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INTL ST 330

GLOBAL HISTORY OF HUMANITARIANISM

3-4 credits.

What motivates us to try to alleviate the suffering of people in distant parts of the world? Examine the origins of humanitarian ideas and institutions, and how various humanitarian campaigns have been shaped by geopolitical processes, including the abolition of the slave trade, the spread of missionary Christianity, European imperialism, the Cold War, neoliberalism and the emergence of new media forms. Questions include: who has benefited from various humanitarian aid campaigns throughout history? How have various humanitarian campaigns shaped, and been shaped by, patterns of global inequality? Why have some populations, and not others, been deemed worthy of the world's compassion? Explore the worlds, perspectives and visions of humanitarians through a range of primary sources, including diary entries, political propaganda, memoirs, journalistic reportage, photography and documentary film.

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: Sophomore standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Humanities & Arts Breadth - Humanities Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify and discuss the ways in which modern humanitarianism has transformed over time Audience: Undergraduate 2. Compare and contrast different traditions of humanitarian thought and practice Audience: Undergraduate 3. Explain how humanitarianism is shaped by global histories of imperialism, geopolitics, capitalism Audience: Undergraduate 4. Locate ourselves and our communities within the broader global history of humanitarian intervention. By identifying how we fit into this uneven global history, we deepen our sense of personal and social responsibility. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Pose original research questions, analyze primary sources, make evidence-based arguments, and communicate research findings in a clear way. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Identify and discuss the ways in which modern humanitarianism has transformed over time Audience: Undergraduate 2. Compare and contrast different traditions of humanitarian thought and practice Audience: Undergraduate 3. Explain how humanitarianism is shaped by global histories of imperialism, geopolitics, capitalism Audience: Undergraduate 4. Locate ourselves and our communities within the broader global history of humanitarian intervention. By identifying how we fit into this uneven global history, we deepen our sense of personal and social responsibility. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Pose original research questions, analyze primary sources, make evidence-based arguments, and communicate research findings in a clear way. Audience: Undergraduate

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