Introduction to Civilization

Learning Intentions Learn the four themes of the course Understand the connections of those themes Develop a concept of what civilization is

Four Themes of Social Studies 8 Civilization Power Religion Power Culture

I. A definition of, “Civilization” a group of people living and working together for the purpose of creating an organized society People living in civilizations have the ability to use tools, work together cooperatively, and communicate with each other.

The five features of a civilization are: Stable food supply Specialization of labor A system of government Social levels A highly developed culture that includes art, architecture, religion, music, and law. Frequently, civilizations also have a system of writing. Within civilizations there can be many cultures

II. Defining “Culture” There are many definitions for the concept of culture but they are generally the same in meaning: group's beliefs, norms, institutions and communication patterns. is a learned way of living shared by a group of people. Cultures can be identified by certain patterns:

III. Patterns of Culture Social scientists use a system of classification to study cultures. This system identifies areas of similarity based on peoples' needs and wants. The patterns are: Economic Political Kinship Recreation and Play (leisure activities) Educational Artistic Religious – we will be examining this pattern in detail

IV. Definition of “Religion”: A religion is a set of beliefs which includes ideas about the following: The existence of a god, gods or special non-human beings The existence of sacred texts How the universe is organized How we should live our daily lives Essential ceremonies or other practices The existence of one or more holy (or other special) people. Whether or not we should have institutions (eg. Churches, synagogues, councils, priests) to support the set of beliefs Why we exist What happens to human beings after death

Cultural Quotes Islam "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself." Sunnah Taoism “The good man "ought to pity the malignant tendencies of others; to rejoice over their excellence; to help them in their straits; to regard their gains as if they were his own, and their loses in the same way.“The Thai-Shang, 3 Confucianism “Surely it is the maxim of loving kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.“ Analects, XV, 23 Buddhism "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.“ Udana-Varqa, 5:18 Judaism "What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the entire law, all the rest is commentary.“ The Talmud, Shabbat, 31a Hinduism "This is the sum of all true righteousness: deal with others as thou wouldst thyself be dealt by. Do nothing to thy neighbour which thou wouldst not have him do to thee after.“ The Mahabbarata Christianity "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. For this is the law and the prophets.“ Matthew 7:12 What do all these messages have in common?

Writing Assignment Write a one page (200-300 word) response to ONE of the following topics. Your work must neatly hand-written, and your ideas should be your own. Topics: Why is it important to have divisions of labour and social classes in a civilization? From what you know, what factors contribute to the demise of civilizations? Why is it important for people to work cooperatively in a civilization? Due: End of class This is simply a quick assessment of your ability to write a short paragraph.