APEH – Unit 1` – Chapter 30 Reading Comprehension Guide
1
The West at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century
The Western Heritage, since 1300.10th Ed. Kagan, Ozment, and Turner.
Name: _______________________________
Class: _________________
ATTENTION: Read the instructions carefully as you move through this study guide. Please refer to the study guide from
chapter 10 for more detailed information on ID TERMS and DEFINITION CARDS.
MAJOR THEMES / BIG QUESTIONS: (As you work through the chapter, bear these questions in mind. As
you complete the chapter, ask yourself if you can answer these questions.)
1. In what fundamental ways has the European population changed since WWII?
2. In what ways is the feminism of the late 20th century a continuation of feminism of the late 19th century and
in what ways does it deviate from it?
3. Describe the various political movements of the late 20th century and their importance in European politics
and society.
4. In what ways has the role of religion in Europe changed over the course of the late 20th century?
5. Analyze the creation of the European Union: what was the motivation for this union, what has it
accomplished, and what problems does it face.
Reading Comprehension Questions Start HERE!!!
pp. 988-993
1. The second half of the 20th century is marked with continued migration of people. What is the most dominant migration
trend at this time? REVIEW For how long has this trend been active?
2. What peoples were part of the forced migration movement during the Cold War? What groups, events, etc. were
predominantly responsible for this movement and why?
3. What is meant by external and internal migration? To where did people migrate and why?
4. What brought more and more Muslims to Europe in the late 20th century? In what way was Europe unprepared for these
immigrants? Why is Islam now considered a “domestic matter” in many European countries?
5. Describe the overall state of the European population. Why is this a problem?
6. Which political parties were “a major new feature in postwar politics”? Who and what do they represent?
7. Why could European countries spend more money on social welfare after WWII? How did the concept of social welfare
change during this time?
8. Who is Margaret Thatcher and how and why did she “redirect” the British economy?
pp. 993-1001
1. Who is Simone de Beauvoir and what did she advocate? (see Primary Doc. on pp. 996) How was late 20th century
feminism different than late 19th century feminism?
2. There are more women in the workplace than ever before. Why is it that so many women work only part-time?
3. Describe the standard work / life pattern of Western and Eastern European women.
4. What two types of socialist / communist parties were there in Europe after the Bolshevik revolution?
5. Why were so many intellectuals drawn to Soviet communism>? What four events led many to lose “faith” in Soviet
communism?
6. How was Marx reinterpreted to better fit within the late 20th century?
pp. 999-1001 were discussed on the day we talked about Camus’ The Stranger
APEH – Unit 1` – Chapter 30 Reading Comprehension Guide
2
pp. 1001-1008
1. Define the term Americanization. Why did so many European cultures feel threatened by this?
2. Compare and contrast “consumption” in Eastern and Western Europe. What was Western consumption associated with in
the East and did it impact communism?
3. Define the issues that spurred on the Green movement in Europe. What did/do Green political parties stand for?
4. What happened at Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986 and what impact did it have on Europe?
5. What is socialist realism and what was its goal?
6. How did New York City become the international center of modern art?
7. What is minimalism and what role has Rachel Whiteread played in the area and in the realm of historical remembering?
8. Describe the role of Christianity as a leader of opposition in the first half of the 20th century.
9. What is neo-Orthodoxy and what was Karl Barth’s role in this movement?
10. What is liberal theology? Who were supporters of this ideology and what influence did they have on the general
population?
11. What significant changes occurred within the Catholic Church after WWII? Which popes have been instrumental in
bringing about this change and how did they do it? Read pg. 1009./
pg. 1008-1017
1. Create a timeline if the development of the computer, include names of machines and business and the reason why these
machines were developed.
2. How did the Marshall Plan and NATO fundamentally alter the relationship between Western European countries?
3. Create an annotated timeline of European unification beginning with the ECSC in 1951 and ending with the EU in 2008.
(Use the map on pg. 1013 to help you determine who joined the EU and when.)
4. What six issues are identified on pg. 1014 that are causing some tension within the EU?
5. What issues in the early 2000s caused some friction between Europe and the US? What 3 events in 2008 seem to have
helped relieve some of this tension and why?