MAP-UA 552 - Cultures & Contexts: Topics—Empires and Political Imagination

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

Comparative study of empires, from the Romans to the present, and the ways that empires have inspired and constrained their subjects' ideas of rights, belonging, and power. Throughout history, few people lived for very long in a state that consisted entirely or even mainly of people with whom they shared a language and culture. Empires-polities that maintained social and cultural distinction even as they incorporated different people-have been one of the most common and durable forms of political organization. An examination of the variety of human cultures must take account of how people lived in empires- sometimes seeking higher degrees of autonomy, sometimes accommodating to rulers' authority, sometimes trying to extend their own power over others. The study of empire expands our ideas of citizenship and challenges the notion that the nationstate is natural and necessary. We investigate how empires were held together-and where they were weak-from perspectives that focus on political and economic connections over long distances and long time periods. We also explore how scholars have approached the topic of empires, examining their methods and their interpretations. Readings include historical scholarship on the Roman, Chinese, Mongol, Spanish, Russian, French, British, and American empires, as well as primary sources produced by people living in these and other imperial polities. Societies and the Social Sciences Note that the prerequisite for all Societies and the Social Sciences courses is completion of Texts and Ideas (MAP-UA 4XX) and Cultures and Contexts (MAP-UA 5XX), as well as completion of (or exemption from) Writing the Essay (EXPOS-UA 1), Writing II (WRI-UF 2002), or International Writing Workshop II (EXPOS-UA 9).

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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