Global Geographies of Imperialism

3 credits · Undergraduate

European, Japanese, and American empires have covered large portions of the surface of the earth and collectively transformed the lives of billions of people. Today, China is also increasingly influential at the global scale. Focusing on the twentieth century into the present moment, this survey course explores global geographies of imperialism and hegemonic transitions. What drives imperialism? Are militarism and war inherent to global capitalism? How do historical relations of colonialism relate to uneven capitalist development today at the global scale? The course introduces key theories and debates on the topic of imperialism and explores the themes of race, gender, territory, development, resource extraction, finance, and militarism.