Pre AP Social Studies
Comparing the Cold War System with the Global System
Cold War System / Global SystemPerspective on the globe / Three camps: Communist, Western (non-communist), and non-aligned (neutrals) / Global economic integration and the development of regional organizations (such as the European Union or NAFTA) to aid in competing in the world economic market
Dominant idea(s)
(ideology) / Clash between communism/totalitarianism and capitalism/human rights/democracy / Free-market capitalism/human rights/ democracy (?)
Defining characteristics / Division, barriers, walls / Integration, worldwide communication
Economic rules / The walls created barriers to economic activity (such as trade and direct foreign investment). Governments focused on their own issues, and each one adopted a particular economic system (Capitalism, communism, socialism, etc.) with a particular set of rules / A “global economy” with the spread of free market capitalism all over the place—opening markets, deregulating economic activity, privatizing government run industries
Defining technology (or technologies) / Nuclear weapons / Computerization, digitization, miniaturization, satellite communications, fiber optics, the internet, silicon chips
Defining measurement of power / The power of a country’s nukes—how many times can your country blow the world up with its nukes?? It seems kind of silly now but it was deadly serious then! / SPEED—of communications, of travel, of commerce, of innovation
Defining anxiety / Nuclear annihilation / Fear of falling behind the rapid changes in technology and getting left behind in the global marketplace, environmental fears and terrorism
Structure of power / A balance between the two “superpowers” the US and USSR. Most power was in the hands of governments with the governments of the US and USSR dominating. Others had to work through their governments. / A more complex structure with three overlapping balances:
1. Between governments of countries (like the old system)
2. Between govt’s of countries and global markets
3. Between individuals and the govt’s of countries
All three balances interact. An individual empowered with modern technology CAN directly affect governments and help direct the policies they follow, and the policies of govt’s all over the world CAN affect what happens in the global marketplace (and vice versa)
In the global system there is one dominant culture—for better or worse…American (Please understand that this may not seem to be a problem to people who live in America, but put yourself in someone else’s shoes!!!)
This new system is producing a backlash…the speed of modernization and changes associated with the global system and the increasing amount of Americanization of the globe threatens traditional cultures and customs in several ways including: falling behind and losing in the world marketplace, the destruction of diversity in society, the destruction of the environment, and the homogenization of culture. There are people all over the world (including in the countries who are prospering in the new system) who are fighting back against the system in a variety of ways (some violent…some not).