Ampersand: Connecting Local Worlds and Global Systems Global Citizenship Program

3 units

This course builds on the theoretical foundations of the first semester of the Global Citizenship Program course, Geographies of Globalization and Development to explore the ways globalization manifests in our own local communities and national context. We begin by examining the role of the state and American capitalism, with particular attention to how histories of U.S. slavery, settler colonialism, and empire have shaped the development of global capitalism and contemporary forms of inequality. Over the course of the semester, students deepen their understanding of how global processes are produced and maintained through local institutions, policies, and everyday practices. Through case studies centered in the United States, we engage with key global–local dilemmas including immigration and borders, carcerality and state surveillance, racial capitalism, and uneven development. The course emphasizes how U.S.-based issues both reflect and reinforce broader global systems of power. The semester culminates in a student-led research project that applies course concepts to a locally grounded issue with global significance. Students must be part of the Ampersand program to enroll in this course. This is a 3-credit course, with the expectation of roughly 6 hours of work outside of class per week.