Race & Geopol Amer Cent

Catalog description

Examines how the global role of the U.S. intersected with the histories of race and democracy in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The relationship between a global racial order formed through centuries of imperialism and the distinctive forms of democracy and racial hierarchy that have defined the modern history of the U.S. is explored. The course studies the ways racial inequality in the U.S. has shaped how different groups of Americans view the world beyond American borders-affecting decisions about when, where, and how to conduct warfare, whether to support or oppose movements for independence abroad, and how to promote economic development. Students analyze how supposedly "domestic" issues of labor, civil rights, and policing have influenced what is typically thought of as "foreign" policy. How geopolitics, from the world wars to decolonization, has reshaped race and democracy in America is also discussed. <i>GT</i>