Department of English

This interdisciplinary seminar examines theory and artistic productions, including literature, films, and performance art, that analyze and critique capitalism, imperialism and (neo)colonialism, racism, and patriarchy. It examines history and culture from an international perspective, giving particular attention to works from the Global South (and from Latin America, especially) as well as works addressing the history of racialized groups within the Global North. The course will focus on the 20th and 21st centuries, although it will also address earlier histories of capitalism and colonialism in order to trace their co-constitution and the emergence of modern racism. We will consider questions such as the following: What is the role of culture and literature in (neo)colonial domination and anticolonial resistance? What is globalization, how does it perpetuate global inequality, and how has art contributed to the international anti-globalization movement? How have people sought liberation from oppression and exploitation, and how have they mobilized cultural productions to this end? Why are immigrants targeted for repression and what can stories about immigrants' lives teach us about contemporary capitalism, including U.S. imperialism? What forces have given rise to 21st century fascism and how are intellectuals, activists and artists contesting it? The course will address key theories and concepts from anticolonial and postcolonial thought, Marxist social and literary theory, critical development studies, world systems analysis, and transnational Latin American & Latinx studies.