HNRS 166-01: Race, Gender, Empire: Britain in India and the US in Latin America

Race, gender, empire - on the surface, the definitions of the three words in the title of this course may seem obvious. Scholars find it difficult, however, to agree on their meanings and implications. What does it mean to be an empire? Is imperialism “good” or “bad”? What do ideas about race and gender have to do with the formation of empire? How do those ideas affect people’s lived experiences? This course examines the roles of Britain in India and the United States in Latin America. We will analyze these two sets of relationships--one recognized as imperial, the other only occasionally so--in order to compare their origins, development, and legacies, paying particular attention to how race and gender help to shape relationships between different groups of people. We will examine a variety of texts, including Shakespeare’s The Tempest, E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India, and declassified CIA documents on the U.S. role in the Guatemalan coup of 1954, as well as films, speeches, and historical monographs. Not only will we discuss whether the historic relationship between the United States and Latin America can be described as imperialistic, we will also examine current debates over the war in Iraq and the present state of the American “empire.”

Term: Spring 2009

Credits: 4

Fulfills: GE Requirement in Humanities (U)

Cross-listed: HIST 391, WMST 390 

Meeting times: 13:30-14:20 MWF

Instructor: Megan Threlkeld