Shane Kopischke

World History

9/1/2017

History is, in its simplest definition, events that have happened in the past. It is so much

more than this however. History is not just about the events that have happened in the past, it is

the people that made these events happen, the locations in which these events took place, and

everything that has to do with these events that makes them so interesting to study. It is studying

the way that our ancestors behaved and how they acted towards others that is so fascinating. This

area of study provides a nearly infinite wealth of knowledge because as we grow as a society, we

can look back and learn even more from those before us.

The important part about world history versus the national histories is the pure scope of

the course. With courses on national histories, it is much easier to dial in on a specific theme for

a longer period of time, but with world history there is much more to cover in a similar time

frame. World history is, just by definition, going to be a more difficult subject to learn and to

teach. There are also more unknowns with world history versus national history, making the

subject expand more over time as we discover more about ancient cultures.

The issue with world history, however, is that much of the material studied was written

by one group of people. Most historical writings were written by a white European man, and this

creates a bit of a problem when we want to reliably learn about other cultures. Minorites were

not the focal point of most of these writings and because of this, most world history books have a

very Euro-centric view and focus. Even as we transition into a more accepting and diverse
society, learning more about cultures and minorities in our past is difficult because the writings

of these men and women were not looked at with the same standards that white Europeans

works were.

Along with a lack of representation, there is another problem with world history:

textbooks. Usually the bane of the average students existence, the textbook has begun to present

a problem to the teachers as well. The issue with textbooks is that the publishers are scared of

doing anything different. Before publishing a textbook, the publishers will look around at the

other world history textbooks and make sure that what they are publishing is not too radical or

different. They fear change and that creates a stagnant market instantly.

However troubled the ecosystem surrounding world history is, there are still important

lessons to be learned. Easily the most important issue covered by world history is the oppression

of minorities and the conflict surrounding that. From conquistadors slaughtering native tribes to

slavery in the 1800s all the way to race conflicts in the present day, minorities have been publicly

oppressed by the worlds governing bodies for as long as history has been taken. Looking back

on history and seeing how our great grandparents treated other human beings is very important

and will hopefully keep us from ever doing it again.