Globalization in Historical Perspective
In this seminar we will examine processes of colonial and capital expansion that have reshaped the globe during the past three centuries. By engaging with the work of classical social theorists and contemporary scholars from a range of disciplines, students will develop a broad, critical perspective on the forces of social integration and differentiation that attended European imperialism. Questions we will explore include: how did the West come to understand itself as universal and how did it measure and enforce the particularity of others-the East, the "primitive," etc.? How has this assigned particularity been understood, embraced, and challenged both epistemologically and practically? Readings will include works by Karl Marx, Max Weber, Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Dipesh Chakrabarty, and Susan Buck-Morss. This course is equivalent to HIST 0475. (Approval required) 3 hrs. sem.