Moving Through Change Essay, Research Paper

Brandon Spelling

May 12, 2000

Essay for Exam III

Moving Through Change

Common people have been through many changes in history such as technological change, economic change, and political change. Common people define history as a period of change.

Technology will always change history for the common people as time goes on. Technological advancements in medicine have contributed to change. Many diseases such as smallpox, measles, cholera, plague and influenza were fatal. The changes in technology have made these fatal diseases disappear. For example, the invention of penicillin and a better understanding of microbiology have advanced Western medicine and public health that tackled these fatal diseases around the world. Millions of people hoped that the new drugs and medical technologies would give them better health and longer lives. Since the technological changes have been around the population in the around the world has increased drastically. For example the new generations can expect to live twenty years longer than their parents generation and newborns could live their lives all the way through the entire twenty-first century. This is why I believe that the common people define history as a period of change.

Economic change will also change history for the common people as time goes on. Communication and business cross national boundaries; global politics are increasingly driven by global economics. For example as economics change through time new markets and economic technologies begin to transform peoples lives around the world. People born today, are born into a world which has been fundamentally transformed by economic change. Millions of people can now obtain a level of affluence once reserved for the privileged few, and their futures will depend less on individual effort and creativity. This is why I believe that the common people define history as a period of change.

Political change will also change history for the common people as time goes on. Political change has brought about political revolts around the world. For example in Europe students rioted and demonstrated for greater freedom against the rigid values of their parent?s generation. There was also change in the United States. For example in the United States, Civil Rights Movement, fear of nuclear annihilation, and the Vietnam War was hearting a new generation on the nations college campuses. This was putting a vigorous new youth culture against the government?s political decisions. Some students took to rebellion and others dropped out turning towards alternative life styles. Under pressure the government finally had the troops withdraw from Vietnam. With the end of the war, the stormy adolescence of a rebellious generation finally calmed down. Change can go up and go down, ordinary people have the power and the right to challenge the authority and change the world. This is another reason why I believe that the common people define history as a period of change.

Common people define history as a period of change. Change can be good in some cases and it can be bad. We would not have history if we did not have change. We need change in our lives with out it we would be board. Change helps us live from day to day with out change we would not survive.