Thesis+Statements

1. Compare and Contrast the impact of Confucianism in China with Hinduism in India.

Thesis: Hinduism in India had a more profound effect than confucianism in China, effecting not only the social structure,political system, but also the basic ideologies of each civilization.

2.Describe the different trading patterns in China and India (200BC-200CE). What factors can explain these differences?

Thesis: While both China and India prospered greatly due to trade, the also greatly differed in the factors which effected them.India traded on a much larger scale, and several major trade routes ran through it's geographic location, making it a prime area to be settled in for trade. By contrast, China's relative isolated location allowed it to have strong internal trade, but generally weaker trade on a large scale.

3.Compare and contrast the ways civilization developed in India and Mesopotamia.

Thesis: While both Indian and Mesopotamian civilizations developed as river-valley civilizations, India's conquest by the Aryans served to give them heavy outside influence instead of developing their own unique characteristics like the Mesopotamian civilization did, through their systems of language, religious influence, and overall military prowess. 4. Describe the changes and continuities in the role of women in the transition from a hunter gathering life style to civilization. Thesis : While women remained largely subservient to men during the transition from hunter/gatherers to civilization, their roles changed due to their importance to the economy, religious significance, and also general impact on their husbands and children socially.

5. . Compare the development of political structures in Classical China with those in Classical India.

Thesis: While both Classical China and India had powerful, and rigid political systems, they differed mainly in their variety, outside religious influence, and general power over the populace.

6. In what ways were the economic foundations of ROme and Han China similar? What were the consequences of these differences? Thesis : The economies of Rome and Han China are similar through their large-scale trade, agrarian economies based on grain, while differences in the importance of various crops, the labor supply which was used to grow them, and the total level of economic independance/interdependance heavily influenced both societies' socio-economic structure and their overall attitude towards the outside world/level of influence. 7. Compare the institutions of imperial government in Han China to those established in post-Augustsus Rome. Thesis: While both Han China and Rome had a powerful emperor in command, with great influence religioiusly and involvement in their society, their governments varied through their basic structure (Representative Democracy vs Monarchy/Bureaucracy) and the duties/restrictions upon the emperor. 8. Compare the social and economic organization of Rome and Han China. Thesis:While the social structure and economic organizations of Rome and Han China differed in their overall importance to the society, and their effects on conquered peoples/trading partners, they were similar through their social classes schism and their overall expanse/complicated nature. 9.Compare and contrast the factors that lead to, and the effects of the collapse of Ancient Rome and Han China Thesis: Rome and Han China's collapses were similar due to their internal corruption/weak government, and different due to the speed of decline and the military/outside involvement in the decline.

Essay Outline:

Thesis : The economies of Rome and Han China are similar through their large-scale trade, agrarian economies based on grain, while differences in the importance of various crops, the labor supply which was used to grow them, and the total level of economic independance/interdependance heavily influenced both societies' socio-economic structure and their overall attitude towards the outside world/level of influence. T.S.(DC)While Han China and Rome both grew grains, (Rice and Wheat, respectively), the farmers varied in levels of importance, and ability to trade independantly. T.S.2:(DC)This ability to trade independantly was greatly effected by the similarly expansive Chinese and Roman trading systems.(SIlk Road, and Roman road complex) T.S.3:(DC) Due to Rome's open borders for trade, and China's isolation, China developed heavy internal trade and became more self-sufficient, while Roman became increasingly dependant on outside trade and conquering new lands.

Essay Outline:

Thesis: While the Russian Serfdom and the spanish Encomienda system were similar through their economic importance and basic concepts, they differed in their profitability, and overall effect on the subordinated people.

P1: Unlike the Russian Serfdom, the Encomienda system was originally intended to convert Natives in Spanish colonies to Christianity, and reward the Spanish Conquerors. In the Encomienda system, women and children were exempt from the Labor system, and Indians worked set 20-day shifts with a month break in-between.The Russian Serfdom was not based in religious fervor, being instead a purely economic system meant to essentially enslave the russian peasants through an oppressive combination of personal debt and government interference. Being that Russia's economy was heavily agricultural and dependant on peasant labor, the government used the Serfdom to regulate peasant activity at a time when they did not have the bureaucratic strength to control the populace directly.Eventually though, once the government began to benefit from increased centralization, peasants who were unwilling to work were arrested and even tortured.

P2:The Encomienda economy, having been introduced by the seafaring spanish, was largely tied to the theme of commercialist expansion as seen through Western Europe, and thus was more profitable than the Russian Serfdom.Being that Russia's economy was largely limited to agriculture, and heavily dependant upon the west for luxury items, it's economy was far less profitable than those supported by the Encomienda system. Under the Encomienda, Indians were allowed to sell their goods for a profit, and then pay tribute in gold, allowing for economic benefits all around, unlike the Russian Serfdom, which was based on the taxation and subordination of the Peasants, as detailed above.However, due to the wane in native population due to the diseases brought by spanish Reconquistas, the Native population eventually waned and the Encomienda system failed. The Russian system remained in place for a great many years, until the Bolshevik Rebellion in 1917 in which the Tsar imposed serfdom was entirely abolished.

Question: Compare the reactoins of China and Japan to Europeans they encountered in the early modern period. Thesis: While both the Japanese and the Chinese viewed trade with Europeans as economically useful and benefitted greatly from it, Japan exhibited more xenophobia, both demanding European respect and more actively attempting to preserve their original culture over time (most specifically religion) than China.

Essay Outline:

Question: Compare the causes and outcomes of the French Revolution and one of the revolutions listed below (Venezuela or Haiti)

Thesis: While both the Hatian and French revolutions were caused by prolonged periods of social and economic inequality,the Hatian revolution overall did not greatly benefit the people (developing into a dictatorship) while the French Revolution instated new equalities and civil liberties, and was overall more successful.

P1. Due to remnants of feudalist ideals, French society and politics were dominated by an absolute monarchy and hereditary nobility, which composed roughly 3% of the population.In the wake of the Enlightenment, the largely unrepresented french peasantry were filled with spite for the nobility, who labeled them sans-culottes ("without Breeches" because of their loose fitting clothes and roles as artisans and laborers) and taxed them heavily over a long period of time(As the 2nd/1st Estates, the nobility and clergy, refused to pay taxes).As a colony of France (the most productive colonial economy in the world at the time), Hatian socio-political systems were shaped from the french model, with great divisions among white society (Grand Blancs and Petit Blancs, Slave-owners and artisans respectively) as well as slave-society. As a method to control slaves through plantation agriculture, they were oppressed on a daily basis and deprived economically for the purposes of French profit. .However, both French and Hatian revolutions were deeply rooted in the fundamental demographic imbalances of their societal backgrounds and the failure of these societies to adapt to the changing world views brought about by the enlightenment.

P2. Haitian social division was far more complex, taking also from the spanish model and racially profiling many mixed-race citizens called "Gens de Couleur" as well as the slaves, giving them no representation at all. However,Natives were wiped out by introduction of AfroEurAsian diseases and were generally viewed as inferior regardless, thus having no place in society.The Grand Blancs sent delegations to the Estates General, while not giving representation to the Petit Blancs. Fueled by new spurs of nationalism based on Enlightenement ideals, Petit Blancs fought the grands in a civil war to determine political equality.As a result of the ensuing military weakness in the aftermath of this civil war, the slaves rebelled and exiled the weakened europeans and Gens de Couleur from the island when they were unwilling to accept the abolition of slavery. However, unfortunately class tensions were not resolved and Haiti began the transition from democracy to dictatorship, unlike the french revolution which remained democratic .Also unlike the French revolution, Haitian slaves suffered more economic problems as a result of Haitian independance, due to the US Embargo and the unwillingness of Slaves to continue plantation-style labor.

Finish Mr. Green's C&C Essay.

P2. Under the influence of many prevalent Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire, and inspired by American idealism after the revolution, France quickly adopted new socio-political standards, accounting for similar advancement of motives based around liberty and equality. In France, Olympe de gouge's "Declaration of the Rights of the Woman and Citizeness" is markedly colored by these aforementioned ideals.Her claims that "Law **should** be the expression of the general will" and "All citizens **and citizenesses** should take part in it's formation." echo the National Assembly's "Declaration of Rights of **Man** and Citizen" from two years prior to give the document more legitimacy and add a more authoritative tone to emphasize the previously inferior status of women. While both documents show French perspective, it is important to note they omit the revolution's violent,brutal, beginnings and the destitute state of the Citizens prior to the revolution (most likely as a result of the absolutist group-mentality enacted under Maximilian Robespierre), which certainly would have provided added motivation to the members of the National Assembly and Olympe de Gouge alike.Though Doc. 2 references the idea of " All citizens, being equal", women were not granted universal suffrage in France until some time later, as they were not viewed as full citizens. It is also important to note that Olympe de Gouge was viewed as treasonous and beheaded for her beliefs in universal rights (which differed from the beliefs of the National Assembly), making it difficult to ascertain the validity of the National Assembly's claims to "equality under the law" and "equal eligibility... without distinction except that of... virtues and talent. "

P3. Despite similar interpretations of Enlightenment ideals, Haiti provides important insight as to how demographic background can effect the motivation of revolutionary groups. In Haiti, due to the fundamentally massive size of the African Slave demographic in comparison to that of the white Europeans, revolution was shaped by an emphasis on equality and freedom relating specifically to slavery. However, in France, revolutionary motivations were shaped by social and economic inequality relating to hereditary titles, leading to an increased motivation for political re-organization, rather than the simpler changes enacted by the Hatians once slavery was abolished, which lead to eventual economic stagnation.In the French Political Cartoon, "The peasant is being crushed... by taxes to the church and labor service to the landlords", demonstrating their economic destitution as motivation for rebellion.It is also important to note that while both Hatian Slaves and French peasantry were the victim of economic disparity, slaves were often beaten and otherwise physically abused, leading to a greater focus on abolition, rather than the possibility of gaining wealth/economic freedoms.This can also be seen through Desalline's emphasis of "the bloody tatters" of slavery and the "restoration of primitive dignity".Though Desallines references "the object which they(europeans) have not ceased fighting for ", it is important to note his general lack of concern for this object a reflection of Hatian hatred for the plantation system which would later lead to a crippling economic when coupled with a degredation into dictatorship due to the smaller-scale changes in the hatian government.

3/14/2011 AP Central World History prompt.

Thesis: While expansion of the cotton industry in both Japanese and Indian societies were largely successful and became increasingly economically important (also think mechanization) , they differed in the opportunity for social change (specifically gender roles) and the level of benefit which was gained by the Lower class factory workers.

Similarities: poor working class conditions, decline of local hand woven cloth, capitalist motives, Differences: Women, rate of urbanization, wages Additional Documents:(Try to keep it simple) 1. Possiblity of the POV of a Japanese isolationist, or someone who viewed the expansion of the cotton industry as more of a detriment to japanese society than thinking of the economic benefit.Perhap also some sort of report from a Japanese factory worker on the nature of safety and possible health hazards which came from working in such an environment, or a feudal lord who saw that many workers were being forced into labor due to harsh taxes. 2. Possibility of POV from an Indian factory worker(personal testimony) about the level of importance of the factories to their life, and possibly about how the low wages and abusive british policies proved to be a detriment to Indian society.

3.Accident reports/Safety issues

Groups: ([]) Meant to help writing center around themes, rather than simply around the documents.

Group 1-> When, and to what extent Group 2-> Documents centered around poverty/class distinction Group 3-> Women in Japan vs. Women in India

POV analysis:(Most common area of losing points), write about them as you write with new documents. Doc. 3-> Were they working in the same factory? Would it be reliable with the emotion/background of the person as an older lady reminiscing upon their youth?

(Vacation Work) Changes and Continuities in Russian Politics:

The establishment of the Communist regime in Russia and the overthrowing of the Tsarist autocracy marked a profound change in the structure of Russian politics to allow the common peasant's point of view to be incorporated into national policy(although with limited success).However, politics generally continued to lack the competition which characterized Western politics, with politics on the whole being largely controlled by a single political entity for extended periods of time: the Communist/Socialist Monopoly.

Changes/Continuities in Russian Society:

Under Lenin/Stalin's Communist Monopoly, Russian society was carefully monitored and controlled, and while ethnic Russians remained a dominant force, Russian society gradually experienced mounting changes, from attack on religious orthodoxy and reinforcement of traditional roles of women, to the eventual shift towards a democratic/republican style becoming popular among the peasants.

Changes and Continuities in Chinese Politics:

While Chinese attitude towards politics continued to be fragmented as a result of being a product of internal competition and a desire to be rid of foreign influence, later Chinese systems under Mao Zedong began to ironically draw exceedingly upon foreign political ideals (particularly marxism and socialism), but adapting them to fit into Chinese Society.

Changes and Continuities in Chinese Society:

While Chinese society continued to be shaped largely by a desire for reform and marked by poor peasant living conditions, there was a shift to increased importance of peasant support politically, but with mixed success, most notably observed throughout the era of Mao Zedong's political dominance on the basis of granting new rights to the common masses, especially women.


 * Essay Outlines:**

Essay 1.**Compare and Contrast 20th-Century political developments in China and Russia.**

Thesis Statement: While Russia and China experienced major political schism among leadership after Stalin's Death and their political systems were characterized by differing attitudes towards centralization, both China and Russia still followed basic variations of the communist interpretations of Marxism, although these interpretations differed greatly. Topic Sentence #1: Chinese-Russian relations soured after Stalin's death, as Nikita Kruschev's move away from traditional communism alienated Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong.

Evidence:
 * By the late 1950s, the strong ties between the Soviet Union and the Communist China had all but broken down. Border disputes, combined with the chinese hesitation to play "second fiddle" to Russia especially strained relations after Stalin's death, as Kruschev was not viewed as a competent leader of communism, making Mao Zedong beleive he was the last bastion of the Communist Party.
 * Kruschev actually attacked Stalinism's tendency to concentrate power into an incredibly arbitrary dictatorship,methods of dealing with political opponents, and narrow interpretations of Marxism.Cold war policies laxed greatly, and the process of de-stalinization was largely seen as a shift to a more tolerant political climate, and a decentralized manner of decision making.

Direct Comparison: Soviet Leadership Vs Chinese Leadership, Nikita Kruschev vs Mao Zedong, as well as the nature of Soviet/Chinese relations that resulted

Analysis: The stalinist system of leadership involved largely exiling political dissidents to Siberia. In the political chaos following Stalin's Death, Kruschev went about dismantling the repressive stalinist appratus as it became increasingly apparent that Russia was in need of reform. This move away from a familiar leadership in the Soviet Union, combined with a long history of border disputes, produced a lack of tolerance for these changes in Mao Zedong, and his alienation put the final nail in the coffin for the relationship between the two countries.Mao Zedong's political actions and ideas of reform were so grounded in communism that he seemed to view any change as a threat, as can be seen in his later life, and the activities of the Gang of Four.

Topic Sentence #2: Political policy in Russia and China was characterized by divergent attitudes on Marxism as a basis for the communist system. Chinese interpretations of marxism were more centered around adapting parts of it into pre-existing Chinese politics, while Soviets were more focused on a literal/strict interpretation to shape their political policy.

Evidence:
 * The Bolshevik victory in the Russian revolution prompted the Chinese to consider seriously the works of Marxism and other socialist thinkers.The most influential of these thinkers was Li Dazhao, who came from peasant origins, but excelled in school and eventually became a college professor, focusing on the aspects of maxism which would deal with China's renewal at the hands of a younger generation, being that literal interpretations of marxism would be a discouraging factor for revolution.Li's version of Marxism and emphasis on how it could be useful to china inspired many students, including a young Mao Zedong.
 * Kruschev's admittance to Stalin and Lenin's incredibly arbitrary use of Marxism to form a dictatorship, cruel methods of dealing with political opponents, and narrow interpretations of Marxist philosophy(As previously stated).

Direct Comparison: (Interpretations of Marxism)

Analysis: Soviet interpretation of Marxism lead to the eventual decline of the USSR due to political turmoil during a time of economic panic. Kruschev's popularization of more freedom and near-democratic ideals spread among the Russian people even after he was deposed, and the government, in attempting to return to strict communism, aroused massive public discontent.Chinese interpretation of Marxism largely was used as an inspiration to revolutionaries, rather than a pure basis for all political decisions as it was in Soviet society, as parts of Marxist doctrine would actually prove harmful to the revolutionary movement.

Topic Sentence #3:

Evidence:


 * While some communist leaders in China did advocate centralization, Mao was staunchly opposed to this, and viewed the establishment of a centralized government as promoting elitism, which he had long nurtured a hatred of. Mao's(and the Gang of Four) later actions, including the cultural revolution greatly reflected this.
 * Nikita Krushev's beginning of de-stalinization was akin to gradual decentralization. While the previous Soviet system had been largely bureaucratically centralized (to a greater degree than even Hitler's Third Reich), it was beleived that gradual decentralization would provide the important reforms for farmer's rights that Soviets needed.

Direct Comparison: Centralization to Decentralization(Soviet) Vs Decentralization (Chinese Communist)

Analysis: Strict interpretations of Marxism by Stalin only allowed for a strong central government. After Stalin's death, sufficient jockeying for power made Kruschev wary of over-centralization, so he began a gradual process of "de-stalinization". Looser Chinese ideals of marxism lead to repeated revolutions and gradual decentralization until the Death of Mao Zedong and the fall of the Gang of FOur.(Attempt to tie together with previous analysis).

Essay 2: **Compare and Contrast 20th Social developments in China and Russia. Be sure to discuss the changing roles of women**

Thesis Statement: While both Russian and Chinese social developments were marked by poor conditions in need of reform and experienced a strong shift away from tradition, they differed in the new roles women began to take in each society, spurred by the nature of these social reforms.

Topic Sentence #1: Major ries between Russian and Chinese societies in the revolutionary eras included government inability ot repsond to peasant needs, and poor conditions as a result.

Evidence:
 * The Chinese Peasantry (up to 90% of the population) dealt with increased suffering due to government incompetence and abusive landlords.Famine and disease reigned, while irrigation began to fail, and many peasants could not even afford to bury their dead.Sun largely ignored this problem, pating lip service to the party, but overall taking no action.(Pre revolution/under Sun Yat-Sen)
 * .In the 1980s,The USSR's economy was grinding to a standstill as the rapid industrialization caused massive ecological damage. 50% of all agricultural land was in danger from Industrialization in the 1980s according to soviet estimates, and 20% of Soviet citizens lived in immediate areas of ecological disaster.

Direct Comparison:Poor conditions of peasants in both countries

Analysis: Poor government action on behalf of the peasants during the leadup, and occasionally during the revolutions was one major tie between Russian and Chinese social development. While some Russians complaints were voiced, and some actions were takened, the over-structured nature of the system under Stalin meant that relatively few complaints were heard and processed.Chinese had no real option to complain as the government was dependant upon their landlords, especially in the proverbial chaos before Chiang Kai-Shek took power.

Topic Sentence #2: In both Russian and Chinese societies, the government was involved in new social patterns, though to what degree varied greatly.

Evidence:
 * Shift away from tradition of was apparent in both Kruschev's move away from stalinism and Gorbachev's conveyance of western styles as important, as well as attacks on religious orthodoxy throughout stalinist politics.(Soviet used government control to enforce social change)
 * Mao's policies in revolution focusing on the peasants, a stark change from the years of abuse which they had previously undergone.The first priority of Communist leaders in China was to complete the social revolution in the rural areas that had been carried through to some extent by communists during the war between the Japanese and the Guomindang.Between 1950 and 1952, large sections of the landlord class were disposessed and purged, so that social reform could take place.Village tribunals gave peasants the right to revenge for years of exploitation, allowing China to become a land of peasant smallholders.

Direct Comparison: Level of government control in social change, as well as shift in focus towards the importance of peasants

Analysis:In Russia, due to stalinist influence, the government took a leading role in reshaping the class distinction of the peasants, but were largely more involved with cultural control through propaganda. Chinese peasants were gaining increasing importance due to the influence of revolutionary thinkers like Li Dazhao, and the role of the educated class in shaping the ideals of the new generation, revolving more around politics.

Topic Sentence #3:In Russian society, women were largely urged to return to traditional roles in the home and hearth by later leaders such as Gorbachev, and women were expected to be focused in the home as integral to the famil unit which was so favored by communism.However, in Chinese society, the revolution largely worked to provide new opportunities and rights to women, though this created stress as the women were then expected to balance both physical labor and roles at home.

Evidence:
 * In Mao's struggle to renew the revolutionary fervor of the CHinese people, his wife Jiang Qing, played an increasingly prominent role.Mao's reliance on her was consistent with the commitement to the liberation of Chinese women he had acted upon throughout much of his political career.As a young man, he had been moved by a story about a girl who had committed suicide rather than being forced into an arranged marriage with a very old man.From that point onward, Mao became very moved and motivated to deal with women's issues and gain women's support.
 * As was the case in many asian and african countries, achieving independance granted women largely the same legal rights as men. Women were finally granted the rights to choose their marriage partners, and women have gained the right to work outside the home since 1949, and opportunities for education and careers have improved greatly. However, openings outside the home had proved to be a burden for chinese women, who were now forced ot handle and balance both outside work and family life.
 * Even social issues(under Gorbachev) were given a whole new twist, beleiving that balancing work and household duties would cause women undue stress, he wished to allow women to return to traditional "womanly duties" and become more removed from the workforce.

Direct Comparison: Role of women-> See topic sentence

Analysis: This can be tied together with the manner of dealing with tradition in the previous paragraphs. Russian experienced a more minor deviation from tradition than did the chinese in terms of actual social structure, and would thus more likely (due to strict communist influence) to agree that women's role is in the home, and rmove some of their established freedoms.However, Chinese Nationalist leadership under CHiang Kai-shek already showed signs of taking away women's rights, which caused this divergence between nationalists and communists, (in contrast to soviet society) infuriating Mao Zedong and inspiring him to widely advocate women's rights.

Analyze economic developments in of one of the following regions from 1914 to the present. Be sure to discuss changes and continuities.
 * Latin America
 * East Asia
 * Eastern Europe

Thesis: Economic developments in east Asia largely revolved around new dynamism(political emphasis on economic growth) based on the Japanese systems, and increased emphasis on global contacts/exports. However, during this period of intense change, economics continued to have relatively little effect on the cultures of the east-asian nations in this period of newfound globalisation.

Using Formula:

From 1914 to the Present, the economy in East Asian countries experienced great changes including increases in formal government planning in the enterprise of economic growth, as well as a new emphasis on global contacts and exports. However, while these changes occured, economics continued to have far less effect on cultural values in east asian countries than it did in the Western nations in this age of new globalization.

P1(Increased government planning).

East Asian countries during this period began benefitting from increased economic prosperity due to government planning. For example, the Japanese were granted increased government stability by virtue of the fact that liberal politicians were willing to consult with non-dominant political factions while in power on nationally important matters, such as the economy. The Japanese government was able to place it's full economic support into technological and industrial advancement due to a treaty at the end of WWII stating that the US army will act on Japan's behalf in a time of crisis, and at this time Japan began economic reorganization into large corporations, who made a place for themselves in western markets by not only producing a great quantity of goods, but of a high quality.This eventually lead to great prosperity in most east-asian nations, who largely copied from the Japanese styles of economic organization.However, because of this, during times of economic stagnation, the entirety of East Asia suffered, as would most likely not have happened had economic policy developed more individually, a similar boom-and-bust style as was prevalent in Western economics at this time.

P2(Renewed interest in global contacts/exports).

East-Asian economies began to rely not only on increased production of high quality goods and government backing, but also foreign investitures and trade to foreign markets.For example during this period, the Taiwanese promoted economic strength with heavy emphasis on trade and foreign ties, due to the fact it could not industrialize as thoroughly as Japan, and remained largely agricultural, albeit with some room for small business. This lead to a forging of trading ties with both Japan and America, and informational ties with communist China,essentially allowing Taiwan to once again become a major hub of economic activity, but causing increased dependence on foreign powers.However, this lead to backlash, as can be seen in the 1960s and '70s when the western economies sagged due to dependence on Middle Eastern oil(spread of the frail Japanese system).This focus on economic strength was largely implemented as a result of Chinese military attempts to reclaim Taiwan, and gradual encroachment on the island prompted the Taiwanese government to turn to economic strength, with plans of using the revenue for defense.

P3(Economic impact on cultural values).

While East-Asian countries were directly influenced by the economies of the western nations post-WWII, they largely managed to preserve a sense of national identity and key cultural values, although there were minor changes in pop-culture. This can be seen in the method of economic restructuring of the Japanese workers unions.Most East-Asian countries favored a policy of group-loyalty over Western individualism, and unions were generally conservative enough to avoid causing damage to companies while appeasing the workers.This was largely due to remaining ideals of confucianism from the previous period of sinification, which discouraged non-conformist activities, but at the same time allowed for more peaceful resolutions, as can be seen in Japan's general lack of lawyers, due to problems being solved largely on a bond of trust, a remnant from Heian-era Japanese social structure.However, some Japanese citizens became concerned with the growing (albeit relatively minor) western influences. The blending of cultures could be further observed in fashion, as women were prone to wear not only traditional Kimono dress, but also use consumer goods like cellular phones and backpacks, and in Japanese children's general preference of using metal cutlery over traditional chopsticks.However, this largely occured as a result of not only increased western prescence in Japan after WWII, but also the increased urbanization of japanese society.