3.2 Changing Worldviews: Historical Globalization


How should contemporary society respond to the legacies of historical globalization?


Think about
When we consider the history of imperialism and globalization, we may wonder. Why was there slavery? Why was there apartheid? Why did immigrants from Europe believe their values were better or more right than those of the Indigenous people? Why did they believe their civilizations were more advanced? Or, were they? Why did they think they were entitled to take over the land of farmers in India or nomadic bison herders in Alberta? Are the Indigenous peoples of the world better off than they were before they were colonized?

History in Context



As you learned in the previous unit, the actions of the past cannot be understood without considering the context of those events. The context is the time, place, and situation in which things happen. Yesterday's people did not have the same experience, knowledge, and understanding that we have today. They did not have the technology that allowed them to see and understand the ideas and views of people from different cultures.

In the past, people from imperialist nations believed the people they were colonizing were primitive and uncivilized. Today, most of us realize that many of the cultures in colonized lands had thousands of years of rich history, traditions, and social development.


Harriet Chalmers/National Geographic Stock

H M Herget/National Geographic Stock

In the future, perhaps people will look at our generation and wonder. Why did we allow economic development to take precedence over the well-being of the environment? How were democratically elected officials allowed to take certain actions without an outcry from the people? Why did we allow sweatshops, outsourcing of labor, or clear-cutting of our forests?

On the other hand, we may also think about the benefits of historical globalization. We may be thankful that democracy and liberty and tolerance for people of different races and religions are becoming commonly accepted worldwide. We may appreciate the greater understanding of the world that multiculturalism provides. We may believe that our connections to the global village make our lives richer and more satisfying.