Welcome to the World of WORLD CULTURES There

Welcome to the World of WORLD CULTURES There are five fields of learning in social studies. We learn about the world and its people by studying: - geography - history - economics - government - culture A Mongolian yurt, complete with a satellite television dish.

The Peoples of the World Getting Along with Each Other (OR NOT? ) • Knowledge of other societies is the key to understanding them • Knowledge of other cultures increases with: - advances in communication (the Internet) - advances in transportation (high-speed aircraft) - international trade - immigration

History and Geography History • History is a record of the past; the past shapes the present The Five Themes of Geography • Geography is the study of people, places, and the environment • The study of geography focuses on five themes: - location - region - place - movement - human-environment interaction

Government How Countries Govern • Every country has laws—rules that govern behavior • Every country has ways to govern itself • Government makes and enforces laws Limited and Unlimited Governments • Limited—everyone obeys laws, including rulers • Unlimited—rulers have absolute authority over everyone, everything Continued. . .

Government continued Citizenship • Citizen—a legal member of a country with rights and duties • Two ways to achieve citizenship: - born in country - naturalization

Economics The Study of Resources • Economics—the study of how people manage resources • Scarcity—conflict between unlimited desires and limited resources Resources • Economists identify three types of resources: - natural: gifts of nature - human: production skills - capital: goods and services produced

Kinds of Economies Command Market Economies • Command—government decides prices and what and how much to produce • Market—companies use consumers to determine prices and production Levels of Development • Countries with high levels of economic development have: - education, health, employment, services, technology • Countries with low levels of economic development have: - poor services, low employment, low literacy, low life expectancy

Culture Ways of Living • Culture—shared beliefs, customs, laws, art, ways of living • Culture traits—those specific things people share

Many Regions, Many Cultures The world can be divided into regions according to culture.

Many Regions, Many Cultures Different Places, Different Cultures Regions of Culture • Culture region—geographic area in which people share common: - beliefs - history - language - religion - technology - work - food - clothing - shelter Continued. . .

Different Places, Different Cultures The World’s Culture Regions • The world has seven culture regions: - U. S. and Canada - Latin America - Europe and former U. S. S. R - North Africa and Southwest Asia - Africa south of the Sahara - South Asia - East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands Continued. . .

Different Places, Different Cultures Culture Regions Change • Culture regions change as they borrow traits from one another • Interdependence—culture regions depend on one another economically • Events in one culture region affect other culture regions • Advances in technology, communication have increased interdependence