From Empire to Nation

Catalog description

This course examines concepts and theories of empire, imperialism, colonialism, and the nation-state, with a particular focus on their circulation and impact in East Asia and China. We trace the history of Western theories of 'nation,' looking at what the term meant prior to the European nation-state and the imperialist and colonial projects of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and we examine what they mean in the present era of multiculturalism and globalization. We explore how historically Chinese conceptions of civilization and empire were transformed in post-imperial era. We look also at how related concepts of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, and culture have traveled from the West, through the Soviet Union, to China and beyond. 001062