| This dissertation traces the evolution of the term, civilization, from the eighteenth through twentieth centuries. Textbook writers disseminated definitions and concepts of civilization to the American reading public through the schools.;The meanings of civilization are arbitrary and fluid. Peoples of the world are defined as civilized or uncivilized according to the political and economic climate of the time. The attributes of what constitute a civilized people also change. The eighteenth century produced a concept of civilized that embodied Western European man. The opposite concept was the Noble Savage. The nineteenth century opened with a view that technology would destroy civilization. Writers of that century struggled with whether or not the new sciences would improve civilization. As technology propelled Europe ahead in inventions, material goods, and military strength, a differentiation occurred between Western and non-Western regions. Race was used as one answer to the question of why some regions gained materially and others did not. Psychoanalysis was added to the construct early in the twentieth century. Also, the idea that Western Civilization was in great decline was popular.;Textbook authors used the themes of the past two centuries in their writings. They defined groups, such as females, as inferior based upon "primitive" states of the mind. They divided East from West and, usually, placed non-Western peoples in an inferior position by the direct and indirect uses of the term, civilization. Sections of the textbooks on civil rights for women and minorities, understanding customs throughout the world, and multi-culturalism were jeopardized by some of their definitions of civilizations. However, American historians addressed the problem of biased textbooks and experimented with new ways to write inclusive World Histories. Environment and climate replaced race as an explanation for differences. Many wrote excellent textbooks. Their definitions were a brief but key dimension of their experiments with inclusive World History. |
