What do we mean by “modernity” or the “modern world”? In this course, we will define modernity by examining global changes in politics, economy, culture, and society since 1500. We will approach these changes with a particular focus on the themes of capitalist development, imperialism, race, gender, and class. In doing so, we will engage with and challenge Eurocentric notions of modernity, and consider alternative ways of understanding global history.

Key Questions

• What is the modern world and how was it created?
• How did different empires develop in distinct regions of the world and what are their connections to processes of contemporary “globalization”?
• How did contacts between societies irrevocably change them and shape the world as we know it today?
• Whose history is recorded and what kinds of people are centered as historical protagonists? What are the consequences of these choices?

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