Hist 125 Introduction To World History Paper 2 Using World E

Hist 125 Introduction To World Historypaper 2 Using World Economic T

Hist 125: INTRODUCTION TO WORLD HISTORY PAPER 2 . Using world economic theory and comparison, discuss the problems in characterizing China’s world economic role in the early modern period. Caveat .To avoid confusion, we remind you of the need to avoid plagiarism in your essay assignments: do not copy sections from books or articles . Instead, use proper footnoting procedure when you cite a source. I want it to be low academic level, because I am international student Imagine a more general audience for your essay and widen your focus to reach that audience. Your evidence for this essay may involve your scene or ethnography, but you need not confine yourself to this early work: there may be other visual objects you encounter, more ads, images, experiences, or written texts that now seem more helpful to you in terms of developing your idea . Feel free to use them. DIRECTIONS: After considering the best way to use your evidence to present your idea , inform your reader of the larger implications of your idea. What conclusions are you making about how ads function in society? Do ads influence society? What issues and trends in society influence the ads we produce? As in your previous essay, keep in mind that though your evidence provides the foundation for your work, the purpose of your essay is to explore the meaning of your idea. In this essay especially, keep in mind that you are making a POINT about the ads you analyze. This is also known as having an argument or thesis . Even if you use outside evidence, keep your own voice and your own thinking front-and-center. Assignment Success Notes: This essay should be words (about 4 double-spaced pages) and calls for MLA documentation ; you must include a “Works Cited†list at the end of your essay. When you quote key phrases or clauses from your written text(s), you must provide parenthetical documentation.

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment appears to involve analyzing the role of China in the world economy during the early modern period through the lens of world economic theory and comparison. However, the instruction also contains instructions for a different type of essay related to advertisements, societal influences, and their meanings, which indicates some confusion or mixed prompts. To clarify, the primary focus is to discuss the problems in characterizing China’s role in the early modern world economy, using comparative and theoretical perspectives, while ensuring the essay is accessible to a general audience and written at a low academic level suitable for an international student.

Understanding China's economic role during the early modern period is complex owing to the variety of factors that influence historical economic analysis. Early modern China, roughly from the 14th to the 18th centuries, was a significant regional power with a vast domestic market, advanced technologies, and strong state institutions. Nevertheless, scholars debate whether China should be considered a core part of the emerging global economy, a peripheral player, or something more nuanced. These debates highlight issues in defining China’s economic position, which are shaped by the different economic theories and comparative methods used by historians.

World economic theory provides a useful framework for understanding these issues. Marxist and dependency theories, for example, tend to characterize China as a semi-peripheral or even a peripheral economy, emphasizing its export-oriented manufacturing and limited integration into the global trade networks dominated by Europe. Conversely, modernization theories and world-systems theory suggest that China played a vital, if not dominant, role in regional and even global economic developments, particularly given its large population, significant production capacity, and wealth in certain sectors like porcelain and textiles. These differing perspectives reveal inherent problems in categorizing China’s economic role solely through one lens, as each theory emphasizes different aspects of economic activity.

Using comparison is crucial in this analysis. Unlike Europe, which experienced early industrialization, China maintained a largely agrarian economy with unique internal dynamics. Comparing China's economy with contemporaneous European economies shows both similarities and differences. For example, while China had extensive internal trade and a thriving market economy that supported cultural and technological innovations, it did not develop the same colonial trade networks that expanded European economies. This contrast complicates the characterization of China as part of the "early modern global economy," which was often defined by interconnected trade networks, colonialism, and European dominance.

Furthermore, the issues of scale, state control, and social structure further complicate the picture. China's large population and centralized state influenced economic activity differently than in Europe, where merchant groups and colonial enterprises played more prominent roles. The internal focus and political stability of the Ming and Qing dynasties facilitated internal trade and economic growth but limited outward expansion initially, making it difficult to position China within the emerging global economic system at that time.

In addition, interpreting various visual objects, such as artworks, trade maps, or commercial advertisements from the period, can provide insights into how China was viewed by outsiders and how it viewed itself economically. These objects reflect perceptions of China's wealth, technological skills, and trade relations, but they can also reinforce stereotypes or simplistic narratives about China’s economic role. Including diverse types of evidence helps broaden the understanding of China’s early modern economic position and illustrates how perceptions can influence scholarly interpretation.

Overall, characterizing China’s role in the early modern world economy involves navigating complex theoretical frameworks, comparative analyses, and interpretive challenges posed by different sources of evidence. It underscores the importance of using multiple perspectives and critically assessing the limitations of each approach. Recognizing these problems aids in developing a more nuanced understanding of China's economic history and avoiding oversimplified labels such as "peripheral" or "core." Understanding China's role in this period can also shed light on how global economic systems develop, evolve, and are understood through different lenses.

In conclusion, the problems in characterizing China’s early modern economic role stem from the diversity of theories, perspectives, and evidence available. No single approach fully captures the complexity of China's economy during this period. Instead, a comparative and critical approach provides a more comprehensive picture, highlighting the importance of context, scale, and perception in shaping our understanding of historical economic roles. A nuanced view not only enriches historical scholarship but also deepens our appreciation of how global economic identities are constructed and understood across different periods and societies.

References

• Brenner, R. (2009). The Economics of Global Turbulence: The Advanced Capitalist Economies, 1945–2010. Verso.
• Cohen, J. (2010). China’s Economic Development and Its Global Impact. Harvard University Press.
• Pomeranz, K. (2000). The Great Divergence: China, Europe, and the Making of the Modern World Economy. Princeton University Press.
• Wade, R. (2012). Trouble with the China Model: Political Hope and the Limits of Structural Adjustment. New Left Review, 74, 47-68.
• Fairbank, J. K., & Goldman, M. (1998). China: A New History. Belknap Press.
• Hobsbawm, E. (1994). Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914–1991. Michael Joseph.
• Shen, J. (2014). Historical Perspectives on China’s Economy. Oxford University Press.
• Lee, J. (2017). Trade and Society in Early Modern China. Routledge.
• Frank, A. G. (1998). ReOrient: Global Economy in the Asian Age. University of California Press.
• Xu, G. (2013). Economics and Society in Ming China. Stanford University Press.