Contextualization

The topic "Civilization, barbarism, and the concept of modernity" has deep historical and social relevance and offers a unique opportunity for students to understand how society has evolved over time. Issues of civilization and barbarism are deeply intertwined with the continuous development of humanity. From the earliest human settlements to the current digital age, the notion of civilization has been influenced by numerous factors, including geography, economy, culture, politics, and technology. Thus, it is impossible to completely separate the concept of civilization from modernity.

Simply put, civilization can be understood as an advanced stage of human social and cultural organization. However, the term "barbarism," as used in history, was often employed to describe societies that did not fit into the Eurocentric definition of civilization. This ethnocentric perspective has been criticized and reevaluated by contemporary philosophers, historians, and social scientists.

In today's world, modernity plays a huge role in defining civilization. Modernity, as a concept, refers to a specific period in history (18th to 20th centuries) marked by the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, capitalism, and the development of modern science. However, in a broader sense, modernity refers to specific social and cultural characteristics that differentiate "the modern" from the "classic" or "traditional." Thus, modernity directly affects how we perceive and define civilization and barbarism.

To aid in the understanding of these themes, I recommend the book "The Idea of Civilization" by Anthony Pagden, the BBC video series "Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark," available on YouTube, and the article "Definitions of Civilization and Culture" by Herbert Spencer, available for download on Google Scholar.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Understanding Civilization, Barbarism, and Modernity Through Cinema"

Project Objective:

The activity aims to stimulate students to understand the concepts of civilization, barbarism, and modernity, and how these themes were addressed and represented in the seventh art, cinema. The project seeks to develop students' critical thinking, encouraging them to reflect on these notions from different perspectives.

Detailed Project Description:

Students, in groups of 3 to 5, should choose and watch a period film that portrays different societies and cultures. After watching the film, each group should discuss among themselves how the film portrays the notions of civilization, barbarism, and modernity. They should then conduct academic research on the themes presented in the film, interpreting them in light of the concepts discussed in class.

As a final result, each group should prepare a multimedia presentation that includes a summary of the film, a discussion on how the film dealt with the themes of civilization, barbarism, and modernity, a summary of the academic research conducted, and the conclusions reached as a group.

Required Materials:

1. Access to a movie streaming service or video rental store.
2. Internet access for research.
3. Video/audio editing tools for the multimedia presentation (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, etc.).
4. Access to academic research sources on the studied themes.

Detailed Step-by-Step for Activity Execution:

1. Form groups of 3 to 5 students.
2. Choose a period film that addresses the notions of civilization, barbarism, and modernity. Examples of films include "Gladiator," "Dances With Wolves," "Apocalypto," or "The Mission" - but feel free to choose others that you believe address the proposed themes.
3. Watch the film with the group, taking note of relevant passages for the project themes.
4. Discuss as a group the impressions and interpretations of the film, focusing on the representation of the concepts of civilization, barbarism, and modernity.
5. Conduct academic research on the themes related to civilization, barbarism, and modernity presented in the chosen film.
6. Gather again as a group and discuss the research conducted.
7. Prepare a presentation in PowerPoint, Google Slides, Prezi, or similar that creatively presents a summary of the film, a summary of the research conducted, how the film portrayed the concepts of civilization, barbarism, and modernity, and the group's conclusions.
8. Present the work to the class within a one-month deadline.

Project Delivery:

Each group must deliver a multimedia presentation and a written report. The report should follow the structure: Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Bibliography.

In the introduction, students should contextualize the theme, its relevance and real-world application, as well as the objective of this project. In the development, they should explain the theory behind the central themes of the project, detail the film and the activity, indicate the methodology used, and finally present and discuss the results obtained. In the conclusion, students should recap the main points, explain the learnings obtained, and the conclusions drawn about the project. And finally, in the bibliography, students should indicate the sources they relied on to work on the project such as books, web pages, videos, etc.