Race Unit
Western World vs. Islamic World
3 Characteristics of Islam:
They study the Quran
Non-secular
Head-wraps for women
Conservative
Strict
Quran
Conflict-driven
Muslim Ruled
Faith is everything
Constant war with other countries surrounding them
3 Characteristics of Western:
Obesity
Fast paced society
Freedom for women
Capitalist Society
Ethnocentric
Religious Beliefs Vary
Allies with the US
Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” (1993)
Professor at Harvard
Wasn’t first to put out a theory like this
But his writing did most to generalize and popularize this idea
Huntington’s Theory
Future conflict in the world will be cultural, not economic or ideological
Between western and non-western powers, and among non-Western powers
Conflict will be between civilizations, not between nation-states
How he defines “Civilization”
Cultural entity; has commonalities (language, history, religion, customs, institutions, self-identity)
Broadest level of identity “I am part of the western world”
7 or 8 major Civilizations in the world
Western, Confucian (china), Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American (includes south America), possibly African (or 8)
Differences among civilizations/cultures are “not only real; they are basic”
Basic: inherent, unchangeable
Differing views
Religion is among the most important thing that separates one civilization from another
Differences don’t necessarily mean conflict of lead to violence, but..
The world is becoming a smaller place
Interactions are increasing
Raise awareness of these basic differences
Calls it “civilization-consciousness”
Become much more aware of what makes your civilization different
Economic modernization and social change mean…
People don’t identify as much on the local level
The nation-state as a source of identity weakens
Identifying around a common religion has begun to fill this gap
The West’s role
On one hand, it is at its peak of power
On the other hand,
3 Characteristics of Islam:
They study the Quran
Non-secular
Head-wraps for women
Conservative
Strict
Quran
Conflict-driven
Muslim Ruled
Faith is everything
Constant war with other countries surrounding them
3 Characteristics of Western:
Obesity
Fast paced society
Freedom for women
Capitalist Society
Ethnocentric
Religious Beliefs Vary
Allies with the US
Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations” (1993)
Professor at Harvard
Wasn’t first to put out a theory like this
But his writing did most to generalize and popularize this idea
Huntington’s Theory
Future conflict in the world will be cultural, not economic or ideological
Between western and non-western powers, and among non-Western powers
Conflict will be between civilizations, not between nation-states
How he defines “Civilization”
Cultural entity; has commonalities (language, history, religion, customs, institutions, self-identity)
Broadest level of identity “I am part of the western world”
7 or 8 major Civilizations in the world
Western, Confucian (china), Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American (includes south America), possibly African (or 8)
Differences among civilizations/cultures are “not only real; they are basic”
Basic: inherent, unchangeable
Differing views
Religion is among the most important thing that separates one civilization from another
Differences don’t necessarily mean conflict of lead to violence, but..
The world is becoming a smaller place
Interactions are increasing
Raise awareness of these basic differences
Calls it “civilization-consciousness”
Become much more aware of what makes your civilization different
Economic modernization and social change mean…
People don’t identify as much on the local level
The nation-state as a source of identity weakens
Identifying around a common religion has begun to fill this gap
The West’s role
On one hand, it is at its peak of power
On the other hand,