Map of the World from about 1600What do we notice about this map that makes it different than “traditional” maps

What could that tell us about China’s view of itself?

Essential Question

• How does a society’s worldview affect its relations with people from other societies?

Thesis Statement

• The Chinese view of themselves as the Middle Kingdom or Celestial Dynasty, that they were the center of the Asian political, economic, and social world, provided the framework for their relations with non-Chinese people.

Ethnocentrism

• Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one's own