Understanding World Societies:
Printed Page 1027

Chapter Chronology

> CHAPTER 32 STUDY GUIDE

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Now, take a step back and try to explain the big picture. Remember to use specific examples from the chapter in your answers.

THE MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA

  • What are the most important internal divisions within the Islamic societies of the Middle East?
  • In your opinion, how stable is China’s combination of economic liberalism and political authoritarianism? What does China’s history since 1945 tell us about the likelihood of political liberalization in China in coming decades?
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LATIN AMERICA AND AFRICA

  • What policies and practices did Latin American authoritarian leaders employ to maintain their hold on power? Why did so many dictatorships give way to democracy in the late twentieth century?
  • What light do the recent histories of Nigeria and South Africa shed on the challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa as the region enters the twenty-first century?
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THE END OF THE COLD WAR

  • How would you explain the pattern of post–Cold War development in Eastern Europe? Why were some states more successful than others?
  • What forces were behind the push toward greater European unity in the late twentieth century? What might explain the increasing reluctance of ordinary Europeans to support further steps toward unification?
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LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD

  • Compare and contrast the economic relationship between the West and the rest of the world in 1900 and in 2000. What changed? What stayed the same?
  • In your opinion, will liberal economic policies continue to dominate global economic activity in the next several decades? Why or why not?
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