Colonial Studies

This course surveys history and politics through the prism of colonisation concepts. Conceptually, the course aims: 1) to analyze the main discourses that characterized the self-narration(s) that Europeans built on their hegemonic world-view and actions; 2) to explore differences between postcolonial and decolonial discourses, focusing on the use of concepts such as civilization, colonization, sovereignty, hegemony, nationalism; 3) to introduce narrations as products of specific context(s) marked by peculiar conflicts/debates and 4) introduce students to a critical theory of historical geography and cultural representations.

The final learning goal of this course is the writing of a full-length research paper based on a combination of primary and secondary sources. All the prior assignments, alongside individual supervision and consultation with the instructor, will guide the students on their path to the successful completion of this intellectually challenging task.