Elective

CLIT7008 From Colonialism to Globalization

This course addresses the cultural, intellectual and historical effects of what is arguably the dominant story of the last several hundred years: the emergence of, resistance to and eventual transformation of the modern, global system of colonialism. By the 1930s, 85 percent of the world was at one point a colony or ex-colony; this is to say that the world, from the “local” places of the South and East to the metropoles of the West, has been un-formed and re-formed by the experience and structures of colonialism and its afterlives. This course uncovers some of this history and complexity by examining foundational texts, concepts and ongoing debates within the study of colonialism, decolonization, and what is often thought of as the “new” era of globalization or unimpeded capitalism. Readings can range from classic colonial literature to prototypical postcolonial films, but will also include some of the key statements from the leading critics of colonialism and capitalism. Key terms might include but are not limited to: nationalism, colonial discourse, hegemony, Third World, orientalism, subalternity, hybridity, imperialism, difference, sovereignty, neoliberalism.