102-512 From Cosmopolitanism to Transnationalism

Admission to a coursework masters program. Fourth-year honours or postgraduate diploma students may take this subject with permission from the postgraduate coordinator.

This course offers an historical survey of ideas and experiences of empire, colonialism, nationalism, cosmopolitanism, transnationalism and globalism. These are all large and diffuse categories, but one key question they try to get at is about where do we feel we belong, and how is identity situated in place. The course first examines the imaginaries and social experiences of imperialists and anti-colonial movements - the latter frequently drew on nationalist ideas about identity. In the de-colonisation period, the self was often located between, and across, ideas of the nation-state and cosmopolitanism / internationalism. More current examples will be drawn from contemporary debates about transnational governance, refugee dislocation and people movements, global culture, and local/ethnic identities. The assessment for the course offers students an opportunity to undertake either original archival/textual research or oral history interviews.

• be able to demonstrate that they can take responsibility for their own learning and academic endeavour; be able to think in theoretical and / or have strong foundation for empirical research;

• be able to demonstrate the time-management skills required for conducting a sustained and developmental piece of independent study;

• be able to demonstrate skills of information retrieval, management of ideas, and orchestration of diverse sources in the process of essay construction and presentation;

• be able to situate the significance of their research in the context of broader social, ethical and cultural contexts;

• be able to communicate their research findings in a clear and intelligible manner.

Each student will give a formal class presentation of a piece of original research based on either archival/textual analysis or oral history interviews. This will be of 1500 words and worth 35% (due during the semester), followed by an essay of 3500 words, worth 65% (due at the end of the semester). There is a hurdle requirement of 80% seminar attendance.