27 June 2023

What is contemporary universal history? – Learn about the evolution of world society

By Donald

Contemporary universal history is one of the numerous stages that humanity has lived through and the one that is closest to today. It is considered that it began with the French Revolution, since it was an event that had a significant change in society of the moment, inspiring new movements in other societies.

The contemporary era is the one that is currently lived, it has been marked by different intense events that have changed the world and the way of living in society. It has also caused changes on a social, political and economic level compared to the way people lived in the medieval or modern ages.

That is why in contemporary history values, equality, technological advances, education and others are prioritized. However, it also faces difficulties such as economic inequalities, environmental catastrophes, contamination, work automation, among others. Therefore, if you want to know more about this stage in the history of humanity, we will teach you here.

What are the stages of contemporary universal history?

Contemporary universal history is the one that is currently lived and started with the french revolution. In it, very important events for humanity have been experienced, such as the First and Second World War, the industrial revolution, the cold war or globalization. Therefore, this stage is divided depending on the historical events that have occurred, they are:

From the year 1789 to 1799: the french revolution took place, this event marks the beginning of contemporary history, being known as a very important event in Europe. Its purpose was the elimination of the monarchy and the installation of a republican government. This has been a very important moment for humanity because it inspired other revolutionary movements dissatisfied with the form of government to do the same.
From the year 1760 to 1840: The industrial revolution was lived, it is characterized by changes in production and technology. It is a time marked by the mechanization of industrial production, having a great impact on the economy worldwide. It allowed the massive production of companies and an increase in productivity.
From the year 1914 to 1918: First World War, this was a worldwide conflict that involved different powerful countries. Its magnitude was such that it changed history, since many countries were affected, resulting in the death of millions of people and the destruction of various territories worldwide.
From the year 1939 to 1945: World War II, is one of the events with the highest number of deaths that humanity has experienced. From it emerged new power countries such as the Soviet Union and the United States.
From the year 1947 to 1991: The cold war, this was a very important period for the world, since it was a time of military and political tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. The outcome of this was a direct military confrontation, impacting politics and the economy worldwide. However, it is also known as a period of technological advances, an example of which is the space race.
From the year 1990 to the present: Globalization, this has been a process of economic, cultural and political integration worldwide. This has promoted technology and communication between people. It has also allowed greater economic independence in some countries, thus being a very important period of change and progress worldwide.

What is the evolution of world society?

World society has undergone several significant changes throughout its history. Some of these changes they have been radicalshaping the way societies relate to each other and work.

One of them has been neolithic revolution, where the human began to dominate nature. Emerging livestock and agriculture activities.

This caused the populations to be located in a single territory to grow as large communities. Also to learn to do different related jobs such as crafts.

Another moment that had a great impact was the Industrial Revolution, where different changes were made, scientific, medical and economic advances. From there humanity has entered the era of globalization and information, evolving over the years in different aspects.

In political terms, it has sought to have democratic ways of governments since the French Revolution. This has caused a constant struggle for freedom and equal rights to guarantee these values in society. However, there has also been a rise in populism and nationalism with some authoritarian leaders in different countries around the world.

Regarding the economic area, it has significantly transformed its perception of it by taking a capitalist and globalization stance. This has led to an increase in international trade and foreign investment, which has led to an increase in the consumption of goods, services and production throughout the world. On the other hand, it opened gaps of inequality between the poor and the rich.

As for technology, it has had a great advance, allowing connectivity and access to information through the internet. This has allowed a great advance in the education, medicine, science and else. Although it has had positive aspects, it has also created a dependency on technology in humans and, in turn, threatens privacy and computer security.

Socially, a more tolerant population has been seen than fight for civil rights and gender equality. This has brought more opportunities to minorities, however, groups of extreme intolerance have also been registered. Thus increasing discrimination and violence in different parts of the world.

As regards the environment, awareness of the global warming and climate crisis that the world presents, thus taking eco-friendly and sustainable practices with the environment. Biodiversity loss has been intensively fought by addressing these issues globally, yet not all countries take meaningful action on these issues.

How has contemporary society evolved according to research?

Contemporary society has been under investigation in order to understand its evolution over time, especially in technological advances and science. Thus modifying the way in which individuals relate and work.

One of the most notable changes has been the rise of the internet along with social media. This has significantly marked the way to connect and get informationeither professionally or individually. This change has provided industries or companies with a new way of operating, digitizing their processes and carrying out new modes of commerce.

Another aspect that has had a great change is the attitude of people in society. This is because issues such as diversity for gender equality have become very important throughout the world. driving like this equal opportunity for all people, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation.

Regarding the investigations that have been given on society in the 19th century, there are the following:

Evolutionism: This theory stems from Charles Darwin and is based on human progress according to which men evolve over time. This evolution follows a progressive linear phase in which there are no regressions, except in a few exceptions. This theory is divided into uniformitarianism, in which a society evolves uniformly, starting from a uniform line. On the other hand, the unilinear, in which it is believed that a society evolves from a common point.
diffusionism: He thinks that the human being evolves differently in each situation that is presented to him. Therefore, society will be able to adapt in a better way depending on the environment in which it is.
Structuralism: It is a theory formulated by Claude Levi-Strauss that takes structuralist functionalism as a reference in order to understand the reality of society. His point of view indicates that the more changes a culture has, they remain the same over time.
Cultural Materialism: They believe that the best way to accomplish a task is to study the object to which human existence is subject. The issues that are considered can be the needs such as protection, food, shelter or reproduction, under the limits of the environment and biology.

What events stand out in contemporary world history?

Each period of history is marked by events that stand out, it is these that cause changes in the way of thinking and to live in the different societies of the world and also at a political and economic level.

In this period, revolutions and wars stand out they changed the course of history. Some of the best known are the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, World War I and World War II, and the Cold War.

Revolutions, wars, first and second world war

Contemporary universal history has been marked by very important events, some of them are:

French Revolution: It was given by the discontent of the people makes the monarchy and the economic crisis that was experienced. With it, the evolution of the monarchy was sought to install a first republic that had values such as equality, freedom and fraternity.
Industrial Revolution: Spreading across North America and Europe. It produced advances in machinery, transportation and energy. In addition, it allowed the productivity of the industries to be increased, reducing costs, however, it also generated inequalities and labor exploitation.
First World War: The world powers of that time were involved in it. What originated it was the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary at the hands of a Serbian nationalist. This war was characterized by fighting in the trenches and the use of machinery such as planes, tanks and the use of toxic gases, which caused a large number of deaths. The victory of the allies led to the Treaty of Versailles in which conditions for peace and economic reparations were established.
Second World War: This has been the conflict with the greatest damage and destruction in the history of humanity, its origin was in 1939 with the German invasion of Poland, which spread throughout Europe and Asia. One of the groups most affected were the Jews in the Holocaust, with 6 million deaths. With the end of the war, the United Nations organization was created, however, the Cold War began between the powers of the Soviet Union and the United States.