6 Credits | Dr. Ian FONG
Globalization is not only an obvious “buzzword” of the post-Cold War age, but is also an important historical, social, and cultural process that both predates the current era and yet is said to be “new” and more important than ever. Whether you see it as the most salient feature of our age or as so much hype if not an alibi for transnational capitalism, it is an important term and phenomenon in the study of literature, film, and culture more broadly. This course introduces students to some of the key debates about globalization, especially but not only in terms of culture. We will examine questions like: How do we understand globalization in Hong Kong, China, South East Asia and elsewhere? What is “new” about it? Are we becoming more alike everywhere or more aware of our cultural differences because of globalization? Are our identities and cultures more or less “hybrid” and “cosmopolitan” than before recent globalization? And how do national and local cultures everywhere respond to globalization? Are the nation-state and nationalism fading away or is it the reverse? How can we analyze the problems of globalization from the spread of European cultures in the age of colonialism to the present new world orders of global capitalism? We will think through these types of questions with reference to local and global phenomena and texts.
Assessment: 100% coursework.