33. The Contemporary World in Historical Perspective

The approaches to the history of world societies in the preceding chapters give us critical thinking skills to help interpret the contemporary world. Through this lens, we can understand contemporary events and debates as rooted in history and also see those events as subjects of study that we can analyze using the same tools we employ for interpreting the past.

Since the end of the Cold War, many nations around the world have undergone transitions from dictatorship to democracy, and a growing number of nations have pursued free trade. These new experiences have been shaped by past struggles, and they have intensified global connections, aided by revolutions in communications and information technology. Amid these changes, stubborn regional and political conflicts remain in many parts of the world, and the experiences of poverty and marginalization continue to be widespread. But this is also a world in which, as in the past, humans have had the ability to shape, adapt, and transform the problems they confront.