The Modern World and Its Cultural Background

The Modern World and Its Cultural Background is designed to give students a wide-ranging introduction to the history of the global present by examining how social and political configurations emerge in relation to shifting forms of governments, markets, and nations. The modern world is often associated with a certain set of characteristics such as the rise of nationalism, the disenchantment of the world through science, and alienation through the commodification of labor. But is it correct to speak of the modern world as a singular project, or even “modern” at all? In this class, we will explore the rise of “modernity” not as singular story of historical progress only but as a concept that is rife with contradictions. Topic areas include capitalism, colonialism, nationalism, secularism, government, economy, historical authority, and crisis, among others. This course will prepare students to be critical global citizens, capable of understanding and intervening in systems of power.