Global History of Travel and Tourism

Catalog description

This course traces the development of travel and tourism from ancient times to modern days, examining it as an agent that both produces and reflects social-cultural activities. It draws on different travel-energized materials-from topographic descriptions to sentimental narratives-to examine how people traveled long distances for various reasons and to analyze their impressions of foreign lands and reflections on their home population. Topics include how the crossing of boundaries reflected and reshaped the meanings of place, the formation of identity, the spread of religion and aesthetics, the accumulation of knowledge and scientific empiricism, as well as the consumption of visual and material culture.