HIS 121 Written Assignment 1
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Dec 6, 2023
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Thinking about Tradition – The Consequences of Isolation
Catalina Messina
Thomas Edison State University
HIS 121
Professor O'Neill
05/15/23
Thinking about Tradition – The Consequences of Isolation
The oldest highly developed civilizations were independently created in the
Americas and Oceania. Different administrative systems, cultural norms, and economic
structures arose because of this geographic division. The separation also led to genetic
diversity (Witt et al., 2022). Clans, which are the larger social units in a civilization based
on the clan system, are formed by families working together. Individuals were able to
build complex social networks and work together on significant projects using this
technique.
Impacts of Isolation
The Americas and Oceania developed their unique political systems because of
their geographical separation from their neighbors. The rise of the chiefdom is the most
significant. In this chiefdom, a single sizable family or clan has total authority over a
considerable territory. This body has the power to make decisions on behalf of the entire
community. Another key significant factor expansion of commerce (Witt et al., 2022).
Only barter was used to exchange goods and services in the Americas and Oceania. But
as time went on, trade grew more intricate. The expansion of business promoted buying
and selling of goods globally. What is more, the wide variety of artwork created by the
first people in the Americas and Oceania demonstrated their creativity.
Similarities of Americas and Oceania to Africa and Eurasia cultures
The civilizations of the Americas and Oceania evolved similarly to those of Africa
and Eurasia in terms of social structures and political systems. Societies in the Americas
and Oceania were more egalitarian than those in Africa and Eurasia (Turchin et al., 2021).
Their political systems were also more democratic. The emergence of social structures
based on kinship among civilizations in the Americas, Oceania, Africa, and Eurasia is
similar. Families served as the foundation of both societies.
Marriage and other kinship arrangements strengthened the bonds between
families. The emergence of hierarchical governmental structures is another characteristic
shared by the cultures of the Americas, Oceania, and Eurasia with those of Africa and
Eurasia (Turchin et al., 2021). Few people in each location had a substantial impact on
political affairs. The rise of civilizations in the Americas and Oceania did not occur
simultaneously, though. The cultures of the Americas and Oceania were more egalitarian
and had more equitable distributions of wealth and power.
Conclusion
Due to their relative isolation, the Americas and Oceania developed their
distinctive social structures. Undoubtedly, the expansion of clans is the most significant
of these. The isolation led to the development of different political systems and trade.
However, there were similarities such as family bonds and political systems.
References
Turchin, P., Currie, T., Collins, C., Levine, J., Oyebamiji, O., Edwards, N. R., ... &
Whitehouse, H. (2021). An integrative approach to estimating productivity in past
societies using Seshat: Global History Databank.
The Holocene, 31
(6), 1055-
1065.
Witt, K. E., Villanea, F., Loughran, E., Zhang, X., & Huerta-Sanchez, E. (2022).
Apportioning archaic variants among modern populations.
Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society of London.
Series B, Biological sciences,
377
(1852), 20200411.
https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0411
.
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