Political and Social Changes of Cold War

The early Cold War era marked a very powerful time for the Americas. During this time, the nation saw a rise in globalization paralleled by an explosion of consumerism. These changes brought about power struggles, which ensued as nations clawed their way to the top and into superpower roles.

With these changes came increased tension between the democratic and Communist nations. In the aftermath of World War II, the fear of a new war weighed heavily on the people of the Americas. This weight soon caused political, economical, and social division within these nations.
In this assignment, you will review, reflect upon, and share your thoughts about what changes people experienced and witnessed during and after the Cold War.

To prepare for this assignment:

• Review the Time Chart IV (pp. 518–519), Chapter 21 (pp. 326–3 42), Chapter 27 (pp. 428–443), and Chapter 32 (pp. 520–531) in your course text.
• Review the L’Unita Interview with Fidel Castro and Salvador Allende’s speech from this week’s Learning Resources.
• Chose two elements from the following:

• • Social
  • Economical
  • Political/governmental
  • Environmental
• Imagine that you were born near the end of World War II and that you were a young adult during the Cold War.
• Consider what you would have experienced and witnessed during and after the Cold War.
• Think about what it was like to experience the effects of the Cold War.
• Draw from your reading and consider how the lasting effects of this era have created changes in the social, political/governmental, religious, and economic arenas.
• Reflect upon the lasting environmental issues of the Cold War era that face you today.

The assignment:

• Write a 1-page journal entry for each of the two elements chosen and evaluate the changes you would have experienced and witnessed during and after the Cold War.

Castro Internet Archive. (2000). L’Unita interview with Fidel Castro: The nature of Cuban socialism. Retrieved from http://www.marxists.org/history/cuba/archive/castro/1961/02/01.htm
This document contains a translation of a 1961 interview conducted by Communist reporter, ArminioSavioli, with Fidel Castro’s 1961 in the Italian-language newspaper L’Unita.

Allende, S. (Speaker). (1972). Speech to the United Nations.

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