9.7 - Acceleration: Demographic, Political, and Technological

Lesson Purpose

The modern era has been marked by rapid growth in population and massive political changes around the world. Demography is a useful analytical tool for studying these changes, and helps to give us a global perspectives on human history. Since the end of World War II, over 50 new nations have developed around the globe. Understanding why and how these nations have emerged is vital to understanding today's world politically and economically. It also shows the importance of human rights around the world and how people have managed to gain them. In this lesson, you will use a variety of primary source materials and data to help understand the accelerating change we have witnessed in the past 100 years.

The outcomes of this lesson are: 1.) To understand and be able to use demography as an analytical tool for understanding history; 2.) To explain how nationalism, revolutions, and sovereignty have led to political changes and human rights movements around the world.

Activity 1 - Comparing Most Populous Cities by Century: 1500 to Present

Activity Objectives
In this activity, you will look at the 10 most populous cities in the world over time to consider worldwide historical patterns. Demography is a useful analytical tool in history that is often overlooked. Looking at population patterns can help us take a global perspective on human history rather than just looking at particular regions and the history of those areas.

Activity Tasks

Examine the population data and answer the questions on this worksheet and then answer the questions that follow:
1. What causes population to increase?
2. What causes changes in birth and death rates?
3. What might explain fluctuations in specific regions?

Activity 2 - "And then Gandhi came: Nationalism, Revolution, and Sovereignty"

Activity Objectives
In this article, Ravi explains that since the end of World War II, 50 new nations have developed around the globe. Understanding why and how these nations have emerged is vital to understanding today’s world politically and economically. It also shows the importance of human rights around the world and how people have managed to gain them.

Activity Tasks

Read the article "And Then Ghandi Came" and try to answer these questions:
1. What does Benedict Anderson mean when he says that nationalism is imagined?
2. What does Anderson mean when he says the nation is imagined as sovereign?
3. How does Anderson define community in his writing?
4. What was the turning point that started India’s move toward independence from the British?
5. What does Nehru say that Gandhi did to help India become independent?
6. What was the Quit India movement?
7. How do the concepts of nationalism, according to Benedict Anderson, apply to India?
8. Discuss - In the article, Ravi outlines the strategies for nonviolent revolution as put forth by Gandhi. If a country were to use these same strategies in today’s world, do you think they would succeed? Why or why not?

Activity 3 - Declaration of Rights Document Collection

Activity Objectives
You will read a number of declaration of rights documents that different nations produced as part of their move to become independent and free. These documents all include references to a source of government or power, individual rights, accountability of leaders or government, and information about the structure of governments. Understanding the similarities and differences between the types of rights people sought around the world helps us understand the rights that many nations have today.

Activity Tasks

On this worksheet are five different rights documents which outline the freedoms that different countries thought they should have at different points in history.
Read each document and answer these questions for each one:
1. When was this document put forth?
2. Where did this occur?
3. What is the document declaring freedom from?
4. What does the nation want? In other words, what are they asking for or proposing?
Discuss - While these human rights documents are similar in many ways, each has nuances particular to itself. If you could choose which document governed your country’s laws, which rights document would you choose and why?

Activity 4 - Comparing Rights Documents

Activity Objectives
In this activity, you will compare rights documents from around the world. Comparing the movements that produced these documents can show you what makes people similar around the world, especially with regard to their human rights. This can also show us where people differ, and how different cultures may place value on certain things that other nations do not. This helps us understand the cultural and political climates of other countries today.

Activity Tasks

Look at the Rights documents from Activity 3 and fill out the chart on this Comparing Rights Documents Worksheet.
For the Legal, Social, and Economic rights provide at least one example of each if you can.
Discuss - Do you think the types of rights people have declared have changed over time? Does it seem like these documents are building upon one another or are they unique to each country?

Activity 5 - Democratic and Independent States Timeline

Activity Objectives
In this activity, you will use the declaration of rights documents and some research to create a timeline that shows when different nations became independent. Mapping these independence movements on a timeline can help you see historical trends related to human rights, which provides a lot of perspective on how countries have developed socially over time, and why some countries seem more progressive than others.

Activity Tasks

You’re going to take the declaration of rights documents you compared in the last activity in this lesson and place the date of their occurrence on this timeline. You must:
1. Label the date of the movement.
2. Name the country declaring its rights.
3. Add a few bullet points about the main ideas put forth in each rights document.
After you’ve added those items to the timeline, do some research and add three additional independence movements. Try to find three that all occurred on the same continent. For example, you might look at Africa and what happened when those African nations declared independence from the British and other colonisers.
Finally, write a few sentences about the trends you see when looking at this timeline.