Posted: September 16th, 2017

Does history and culture follow different courses for different peoples because of differences among those peoples’ environments, or because of differences among those peoples themselves?

The textbook for this course, Culture Sketches, views that culture (beliefs, values, rituals, ideas) is very important and determines how different peoples are. The three National Geographic films listed below based on Jared Diamond’s book, Guns, Germs and Steel, takes the view that environment is the determining factor of how different peoples behave and organize their lives. Based upon your text readings and the viewing of the three films, does history and culture follow different courses for different peoples because of differences among those peoples’ environments, or because of differences among those peoples themselves? In other words, is a people’s behavior determined more by beliefs and values, or more by environment? Your essay should be 400 – 600 words long, and should address the issues raised above. Remember: (1) the essay is not a simple statement about the films, or a straight description of them, but an analysis of them in comparison with, or in contrast to, the themes of the book (2) there is no right or wrong answer. It is an essay in critical thinking, comparative analysis, lucid writing skills, and thoughtful reflection. What are the underlying themes that Holly Peters-Golden is expressing vs. the underlying themes that Jared Diamond expresses? How do they compare and contrast? What do they mean for humanity?