Summary Of Frameworks Of World History By Stephen Morillo

In Frameworks of World History, Stephen Morillo explores the changes to his concepts of hierarchy, network and cultural frames caused by colonization and decolonization from the late Agrarian Age to the modern globalized era. Morillo describes how the Agrarian Age’s expansion of maritime connections introduced a further-reaching globalized network, and consequently, led to a competition for dominance in the network and colonization for the acquisition of economic resources by European powers during the Late Agrarian and Industrial Ages. Furthermore, Morillo explains the shifts in hierarchy, network, and cultural frames resulting from colonization that influenced the process of decolonization and independence movements that would later characterize

Rather than creating new network connections, imperialism built upon the preexisting connectivity to the global network established during the late Agrarian Age. Additionally, the idea of whiteness continued into this era as imperialists used this cultural frame to justify their conquests. Imperialists believed they carried the “White Man’s Burden” - as the poem recites, white men had the responsibility of civilizing the “new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.” Kipling’s poem feminizes and even dehumanizes natives, and Morillo argues that it undoubtedly reveals the importance of racial superiority in shaping imperialist

Morillo describes different hierarchical approaches implemented by imperialist nations leading to World War I as means of enforcing rule within their colonies. Some exercised indirect rule, often paired with military force, in which material interests were shared between the imperial power and local agent but colonial cultural frames were left diminished and separated. Others implemented direct rule where the colonial government operated as a distant branch of the industrial state, which dominated, but not monopolized, the cultural screen of the colony. The extent to which colonial cultural frames and hierarchies were modified heavily determined the decolonization processes that took place towards the end of World War II. The weakened grip of Industrial imperialist nations, a network flow of military training and weaponry to colonies, and increasing obsoletism of political imperialism as a result of the war resulted in opposing forms of decolonization during the 20th century. While some colonies were peacefully granted independence by imperialist nations, others faced violence and warfare. Typically, colonies operating under direct rule were more successful in their transition to independence and nation-building. For instance, the Philippines, which gained independence from the U.S. peacefully in 1946, implemented a democratic