New Entanglements in the Global South
In 2016-17, our theme will be Comparative Empires, with a focus on Global Africa. We will address questions of how empires have been built historically and in the contemporary moment, how they have operated, which purposes they have served, how they ended, and what might replace them.We will examine how empires have extended their power and dominion, to what extent they have gained political and economic control over other areas and how these large-scale forces have shaped people’s lives. This could be a suitable topic for a mega-course, given emerging strengths in the study of trans-Atlantic slavery on our campus. However, we will not limit a discussion of Global Africa to the history of slavery but will also address contemporary conflicts and dilemmas that are pervasive across the continent, in the aftermath of the Cold War, and in light of new social and religious movements.