Lecture # 1: An Introduction to
World History & Civilization:
Objectives
1. To Define the concept ‘history’, ‘Culture’
and ‘Civilization’
2. To Discuss the Subject Matter of World
History and Civilization; and
3. To Discuss Significance of the Course to
the Students of BBA Program
Presented by
Abul Kalam Azad
Senior Lecturer, GED, NUB
E-mail: kalamadd@gmail.com
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Definition of History
The word ‘History’ entered the English
language in 1390 with the meaning of "relation
of incidents, story".
History (from Greek historia, meaning
"inquiry,
knowledge
acquired
by
investigation”) is the study of the human
past. Scholars who write about history are
called historians. It is a field of research
which uses a narrative to examine and
analyze the sequence of events, and it
sometimes
attempts
to
investigate
objectively the patterns of cause and
effect that determine2 events.
Oxford Advanced learners Dictionary says“History is the Study of the struggles and
achievements of mankind from early times
to present time”.
The History we read though based on
facts, is, strictly speaking, ‘not factual at
all, but a series of accepted judgments’.
So, on the basis of these definitions, it can
be said that history is the continuum of
events occurring in sequence leading from
the past to the present and even into the
future
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Defining Culture
Simply, culture is the way of life for an entire
society such as codes of manners, dress,
language,
religious beliefs, rituals, norms of
behavior, law and morality, arts, cooking and
food habits etc.
Broadly speaking, “culture is “the totality of
learned” (R. T. Schaefer, Sociology)
The most frequently quoted definition is by
Edward Burnett Tylor (1871). He defined culture
as:
“that
complex
whole
which
includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and
any other capabilities and habits acquired by
man as a member of society."
However, to have a vast knowledge of culture, we
need to characterize the term as follows:
1. It covers whole things of the society
2. It discusses mainly human behavior of a
society
3. It is a continuous process
4. Culture is a relative things
5. Culture is learnt
6. Culture is social
7. Culture is a stabilizing mechanism
8. Culture is shared
9. Culture is transmissive
10. Culture is consistent and Integrated
11. Culture is dynamic and Adaptive
12. Culture varies from Society to Society
13. Culture is super organic and Ideational
15. Culture is the stock of knowledge
16. Culture transfers a man from his animality to
the stage of man
17. Culture says how to behave
18. Culture helps a man develop his personality
Defining Civilization
The words 'culture' and 'civilization' have been often
used synonymously, though they have clearly defined
meanings differentiating them.
'Civilization' means the betterment of ways of living,
making nature bend to fulfill the needs of humankind.
Many scholars defined the concept.
According to MacIver & Page: Civilization is the
whole apparatus of life.
According to Gillin & Gillin: Civilization is a more
complex and evolved form of culture.
Distinction Between Culture & Civilization
Culture
Civilization
Both material & Nonmaterial things e.g.,
attitudes, behavior, norms ,
values etc.
Totality of learned
Non-material part of culture
(NPC) may not be advancing
NPC may not be borrowed
NPC is internal
NPC is subjective (what we
are)
Merely Material things
e.g., technological
equipments
NPC may not be destroyed
May be destroyed
Precise standard
Always advancing
May be borrowed
External
Objective (what we
have)
Elements of Culture
Although cultures vary, they all have five
common components:
1. Symbols
2. Language
3. Values
4. Beliefs
5. Norms
Types of Culture
There are many types of culture from different
views. In terms of content, culture may be
divided into two categories: material and
nonmaterial .
Material culture consists of manmade objects
including any kind of tools, machineries,
technological equipments.
Non-material culture is the subjective things
like religious beliefs, rituals, values, norms etc.
Other Types of culture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural
studies, a subculture is a group of
people with a culture (whether distinct
or hidden) which differentiates them
from the larger culture to which they
belong. If a particular subculture is
characterized
by
a
systematic
opposition to the dominant culture, it
may be described as a counterculture.
Subject Matter of World
History & Civilization
In a general way, the subject
matter of world history and
civilization
is
everything
that
suffers change owing to its
existence in time and space. The
main subject matter of history is
man
and
their cultures
and
civilizations.
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Significance of Studying World
History & Civilization
1. To know the past story of mankind
2. To learn from the mistakes of the ancient
politics.
3. To compare the present civilization with
the ancient civilizations.
4. To compare the lifestyle between the
ancient people and the modern people.
5. History is for human self knowledge.
6. History teaches us ‘man can do what man
has done’.
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