Time, Change, and Continuity

Introduction

Nothing Stays the Same…

Cultures change all the time. Because culture is a way of life, a change in one part changes other parts. Changes in the natural environment, technology, and new ideas affect culture and every aspect of our world.

In this lesson we'll explore how and why this occurs.

Inventions and Technology

From the beginning of time, humans were hunter-gatherers. Humans traveled in small groups or families in search of food. Around 8000 B.C., people began to learn how to farm the land. Humans cultivated seeds and domesticated animals and this led to the Agricultural Revolution. Farming led to a more reliable food source, and people began to settle in various locations instead of moving from place-to-place in search of food. As people settled, they created civilizations, or advanced cultures around river valleys found in China, Egypt, India, and Iraq.

A large part of the world remained mostly agricultural through the 18th century. It was not until the Industrial Revolution in the mid- 1700's when people started replacing traditional farming practices with machines. From the Industrial Revolution, countries produced food and a wealth of goods through machines. This change led to many culture changes that impacted societies throughout the world.

Sketch of an Early German Factory

In the last several decades, the world has experienced another large cultural change due to the invention of the computer. Computers can be found today in many households and businesses around the world. The development of online communication has changed how businesses operate and how people communicate. People are now able to communicate instantaneously through the development of advanced communications. In addition, new technologies in the medical field have greatly increased the life expectancy rate among societies.

These major impacts on societies have directly affected and sparked a change in culture around the world.

Watch the video below.

Review

Review your terms for this lesson by completing the activity below.

Image of an Arrow

Think About This

As the old saying goes, “nothing stays the same.” Change is constant in the world. The Agricultural Revolution caused changes around the world---some of the changes were positive and some changes were not so positive. The innovations and advances in planting and nurturing crops as a part of the Agricultural Revolution changed the world’s societies in many ways—people’s lifestyles, the amount of food available, people’s workloads as well as their health were impacted. The scientific advances made cultivation and production of crops more efficient and cost-effective. The Agricultural Revolution changed all of the world’s societies in many ways.

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