AP World History – general terms

This term can be a loaded issue of historical debate. Who is civilized and who is not? Strictly speaking, a civilization is settled and agricultural. Thus it it able to produce surplus food that can support an elite class. At times, however, the term has been used to separate those cultures considered advanced from those that did not "measure up," especially during the time of European imperialism.

The study of population dynamics. Demographics is important in the study of world history because population dynamics provide evidence of important historical trends, such as disease pandemics, and migrations.

The spread of items from one place to another. In world history, the phrase "cultural diffusion" is used to describe the spread of ideas, such as religions and products, as with trade.

Describes the social roles that men and women adopt. Different cultures at different times have vastly different notions of gender roles. Even within a given society, gender roles may differ between different social groups, such as between the elites and the peasantry.

The study of the way that historians write history. In one sense, it is the history of history. A person examining historiography would look at the way that a Marxist historian, for example, would frame the historical record differently than a person with an imperialist perspective.

The movement of people from one area to settle in another area. Migrations can be voluntary or forced, such as with slavery.

A social system in which the father is the head of family or a system in which men can dominate the social structure.

The division of historical time into different periods. AP World History, for example, divides the course into five different periods of history. How history is divided is a matter of great debate since it, by nature, sets up different dates as the critical division point.

The way in which people adapt their knowledge to tools and inventions. The concept of technology in AP World History represents a major theme of the course.