howtodothecot

How to do the COT

The CCOT – Change and Continuity Over Time - Question

What is the CCOT?

Some consider this to be the hardest of the three APWH essay questions. It asks you to analyze what has changed and/or remained the same during a certain time period (often one era, sometimes more than one), in a certain region(s) while focusing on a particular theme(s):

1. Impact of interaction among major societies (trade, systems of international exchange, war, and diplomacy).

2. Impact of technology and demography on people and the environment (population growth and decline, disease, manufacturing, migrations, agriculture, weaponry).

3. Systems of social structure and gender structure (comparing major features within and among societies and assessing change).

4. Cultural and intellectual developments and interactions among and within societies.

5. Changes in functions and structures of states and in attitudes toward states and political identities (political culture), including the emergence of the nation-state (types of political organization).

Consider events in history. Is there a pattern in these events? Patterns are not simply a set path for events to take, but rather a process involved. Take puberty, which is a pattern set for most people, but how children traverse through that period of their lives occurs in different processes depending on the child. In a CCOT essay you need to identify the global patterns (or big picture) for a theme during a specific time period, but also use the local events (small picture) as evidence to support your claim as to what the pattern is. To do this well it is important to be familiar with periodization (the key dividing points among and within eras), and global context (the Big Picture: the situation in the world at these points in time).

For a CCOT, you are required to consider the history of certain themes – how have those areas changed or remained the same throughout time? Has there been a smooth progression? [Rarely the case] Have there been any interruptions or reversals/roll backs? For instance, the process of globalization after WWI, it was held back in the US, and Europe to a certain extent, and then it emerges again after WWII] What has remained the same despite these changes? [This is harder to do and most often refers to obvious and often unremarkable events] After identifying the patterns, you need to determine why these changes or continuities have occurred?

Some compare the analysis of Change over Time to the describing a river trip, that is you need to discuss a beginning, some mid-way points and an end point to the trip. Therefore the need is to describe conditions at these points while ideally including the global context as well as local information at these points in time. However, this approach is problematic in certain situations and best used only in desperation.

It works better to consider CCOT analysis akin to describing ripples or waves of water, which produces a more complete approach. Depending on the theme, the process described can involve tidal waves, the regular ebbing and flowing of waves, the impact from a large rock or meteor in the ocean, or ripples from the throw of a pebble in a pond. You can consider events at the beginning, middle and end of the time period, as in the river trip approach, but you also are forced to consider:

• What started the ripples or waves? [Events from outside the region or inside]

• What are the sizes of the waves? [What is the significance of the changes?]

• Do the waves/ripples flow in any set pattern that would help analyze the changes/continuities?

o Are they cyclical? [e.g. a regular cyclical pattern of drought or environmental change?]

o Does the same kind/size of rock [event] produce the same results? [Or is there something different about the specific event that makes its impact greater?]

o Do the waves/ripples affect other waves/ripples in the same time period?

In this process you are forced to address causation – what caused the initial change? Did anything accelerate it, what and why? Did anything change the direction it was taking, what and why? Was it delayed, by what and why?

How to CCOT

1. Recognize Topic: Correctly recognize the general topic/theme. If they wish you to discuss labor systems make sure you discuss free and unfree labor, not just slavery. Consider all that could be included under that topic category.

2. Identify Region/Societies: Accurately identify the region they are asking you to use. You will receive no credit if you think Spain is in Eastern Europe or Thailand is in South Asia. Then think of what places are included in the region(s) you chose (though not all questions will give you a choice). When given a choice as to which region(s) to discuss, make sure that for your choice you can marshal enough examples from various places within the region, NOT just one country/society.

3. Determine Significance of Dates: Determine the significance given of the dates, both the start date and the end date. Be sure to consider events all the way until the end date and all the way from the beginning date but not beyond either.

4. Identify Changes: Compare periods of time, namely conditions at the beginning of the given time period, with those at the end and determine what is different (changes). As with any comparison, the description of just one of those (i.e. the situation at the end of the given time period) is not enough, you need to identify from what it changed to have done a complete comparison. Make sure you give concrete examples of how they changed.

5. Identify Continuities: Establish what remained the same during the time period or the continuities (so the similarities of the comparison), not just what changed (the differences). Again, give concrete examples of how they remained the same.

6. Identify Key Steps in Process: Consider the process that took place during this time. That is were there any major developments that are relevant that occurred between the beginning date (the baseline) and the end date (the end point)? Sometimes, when the time period specified in the question is between eras, the era dates are good mid-way point(s) to consider. More often than not though, the time period specified is within one era and finding a relevant mid-point(s) of events that would have had an impact on the topic is a bit harder.

7. Analyze the Changes and Continuities (including reasons for them): Analyze the processes identified. The pace of change, the manner of change/continuity, comparative changes/continuity, and results or effects of the changes/continuities. Make sure you also analyze why did things change or remain the same?

8. Include Global Context: Make sure to include the relevant world historical context in some of your analysis of the changes and continuities over time, including reasons for them.

Tips for Writing the CCOT

· Your thesis must include your argument (what changed, what remained the same, and why did it happen this way), the geographic focus of the question (the places identified), and the time frame specified in the question (the dates).

· When asked to discuss or even analyze changes or transformations, do not describe them as positive or negative, but rather describe specifics about the actual continuity or change/transformation.

· Be sure to provide evidence to support your description of the continuity and changes/transformations which should be different than your actual description of them.

· Be sure to focus on analyzing the continuities and changes over time, rather than just listing events in the order they occurred or narrating what happened in the “story line.”

Tips for Writing the COT

• Your thesis must include your argument (what changed, what remained the same, how significant was this, and why did it happen this way), the geographic focus of the question (the places identified), and the time frame specified in the question (the dates).

• When asked to discuss or even analyze changes or transformations, do not just describe them as positive or negative, but rather describe specifics about the actual change/transformation.

• Be sure to provide evidence to support your description of the changes/transformations and continuities which should be different than your actual description of them.

• Be sure to focus on analyzing the changes and continuities over time, rather than just listing events in the order they occurred or narrating what happened in the “story line.”

Terms to use for changes: previously, before, until that time, up to that time, formerly, from that point forward, over time, as things evolved, in the [fill in the blank] century, or then comes the period of time when [such and such happened].

You can also use the terms radical or completely to describe a change, but be careful as you will need to address a similarity and usage of these terms might make that harder or even impossible.

Terms to use for continuities: throughout this period, continued to, persistent, lasting, enduring, ongoing, constant, sustained, or maintained.

Also, permanent, undying, unrelenting or undeviating, but be careful with these terms as they can corner you into an argument you might not be able to defend.

• When writing your essay, chronologically is the best way to organize your essay. The chronological midway point(s) serves as where you would divide your essay. You should try to address continuities (even implicit ones – things remained hard) as well as changes for each period and try to describe how and why things changed. Now, if they ask you to analyze several aspects of a theme within a time period, then it is generally better to do on aspect completely first, then move on the next aspect and analyze it chronologically and then the next aspect, etc.

Terms to use to indicate analysis: ‘because’, ‘as a result,’ ‘therefore’ Then following chronological order can be turned into analysis of causation.

For example, the following is not analysis: “The Roman Empire grew very large and hard to defend. The emperor divided it into two parts. Barbarian invaders won.”

This is analysis: “The Roman Empire grew so large that the emperor divided it into two parts. Because it was hard to defend, barbarian invaders won.”

Possible/Common COT Essay Structures

Below are some common essay structures that students use for the COT (omitting the mention of Introductory Paragraph and Conclusion obviously). The Topical is probably the universally best structure and the Changes/Continuities structure is the least sophisticated. Depending on the exact wording of the question other structures might seem preferable on occasion.

Topical (Best)

· Subtopic #1 - Global Context, Changes, Continuities, and analysis of process of change/continuity and relationship to global context

· Subtopic #2 - Global Context, Changes, Continuities, analysis of process of change/continuity and relationship to global context

· Subtopic #3 - Global Context, Changes, Continuities, and analysis of process of change/continuity and relationship to global context

Chronological

1. Beginning Situation (start date)

· Global Context

· Category #1, w/ analysis of process of change/continuity & relationship to global context

· Category #2, w/ analysis of process of change/continuity & relationship to global context

2. Cause(s) of Change(s) (Repeat as many times as necessary)

a. There might be a specific date of the cause, event, or “turning point,” or

b. A specific date when the change is observable, but the cause of the change was gradual with no specific date of onset, or

c. A series of factors leading to change, each with different onset dates or no clear onset date of all, which caused gradual change in an un-dramatic fashion.

· Global Context

· Category #1, w/ analysis of process of change/continuity & relationship to global context

· Category #2, w/ analysis of process of change/continuity & relationship to global context

3. Date by which Change is Observable (end date)

· Global Context

· What were the changes in contrast with the Beginning Situation, analyze reason why.

· What were the continuities from the Beginning Situation, analyze reason why.

Changes / Continuities (can be repeated for different regions as needed)

· Changes - Category #1; Category #2; Analysis of analysis of process of change & relationship to global context

· Continuities - Category #1; Category #2; Analysis of analysis of continuity & relation to global context

Note: when you are asked to address changes and continuities in 2 regions, it is easiest to write two essays in one, rather than trying to connect the two regions. Not all regions will share the same process or events as catalysts as not all global processes occur at the same pace internationally. For example, follow the topical format for the first region and then repeat for the second region. Your thesis will probably be two separate sentences, one for region 1 and Region 2.