Forging the Modern World

Catalog description

Students will analyze primary and secondary sources to understand the predominant structures and relationships that have transformed our world from the early modern era to the twentieth century. Topics will include the development of political and economic ideas and systems (e.g., democracy, liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, fascism, colonialism, capitalism, socialism), changing conceptions of culture and identity (e.g. race, gender, ethnicity, art), and the conflicts and opportunities born of this transformation (e.g., anti-colonial movements, social revolutions, world wars, international organizations, globalization, religious and cultural conflicts). Readings and discussions will emphasize understanding how modern systems of political, economic and social meaning and exchange, including Western dominance, emerged.