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Continuity & Change
in a Globalized World

Analyze how enduring traditions and transformative forces have shaped societies from 1900 to the present, and learn to identify patterns of continuity and change across time.

AP World History

What Are Continuity and Change?

Continuity
Elements of a society, such as traditions, institutions, or beliefs, that persist over time despite new pressures and developments.
Change
Transformations in political, economic, social, or cultural structures that create new patterns distinguishable from previous eras.

Defining Globalization

Globalization refers to the increasing interconnectedness of the world through trade, technology, migration, and cultural exchange. While long-distance trade networks existed for millennia, the pace and scale accelerated dramatically in the 20th century.

Economic
Multinational corporations, free trade agreements, global supply chains
Cultural
Spread of media, language, food, music, and values across borders
Political
International organizations (UN, WTO), human rights norms, sovereignty debates

Why This Skill Matters

The AP World History exam asks you to evaluate the extent to which globalization changed societies while certain traditions and structures endured. This requires more than listing facts: you must construct an argument about the balance of continuity and change.

The Analytical Framework

TIME BEFORE Political systems Economic patterns Social structures Cultural practices AFTER Political systems Economic patterns Social structures Cultural practices CONTINUITY CHANGE ANALYSIS What changed? What persisted? Why? To what extent?

Continuity vs. Stagnation: A Key Distinction

Continuity Stagnation
Definition Active persistence of a tradition or structure Failure to develop or inability to change
Implication May reflect resilience or deliberate choice Suggests decline or resistance to needed reform
Example Caste system persists in modern India Ottoman Empire failed to industrialize
Analytical Tone Neutral or positive Critical or negative

Categories of Analysis

Political
Forms of government, sovereignty, international organizations, decolonization movements
Economic
Trade systems, industrialization, capitalism vs. communism, global inequality
Social
Class structures, gender roles, migration patterns, demographic shifts
Cultural
Religion, language, art, media, identity, resistance to cultural homogenization

How to Apply the Skill

1
Identify the time period. What are the start and end points? What major events or processes define this era?
2
Categorize using SPEC. For each category (Social, Political, Economic, Cultural), ask: what existed before, and what exists after?
3
Identify drivers of change. What forces (technology, war, ideology, migration) caused transformations?
4
Identify reasons for continuity. Why did some elements resist change (tradition, power structures, geography)?
5
Make a claim about extent. Was there more change or more continuity? Support with specific evidence.

Example: Decolonization in Africa

Colonial Era c. 1885 - 1960s Political: European-imposed borders Economic: Export-oriented extraction Social: Ethnic hierarchies, forced labor Cultural: Indigenous traditions endure Post-Independence 1960s - Present Political: CHANGED Self-governance, new nations Economic: CONTINUITY Still export-dependent Social: MIXED New elites, ethnic tensions persist Cultural: CONTINUITY Indigenous traditions persist

Example: Women's Roles in the 20th Century

1900s
Limited Public Roles
Most women globally confined to domestic sphere; limited suffrage, education, or property rights
1940s
Wartime Labor
World Wars pulled women into factories and public life, but post-war pressures pushed many back home
1960s
Feminist Movements
Second-wave feminism demanded legal equality, reproductive rights, and workplace access
1990s
Global Gender Gaps Persist
Despite legal gains in many nations, wage gaps, domestic violence, and unequal representation continued worldwide
2020s
Ongoing Tension
Significant change in legal rights, but cultural expectations and economic inequality show powerful continuity

Example: Technology and Cultural Exchange

GLOBAL Technology CHANGE Global pop culture English as lingua franca CONTINUITY Local languages thrive Religious traditions persist HYBRIDIZATION K-pop, Bollywood, fusion cuisine

Case Study: The Cold War and Its Aftermath

What Changed
Collapse of the Soviet Union; end of bipolar world order; spread of democratic movements in Eastern Europe; reunification of Germany
What Continued
Great power rivalry (now US-China); nuclear weapons as deterrent; proxy conflicts in developing nations; ideological competition between capitalism and alternatives

Migration and Identity in a Globalized World

Mass migration has been a defining feature of the modern era: from rural-to-urban movements during industrialization, to refugee crises, to voluntary labor migration. Analyze through the lens of continuity and change:

1
Change: Scale and speed of migration dramatically increased. Diaspora communities form across continents.
2
Continuity: Migrants maintain cultural identity: language, religion, and food traditions persist across generations.
3
Tension: Nativist backlash and debates about assimilation vs. multiculturalism: a recurring pattern from 1900 to today.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

✕ Only Listing Changes
Students often describe what changed without acknowledging what persisted. The prompt asks for both continuity and change.
✕ Vague Generalizations
"Everything changed" or "Nothing changed" earns no credit. Use specific evidence tied to a clear category (SPEC).
✕ Ignoring Causation
Naming a change without explaining why it occurred weakens analysis. Connect changes to specific forces (war, technology, ideology).

Continuity and Change: Summary

Category Major Change Notable Continuity
Political Decolonization, new nation-states Great power competition, border disputes
Economic Global free trade, tech revolution North-South wealth gap, resource extraction
Social Women's rights, urbanization Class hierarchies, ethnic tensions
Cultural Mass media, global pop culture Religious traditions, local languages
Technological Internet, nuclear power, space race Innovation as driver of power (since 1500s)

Question 1 of 5

Which of the following best illustrates continuity in the global economy after decolonization in Africa?

Question 2 of 5

A historian argues that the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 represented more continuity than change in global power dynamics. Which evidence would best support this claim?

Question 3 of 5

This passage best supports which interpretation of globalization's cultural impact?

Question 4 of 5

Which of the following is the most important distinction between continuity and stagnation in historical analysis?

Question 5 of 5

A student writes: "Women's roles completely changed in the 20th century." What is the biggest weakness of this claim?