1. Introduction to Civilization

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

3. Four Themes of Social Studies 8
Civilization
Power
Religion
Power
Culture

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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:

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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?

10. Writing Assignment
Write a one page ( 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.