User:Byte-the-dust/sandbox

Eurocentric Views of Civilizations
Modern academia regarding the study of civilizations, and history as a whole, has had a distinctly Eurocentric viewpoint dominate the field. Eurocentrism, as the name implies, treats European history as the central subject of study; it excludes other civilizations in favor of Europe. While it cannot be denied that European history plays an important role in global history, Eurocentric views dismiss the study of the rest of the world.

The prevalence of Eurocentric thought in academia can be attributed to the fact that Europeans have been the main figureheads in academia. Despite Europe's slow start onto the world stage, Europe soon became the colonial powerhouse that would dominate the rest of the world. History is written by the winners; Europeans were the only large group of people that could extensively study history, and thus Eurocentrism was born. Rather than examine other cultures, academics began measuring civilizations against a Western standard. This framework also was supported by Americans; the country had come from European roots, and so follow European thought, thus perpetuating the continuing cycle of Eurocentric thought.