, but also the practices they undergo to continue the traditions that define them. A culture that is not represented through some form of expression, adapting over time to accommodate for the everchanging needs of global society, will fade away. Those that practice heritage traditions passed down through generations revolutionize the revival of cultures and allow for them to reach new audiences. The exposure of cultural traditions to new individuals aid in the creation of better global citizens, causing others to be hyperaware of the differences in culture

After a long, enjoyable semester taking this online course, I gained a better understanding of the term “culture”. “Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts (Live Science).” Being an open-minded person, I have always been open to learning different cultures. Of course, different regions of the world present a very unique way of life. For example; in Cambodian culture, there are three different ways to say “eat,” depending on your age. Taking this course, I learned that cultures vary from region to region. Although time periods have their own government and structure, they are still influenced by one another. Buildings, carvings, and artwork are all similar in some way. Even in modern days, a lot of the architecture, and even technology is influenced by the past. “Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon (Taylor, Palomar).” “It is constantly changing and easily lost because it